My Ultimate Tips When Booking A City Trip | Inspiration: Travel Tips

Summer has officially started and the holiday season is here! I am already preparing so much for my upcoming trip to Vienna, Austria. Right at the beginning of every year I meet up with my friends and make plans for the summer. Do we want to go on holiday? Where would we like to go? When is it possible to go? From there we make a plan of action and actually start with booking process. Hopefully my five tips will be helpful when you’re booking a last minute for summer or just a city trip in one of the next months! ✈

TIP #1 || What’s the budget?

First things first, the budget. Yes, the budget is one of the most important things to be clear on when want to book a city trip. I have different saving goals set on my account. So I also have one for traveling. When I receive my salary each month, I decide how much and to which goal I want to add the money. This way I have a specific amount of money I am able to spend on booking a city trip. When you know how much money you have to spend, it’s time to go on to the next step…

TIP #2 || Decide on your location

… the location! Do you have a bucket list? Is there a city you really want to visit? Want to stay close to home? Or want to explore a place far away? Some cities are more expensive then others, which you can easily find on the internet. For example, London is more expensive than Athens. And if you want to spend five days in a city, it costs more than three days. All things to keep in mind when looking at places.

TIP #3 || Browse through different booking websites

It might seem like a long process, but it’s really helpful to browse through different booking websites. If there’s one I always go for, it has to be Expedia. Expedia gives a clear overview of all the options you have of accommodations and flights in that specific city. Besides that, I am able to earn points when I book a trip through Expedia, which gives me a discount for my next booking. It can also be helpful to see if it’s cheaper to book the accommodation and flight together or separate. I always do this. You just go to the website of the accommodation you found (try Airbnb* for unique hotels, apartments and studios), look at the dates you are planning on going and also open different flight websites, like KLM and Transavia.

TIP #4 || Look at transportation options

How to get from the airport to the city center or your hotel? Well, you have a couple of options…

• by taxi. Mostly very expensive but it’s quick, so it depends on what you’re willing to spend.
• by train. One of my favorite options, because it’s inexpensive and easy to work out beforehand. Btw, always make sure to check if the trains actually are in service.
• by bus. My other favorite option. Whenever I get somewhere, they offer a bus service from the airport to the city center, and maybe some other stops in between. This way you can see what stop is closer to your hotel and get out wherever you want.
• by metro. It depends on the city you’re going to, but most of the time the metro lines in cities are really good and it’s the easiest way of transportation. Especially in big cities like London and Paris.

TIP #5 || Book tickets of activities or sights beforehand

Part of a city trip might be visiting museums, going to a play or enter a popular sight. Of course you can always buy tickets for something you want to visit at the sight itself. But you might have to wait in line or it’s expensive. So I always browse through the internet before I leave on a city trip and look at different websites to see what the prices are or if I am able to book things beforehand. This always makes me feel very organized and ready to explore the city.

These are five tips I always follow myself whenever I am booking a city trip or holiday. This way I find good deals or unique places to stay. Besides that, I love the planning beforehand. I have ways of finding the best hotspots to go and add them to a list I can always access them. Maybe this is something I should share next… Please let me know if you would like to see that on here. What are your plans for summer? What’s your ultimate tip when booking a city trip or holiday?

Love,

Neeltje