By Soren Rivero
If your travel bucket list consists of destinations in the same country, then consider a multi-city vacation! They’re perfect for eager travelers who want to see more of the world while spending less of their hard-earned cash.
Here are 10 tips for a multi-city vacation that’ll make your next adventure easy and exciting.
Know How to Get Around
Moving from city to city can be a hassle, especially if you’re visiting a country for the first time. Renting a car can be an efficient transport method for multi-city vacations, depending on which country you're visiting. Some places around the world, such as countries in Europe, are much easier to navigate (and cheaper) if you opt to take public transportation. Just be sure to know what method you’ll be using before embarking on your vacation.
Plan Your Itinerary in Advance
One thing that will definitely set you back during your multi-city vacation is not planning ahead. Heading into a city with no expectations or plans can make your vacation unnecessarily difficult. Try to plan an itinerary ahead of time and stick to it as closely as you can. Your future self will thank you.
Pack Accordingly
So you’ve got yourself a rental car, booked the hotels, and planned out your itinerary for each city. But now, you just spent three hours of precious vacation time loading your luggage, unpacking, and sifting through items in every city. Yeah – not the best way to spend your multi-city vacation.
The best way to avoid extra hassle when taking a multi-city vacation is to pack lightly and take only what you know you’ll need. Check out our travel packing list for some recommendations. Packing lightly means less time spent rummaging through luggage, and more time enjoying your trip. Plus, you can buy more souvenirs!
Find Central Accommodations
Let’s say, for example, that you want to book a multi-city vacation to the United Kingdom. While staying in Edinburgh, London, and Wales all sound great to do in one vacation, traveling from city to city is a great deal of commuting. To cut down on expenses, find central hotels to reduce transportation time and costs. This also means you’ll have easy access to the best things to do in each city.
Use Helpful Technology
Visiting multiple big cities is fairly easy during one vacation since most major cities throughout the world have plenty of helpful tourist resources. However, some cities may lack access to sufficient resources such as guides, translators, and even Wi-Fi. You can avoid any unnecessary hassles during your multi-city vacation by investing in some helpful technology or software. Some ideas include:
- Power bank
- Convertible wall charger
- Portable Wi-Fi
- Translation Apps
- Restaurant Recommendation Apps
- Lost Device Trackers
Always be sure to keep your devices charged and in a safe place!
Try to Meet Locals
There’s a few ways you can get the most out of your multi-city vacation. One great aspect of traveling to a new destination that many people overlook is mingling with locals. If you happen to speak the local language, meeting locals can make your vacation all the more exciting. You’ll never know what secret spot you’ll be recommended to.
Learn Basic Phrases
In some cases, you won’t be well adjusted with the official language of the city you’re visiting. That’s where knowing some basic words and phrases can really come in handy. Just keep in mind that even though some cities in a designated country may be just hours away from each other, dialect and slang can make it harder to understand what you’re saying.
Some countries may even have different languages depending on the region. For example, Catalonia, Valencia and the Balearic Islands in Spain speak Catalan more than Spanish. Madrid and other major cities speak more Spanish than other languages. Research every city before you travel to avoid issues!
Take Plenty of Breaks
Traveling, as much as it should be relaxing, can be really stressful. Especially when your vacation includes staying in multiple cities. Have no fear of taking breaks when needed. While you’re on the road, this makes for the perfect time to stop and admire the beauty of the journey. Otherwise, you can nap on your ride over to refresh yourself for your next stop.
Keep an Open Mind
As much as you can plan your itinerary to the last detail, sometimes things don’t go as planned. Traffic, weather, timing, and other various aspects of travel can interfere with your vacation. Try to stick to your itinerary, but plan to be flexible as needed. Who knows, you might even accidentally stumble upon an adventure you never thought you’d have!
Book a Vacation Package
Out of all the tips we can give you, our #1 tip for taking a multi-city vacation is to book a vacation package that includes everything you need. These pre-planned vacations include hotels in multiple cities, flights, transportation, and sometimes even include tours and other fun stuff!
