Sunday 21 June 2015

LIFESTYLE: Tips for booking a city break



Do your research on destinations - All cities are different and some may be more suited to what you want to do than others. Researching things to do in cities will give you an insight into what city is best to visit so that you make the most of your trip. Doing this will also help you decide what you want to do there and what you want to avoid. For example, Amsterdam has two sides to it; my trip consisted of canals, cycling and good but for others it may be moreabout partying, sex and drugs. That wasn't for me so my online research enabled me to see which areas to avoid staying in.

Have an itinerary - Making the most of your time is essential especially as city breaks can only be a few days long, particularly if you're on a budget. Planning an itinerary before you go is good so that you don't waste time wondering around aimlessly (unless thats what you like to do, of course).


Book the excursions before you go - Booking excursions and days out before you go can not only save you money, but also time. If you are thinking of going to a museum, go on their website and see if you can pre book a slot. When I visited the Anne frank museum in Amsterdam, we hadn't booked and ended up queuing for 2 hours beforehand which obviously wasted time and was a bit annoying.

Look at hotel reviews on Tripadvisor - This is an obvious one and is something that I do before booking any holiday or city break. I like to read reviews that are recent to see what the hotel is currently like, but also the ones that were written at the same time as I am going to be visiting to get hints and tips. For example, the hotel I am visiting in Madrid said that the rooftop pool is only open in certain months and can get busy in particular months so this was helpful. 

Go on price comparison websites - To get the cheapest deal, I would recommend visiting websites such as Expedia but don't let that be the be all and end all. My trip to Madrid was going to be around £300 flying with Ryan Air and staying in a hotel without breakfast and this was the cheapest deal available. However we later found the same hotel with British Airways for the same price but with continental breakfast and a better room AND flying with BA. Of course this deal was more ideal but it wasn't shown on Expedia so be aware that these websites don't include everything that is out there. 

See if booking flights and hotel separately will save you money - Booking both flights and hotels on different websites might be cheaper. Booking a flight through the actual airline may be cheaper as they will directly receive your money as opposed to booking through agencies where you may pay a premium. This may be the same with booking hotels through the actual hotel website. This may not always be true though so make sure you shop around!

So there were my tips for booking a city break and these tips mostly apply to booking a holiday too! I am by no means an expert but have booked quite a few trips, breaks and holidays now and feel I am a bit of a sucker for the best deals. I hope you found these tips useful and the most important tip is HAVE FUN AND EXPLORE. I am so excited to travel the world!

Where should I visit? Let me know your favourite destinations!

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8 comments

  1. Great tips! I've been looking at booking a long weekend city break recently but as I've only ever booked package holidays before it's been a bit confusing. I'll definitely remember these :)

    x
    Small&Blonde ♥

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    Replies
    1. Thanks! Haha I was the same until this last year or so! xx

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  2. Definitely agree with all these tips! Price comparisons are a must! x

    http://whiteshirtchic.blogspot.co.uk/

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  3. I am actually trying to plan a city break, so this came at the best time!

    Annabel ♥
    Mascara & Maltesers

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  4. thanks for the tips, really helpful! xx

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