Holiday making season and international travel are slowly approaching. The ever-changing laws and rules for international seem to be hinting that, even though modified and restricted, overseas travel is becoming normal again. If you’ve been stuck in your apartment this whole time, using your wanderlust to pass the time through quarantine, you may have forgotten where to even start when planning your next holiday destination. So here are 6 activity ideas for you once you can finally travel overseas again.

See the city by boat

One thing that we always try and do on holiday in a new city is to take a ferry or boat cruise; if they have one. You would be surprised how many cities are built along, close by, or near a flowing stream of water. Water is the source of all life after all!

And as of yet, things haven’t gotten boring. Because so many places do things differently. In Istanbul, you can take a ferry across the majestic Bosphorus and traverse between Europe and Asia. I don’t think many (or even any) other places can offer such an experience. While much of Istanbul’s trendy cafes and priciest houses line the shoreline, that isn’t the case elsewhere.

In Hungary, you can cross the Danube via its many historic and important bridges. There are lots of sights to see such as the Parliament House, Buda Castle, and the Central Market Hall as you ride up and down in your boat. We’ve also taken a boat down the Dnieper, in Ukraine. Here you can marvel at the natural beauty of the beaches and small islets that line the large river until it eventually leads you to the old town.

As mentioned above, many touristic locations are built on sources of water. If you’ve been wondering if it worthwhile to go to cities like Paris, London, or Rome, because they are too “touristic” or “mainstream”; I have an article for you! Check out my reasons for why you shouldn’t ignore a place, just because it’s too mainstream.

Boat trips are great. They’re a relaxed way to start your vacation and they can often come with a guided tour. Importantly, you’re able to see many places all in one go. Similarly, you might find hop-on bus tours that serve a similar purpose.

Hop on and Hop Off Buses

Our city doesn’t have a ferry but it does have bus tours! I hear you petitioning from behind your screens.

Yes yes. Bus tours are another iteration on the above service, just on wheels. These big vehicles can give you a great tour of the city, if you’re lucky to get a bus with a second storey you’ll get a unique view that you wouldn’t be able to get from taxis.

Our short holiday to Paris was marked by rainy days and frosty nights. We weren’t even planning to get on, but since it was pouring and we had no cover we just jumped onto the closest one and paid the fare for 24 hours. What a happy coincidence that was! For two reasons, we got to see the whole city from on top of a bus. Secondly, because whenever it looked like it was going to rain we had our very own portable shelter. Also! When it rains, the drivers bring out the free ponchos. Can’t believe we were going around such a trendy city in our clear plastic coats!

Find the highest point and see the whole landscape

My wife’s favourite things to do are activities that can expose you to many locations all at one time. Isn’t she efficient? Therefore, finding the high points in a city is often a high point for us! 

Cities with hills, mountains, or valleys often have a high point by which you can see the entire landscape. These can often be accessed by train or cable car. And even if they don’t have these, Ferris wheels are extremely popular. Most cities have an eye of ‘X’; Eye of London, Eye of Melbourne. Don’t misjudge Ferris wheels because of how slow they are. Once you get high up and the carriage begins to rock a little, you begin to question whether or not you really have a fear of heights!

In the morning sun, evening light, or in the glistening snow going high up to see the city in its entirety will create amazing memories.

Visit an ‘old town’

Many cities around the world are what we would define as ‘old’. However, a lot of cities have had to modernise and accommodate the influx of people over time. Still, there are many preserved pockets of lives from long ago lovingly referred to as ‘old towns.’ These old towns embrace the aesthetic of yesteryear and allow tourists a look into how things used to be.

The old towns often function as their own touristic districts where you can visit trendy cafes, traditional markets, or art spaces. Looking at Istanbul, many of its iconic monuments are in the ‘Old Part’ of the city. You can find most of your touristic fanfare and souvenirs at places like this. If you’re interested in Turkish gifts and souvenirs, check out my article here.

Despite being maintained and refurbished, the old markets and small streets are full of charm and nostalgia. Your holiday wouldn’t be complete without going to these places!

Eat something local

For me, travel is about getting out of your comfort zone. You already made it half the way by stepping into a new country. Don’t tell me you just want to eat what you’re familiar with. Try something local!

Bringing your own meals and snacks, or buying from the supermarket, are definitely the cheaper options. I know. It’s expensive to eat out for every meal in certain cities; especially the tourist areas. However, food is just another way to experience the culture of a country and the hospitality of its people. 

Make sure to look up online, what are the most famous or highly recommended meals, desserts, or drinks while you’re on holiday. Many restaurants are iconic for their preparation of certain local delicacies. Try and make some time in your itinerary for at least one local meal. Baklava is a sweet dish that you can see everywhere in Turkey. There are so many choices it can seem overwhelming to the uninitiated. That’s why I’ve written an article all about it, here.

For me, travel is about getting out of your comfort zone. You already made it half the way by stepping into a new country. Don’t tell me you just want to eat what you’re familiar with. Try something local!

Take the metro

You may have realised, if you’re a long time reader, I really hate taking the taxi. Certain countries have great ride-sharing services, like Bolt ın Hungary. However, when I’m on holiday the thing I like to do best is take the train. I want to ride the train at least once, experience historic stations, and even plan my holiday according to the metro network. Most of the time, big key tourist attractions are close to easily accessible train stations.

Admittedly some countries public transport systems are more foreigner-friendly than others. Due to recent public health laws, Turkey has mandated all travellers must have their train card connected with the health code system. This can be tricky for tourists to navigate. However, countries such as Ukraine and Malaysia still have one use tickets available to purchase. These are either paper or plastic tokens that don’t require any sort of documentation or paying for reusable metro cards.

Also, many subway systems have their own sort of subculture that is interesting to explore. Whether it be the London Underground, The New York City Subway with all its buskers, the high-speed railways of Japan, or even the old Soviet-style train stations of countries like Russia and Ukraine; all these places do the same thing in different ways.

See the culture of a city

I personally believe it’s a really good idea to go and see the culture of a city, when on holiday. This does mean stepping out of your hotel, yes. There are many things that make a city unique, here are some ideas of where you can find these;

• Both its modern and ancient history. Check out museums, shrines and monuments, or palaces.
• The language and religion. Your local cafe, the market, or a religious building.
• The food people eat every day. Markets and restaurants.
• How the locals express themselves, through music, art and performance. Concert halls, theatres, or even public spaces (see metro, above!)
• The climate and natural environment. Anywhere where you can take a walk or experience the landscape of the city.

Culture is a wide concept and it has enough interpretations that anyone on a holiday should be able to experience the local culture of a place.

If you are interested in quirky and curious museums around Istanbul, you can follow my link here.

Try to plan locations that can be strung together 

Here is a bonus travel idea or holiday tip for you! If you see that things like museums, old towns, and restaurants are all closely linked together, use that to your advantage. Try and plan your vacation so that you can cover a few locations that are close together. Is that big church you wanted to visit also in the old town? It can also be accessed by train you say? In my eyes, covering all those in one day is a perfect and practical holiday idea!