Considering your time in each city will be limited, you need to make sure you plan your sightseeing wisely, so you can make the most out of what each city and the locality has to offer. Here’s some strategy on how to explore each city to maximize your experience:
- Do a city tour to make the most out of your sightseeing within the first few days of arriving there
- Understand the layout of the city- For example, if you know the Trafalgar Square and the Piccadilly Circus are near each other, plan to do both of those in one day
- Give time and consider the rush in mind, you want make sure you avoid rush hours like 9:00 AM or 5:00 PM.
- Plan according to your meeting and visits from the program
- Also, be mindful of the events in the city or of any protests that are going on. Public transportation and street closures are more likely to happen during these times.
Keeping these pointers in mind let’s now break down the attractions by each city and see what the most efficient way to explore the city.
LONDON
We all know what London is famous for—it’s underground and transportation system. It’s so efficient that you could rely on it to pretty much get to any corner of the city. If you’re planning a trip outside of Central London, you can always look for trains or coaches, if you want cheaper options.
Here’s a must visit list of places to explore when in London:
London Eye
Big Ben
Trafalgar Square
Buckingham Palace
Camden Market
Covent Garden
Hyde Park
Notting Hill
Piccadilly Circus
The Shard
St. Paul’s Cathedral
Tower Bridge
Borough Market
Brick Lane
Tate Modern Museum
Sky Garden
Brixton
Shoreditch
Oxford Bridge
Soho
You could cover all the big ones within a day, this will save you a lot of time to do other things on other days.
Madrid
The Spanish capital is blessed with its art scene and beautiful buildings. You’ll find yourself stopping over to awe at its beauty in every corner of the city. There are certain monuments you cannot absolutely miss when visiting the city. Here goes:
Parque del Retiro
Puerta del Sol
Plaza Mayor
Templo de Debod
El Palacio Real
Gran Via
Mercado San Miguel
Museums: Museo Del Prado, the Reina Sofia, the Thyssen- Bornemisza, etc.
Malasana neighborhood
Secret Cookies
La Latina
Paris
Let’s talk about the city of love and lights. Without a doubt, there are just too many things to see in this extraordinary city. The transport system, like London, is well connected there are trains and underground services pretty much anywhere you go. It’s very difficult to cover an essential list but let’s give this a shot.
Here’s a must visit list of places to explore when in Paris:
Eiffel Tower
Louvre Museum
Cathedrale Notre Dame de Paris
Canal St Martin
Paris Point Zero
Paris Padlocks of love
I love you Wall
Arc de Triomphe
Champs- Elysees
Jardin des Tuileries
Jardin du Luxembourg
Bois de Vincennes
Berlin
Berlin is a city full of surprises, it has a place for every type of personality. From the party animals to the historic geeks to scenic addicts. However, Berlin is most known for its rich history and museums. Here’s a list of must-visit historic monuments and sights in Berlin:
Brandenburger Tor
Reichstag
Berlin Wall/East side gallery
Museumsinsel
Fernsehturm
Holocaust Memorial
Tiergarten
Olympic Stadium
Alexanderplatz
Berliner Dom
Sammlung Boros
Budapest
This city is immersed with so much culture and classic, you are bound to get the true European experience here. Budapest has a diverse variety of things to do. Here’s a must visit list of places whilst you are there:
Parliament Building
Gellert Baths
Heroes’ Square
Margaret Island
Danube Promenade
House of Terror
St Stephen’s Basilica
Hungarian State Opera House
Fisherman’s Bastion
Invisible Exhibition
Central Market Hall
Be prepared to get a holistic experience, travelling from one city to another immersing yourself in rich history, culture, scenery and whole lot of fun this summer through the ICS 2019 trip. Bon Voyage!