Your essential guide to explore and sight-see during ICS 2019

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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:

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-   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

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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

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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

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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:

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  • 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:

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  • 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!

AUTHOR: NIRANJANA KUMAR