City Tours : Best Strategy

When new to a town we always take the hop on/off just for the orientation. Since most hop on/off ticket are good for 24 hours we will buy early afternoon, ride a complete loop, and get of on the second loop. We then use it the next day to visit a few more before the ticket expires. After that we will hit the TI for local guides and tour information. That will help determine what we do for the rest of the time.

I only go on walking tours and bike tours when I visit new cities. Mainly because I dislike the pollution caused by the buses, handing over money to a big corporation rather than supporting small, local businesses, and having to listen to a recording is kinda boring.

You get so much more out of your visit when you have a tour with a guide that knows their stuff, that can tell you interesting facts and stories that aren't in any guide books. Private tours are good if you have a very specific theme that may not be covered by a group tour, or if you have a different schedule. A general overview tour is great your first day. Your guide may tell you about local events, make restaurant suggestions, or tell you about special exhibits that you may not know about. Themed tours are fun too. I go on a different one with Insider Tours every time I go to Berlin. In Edinburgh we got a kick out of the Underground Vaults when we toured with Mercat Tours. Food tours can be enjoyable too, but are usually a bit pricier.

We like to start out with an overview walking tour, on our own, much like Ms. Jo. Rick Steves usually has one for every city and town in his books, i.e., "Historic Paris," or the "Caesar Shuffle" in Rome. Then in some cities, we tag onto a local walking tour such as London Walks or Paris Walks if they have something of interest to us. Gives me a break from the guidebook and being the guide/navigator. It's also fun to do a night tour and see the city in a different light.

Like in Amsterdam, maybe a walking tour the first day and a night canal boat tour the second night.

Seems like a good plan for Amsterdam.

Assuming these are cities you have not visited and they are larger cities, I suggest the Hop-On, Hop-Off bus as an orientation to the city. If you are particularly interested in learning a lot about the overall city, vs. visiting the 'top spots', then, skip the HO-HO and go with a guided walking tour. Many cities have free (gratuity not included!) walking tours of the central area leaving from the TIs. If you have limited time, we often book guided tours to top sites to skip the entry lines and they always provide interesting information for those new to the sites. We have booked with Viator and always been satisfied. We have booked a few private tours, also, but since we are now retirees, we probably won't enjoy that luxury any longer!

I like Frank's HOHO bus strategy and we've done similar a few times, for an early orientation and simple transportation to the "high spots." Usually the narration is mediocre though. I always keep a map handy and note places to revisit if time allows.

London Walks and Paris Walks are legendary for their quality, convenience, and affordability. There may be similar opportunities elsewhere. The "free" tours can be fun, by all means leave a tip unless the guide did a terrible job. Boat tours in places like Amsterdam and Paris are a great idea. I wouldn't know from bike tours -- some people love them but I'd think you'd be too busy "driving" to appreciate your surroundings. (At least I would!) Private guides can do a great job, and tailor the tour to you, but they're very expensive. They can be worthwhile, though, at specific sites, especially if labels aren't in English and/or you can skip a long line.

I too enjoy the free walking tours where the guides work for tips. But we also sign onto their "nightlife tours" where they take you to the popular restaurants and bars that are often off the beaten path. And it's the nighttime tours that are the real fun.