If You Like This City, Try That City
Everyone wants to go on a great vacation to a well-known destination - experiencing all that a place has to offer. Unfortunately, trips to famous spots are often not very budget-friendly and you will have to save up a lot of money to get to your dream destination.
Not everyone has that kind of money, but this does not mean you cannot have a fruitful holiday. Instead, if you are only looking to have a good time on your break, you can always go to another city that is similar to the one you are going to. You might think - why should you settle for less?
However, choosing a similar destination has a lot of benefits that come with it - you just have to try it out for yourself. Read on to know more!
Alternatives To Popular Tourist Destinations
Although trips can be fun, the work involved in going on vacation can be tiring. All the expenses, traveling, and booking can make a holiday that was supposed to be fun look a lot like work. A major reason for this is actually because of the number of tourists that flock to a popular destination.
This is why I recommend going to an alternate city - one that can offer the same benefits but with a lot less work.
After researching the best tourist destinations, I have compiled this list of second options to some of the most favored dream destinations!
1. If You Like Amsterdam, Try Utrecht
Amsterdam is the scenic capital of the beautiful country of the Netherlands - popular for its art collections, historical sites, and gardens that stretch across old, well-preserved colonies.
Hordes of tourists flock to the city every year to explore the Venice of the North, which is why if you want a quieter vacation, Utrecht would be a much better spot.
A cozy, lesser-known destination than Amsterdam, Utrecht is the fourth-largest city in the country and has a similar vibe that mimics the beauty of the capital. It is even popularly known as ‘Amsterdam without the tourists’ and will give you the full Dutch experience.
With rivers and canals that are part of Oudegracht flowing along the streets, you will surely see some photographic views.
Utrecht is also an old city with structures that date back to the High Middle Ages and was the religious center beginning from the 8th century.
Apart from bustling cafes, it also harbors some wonderful museums, such as the Nijntje Museum for kids and the Central Museum for adults. They display world-famous art pieces and are home to the largest Gerrit Rietveld collection ever.
There are numerous canoes that take you sightseeing around the city and picnic hotspots that are perfect for photos! Utrecht is truly an underrated haven.
2. If You Like Honolulu, Try San Diego
Honolulu is famous as a tropical getaway, offering some of the lushest green landscapes, and beaches. Despite being so natural, the city is also a metropolitan hub, with buildings as tall as any other American city. It is well connected despite its roots being tied to the spirit of aloha.
You might think this is something you can only experience in Hawaii, but there is an alternate, much cheaper option. America’s finest city, San Diego is a surfer haven, with over 70 miles of just beautiful beaches and numerous tourist attractions. For example, SeaWorld and Legoland are quite popular destinations for sightseeing.
Seafood is big in the city, so make sure that you try the fish tacos and the local clam chowder. San Diego is also home to 15 museums, the famous Globe Theatre, art galleries, and the San Diego Zoo, which is famous for its natural habitats and an interaction-based experience with over 660 species.
This is why this green hub with its sandy beaches and lush scenery will surely give you an experience no lesser than Hawaii.
3. If You Like New York, Try Portland
As the first world, America is progressive and has a capital like New York which is a representation of how developed the world has become. Starting from the Statue of Liberty which expresses freedom, to Times Square, which is a center of lights, crowds, and tall buildings, visiting New York is like visiting the future.
It is also one of the most populous cities in America, and the same busy crowds that look attractive can be a pain when you just want to have a good time. Hence, the second option for this city would be Portland - an artsy city known for valuing theatre, music, and all forms of art as highly important.
The city is a well-kept one and gives more importance to the aesthetic than any other does. Gardens like Washington Park and Forest Park are maintained to be perfect picnic spots and most people travel on bicycles to avoid polluting the scenic beauty of the area.
It has a thriving art scene and is also home to the largest independent bookstore in the world called Powell’s Books. Due to its focus on art and nature, the city also has several museums like the World Forestry Center and the Portland Art Museum that showcases the best of what the city has to offer.
4. If You Like Venice, Try Chioggia
The floating city of Venice has been a popular tourist site for years due to its unique sightseeing experience. The City of Canals is one of Italy’s most popular destinations for traveling in Italy due to its picturesque scenes. This may sound incomparable, but there is an alternative and cheaper option for the city.
Instead of going inside the city, tourists can always choose to take a detour and instead plan on visiting Chioggia - a coastal comune of Venice. Some place to check out there is the daily fish market where you get a variety of fresh options.
Chioggia also has canals that you can tour the city on - the Vena Canal being the most important and beautiful one. Tourists can always go to some good cafe along its bank to try some Italian pizza and pasta. The canals wash into Sottomarina Beach - another tourist attraction where people usually have an apperivito with the view.
5. If You Like Paris, Try Seville
Paris, the shopping capital is culturally famous for its beautiful galleries, high-end fashion boutiques, delicious French cuisine, and also historical moments such as the Eiffel Tower. Due to its dedication to aesthetics, the whole vibe of the city has also made it be referred to as the ‘city of love’.
However, if you want to cut the crowd and just experience a cultural city for what it is, you can always go to Seville - a city in Italy that is famous for its famed traditions and historical sites.
The most popular spots are the Cathedral and the La Giraalda Tower, but the whole city is full of Moorish, Christian, and Jewish architecture with designs as intricate as French oneness.
It is also home to some traditional Spanish activities like bullfighting and the flamenco, so you will always have something to be entertained by in this city. As for the food, the town’s tapas are famous for being the most delicious in southern Spain.
6. If You Like Tokyo, Try Kuala Lumpur
Japan’s capital, Tokyo, is famous for being a hotspot of blended culture. Being a historically relevant city like Edo, modern-day Tokyo is famous for its jungle of electronics, anime, and video games mixed with old Buddhist monasteries and shrines. At the same time, it can cost a fortune to fully experience the whole city.
A more affordable option would be Kuala Lumpur - the capital of Malaysia, which has a similar vibe to the modern city of Tokyo. It is the ideal place for shoppers as you get a wide variety of goods from all around the world.
For those on a limited budget, you even have the Petaling Street flea market where you get numerous imitation goods and various culinary options.
As for sightseeing, you can explore the Batu Caves, which are known to be over 400 million years old, stretching over a breathtaking, tropical landscape. You should also visit the Petronas Twin Towers - a masterpiece in modern architecture. The sky bridge is no lesser an experience than the Ueno Sky Bridge or Mishima Sky Walk in Japan.
7. If You Like Athens, Try Pelion
Although ancient Greece might have collapsed around 3200 years ago, the capital of Athens still gets a huge number of tourists who like to marvel at its classic beauty. Its main reason for the attraction is the aesthetic Greek architecture that is still the blueprint of a lot of modern-day design.
However, if you want to avoid the crowd and still be able to experience this wonder, then another place you can go to is the grand mountains of Pelion. Located in the province of Thessaly, it is known for being green and a terrain that stretches full of bountiful plantations and farmlands.
In mythology, Pelion was home to the centaur Chiron, the teacher of Greek heroes Chille, Theseus, and Heracles. The Centaur’s Path, named in this context, is also a famous tourist attraction lined with ancient ruins.
Greece is also famous for its bright beaches, so Pelion also has its beautiful Chorefto Beach. Activities like kayaking and canyoning are also popular. The neoclassical architecture amongst scenic valleys is certainly worth visiting.
8. If You Like Rome, Try Cagliari
Rome, the Eternal City is known for its ancient ruins like the Colosseum, Trevi Fountain, and the Pantheon. The ruin-like buildings still stand as a remark of their immortality despite the rise and fall of empires. Tourists visit the capital for its cultural blend of art, religion, and history, and also its pasta.
Another such city that compares to the beauty of Rome, is Cagliari - the capital of the island region of Sardinia, Italy. The colorful and classical designs of the buildings that look over the Mediterranean Sea is a unique experience that you may not find in Rome.
Despite being full of historical monuments, Cagliari’s nightlife at Castello, Marina, or Stampace is also quite popular. Since the sea is so close, there is also Poetto Beach which has several beach bars.
9. If You Like Berlin, Try Munich
The city of Berlin is known for its important landmarks, historical buildings, and architecture that blends both modern and classical design. It is also a capital of culture, with over 170 museums, three large opera houses, and huge theatres that will represent Berlin’s heritage through performances.
Hence, if you are looking for a city that is similar to this central urbanization, you don’t have to look far. Munich, the most affluent region in Germany is a clean and high-tech city that is popular for being a convention center. It is home to some of the largest breweries, so the beer in this region is quite famous.
The annual Oktoberfest, which is known as the world’s largest beer celebration also takes place here, so the city is a sight to remember during this time. Although a hub of technology, Munich also has a beautiful park-like the English Garden and the outsides of the famous Deutsches Museum.
Food lovers can also find great deals for German and Bavarian delicacies at the Victuals Market, which was initially a farmer’s market.
10. If You Like London, Try Melbourne
As a modern-day representation of some of the earliest architectures and world history, the metropolis of London is a popular site for its famous museums, sports stadiums, and ancient tourist attractions. However, you probably also know that the city is one of the most expensive cities in the world.
A better alternative to it would be Melbourne - the Sporting Capital of the World which is also famous for being one of the most liveable cities in the world. The graffitied lanes, excellent cafes, and architecture that I a mix of modern and classic has a similar vibe to what people look for in London.
Some of Australia’s best-known landmarks are located in the city - the National Gallery of Victoria and the Royal Exhibition Building to name a few. Another plus point of Melbourne is the fact that it is cheaper to live in with affordable property and communication.
Compared to London which is an industrial hub, it is also far less polluted, cleaner and with lesser crowds to make your holiday more enjoyable.
Final Thoughts
It is tourism that boosts the popularity of a place, so if all you want to do is relax on your vacation, you might as well go to one of these alternatives. Not only will it cut down on the expenditure, but you will also discover a place less known and underrated.
After all, tourism is all about discovering and exploring. Perhaps you might even like one of these alternatives so much that it becomes your special getaway one day!