Being a tourist in your own city

Not nearly enough people have acted the tourist in the city in which they live. Main attractions are always brushed off as “I’ll get round to it” or “I can do it whenever I like”, and then when suddenly you find you are moving elsewhere, they either get done in a last minute rush as part of a bucket list, or never visited and you spend the rest of your life wondering why.

Since exams finished a few weeks ago, pretty much everyone I know has been going out in a frenzy trying to pack in as many sights and experiences as possible before we leave York. Whilst this is great, and means some people have had a lot of fun, it is also a very expensive way to try and fit everything in. It can also be a lot less enjoyable when you know that you only have a limited amount of time in which to do everything. So what are my suggestions?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pick a time, and do it

In first year at some point it hit me that however much I loved the city, the likelihood would be that I wouldn’t stay in York forever. From that point, I tried my best to go to as many places as possible when I had time. My boyfriend and I were usually both free on Sundays, so we made that our day to do things together, and quite often ended up going to different attractions then.

Look out for special resident’s initiatives

Most cities, particularly those which get a lot of tourists, will have some sort of resident’s initiative, whether that be free entry to certain attractions, or severely discounted membership. In York there is a resident’s weekend, where the city’s residents can get into the main attractions for free, or incredibly cheaply. There is also a York Card which for only £3 can get you into a range of different places for free.

Make the most of your friends visiting

I have been to the National Railway Museum and the Castle Museum at least twice, and Jorvick a few times, and that has all been down to needing to entertain visiting friends. If the idea of acting like a tourist in the place you live concerns you a little, then take the opportunity to go places when your friends, who are tourists, want to see the sights.

Being a tourist in your own city can be particularly great if you aren’t going on holiday and are having a staycation instead. Just because you aren’t travelling somewhere different doesn’t mean you can’t still have fun and experience something new!