Exploring New Cities

[Stoned_Rider]

I'm curious as to how fellow INTPs go about exploring a completely new city where you don't know anyone. What's your preferred method? Do you head down to the pub and meet some locals (yeah right :grin:)? Do you check out some guided tours? Do you keep a map as a general guideline and then just improvise?

Also, what would excite you the most about a new city? I mean, what sort of places are you going to be really looking forward to find?

I personally like to just wander around, get a general feel for the city and its people, then try to guess where the interesting places might be and just head there. I also make a mental map of where the last intersection was so that I could always go back there and try a new direction... and so on and so on.

[Rice-Tactics]

I personally like to just wander around, get a general feel for the city and its people, then try to guess where the interesting places might be and just head there. I also make a mental map of where the last intersection was so that I could always go back there and try a new direction... and so on and so on.

thats pretty much what I do.

[Madrigal]

I personally like to just wander around, get a general feel for the city and its people, then try to guess where the interesting places might be and just head there. I also make a mental map of where the last intersection was so that I could always go back there and try a new direction... and so on and so on.

Just wandering around freely is nice, as long as you don't head somewhere unsafe. I'd probably be most interested in exploring the places where historical events took place; squares, certain neighbourhoods, etc. One thing's for sure, I usually hate museums, monuments and cathedrals in any city.

[Randomnity]

I'm curious as to how fellow INTPs go about exploring a completely new city where you don't know anyone. What's your preferred method? Do you head down to the pub and meet some locals (yeah right :grin:)? Do you check out some guided tours? Do you keep a map as a general guideline and then just improvise?

Also, what would excite you the most about a new city? I mean, what sort of places are you going to be really looking forward to find?

I personally like to just wander around, get a general feel for the city and its people, then try to guess where the interesting places might be and just head there. I also make a mental map of where the last intersection was so that I could always go back there and try a new direction... and so on and so on.

I usually happen to have a good friend along who knows the city well and who acts as a guide. If I was on my own for some reason, I'd try to remember to print off at least a rough map, with interesting-sounding places looked up on it in case I got bored/lost, but really I'd just find an interesting-looking place and wander around.

[Pooja]

1. mapquest so i don't get lost
2. wander around streets, and stop and browse through shops and parks
3. walk a lot
4. get lost anyway

edit: I should add that exploring new cities is one of my most favorite things to do.

[booyalab]

I've never gone on vacation by myself. I've taken trips by myself to visit people, but that's the extent. I think I'd prefer to explore a city with a good friend.

[Anonymous]

Yeah, I've never really had the chance. However, I get lost too often in my own damn city, let alone another one. Granted, my city is a bit large, so maybe a smaller one would be better, but still. My sense of directions is terrible.

[Dansker]

My preferred method of finding my way around a new city is to do some research online, find out what areas of the city may interest me and then head out. I do most of my exploring on foot, but will occasionally use trains or bus. I am definitely not into the guided tour thing.

I usually have a map of a new city, but I rarely use it once I get there. I might look at it before I arrive to get a sense of where my hotel or apartment is in comparison to other places that I would like to visit, but I usually don't carry it with me once I am there.

What I love about being somewhere new is just that - that it is new. I love planting myself in a cafe with a good book and an espresso, occasionally listening to locals chat and watching the world go by.

[outmywindow]

I personally like to just wander around, get a general feel for the city and its people, then try to guess where the interesting places might be and just head there. I also make a mental map of where the last intersection was so that I could always go back there and try a new direction... and so on and so on.

Yeah, that's what I do. In fact, I always enjoy that initial part of being in a new city and not really knowing where anything is. I love the idea of "getting to know" the town and finding all the little hole-in-the-wall places which differentiate one city from the next in my mind.

[Birdsnest]

Uh oh. When I travel I become very very J and very very P, using both to the max.

I want every last detail figured out before I travel, and I make the planning aspect a major ordeal. It can take me 3 months of planning before I go on travel. I use the internet to get information on:

Which airlines have the least stops, and the best service, and I opt for the aisle seats, don't care about window seat at all. I pre-reserve and pay for shuttles, tours, hotels, airlines and anything else I can prepay for. I book flights on midmorning flights because its just easier all around.

I know what the airport looks like by going to the airport website, and downloading all the ground transportation numbers and information for bus, trains, taxis and shuttles. Then, I usually chose the shuttle and the hotel to coordinate because certain brand name hotels always have a shuttle from the airport, and I take advantage of that because shuttles are $12-15 and taxis can be upwards of $35. I like to know what the airport layout looks like, and I look for the free shuttle phone near the baggage claim and call for the prereserved shuttle when I get there which takes me to the hotel where I check in, and rest up before dinner.

I have an itinerary with the confirmation number, hotel address and phone number, check in, checkout dates. I also call to make sure its reserved, because sometimes people are ditzy enough to forget to book it.

I know where to walk to get on the tours, and which ones are must sees.
I walk around during the day if there is time to check out the restaurants and bars. I sometimes go to a bar and get several beers and any food they might have and ask for a brown bag and go back to room and watch tv and eat from the brown bag.

Next day, after I rest up, I venture out and find subways, trains, buses, and do more exploring based on my maps and idea of where I want to go. I ask people where the best night life is, and film festivals, etc. I do a lot of shopping and souvenier shopping, and almost always buy regional cookbooks after asking booksellers which cookbooks are the most popular. And i always buy those refridgerator magnets in any airport I go to so i can put them on the fridge and remember where I've gone. On tours, I bring the camera and take pictures. I've learned you need two or three charged battery packs, and two or three memory cards, because you can't download them and one just isn't enough on vacation.

I use: www.fodors.com www.frommers.com www.travelocity.com www.expedia.com www.grayline.com www.mapquest.com www.lonelyplanet.com (thorntree forum, USA), I sign up at the hotel websites for their 'member' card numbers which sometimes give better rates on hotel prices. Just go to www.ixquick.com and type in 'travel guides' and you will find lots of information.

[sandwich]

I haven't tried doing this alone, but probably my first step would be to find a bus schedule and find someone else (non-creepy) who looked familiar with the area to help me make sense of it.

I did try traveling to a new city with some newly-made friends which ended up being quite an adventure. I knew enough about the city to know that it was basically formed around it's port and assumed that any bus line would end up near water (our objective was to go to the beach). We got some faulty advice on the bus and ended up in a random park where we met some tourists. They gave us a lift to a couple different sites before giving us some awful directions. We eventually made it to the beach, but had some unexpected adventures on the way, one being at a Baha'i temple.

Not the best idea, and it could have been very dangerous, but everything turned out alright. Next time I'll definitely be more prepared and PRINT OUT my research instead of thinking I'll remember it all.

[Ferrus]

I look for the places of historical and artistic merit - I would want to be a flaneur, but most cities are too charmless for that.

[Anonymous]

I haven't even explored San Francisco, and I only live about an hour and a half away from the place.