Sightseeing is all a matter of taste. One person’s idea of fascinating doesn’t necessarily float someone else’s boat. That is why if you go on an organised tour, on an open-top bus, for instance, you will never get the experience you really want. They are trying to cater for everybody, so they will show you the site of a club that used to be popular in the 1980s but then whisk you off to a ruined church, followed by the semi-detached house some local celebrity grew up in.
That is all well and good; it ticks a lot of boxes, but if you really wanted to linger in one of those places and soak up the atmosphere, you’re out of luck. That’s why it is good to be in control of your own destiny, doing it under your own steam, on your own schedule. That’s why you should hire a car and do it that way.
Don’t know your way around? Google Maps does. Satnav was made for this kind of thing and it’s getting better all the time. There are people nowadays who don’t even leave the house without putting the information in their phone, so they can be guided to their destination. Maybe you’re one of them.
And here’s a radical idea: get your hire car from a local company rather than one of the household names. Yes, it goes against the grain to look for something you don’t know rather than something reassuringly familiar, but with a local independent company you are more likely to get a personal service from someone who wants their city to make a good impression, someone who knows their way around. They can tell you which places are worth a visit and which are overpriced or underwhelming. Car hire in Milton Keynes and other surrounding areas might be even the more affordable choice over a packaged tour.
The choice of car is largely down to you, if you book in advance. For nipping around a city you may want something small and easy to park. On the other hand, some people find they get more respect from other motorists if they are driving something quite hefty. Whatever you’re comfortable with.
A local car rental firm will have flyers and brochures for many of the notable places and attractions, and they can give you tips. If you want to go here and here, you can park in this street and it’s just a couple of minutes’ walk between the two. There probably will be a bit of walking involved because the city wasn’t laid out specifically to be convenient for you, but you can keep it to a minimum if you plan your route carefully. And don’t forget to ask people. The voices on your phone and in the car don’t have all the answers, but somebody who lives around there probably will.
The independence of having your own transport means that if you want to check out a famous sports ground that’s on the outskirts, then come back into the centre for lunch at that Italian restaurant you’ve been told about, you can do that. Or maybe you would prefer a country pub, which means carrying on after the sports ground, out into the hills and lanes that surround many cities. Read more about magazinehubs.
All the time, you don’t have to worry about getting back on the bus or trying to find a taxi, or working out where exactly the trams go. That’s the beauty of having a hire car: you’re in control.
