Why walking is the best way to explore a city while traveling

We book our holidays to discover a new place and, for sure, to escape the rush of our work life most of the time. So we want to make the most of these holidays when we are in that different place. We book an Uber, we step into a metro to live the full experience of the big city life, and we use it because it is quicker to get from point A to B. But are we 100% enjoying a city trip in a car or a metro? With so little or no view of the buildings and the areas around us? What if we just grabbed a good pair of shoes and started to explore the city on foot? If you read my last articles about Paris, you know I walked a lot there; otherwise, you can go read it and maybe you will find some motivation! Here I will give you the reasons to do it.

Discovering and slowing down

Slowing down is often the first reason why we go on holiday. While you are walking, you are listening to your body, your rhythm. So it connects you back with yourself. You begin then to feel everything. That smell from a bakery in a street you've just seen, the people from that country, how they are dressed, how they speak, the wind on your face when a bus is passing next to or in front of you. You are there. In that moment. Enjoying every bit of that experience without thinking too much, because it is what you look for during your holidays, right? Not thinking and appreciating.

Spontaneity and hidden places

Discovering would be the second reason why we go on holiday. Walking is then the best way to explore without having a plan with everything scheduled. You will look around you, without checking your phone or talking to your friend in the car.

You will then find yourself maybe in a coffee shop that looks nice and grab something to eat in a cute place. Without knowing, you will be comporting as a local, and that is actually the best experience you can have. This is the best way to discover the authenticity of a place, outside the common touristic areas. You will also sometimes discover the less beautiful places. So you will learn more about the positive and negative points of a city. And yes, holidays always feel good, but it is okay to also see the other non-touristic decor. Of course, while staying careful!

Your health will thank you

No, you don't need to run to have better cardio or condition. You can also take care of your health and body by just walking. It will keep you active, you will think more about having a drink, so you will stay hydrated. It will wake you up if you enjoyed that local restaurant too much the night before. It will boost your mental health by reconnecting you to yourself and your feelings. You will just be proud of yourself at the end of those holidays because, without knowing it, you will have walked kilometers that you thought yourself maybe not capable of. Maybe, like me, after that city trip, you will add this to your routine every day to take a walk outside; even half an hour is perfect.

You are always ready for it

All you need is maybe a map, if, like me, you get easily lost, a good pair of shoes, and some good clothes and accessories in case of sun or rain. Your mind and body are ready for it.

So book that city trip to New York, in summer or winter; it is a fantastic city to see by walking in every street (I walked around 11 km per day when I was there in the summer).

Where would you like to take your next walk?