Big cities are fantastic for visiting as a tourist. There is little chance of you running out of things to do in Paris, Rome, London or New York, for example. However, don’t you ever find that that you sometimes leave places this behind with a feeling of having not seen the soul of the city?
Big cities are, by definition, where millions of people live and work. This means that you will be surrounded by people who are in a rush and who probably don’t even notice your existence. So how can smaller towns and villages be better for a tourist?
Take It Easy
When you visit a big city you are probably going to have a long list of places you want to see. This can lead to you running around trying to fit it all in. On the other hand, a smaller place might only have one or two things worth seeing. This might make it sound like a rather boring destination but what it means is that you can spend more time enjoying the little things like sipping a coffee, watching the world go by and just soaking up the atmosphere.
Speak to People
I don’t think it is any secret that the inhabitants of small towns are generally more welcoming than big city dwellers. I realise that this is a bit of a sweeping generalisation but I stand by it all the same. In my experience, trips to smaller towns almost always include a few good conversations with welcoming locals. Often they appear delighted to find that someone has bothered travelling so far to see the place where they live.
A Unique Feel
Big cities can start to feel a bit samey after a while. Let’s look at an example. Last year I went to both Argentina and England. I realise that Buenos Aires and London are worlds apart but they both gave me that same big city feel after a few days. On the other hand, I also went to Bournemouth and Salta on the same trips and felt as though I was starting to get to feel more at home in the respective countries. This was helped by having far more conversations with the locals in these smaller places than in the capital cities.