The best way to see a city doesn’t necessarily involve your traditional idea of sightseeing. Have you ever been somewhere, but not seen it? You might have visited but you did not understand. Forget the Museum and Art Gallery, maximise your time in a city’s social spaces. Let me explain how and why this is the best way of really seeing a city.

For a backpacker with limited time, it’s hard to go to Sydney and not go and take an obligatory photo of the Sydney Opera House. Is that really what Sydney is all about though? I’d argue you’d be better off spending your time in the social spaces within the city you are visiting. These are the places where local people gather, converse and rub together creating the intangible vibe and attitude of the city which you’ll long remember.

Travel is a social activity. How ought we to live? is a very ancient, philosophical question. The earliest travellers were trying to find out how others lived and how they could benefit from the new ideas they experienced. Many of the answers are revealed in the social interactions people have - in the moments people share together, not necessarily in the physical things they build or create. This is important because you can’t easily capture these moments; they are essential to a time and place. They can’t be shared even though you’ve experienced them - they will be yours alone.

Monuments, Art Galleries, Attractions, and Architecture are classic examples ticked off by most travellers without thought. Many of these  commonly visited landmarks in a city might not be really about the place; nor are they social or interactive. You could go to them and never meet a local.  If you are asking, looking and understanding how the local people interact with the built and natural environment around them, you’ll (hopefully) start to gain a richer insight - something more than a tourist’s appreciation, at least.

For sure go to the places your Mum told you to, however, look for, allocate and spend time in these social spaces you can usually find in all cities for a richer travel experience:

1. Beaches. In the case of Sydney, get down to Bondi Beach. Here you will see the city let it all hang out (literally). Everyone sheds their 20th century skin, and plays a part in recreating themselves and their city as something else for a few hours.

2. Parks. If the city you are visiting doesn’t have a beach then head to the park, they have many similarities. Anyone who’s been to the Tiergarten in Berlin or Hyde Park in London on a summers day knows it’s a showcase of all people coming together. It’s literally ‘common’ ground, from the banker eating his lunch to the Turkish family with their bbqs, to the nature lovers stripping to underwear to get a midday tan.

3. Public Transport - embrace it. Go to NYC and the trains will be a highlight - like riding through a movie. It’s iconic, and in your face. It is what it is, exactly what you’re looking for. Love it or loathe it, but what would London be without ‘The Tube’?

4. Sporting Fixtures. You could go to the San Siro in Milan for a football game, though you might be better off going local. Find out where a lower grade game is on. It may well be free, but more importantly you’ll see a revered part of most modern cultures - aspiring future sporting stars and the community involvement supporting them.

5. Local Pubs. Get out of your hostel and away from the backpacker bars where you’ll meet more people like yourself. You may feel comfortable there, but you’ll learn nothing. Go to a place where you might well talk to the bar man or a local who wants a chat. Pubs are the orginal internet cafe - where ideas, thoughts and news are passed on.

6. City Squares. Sit and watch. Then sit and watch some more. Sooner or later chaos or an epiphany will occur. Get there for dusk, street performance, or when the place is at its busiest. Forget going to the theatre, this is the theatre. Witness: Las Ramblas Barcelona. Yes, it’s touristy but it’s also quintessentially Barca.

7. Concerts. It’s not a question of going to the Opera in Prague just because it’s cheap and is what people think they should do when there. Go to a local rock venue and see a band you’ve never heard of, singing in a language you don’t understand. You’ll mix with a young local crowd passionate about something important to them and their lives. The beer will in turn taste better.

8. Markets. Don’t buy food from a super market. Make the effort to converse with a street fruit or vegetable seller. It’s the best way to practice your language skills. Watching the ordinary, everyday, of someone buying their dinner illuminates and contrasts with how you might go about a similar basic necessity in your home town.

9. Festivals. Plan your trip to be where the age-old festivals are reinvigorated by new generations. Here you’ll meet locals who share something in common with you, and are celebrating the fact, and will no doubt will embrace your enthusiasm and respect for their traditions too.

Your turn:

What are your favourite social spaces when you visit a city?