Destinations
City by city: what genuinely needs booking ahead, how to get in from the airport, and the one local thing worth knowing before you go.
Written by Sienna for Roaminger · Updated September 2026
Three things are worth doing before any city trip: book the timed-entry attractions, decide how you are getting in from the airport before you land, and sort data so your maps work when you step outside. The rest can be improvised.
Six cities, the short version
These are the destinations we get asked about most. Each card covers the same three things, because those are the three that cost people time and money when they are left to chance.
Rome · Italy
- Pre-book: Colosseum and Vatican Museums run on timed entry and sell out in season. Both refuse late arrivals, so leave slack between your slot and anything before it.
- Getting in: From Fiumicino, the Leonardo Express runs non-stop to Termini in roughly half an hour. Taxis to the historic centre run on a fixed municipal fare — agree it is the flat fare before you set off.
- Worth knowing: The centre is a ZTL — a restricted traffic zone enforced by camera. If you hire a car, park outside it. Hotels can sometimes register your plate; confirm in writing first.
Barcelona · Spain
- Pre-book: Sagrada Família and Park Güell both use timed entry with real capacity limits. The Sagrada Família tower access is a separate, smaller-capacity ticket.
- Getting in: The Aerobús runs from both terminals to Plaça de Catalunya. Metro L9 Sud serves the airport but needs a change to reach the centre, and carries an airport supplement.
- Worth knowing: Pickpocketing on La Rambla and the metro is organised and good at it. Keep one card and some cash separate from the rest, and your phone out of a back pocket.
Paris · France
- Pre-book: The Louvre requires a timed slot even with a museum pass. Eiffel Tower lift tickets go on sale well ahead and the summit tier sells out first; the stairs to the second floor rarely do.
- Getting in: From Charles de Gaulle, RER B runs to Châtelet–Les Halles; the Roissybus runs to Opéra. Both beat a taxi in traffic, which is most of the time.
- Worth knowing: Many national museums are free on the first Sunday of the month, which also makes them their busiest. If you want space rather than savings, pay and go early on a weekday.
Lisbon · Portugal
- Pre-book: Jerónimos Monastery and Belém Tower both queue badly by mid-morning. Timed tickets bought ahead are the difference between twenty minutes and two hours.
- Getting in: The airport sits unusually close to the centre — the metro red line reaches it directly, and a taxi or pre-booked transfer is a short ride rather than a motorway trek.
- Worth knowing: Tram 28 is a functioning public tram, not an attraction, and it is where the city’s pickpockets work. Buy a rechargeable Viva Viagem card and ride it early or late.
Santorini · Greece
- Pre-book: Transfers, sunset dinner tables in Oia and boat trips all need booking ahead between June and September. The island’s capacity is genuinely fixed.
- Getting in: The airport is small and arrivals bunch around flight banks. A pre-booked transfer is the calm option; taxi supply is limited and queues form quickly.
- Worth knowing: The Fira to Oia caldera path takes around three hours with almost no shade. Go early, carry water, and wear real shoes rather than sandals.
Tokyo · Japan
- Pre-book: teamLab venues and Shibuya Sky sell timed slots that go early. The Ghibli Museum is advance-only and allocated by lottery in most markets — plan months ahead, not days.
- Getting in: From Narita, the Narita Express and the Keisei Skyliner both run into the city. From Haneda, the monorail and the Keikyū line. All are faster and far cheaper than a taxi.
- Worth knowing: Add a Suica or Pasmo card to Apple Wallet before you arrive and top it up with a card; Android support varies by device and region. It covers trains, buses and most convenience stores.
The pattern behind all six
Notice what repeats. The famous attraction uses timed entry and sells out. The train from the airport beats the taxi. The busiest tourist transport is also where the pickpockets work. And in every case, having working data on arrival turns a problem into a minor inconvenience.
More cities are on the way. If there is one you want covered, tell us and it moves up the list.
Sort these first
- Travel eSIMs explained — so your maps work the moment you land
- Booking attraction tickets — which resellers are worth using
- Airport transfer vs taxi vs train — the arrival decision, made once
- Travel insurance explained — the cover that actually matters
Common questions
How far ahead should I book timed-entry attractions?
For the headline sites in these cities, weeks rather than days in peak season, and months for capacity-limited venues like the Ghibli Museum. Off-season the window shortens considerably.
Is a city tourist pass worth buying?
Only if you will genuinely use several of the included attractions in the covered period, and only after checking that the pass still requires a timed reservation. Many do, and people discover that at the door.
City ticket guides
- Rome: what to pre-book — timed entry, release windows and the queue reality
- Barcelona: what to pre-book — timed entry, release windows and the queue reality
- Paris: what to pre-book — timed entry, release windows and the queue reality
- Amsterdam: what to pre-book — timed entry, release windows and the queue reality
- Are self-guided audio tours worth it? — audio tour vs live guide vs free walking tour
Roaminger earns a commission when you book through some of the links on this page, at no extra cost to you. It never changes which option we recommend — and where the honest answer is a service we earn nothing from, we say so.