Old Trams and Hill Cabs: Seeing Great City Views for the Cost of a Bus Ride

The most common mistake travelers make in a new city is paying a premium for a sightseeing bus when an ordinary tram runs along the very same street for the price of a local ride. The best views are already waiting on the everyday lines, and once you know which ones to take, one cheap ticket turns a simple journey into the best hour of your day.

I learned this the slow way. For years I bought the open-top tour bus ticket in every city I visited, because it felt easy and I did not have to think about anything. The seats were comfortable, someone talked into a microphone, and I told myself the money was well spent. Then a friend in Budapest walked me to a tram stop instead, and we rolled along the river for the price of a coffee. The view was better, the ride was calmer, and I felt like I was watching a city wake up rather than sitting behind a glass window.

Since then I have built almost every city visit around ordinary transport. It takes a little planning and a few small habits, and it saves a surprising amount of money. This guide shows you how to find the good routes, how to dress so your feet survive a long day of riding, and how to keep your clothes fresh when you are moving from place to place.

Why a Cheap Tram Beats a Sightseeing Bus

Tour companies build their routes on streets that are already full of local traffic, which means the local tram or bus often follows the same path. You pay for the loop, the recorded commentary, and the open top deck. The view out of the window, however, belongs to anyone who bought a normal ticket.

Budapest gives the clearest example I know. Tram number 2 runs right along the Danube, so you pass the parliament building on one side and the green hills of Buda on the other. Prague's line 22 creeps up the hill toward the castle, and you can watch the rooftops slide down behind you as the tram climbs. In Zurich, a tiny hill lift called the Polybahn hauls you up to a terrace above the city in under two minutes. In Istanbul, an old tram rattles along a street that runs close to the water, and the whole ride feels like a small piece of history.

What you give up is small, and it helps to know it before you board. Nobody narrates the view, so you have to read a map or look things up yourself. There is no hop-on hop-off freedom in the middle of a line, so you cannot simply jump off at a random spot and wait for the next tourist bus. You may also have to stand when the carriage fills up, which usually happens around the morning and evening rush. None of that has ever spoiled a ride for me.

A tour bus sells you a view. A tram simply carries you past it while the city goes about its morning.

Before you board, pick the stop where you want to get off, and keep the name saved on your phone. Bring a simple paper map if you like, because it never runs out of battery. Then sit back, hold your bag on your lap, and let the ride do the work.

How to Find the Best View Routes Before You Go

The night before your first ride, open the local transit map on your phone and study it the way you would study a menu. You are not looking for the fastest way across town. You are looking for the lines that were built along a river, a ridgeline, or an old wall, because those are the ones that hand you a view for free.

Look for three shapes on the map

• Lines that follow water. Rivers, canals, and harbours give you long, open sightlines without a single tall building in the way.
• Lines that climb a hill. Funiculars, hill lifts, and steep tram routes almost always end somewhere worth standing.
• Lines that end at a lookout or an old quarter. A terminus near a viewpoint means you can ride to the end, step off, and walk a few minutes to the best spot.

One paper ticket, a whole city view.

Once you have two or three lines in mind, ride one of them from end to end without getting off. It sounds like a waste of time, but it is the opposite. The whole line costs the same as a short hop, it gives you a natural turning point, and it means you already have a seat for the ride back when everyone else is pushing on.

Think about the light

Check which way the sun sets and sit on that side for the trip home. A skyline at golden hour looks completely different from the same skyline at noon, and the change costs you nothing. If you want a window seat, ride before eight in the morning or after eight at night. Between those hours, the carriage belongs to people going to work, and you will spend most of the trip standing.

Pay less than you think

Buy a day pass if you plan to make more than two or three trips, because it usually costs less than four single tickets. Many cities now let you tap your bank card at the door, which saves you from hunting for coins. Where that is not possible, buy from the machine before you board and keep the ticket with you until you leave, because inspectors do check and the fine is never small.

Two habits that make every ride easier

The first habit is to stand back from the doors so people can get off before you get on. The second is to step off at any stop that looks interesting and simply catch the next tram, which usually arrives within a few minutes. That second habit is how most of my favourite afternoons have started.

What to Wear for a Long Day on the Rails

Tram steps are steep, and the cobbles around the stops get slippery when it rains. Your outfit has one job, which is to keep you comfortable while you are standing, climbing, and sitting on old wooden seats for hours at a time.

Shoes matter more than anything else

Choose shoes with grippy soles and a heel that holds your foot snugly. Slip-on shoes feel lovely in the hotel room, but they slide off the moment the tram lurches, so save those for dinner. Bring shoes you have already walked in for a few weeks, because a brand new pair will rub your heels raw by the second afternoon.

Build the outfit in three layers

Start with a soft cotton tee next to your skin. Add a thin wool or fleece layer for the cold blast of air conditioning that hits you every time the doors open. Finish with a light rain shell that folds into its own pocket, so a sudden shower does not end your ride.

For your legs, dark trousers or well-fitting jeans work best, because pale fabrics show every mark left by dusty seats. A small crossbody bag keeps your hands free and your valuables in front of you. A bulky backpack will bump into people every time the tram brakes, so leave it at the hotel if you can.

The small things that save a day

Add sunglasses and a soft hat for the top deck, and a thin scarf that works as a cushion when the seats are hard. One light layer you can tie around your waist is worth far more than three pieces you never actually wear. If you remember only one sentence from this section, make it this one: comfortable feet and one extra layer are the whole secret.

Keeping Clothes Fresh Through a Week of Riding

Riding trams all day leaves your clothes dusty and your feet warm, so plan for a quick wash each night instead of one big trip to a laundry. Ten minutes at the sink keeps a small bag of clothes going for a whole week, and it means you never have to sit on a tram in something that feels stiff and tired.

The ten minute sink wash

1. Fill the sink with cool water and a few drops of travel detergent, or half a soap sheet.
2. Swish your clothes around for about a minute, paying attention to collars and underarms.
3. Rinse until the water runs clear, which usually takes two or three changes of water.
4. Roll each wet piece inside a dry towel and press down with your knees to squeeze the water out.
5. Hang everything on hangers near an open window, and leave it there overnight.

Waiting for the cheapest seat in town.

Wool and quick-dry fabrics are usually dry by morning, which is why a thin wool layer earns its place in your bag. Ordinary cotton takes longer, so wash cotton pieces first and give them the whole night plus the next morning to finish drying.

Getting wrinkles out without an iron

Hang the piece in a steamy bathroom for ten minutes while you take your shower, and most creases will simply fall away. If a shirt still looks rumpled, spritz it lightly with water and smooth it flat with your hand. Wearing dark colours also helps, because marks from seats and railings show up far less.

Keep dirty clothes away from clean ones

Carry a small bag for anything that has been worn, so it never touches the clean things in your pack. Limit yourself to two pairs of shoes, one on your feet and one in the bag, and rotate them so each pair has a day to dry out. This routine takes ten minutes a night, and it means you can travel with a small bag and still look and feel tidy every morning.

Your Simple Transit Sightseeing Checklist

Here is the short version to save on your phone before you leave the hotel. Run through it once, and the rest of your day takes care of itself.

• Buy a day pass or set up contactless payment on your card before your first ride.
• Download an offline map and the local transit app so you are never stuck without a signal.
• Carry one small crossbody bag with your ticket, a refillable water bottle, a charged power bank, and one light layer.
• Wear grippy, broken-in shoes and dark, breathable clothes.
• Ride a full line once, and sit on the sunset side for the trip back.
• Avoid the seven to nine morning and five to seven evening rush, when locals need the space.
• Step off whenever something catches your eye, then catch the next tram.
• Move out of the doorway, and give up your seat when someone needs it.

Do all of that, and the finest views a city has to offer will cost you about the same as a bus ticket. There is no tour desk, no queue of coaches, and no microphone telling you what to look at. There is just a window, a slow climb up a hill, and a city unfolding in front of you while everybody else on board is simply going about their day.

Start with one line tomorrow morning, before the crowds arrive. Buy the ticket, find a seat on the side facing the water or the hill, and let the ride show you the city for the price of a coffee. It is the cheapest good hour you will spend on your whole trip.