Adventure is a State of Mind
Travel and Second Cities
When you travel, do you make a point of visiting second cities? If not, you may be missing out on one of the joys of independent travel.
Coming in Second
A second city, according to Wikipedia, is the “second-most important city in the urban hierarchy of a country or region.” There isn’t always universal agreement as to which city is considered the second city, as it can be based on size, population, historical and cultural importance, or financial contribution to a region or country.
Many of us are familiar with Chicago being referred to as the second city, behind New York City, because of the famous Second City Comedy group that boasts many famous alumni, including Bill Murray, Tim Meadows, Joan Rivers, Gilda Radner, Stephen Colbert, Catherine O’Hara, Tina Fey, and so many more.
When it comes to travel, second cities are often overlooked on busy tour itineraries. I doubt any tour company would skip Paris when visiting France. But if the time is limited and the bus is headed to the next country, most tours will skip Marseille or Lyon.
The beauty of planning your own travel adventures, however, is that you can plan to visit these overlooked cities.
The Underdog
When it comes to sports teams, I love to cheer on the underdog. They’re usually spunky and energetic, and they often seem to be having more fun because they’re not caught up in maintaining a “number one” status or reputation.
Second cities share some of those same underdog characteristics. And that’s what makes them so fun to visit.
Being overlooked doesn’t mean they are of less value. We’re not talking about a small town off the main highway with a population of 45 citizens. (Although those towns can be fun to explore, too.)
Second cities are major metropolitan areas with interesting histories and culture. In fact, they often have a very vibrant cultural scene because it is sometimes easier for new artists or chefs to get started in a second city than it is when competing with the long-established institutions in the city that draws the most tourists.
In case you haven’t considered spending much time in a second city, let me share some of the reasons I think they are worth adding to your travel itinerary.
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.
Robert Frost
Fewer Tourists
As a tourist, it’s ironic that most of us would prefer to travel to places where there are fewer tourists, and in doing so, we add to the number of tourists in that place. Overtourism is a real problem, and one of the ways we as travelers can help to reduce the problem is by spreading our travels over more locations.
There have been protests against tourists in places like Amsterdam and Barcelona because too many people want to visit there, and the crowds cannot be managed in a sustainable way during the peak travel season. But I don’t recall hearing about any protests in Rotterdam or Córdoba. That’s because they haven’t experienced the same pressure of overtourism.
The most famous cities in a country are usually famous for a reason, so I’m not arguing that you should completely avoid them. But it can be well worth it to cut those visits a day or two short, or add an extra few days to your trip, to explore a second city as well.
Second cities have parks, churches, castles, museums, and amazing restaurants. Do you know what else they have? Shorter lines! Because of having fewer visitors, you have much better odds of getting a table in a restaurant or a room in a hotel without making reservations ahead of time.
Authenticity
Another benefit to having fewer tourists is that second cities are filled with real people living normal lives rather than being full of tourists and people who rely on the tourist industry to make their living.
You don’t have to spend much time looking at travel blogs and videos to recognize how often travelers are seeking out “authentic” experiences, whether it’s talking to locals, eating local food, or visiting a local market. It can take some effort to find those authentic experiences in highly touristed areas. But in a second city, that’s most often what you’ll find.
In highly touristed areas, most of the people you meet may work in the tourism industry since that is often the primary economic driver for the area. In some cases, that means the people with whom you have an opportunity to visit aren’t even from that city (or country) but have moved there for the job. If you do meet someone from the area, you will likely interact with them during a tourist activity rather than meeting someone who has a “normal” job and is out buying groceries or walking their dog.
In a second city, the proportion of people engaged in activities that have little or nothing to do with tourism increases significantly, as do the odds of you having an organic interaction with them.
A Warm Welcome
Because the locals in second cities are not burnt out by dealing with hordes of tourists, it’s often been my experience that they are more interested in and have the time to have a genuine conversation with visitors to their area.
As it should be, they are usually proud of what their city has to offer and often want to share it with travelers who show an interest. Some of the most interesting experiences we have had while traveling occurred when someone recommended a local restaurant, historical site, or natural area to visit that we had not heard of prior to arriving.
When you are staying someplace that is not visited often by foreigners, you may even find the locals seeking out interactions with you. Sometimes they’re as interested in learning about you as you are about them!
Shorter Lines
I know I’ve already mentioned this, but it’s worth emphasizing again. Because there are fewer tourists in second cities, there are almost always shorter (or no) lines for the attractions.
Even during peak tourist seasons, you might be able to immediately buy a ticket and walk into the local museums or historical ruins. Your chances are also significantly improved in finding a table in a restaurant without making prior reservations.
Spending less time in lines means you have more time to explore.
A Slower Pace
If you want a really slow-paced travel adventure, obviously you’re going to avoid cities altogether. If, however, you’re looking for an adventure with an energetic city vibe but want to avoid the frenetic pace common to tourist spots, a second city tends to hit that perfect, Goldilocks level of energy.
For example, in many Mediterranean cities, it is common to see lots of people walking in public squares or along seaside promenades in the evenings. In a popular tourist city, you will likely hear as many languages spoken as there are pages in your passport. This can be a fun experience, of course, if that’s what you’re looking for. But this is an indication that most of the people around you are also tourists, and you may notice that many of them are walking in a hurry to get to the next experience on their itinerary.
Compare this with the second-city experience of leisurely strolling with the locals, including families of all ages. You might not understand the local language, but you’ll easily be able to recognize friends and neighbors joyfully greeting each other and old men swapping tall tales of their youthful adventures.
Second cities can also feel more relaxed because there are fewer “have to see” sites. This means you can explore at your own pace and find your own hidden jewels, such as a hidden park or tiny museum, without feeling that you’re missing out by not seeing everything on the Top Ten list.
Affordability
The law of supply and demand is a core economic principle that, in a very simplified form, states the more demand there is for goods and services, the more their prices will increase. This applies to tourism as much as it does to grocery stores, except occasionally where the government subsidizes tourism in an attempt to promote and encourage it. (By the way, if you find someplace where that is happening, you can get some very good deals.)
Because second cities have fewer tourists, there is less demand for services such as lodging, transportation, and food. Consequently, those amenities are often more affordable than in more popular cities.
Second cities often have lots of options for museums, parks, historical ruins, and restaurants, just like their more popular counterparts, but you can usually experience them for much more reasonable prices.
Quirkiness
When you visit anyplace that isn’t home for you, especially if you are visiting another country or someplace with a significantly different culture, your surroundings are going to feel more or less weird to you. Many of us travel to experience exactly that quirkiness.
With our access to an infinite number of images and videos on the internet, however, many of us have developed some familiarity with what new places will look like (or even sound like) before we arrive.
If you’ve spent a great deal of time researching an area, or if you’re visiting the setting of your favorite television show, you’re more likely to experience déjà vu than shock and awe when you first arrive.
Obviously, there are more images of popular tourist spots to be found on the internet than there are of second cities. Quick, can you picture the Acropolis in Athens? Most of you can. Just like you can easily picture the Eiffel Tower. But can you picture the White Tower in Thessaloniki, Greece? Or the Hôtel de Ville in Lyon, France? My guess is you can’t unless you’ve actually visited those places.
And because second cities are more affordable, young, as-yet-undiscovered artists and chefs are often found there early in their careers. That means you can often find vibrant, creative art, music, and food.
Easy Access
Sometimes, although not always, second cities are smaller and therefore easier to get around. This can be true about the city itself as well as about specific parts of the city. For example, instead of trying to decipher the spaghetti-like metro system in a large, capital city, you may only need to navigate two or three lines.
Regional Second Cities
So far, I’ve mostly referred to the second city in a country, but it can also be the second city in a region. For example, when visiting Greece last summer, Greg and I traveled to Thessaloniki, the second city in Greece. Prior to that, however, we visited Crete with our family and stayed in Chania, the second city of that island.
When planning a travel adventure, spend some time researching cities other than the capital or best known city in a country or region. Even if you are traveling in the United States, consider visiting the second city in a state. For example, if you’re visiting Texas, consider visiting San Antonio instead of Houston or Dallas.
Add Some Variety to Your Travels
Have I convinced you to visit some second cities? If you are traveling to a new area, when researching an alternative to the largest or most famous city in the area, you may find the second city is actually more to your liking.
Or if you’re returning to a country or area, focusing on a second city may give you a completely different experience than earlier trips. If you’re on a return visit, you may already know where you want to visit next. If you’re not sure, however, what other cities to visit, try an internet search for “second city in ______________.” Or you can expand even further by searching for the third or fourth cities.
Do you enjoy travel adventures that are different from what all of your online and real life friends are experiencing? Not limiting yourself to the largest or most famous city in an area means you may also be the first of your friends to travel there. If you like to be the one to tell your friends about someplace new rather than having them respond with, “Oh, we went there too,” when you share your adventures, second cities are the places you want to visit!
Where are you dreaming of traveling to next, and what is the second city for that area? Do you know what it has to offer? How could focusing on a second city or adding it to your itinerary improve your next travel adventure? Feel free to share your ideas of places to visit below!
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