An Amsterdam canal with boats and historic waterfront buildings — Photo: Airam Dato-on / Pexels

TRAVEL NOTES

The details make the difference.

Planning a city break or a day at a famous sight? Find advice on getting around, what to bring and the details worth checking before you go.

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Carved stone entrance and upper window of Museo Casa Montejo on Mérida’s Plaza Grande

Museums and culture · Mérida

Casa Montejo in Mérida: the carved facade and museum visit

Look closely at Casa Montejo’s carved entrance, then visit its courtyard and furnished rooms with the operator’s opening guidance and a simple Plaza Grande route.

Red arcades and central clock tower of Mérida’s Palacio Municipal beside Plaza Grande

First visit · Mérida

A first weekend in Mérida: Plaza Grande, museums and Montejo

Spend one day in Mérida’s historic centre and another on Paseo de Montejo, with time for Yucatecan food, separate museum visits and breaks from the heat.

Couple posing on the pavement outside the ornate pink Palacio Cantón in Mérida

Museums and culture · Mérida

Palacio Cantón in Mérida: plan the regional museum visit

Visit the regional museum in Palacio Cantón with the correct entrance, a clear distinction from nearby house museums and an easy Paseo de Montejo finish.

Carved stone Monumento a la Patria and Mexican flag on Paseo de Montejo in Mérida

Neighbourhood walks · Mérida

Paseo de Montejo in Mérida: mansions, sorbet and the monument

Follow a flexible Paseo de Montejo route from Santa Ana past mansion facades, with separate museum choices, a sorbet stop and an optional Monumento a la Patria extension.

Illuminated carved column supporting El Paraguas in Mexico City’s National Museum of Anthropology

Local sights · Mexico City

Anthropology Museum: Sun Stone, El Paraguas and a manageable visit

The National Museum of Anthropology deserves more than a rushed circuit of famous objects. Choose a few galleries, leave time for the courtyard and a meal, and carry a bag that fits the operator’s visitor rules.

Palacio de Bellas Artes with its coloured dome and Torre Latinoamericana behind in Mexico City

Local sights · Mexico City

Bellas Artes murals, Alameda and the House of Tiles

Make Bellas Artes an art visit rather than a quick dome photograph. Pair its mural galleries with a short Alameda walk and the nearby House of Tiles, keeping museum admission and evening performances separate.

Pedestrians on Francisco I. Madero street with Torre Latinoamericana ahead in Mexico City

Neighbourhood walks · Mexico City

Mexico City Centro walk: Zócalo, Madero and Tacuba

Trace a compact historic-centre circuit from the Zócalo along Madero, then return through Tacuba with time for tiled architecture and a seated meal. Paid museum interiors remain optional branches of the walk.

Round Caballero Alto tower and balustrades at Chapultepec Castle in Mexico City

Local sights · Mexico City

Chapultepec Castle: history, terraces and the uphill approach

Chapultepec Castle combines the National History Museum with a former residence and hilltop setting. Plan for the approach as well as the rooms, and decide whether a second museum would leave enough time to enjoy either.

Mexican flag in the Zócalo in front of Mexico City Metropolitan Cathedral

First visit · Mexico City

First weekend in Mexico City: Centro and a Chapultepec museum

Give the historic centre one day and Chapultepec another. This two-day plan leaves room for a Mexican breakfast, a proper museum visit and a slower alternative when rain or museum fatigue changes the afternoon.

Naviglio Grande canal and waterside buildings in Milan

Neighbourhood walk · Milan

Milan’s canals: Darsena and a shorter Naviglio Grande walk

Use the Darsena basin as an orientation point, then choose one canal bank to explore. A slow evening walk works without a boat booking or a promise of a particular aperitivo deal.