I spent a great day touring the city with my best friend from college. Fortunately, we did not spend much money at all. Here are some of the techniques we used to spend less and see more. First up: The local touring bus.
Whenever my friend visits a new city, one of the first things that she does is to find out about the local touring busses. These are vehicles that are usually double-decker with the top open. Sometimes the busses are actually trolleys. Tourists can ride on the top as a tour guide narrates the various attractions throughout the city. Often the tour guides are really funny and entertaining, and they share a lot of insider information, such as where to eat and how and to get great tickets to shows.
The busses will take the same route through the most popular attractions. In Philadelphia, for example, this will include the Franklin Institute, The Philadelphia Zoo, City Hall, Love Park, The Betsy Ross House, The Constitution Center, and the steps that Rocky made famous, among other attractions.
Riders can get on and off the busses at any of the regular stops. This is the key to savings. Instead of paying for cabs or public transportation for each of your destinations, you only pay the one ticket for the tour bus. Since they run on a regular basis and have a regular route, you know there will always be one coming along when you need it.
If you plan to visit many attractions, you will save quite a bit on the cost of getting around your city.
Tickets are usually good for at least 24 hours, although some companies allow you to purchase tickets that are good for 48 hours or even the entire length of your stay. In general, there may be competing companies you can choose from, although they often follow the same routes.