It’s summertime! Time to get your tans on as well as travel plans on! Where will you go? Will you head to explore your favorite or perhaps unknown city or are you a beach bum this summer? So that you can make an educated decision or perhaps do both, I have asked my peer travel writer and explorer, Matt Mayer, to share his expertise.

Take it away Matt with City Break vs Beach Escape!

These days there tends to be two main holiday types that people like to embrace. You either want to relax on the beach. Indulge in the white sands and crystal blue oceans and enjoy a slower pace of life. Or you want to learn something new, experience a different culture in the heart of it all, seeing and doing some amazing things in the process. But what is the best option? A city break or a beach escape? I thought I would explore both options and the benefits each of them has. Perhaps it will give you the incentive to book your next city break or beach escape yourself

The city break

City breaks tend to be shorter holidays where you want to cram in as much as you can, and a city certainly knows how to make that happen for you. It is always a good idea to plan in advance and make sure that you know exactly what you want to do ahead of time. This gives you the advantage of booking excursion tickets or making reservations so that you are not disappointed, but it can also help you to budget and even save some money in the process. Looking online can really help you to find some of the best-kept secrets of your chosen city break, and social media platforms like Instagram are full of people sharing their tips and stunning images of the place you are about to go. Getting around is really simple in the city, as you have all of the benefits of public transport or quick links like taxi services to take advantage of. Websites like www.ridester.com can come in handy to help you get the best rates on these. It enables you to really see some of the beauty a city can offer, at a pace that suits you. When you live in a city you are less likely to notice the beautiful architecture or take advantage of the free excursions and activities you can do. So a city break is amazing for that.

The Beach escape

What about the beach escape? The chance to walk those sandy beaches without a care in the world. Dip your toe in the beautiful ocean water and truly relax from the hustle and bustle of daily routine that you have left at home. The idea of a holiday for some is just that. Relaxing, enjoying good weather, sipping tasty cocktails and embracing all of the gorgeous food. A quick look online at websites like www.thisisinsider.com will showcase the best beaches in the world. A beach escape tends to give you different options when it comes to accommodation as well and actually there may be more choice than the standard boutique hotel you will find in the city. You could enjoy luxurious sprawling resorts or stay in boutique airbnbs. This gives you the chance to stay within your budget for your holiday. Many beach escape destinations also offer all-inclusive facilities which help take the stress away from budgeting for food and drink while you are away.

I hope that highlighting some of the benefits of each will help you make your decision about your next trip away.

**Post contributed by travel writer and explorer, Matt Mayer, who is based in the U.K. but never home for long.**