You all need more time to travel. Right?
At least we do. And yes, if we had all the time in this World we would never just stay a day at a place – we would stay a week, or a month, or as long as the city keeps us there.
But that’s not always possible.
Maybe you travel only for a weekend, or you have a business trip and only a few free hours. Maybe you’re on a cruise trip and you wake up each day in a different city.
Perhaps you only have 2 weeks for your Euro trip, or 2 weeks in SE Asia. Or you’re simply on a budget that doesn’t allow you to travel slow.
Yes, there are many situations where you’re left with almost no time and desire to explore as much as possible.
Well, how to deal with it? Or better say, how to make the most out of it?
Maybe you don’t want to schedule every single minute of your trip, but to maximize your travel time you need to plan, at least a bit. Well, for a start you need to make sure to schedule things right, or to make your own travel itinerary.
Maybe you’re lucky and we’ve already covered the place you’re going on our site. But, if you cannot find it, it’s time to make your own.
Follow this guide and make a perfect travel itinerary:
1. Pick the sights you really want to visit
The best thing is to start with the things you wouldn’t want to miss. Don’t follow the crowd and don’t visit the things you have no interest in. If you’re not into art, skip the Art gallery and visit something else instead. It’s really important to pick the things you’ll most likely enjoy doing or visiting.
Well, the best site to check out the list of the things to explore is Tripadvisor. Plus, you can read users’ comments and experiences and therefore see if that’s really your thing.
2. Map the sights
Since you want to maximize your travel time, you need to make sure the transport between the sights is optimal. So, after you chose the sights you want to visit – you need to put them on the map. The best thing is to put them directly to your smartphone so you have it with you all the time. The greatest, free offline map app for travelers is definitely maps.me. The only thing you need to do is to download the city or the region you’re visiting and you can use it even when not connected to the internet.
3. Check out the events or festivities
Besides the sights and attractions that can be found all year round, you should check out are there any particular events or festivities at the time you’re traveling. Whether you would like to visit it or not, it can surely affect your schedule.
3. Book an accomodation
Now that you put everything on the map, it’s time to book an accomodation. Whether you have only a day, two or three – booking a place that’s walking distance or close to the places you want to visit will save you a lot of time. Even if it’s a bit more expensive, sometimes it can be so worth it.
The great site for finding a perfect accommodation is Booking.com. It’s super easy to use and allows you to search by map – which you’ll definitely want to use at this point. They also offer great value deals that can’t be found anywhere else.
4. Find the best restaurants
Traveling is a great way to try the new food and taste something we rarely have a chance at home. It’s always great to try the traditional dishes from the local cuisine. Try to find the places where locals go as those places usually offer the best value deals.
The best way to do it is to search for the best restaurant on Tripadvisor and then select the type of the cuisine and a price range and you’ll surely find the one. If you want to be sure you’ll get a table, make a reservation in advance.
5. Check out the weather forecast
This may seem very old fashioned, but it’s very important. Rain can ruin lots of activities as well as very low or very high temperatures. Make sure to wear layers and to bring some modest clothes if you’re about to visit religious sites. Pick comfortable shoes, and leave that pair you just bought at home in order to save yourself from blisters.
If you plan to visit any underground tunnel, cave, mine, ect. make sure to check the temperatures there as they can differ from the outside temperature.
6. Check out some basic prices
There are budget destinations in the world, but also those where you’re going to spend much. In Cambodia you can have an amazing lunch for 3$, but in Norway it’s barely enough to drink an espresso. To save yourself from overpaying stuff, make sure to check out some basic prices on Numbeo. Also, make sure to check out the tipping customs.
7. Find the convenient way of public transport
If you plan to use a public transport, make sure to find the one that suits you best. Sometimes metro can be the cheapest and the fastest option. Especially if they sell day tickets or they offer some other deal.
In many cases, there’s not just one taxi company in the city. Check out which one has the best deal, or use Uber instead. To save yourself from trouble, always make sure the taxi meter is on.
8. Pick the right club
You don’t want to spend the whole night waiting in a line to get-in or to not-get-in the club. Especially if that’s your only night. Make sure to arrive on time in order to avoid crowds and definitely check out if there’s some kind of a dress code or any other club policy. Sometimes they’ll reject you if you’re underdressed, sometimes if you’re overdressed (yes, that can happen too). If you’re traveling in a big group of men only, check out if the club has a 50-50 policy.
9. Learn a few basic phrases
Ciao, Grazie, Arrivederci – three Italian words that are super easy to learn and super useful when you’re traveling in Italy. But it’s not just about utility, it’s also nice to be able to say at least Hello or Thank you. English can be widely spoken, but there are always people that don’t understand a word of English. Make sure to make a short list of the words and phrases you think you will use and keep that list always with you. You’ll be amazed how many locals appreciate it.
10. Get the Lonely Planet guide
Eventually, get the Lonely Planet guide and save yourself from all this hassle. Lonely Planet guides cover thousands of destinations around the world. You can purchase a printed guide, e-book or only a chapter of a book. For only a couple of bucks you can get all the info about the travel destination you need to know. Plus, they always come with a map inside. We still recommend you to bookmark in advance all the stuff you’ll need once you arrive at the destination.
And yes, getting lost can be a great thing – but sometimes we just can’t afford it. Having everything planned still leaves a place to being spontaneous. It actually saves you from the hassle and therefore leaves you time for all the amazing things that happen on the road.
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