We're taking a first trip to a city packed with sights. My instinct is to schedule morning, afternoon and evening slots so we don't miss anything. My partner prefers discovering places as we walk. I'm trying a compromise: one timed booking per day, one optional neighborhood and the rest unscheduled. How much free time would you leave on a short first visit before it feels like you've underplanned?
Deciding how much unstructured time to leave in a first visit
- travel-planning
- unstructured
- time
- leave
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1 reply
I’m not sure I’d call it underplanned if you only book one thing. A first trip often benefits more from a few anchors than from a packed sch...
I’m not sure I’d call it underplanned if you only book one thing. A first trip often benefits more from a few anchors than from a packed schedule.
Yeah, the problem with a full itinerary is you spend half the day checking the clock and the other half looking for lunch.
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I like your compromise. One fixed booking, one loose area, and the rest open enough that you can follow your feet if something looks interes...
I like your compromise. One fixed booking, one loose area, and the rest open enough that you can follow your feet if something looks interesting.
I’d still keep the “open” time on the map, not just in your head. If you don’t name it, it disappears into transit and snacks.
1 reply
One timed thing per day sounds right to me for a first visit. If you stack too many plans, the city turns into a checklist instead of a plac...
One timed thing per day sounds right to me for a first visit. If you stack too many plans, the city turns into a checklist instead of a place.
I’d leave most of one afternoon open, at least. That’s usually when we stumble into the parts we remember later.