Do you have the LONGEST list of places you want to travel to while also being short on time? That was me a few years ago! I studied abroad in London for about three months and used any available free time to travel. While planning out trips, I concocted this formula that really helped me squeeze a lot of unique experiences into just three or four days:
Plan a guided tour on your first day
If you’re like me, a girl from small-town America who had never travelled outside the country without family or friends, then you know how confusing and overwhelming planning travel can be. There is SO much you want to see and do, but it’s difficult to pinpoint exactly what you want to do with your limited time. This is why I highly recommend booking a tour.
Now, I am normally pretty opposed to guided tours, because I like having the freedom to explore at my own pace. But when you’re in an unfamiliar place, don’t know the language, and must rely on public transportation, a guided tour actually has many benefits. Tour companies do a good job of picking notable sights and fitting them all into one day.
The real gold mines, though, are the tour guides themselves. These people exercise an intimate knowledge of the areas they work in, and know all the best sights, restaurants, and other attractions. I’ve never been steered wrong on a restaurant recommendation by a tour guide!
Pick one or two major activities to focus on
Whether this activity is included in your tour or is separate should depend on how long your trip is. One time I had a weekend trip to Ireland that lasted three days, with only one full day in the middle. In that case, I picked the Cliffs of Moher as my major activity and planned my day tour around that.
On another occasion I visited Edinburgh, Scotland and selected a Harry Potter walking tour and Edinburgh Castle as my main activities. Choosing just a few things to focus on allowed me to fully lean into those experiences and enjoy them to the fullest.
Times when I’ve traveled and tried to fit too many activities into a day or a weekend have more often than not led to less enjoyment, because I’m too stressed worrying over whether I’ll make it to the next activity or not, that I don’t get to live in the moment with any of the activities.
Do your research!
Last but definitely not least: research, research, research. There have been far too many times when I get distracted with planning the basics of a trip (accommodation, flights, etc.) that I forget to research what the actual attractions are in the area. Only after I land and get to my accommodations do I realize that I don’t actually know what to do while I’m there!
Even if you decide to rent your own car or solely rely on public transportation, make sure that you know the best attractions in the area. In these cases especially, you want to make sure you choose attractions that have other attractions nearby. A guided tour will do the hard work for you of planning these, so if you’re short on time or simply don’t feel up to planning it out yourself then I highly recommend booking one.
If you’re individualistic like me, then I encourage you to plan out a tour for yourself. What area would you like to go to that not only has one major activity, but also several small attractions that you can group together? In short: think like a tour guide!
Once I started applying these tips, my weekend trips were transformed. I felt like I got the “best bang for my buck” each time. I had so many great experiences and could check off lots of items from my list.
What are your favorite ways to make the most of short trips? Let us know your thoughts below!
Touche. Great arguments. Keep up the good effort.