This post explores how to make the most out of a trip given the time limitations part time travelers face.
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Travel takes us out of our comfort zone, opens our minds and teaches us invaluable lessons.
If you are like me, you are probably planning your next getaway. Travel has an addictive quality that makes us to want it more and more.
In my case, my love for travel is limited by time. I have a full-time job and plenty of responsibilities. That is why I cherish my travel moments so much.
Given those limitations, I have given a lot of thought to the actual ways in which I can make the most out of a trip.
Hey, if I can only take two or three trips a year, they better be the most super duper, freaking awesome trips I can experience.
If you love to travel (and I know you do) and have time limitations, here are some suggestions on how to make the most out of a trip.
- Pre-book as much as possible
Before leaving home, I book accommodations, transportation between cities and entrance to popular attractions.
I do this because of the following reasons:
- Save money by booking early
- Opportunity to choose dates and times that work the best for my itinerary
- Avoid making lines
- Ability to understand terms and conditions of purchases
- Avoid bad decisions made under pressure
- Give my trip some structure
- The most important reason: do not want to spend time figuring out things that I can figure out while chilling at home
Bottom line: I do not want to spend time of my precious trip on things I could have done at an earlier moment. If we have the technology to make things happens, let’s use it to our advantage.
- Get in shape
You are not going to transition from couch potato to travel ninja in one day. Not going to happen.
If you have a sedentary life and are planning a trip that involves lots of walking and moving around, start some sort of exercise routine before the trip. One month before my trips, I start to walk two or three miles around the neighborhood. During the weekends, I try to do more.
In that way, I am acclimatizing my body for what is coming.
I do not want to sound like a broken record but I think this is an aspect that should be taken with care. For awareness (and curiosity) purposes, I measured the number of daily steps I took on recent trips to New York and Germany. I ended up walking 10-12 miles daily. That is a lot! Just to remind you of how drained your body will feel if you do not tackle this beforehand.
- Do not cram loads of work and tasks before your trip
I am a bit guilty of this. Sometimes, I procrastinate and when I look at the calendar, bam, I am leaving on trip in less of a week.
I recommend making the necessary work arrangements with time. If you need to leave somebody in charge, start training several weeks in advance. If you need to accumulate some time, spread it over a decent amount of time. You want to start your trip with a clear mind and a rested body.
In the same way, make sure you are organizing your house and belongings in the proper way. Wash clothes, clean the fridge, distribute responsibilities, hold mail and pack 15 to 7 days before the actual trip date.
- Hit the ground running
I tend to arrive at a destination between 8:00 a.m. and noon. For international trips, I take a red eye flight and arrive early. For local gateways, I arrive midday after several hours spent in the car.
These modes of transportation can leave you dead tired. The first thing you want to do is hit that hotel bed hard. But, hold on! I will need you to use some willpower in here.
After settling in your accommodation, refresh a little bit and start exploring. Sounds like I am a little bit cuckoo but this is a great way to make proper use of your first day at a destination.
What is more important, I have noticed this technique helps me to beat jetlag. You will go to bed at the local time, sleep like a rock and wake up with a desire to see the sights.
- Have some idea of what you want to see and do
I am not an advocate of planning every single aspect of a trip but having a comprehensive idea of what you want to see can help to manage your time.
I start by making a list of all the places I want to visit at a destination. Then, I proceed to group them by neighborhood or area. This helps me to move in an intelligent way around the city.
- Wake up early
No, I am not crazy. Vacations and getting out of bed early are not a match made in heaven. Ahh, but if you want to stretch your sightseeing hours, you need consider this option.
To facilitate things, let me give you an example. Say you wake up at 10:00 a.m., are ready to go at 11:00 and finish eating at around noon. Sounds nice but you just lost three or four viable hours.
Waking up early is a good option when you want to visit markets, beat up others at attractions, take photos or have plans for a day trip (you can nap while on transit).
- Rest in between
I used to rush like a lightning bolt around a city. When I used to do that, I felt burned out early during the day. I ended up dragging myself (and being kind of in a bad mood) for as long as possible.
Well, I missed the mark during several years. Taking breaks during the day has proven to be more effective in terms of stamina. Now, I take a mid-morning, lunch and mid-afternoon break. Sometimes, I go to the hotel, rest for a while and go out later.
My breaks are simple. I sit down (café, restaurant, park), people watch or have a small drink. This unassuming technique has changed the way I travel.
- Eat well
The truth is you need a lot of energy to do a multi-city, multi-day trip. This is not the time to skip meals or load on junk food.
Most of us are into saving money but choosing to do so by cutting a healthy calorie count will take a toll on you. It is possible to eat nutritious and delicious meals at a good price. Take care of yourself!
- Plan how to move within the city
Do not get me wrong, I love to discover a city by walking its streets. Now, this is the deal, as I mentioned early, you can walk 10 to 12 miles on any given day. People will not even believe you walked that much!
Save your legs by using public transportation in a strategic way. In addition, consider taking a tram or bus on hilly areas.
- Book accommodation near the attractions
Even if it is a bit more expensive, I prefer to book accommodation near the city center or close to the main attractions. I do not want to spend my time in transit (during rush hour, ugh).
This may be a challenge in popular destinations, so, book way up in advance. It feels great to be able to walk from your hotel or Airbnb to the places you want to see.
- Move between destinations early morning or late evening
If you are visiting multiple cities on a trip, make the most of transit days by traveling early morning or late evening.
When traveling early, you can nap or rest while in transit and still see a good chunk of your destination because you are expected to arrive early.
On the other hand, late evening travel allows you a full (or almost a full) day of sightseeing. Make sure you check out early and leave your luggage stored (you will pick it up early).
- Pack light
I need to include this in here. Packing light will make your travel life much easier. For real!
Many years ago, we decided to travel with carry-on luggage only. Even in that way, we started to notice our luggage was limiting our movement ability. Turns out we were cramming our small luggage with tons of stuff. Once my husband offered to carry my backpack and he didn’t last ten minutes. He had no idea how I was carrying that “elephant” around.
After assessing the situation, we made a list of what we really needed during the trip. On the last two years, we have experienced the freedom of minimum luggage.
We said bye to battling with small elevators, battling with stairs, luggage not fitting on plane / train compartments, luggage falling all over the place and the exhaustion of rolling a heavy load.
I encourage you to adjust your relationship with luggage (if needed).
- Avoid scams and time-consuming activities
If you want to use your time wisely, I encourage you to research about scams in the area you are going to visit. Sometimes, it is not a matter of research but of common sense. Be aware of shady or sketchy characters. If things looks too good, too cheap or too tempting, something fishy may be going on.
Once, I was scammed in Bangkok and ended up wasting half a day because I was taken to a certain place and left stranded there. You can end up wasting time (and money) if you are not aware of what is going on around you.
Also, in my experience, offerings of free sightseeing, tickets to shows or money in exchange of you vising a property or doing this or that, is not worth it. Listen, the time commitment is going to be greater than what it is advertised. Plus, you may find yourself on high pressure selling environment.
- Minimize the use of electronics
I know a lot of us want to document our trip or load what we are doing into our social media channels. But, I urge you to evaluate if your electronics are taking away from your travel experience.
Are you really channeling the experience? Are you interacting with your travel companion or locals? You are going to have tons of time to share your experiences at a later moment. However, the moment you have in a specific city with certain person doing a particular thing may be unique in your life. Thing about that.
So, here you have it. These are ways I use to make the most out of a trip. I know they may not apply to everybody (we all have different travel styles) but I am sure you can make good use of a couple of these. I encourage you to develop your own ways of making the most out of a trip.
Because, I am sure you want to make your trip super duper, freaking awesome!
Anything else to add? How do you make the most out of a trip?
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Lorelle says
Haha…pack light is something I need to practice more of!! Xx
photo cache says
I feel so much better with this post. I seem to be doing well with regards to making the most of my limited travel time because just like you I too hold a full time job.
Where’s the next destination?
Maria says
Hi! It’s great to read your post! I am really fond of traveling. Of course, I always wanna make my trip freaking awesome. And your tips inspire me a lots! Thanks so much! Please keep writing and sharing with us!
Jen says
Love this! Totally agree. Make the most of it- don’t let the little things bother you, or the big things! It is all and adventure
Sharon Wagner says
We book so far in advance that we’re always able to get the best room or place. Plus, we always a have a car so nothing is off limits. And we’re only picky about food quality, not food in general. So, eating is fun on vacations. Now, I just wish we could speak other languages – especially Spanish!
Hayley says
I feel like we have the same brain! Haha. These are great tips and definitely ones I’d share with fellow travelers too. I completely agree about waking up early too..it feels great, although easier said than done some days : ) #feetdotravel
Lolo says
There’s so much in here I totally agree with, especially about getting up early to stretch the amount of sightseeing time you have, plus for me it’s about getting photos without tourists in them! #FeetdoTravel
One Fit Nomad says
Thanks for this article, so many will benefit from it. Great advice
Rachel Heller says
I agree with every single one of your tips! Especially the getting in shape part. Even someone as out of shape as I am can get prepared for all-day walking fairly quickly. And it saves you that backache (or footache or whatever your particular issue is) in the first few days of your trip.
Deea says
Very good points, especially packing light! I lived for 4 months out of a small carry-on, so who ever says it’s not possible to travel with just a backpack on a shorter trip, either doesn’t know how to pack or doesn’t know how to select just the important stuff. It’s a skill I’m still trying to master, but nonetheless one of the most useful! 🙂
Rhonda Albom says
I think I can tick most of the boxes on your list. I’ve been paying more attention to packing light lately as I do not like being saddled with luggage that I have to haul around.
Travel Lexx says
Some really great tips there to get the most out of a trip – I think planning is important to an extent but I generally don’t book travel within the country because I wasn’t my itinerary to have a degree of flexibility. You’re spot on with everything else though – early starts are vital to seeing some incredible places without the crowds, for example!
Christina says
Fabulous tips and pictures! 🙂 I love your tip about couch potatoes starting to walk more 1 month prior to the trip to get used to all the walking at the destination! I agree with you that it is worth paying extra money to be closer to the locations you want to go to. Pinning this!!! 🙂
jill says
Great tips! I’m not a morning person and I have to push myself to get up early but it is so worth it to get those extra hours.
Kathy Marris says
Great minds think alike! I recently wrote a similar post and I think I echo your thoughts here. I would add that you need to be patient and tolerant when travelling, particularly of others and other cultures.
tracy collins says
Great tips – I am planning our xmas break right now! Get in shape is an excellent point – we are not walking anywhere near as much as we did in Europe (its so hot) so I need to get in the pool and swim I think. Also I always travel light – if possible hand luggage only when flying.
Khushboo says
Totally agreed.Especially on packing light. I see a lot of tourists in Amsterdam moving around with heavy suitcases.
Lisa says
I agree with all of you posts. As more of a budget traveler, I like to focus on ways to save money AND make the most of my time. There is a fine line of balance between these two, but can be somewhat overcome by research and pre-planning.
Ilana says
So many useful tips! I am also trying to get the best of my trips, as I cannot travel full time and very often need to see a lot of places within a very limited amount of time. The key is to be organised and plan, plan plan!
Mary {The World Is A Book} says
These are all great ideas and such useful tips, Ruth. Like you, I have a full-time job but also have to take into account kids’ schools and activities. I know that feeling of wanderlust but have such major time limitations. You’re so right about planning so many things ahead and doing carry-on luggages. We also like doing redeye flights to Europe. We really enjoying combining many cities in one big trip whether through long layovers or stopovers.
Alison says
This is a great comprehensive article about how to plan to maximize trip fun and activities. 🙂 I agree – getting up early can make a huge difference, and I love that you included getting into shape before going on holiday. Sometimes even long days of walking can be taxing! That’s one of the reasons I like to book rooms with a bath tub to relax afterwards, lol.
budget jan says
I enjoyed reading your tips and agree with them. Taking a rest during the hottest part of the day in the tropics is wonderful when travelling and then we feel so rejuvenated to explore further in the cool of evening.
Michele {Malaysian Meanders} says
I had not considered many of these things. Packing light is my biggest challenge — especially considering that my toiletries bag takes up 20% of my rolling carryon! As a family with teens, getting an early start is super hard, but we try. Or sometimes, we just decide that the kids can decide if they’d rather have breakfast or sleep longer. Like you, I also book accommodations near my sightseeing spots. It costs more usually, but I feel it’s worth it for the amount of time it saves.
Marcelle says
We are guilty of not planning our trips very well in advance. We are traveling often short-term and happen to realize too late that we should have studied the region / city much better. Ruth, by the way, I’m amazed how you can work full-time and manage your writing and website as your sharing the posts so well. You can’t be sleeping much 😉
Carmen says
We do most of these tips already, but it is good to have reminders. I have a friend who always says, “I don’t want to go on vacation to sleep on my money.” Needless to say, when we travel with him, we hit the ground running and make to most of every vacation day!
GiGi Eats says
I absolutely adore travel, even if I have a bad experience doing something, I never look at it as such because traveling is mean for all types of experiences that turn into stories lady!
Sherry says
Good tips in here. I don’t travel much but next time I do I will keep these in mind.
Jillian says
These are spot on ideas. I definitely suffer from trying to maximize and fit everything in, but slowing down, and making myself take breaks is a great way to really soak in my surroundings and savor the moment. And yes to get in shape! It’s amazing how much walking happens when visiting a big city!!
Michael - The Boys Abroad says
I was so happy to see that number one on the list was pre booking! We refuse to travel any other way. It always makes me so angry when I hear people say they’re off on a weekend away and will just ‘see how it goes’. So often that means spend Saturday finding somewhere to stay, and Sunday finding out how to get home again!
Some great tips in here 🙂
Nancie says
Great list, Ruth. I second getting an early start. You avoid the crowds and can always take a break later in the day, again avoiding the crowds…win-win 🙂 Thanks for co-hosting this week. #TPThursday
Rob+Ann @TravelLatte(.net) says
Good tips, Ruth! Finding a hotel central to what we want to do/see is essential for us. You’re right; sometimes we do pay more for the privilege of being in walking distance of city centers or major attractions, but we feel it’s completely worth it. Time is money, and we’d rather not spend that time driving or in a taxi. Plus, we walk more that way, and there’s no better way to get to know a city than on its sidewalks! Factor in savings from not renting a car or paying for parking, and we feel we’re coming out ahead. As always, great post!
Shona says
Some good advice on saving time and enhancing the experience. Like you, I am planning my next trip. 🙂
Lyn @ A Hole in my Shoe says
Funny how travel styles are so different for many. I actually can agree with most of the points you mention. A central hotel, hit the ground running and don’t cram too much work when travelling are things that I try to follow. In fact, I don’t write posts on the road and wait until we get home. Packing light, that’s the one the carrier of the bags (hubby) reminds me of all the time.
budget jan says
I love your choice of photos between points – they totally had me planning my next trip! And I did read your tips – they are great.
Keri | Ladies What Travel says
Great tips! Im actually doing the opposite with my upcoming trip, which is very hard as usually I travel like you. Thing is I’ve been so busy and stressed of late that the important part of this holiday is R&R. I will do some stuff, but I also plan to take it easy. I know I wont be able to see everything the destination has to offer, but on this occasion I’m going to use it as an excuse to come back… #wanderfulwednesday
Vanessa Brune says
I’m always completely stressed before a trip cause I leave planning the details and organising addresses/maps/guides to the last minute and then I have to pack and schedule blog content for while I’m away and and and and and…. It’s super annoying but I’m trying to get better at planning ahead for all of this 🙂
Sammie @ The Annoyed Thyroid says
So many great tips! I’m a big planner and try to book as much as I can before I go, while still leaving some space to be spontaneous while we’re away. I keep all my notes and plans in a travel journal, and I add notes to it as we travel, it’s both a useful tool and a wonderful memory of our adventures! You’re right about the accommodation, it’s all about location, location, location! I always have a rest/power nap in the afternoon, because there’s nothing worse than being too tired to enjoy an adventure. Now I just need to master the art of packing light!
Lisa says
Those are some really great tips! As I am a full time student and also have to work during my freetime I usually get to take 2 overseas trips and a few weekend trips a year so getting the most out of my trips really is super important for me! I think I still need to work a bit on not using electronics that much though. ? #TheWeeklyPostcard
Anisa says
Great tips! I am with you on the getting up early. We never sleep in on vacation. But it is so much easier to get out of bed during vacation then when you have to go into the office! Thanks for sharing on #TheWeeklyPostcard
Sarah says
That is a really good and often overlooked point about exercising before travels! We walked 15 miles one day in Ghent and were sooooo tired afterwards!
Anda says
Excellent advice, Ruth. I totally agree with every single point here. I always pre-book way ahead of time and make extensive lists with all the places I want to visit. The only place where I fall short (like you!) is in the “cramming lots of work before my trip.” Ideally we shouldn’t, but there are so many things that need attention in your absence. I do it for my peace of mind but I always end up living way too tired for my trips. #TheWeeklyPostcard
Linda Bibb says
I’m a huge fan of using private guides and tours to show us around. They know the area well and can navigate well, which saves time. Plus, they can answer my questions, point out interesting things I may miss, and explain cultural aspects that I might not otherwise understand.
And then there’s the translation and included transportation – that makes it worth it as well!
Sebastian Bach says
Some good advice on saving time and enhancing the experience. Like you, I am planning my next trip. ?
Neil Dimapilis says
thank you for sharing these wonderful and amazing tips! will surely take note of this for our next trip