I have been traveling quite a bit in the last few years. Mostly, Spring til early Fall.
I have a long list of places I’ve been to.
I am an older solo traveler and try to maximize my time in other cities.
I rely on Travel guide books to give me a sense of the city layout. The central “downtown” area and other areas surrounding it. I typically don’t have a car and rely on Public Transportation, which I find is great with some isolated failures. Being older, I no longer have the need to visit children’s sites or museum, although they were fun in the past. So, my travel advice is geared towards adults.
After the guide books, I tend to use web sites set up by the city’s tourism bureau, not the official city site.
Usually, they will have the latest maps, public trans info, airport info and airport transfer info, restaurants, hotels and attractions. Plus, an online or PDF guide book. These web sites don’t push tours the way most travel sites like Expedia and Travelocity or TripAdvisor do. Those sites can help you refine your choices with their reviews which you need to take with a grain of salt, being very subjective.
I usually make lists of places to visit and how to reach them. Where to book a hotel or AirBnB or VRBO for convenient walking and public trans options. Restaurants nearby after reading reviews and viewing menus.
At this point, I will determine how many nights are needed to stay. Remember, that four nights equals three full days. I find that arriving early afternoon or mid afternoon only allows for minimal sightseeing before dinner. You can plan a live event for that night; but the real sightseeing begins the next day. Usually, your last day is concerned with packing and getting to the airport or other transport mode.
I find myself going back to cities a second time. The familiarity helps orient you faster and you can revisit favorites and explore sights missed on the first visit. Most cities have a wealth of things to see and do. Again, determine what you like. Different areas and cities offer different experiences. Outside of cities, a car would be necessary. I use rental cars for areas I need to fly to. They can get expensive with all the junk fees.
Once I have my list of sights and restaurants or events, then I can prioritize them into which days to see what. Remember to use the web links on the sites to go directly to the venue for days and hours and cost. Is a place worth the admission cost for the time spent there? Your call, obviously. In Paris, I arrived on Monday and the Louvre was closed Tuesdays; but, during my visit, Wednesday was May 1st, a National Holiday, therefore had to visit the Louvre on Thursday before leaving on Friday. This was part of a multi-city trip of Amsterdam, London and Paris in 2024.
All in all, planning is key to not wasting your time which is most valuable on trips. You may never return to some places or spend years before returning. I first visited Rome in 1977. Next visit was 1984. After that, next visit was 2007 and 2008, then again in 2018 and 2023. My first visit almost nobody spole English. My second visit everybody was learning English and wanted to practice it. Nowadays, Spoken everywhere. My first visit to Amsterdam was in 1983. They spoke English better than people in London. They still do.
Hope this helps. Plan your visit and live your plan.
Future articles will talk about travels logistics and tactics, as well as specific sights to see.
See Ya