Extended Stay America

How To Create The Perfect Itinerary

How To Create The Perfect Itinerary

Back in the day when I did not know any better, I relied heavily on the so-called experts to determine the must-see places and the must-do activities in the city or country I visited.

Sure, I saw and experienced what any other tourist saw and experienced. But, I always end up feeling cheated of the experience. What could have been an interesting discovery turned out like any other experience that I could encounter anywhere else. This is true for most travelers. However, you don't have to be like any other traveler.

The only rule to follow when creating a perfect itinerary is to plan ahead. It is easy to get overwhelmed by local sites, sights and attractions. If you did not plan ahead, you can simply find yourself chasing one tourist trap after another. But with a good plan, you can end up having the greatest time of your life exploring a wonderful new city or country.

So what if you have a limited schedule? Use it to your advantage. With a limited time, you can easily narrow down your options. From among the hundreds of places of interest, choose only those that are actually of interest to you. A satisfying trip is not measured by how many landmarks you've visited but by how much you have actually enjoyed the visit.  So, if you love architecture, visit notable buildings and structures; if you are a wine aficionado, explore wineries; if you are a history buff, survey historical sites and attractions.

Do your homework at least two weeks before your scheduled trip. Check out what the place has to offer. Find out if there are any attractions that are of interest to you. List all of them. If your schedule will not allow you to visit all the places, read further on all of them to find out which ones you should not miss and which ones you can easily drop from the list.

Map out your itinerary. It is easier to figure out the mode of transportation, the length of time and the need for accommodation if you know how many places you'll be visiting within a particular geographical region. Find out the most convenient manner of how to go around. Do this by establishing a route.

Which place is the most convenient to visit first, which one follows, and which one comes last. With this figured out, you can easily determine whether you will need a round trip ticket or just go on an open-jaw trip. The latter means that you will fly-in one city and fly-out from another. Open-jaw trip is recommended for linear routes.

Find out what are the means of transportation available in your destination. From your options, check which ones will conveniently transport you from one place to another. Calculate travel time together with the number of hours you plan on spending exploring the sites. This will give you a good gauge on timing your trip. With a realistic schedule, you can spend more time discovering and enjoying what your destination has to offer and less time fussing about missed buses or closed museums.  

In creating the perfect itinerary, let your personal taste and interest guide you. Just because others are fussing about a particular attraction doesn't mean that you have to see it too.