cheska15

We are now in Paris for the last two days, on what has been an amazing trip. We always knew the last three weeks were going to be a different way of travel for us, with two and three night stays. We are tired and have had a lovely quiet afternoon in the hotel. I even had a nap, and the hotel provided the New York Times for my husband to read and do the crossword. Not that he is fond of that particular paper, it just felt like a return to normality. Best bit is the Hotel Hor provides great coffee freely whenever you want it.

We are so happy that we got to follow the Australian Remembrance Trail ( not every single place) and some of those experiences will stay with me a long time.

If it hadn’t been posting on FB for family and friends I would hardly remember what we have done the last three weeks. I know we are older 65 and my husband 69, and we have been away a long time, but at times it has felt like a bit of a blur.

I do understand that people want to see a lot and amount of holiday time influences those decisions, and I wish them all the best. We couldn’t do it for longer than three weeks and that is even pushing the boundaries

rhon

I totally agree about moving often and we only did two one night stays at the start of our tri!! . We could not wait to get to our first gite and settle in. Even a week seemed too short. I do not know how people deal with some of the aggressive itineraries we see posted on travel forums. We are 68 (P) and 69 ( moi ) and found ourselves a lot slower this time. We often just went out for the morning and had a quiet afternoon at home.
I was wondering when you finish. We have been home two weeks now and I am still trying to get motivated to do a trip report. It always seems to take a while to get sleep patterns back to normal when we arrive home., and other 'stuff' gets in the way.
Have a good flight home.

Christina

I do that a lot, and I'm a bit older than you. It's not difficult if you don't have a lot of stuff, I don't find it a problem at all. I do it for smaller towns where I really do not want to stay for more than a couple days, there isn't enough to do and I'd get bored. Also, most of us don't have unlimited funds and vacation time that we can spend a lot of time everywhere. I wouldn't want to anyway, though, I only like spending a long time in a bigger city.

I travel by train mostly. In short stops, I usually stay not too far from the train station (I don't mean right next to it, but then again, in small towns, the entire place isn't that big). I am not even one of these super light packers, I have a 24 inch suitcase and then a totebag. I just don't completely unpack that suitcase each stop, that's all, it's not difficult. I only take out pants mainly (bottoms), to hang up, and keep the tops, etc in it and use it like a dresser drawer, basically. I take out my shoes/room slippers or thongs, also, of course. I pack all toiletries in one ziplock bag that I can just take out. I don't take many toiletries, though. That bag is larger than the one you use at security for carryon, maybe it's about 3-4x that size? I keep socks, etc., just in the bottom corners of my suitcase anyway. So it only takes a short time to pack/unpack, maybe 10 minutes or so.

I hardly ever nap any time (home or traveling), and don't want to spend my travel time just siting around reading in the afternoon. I can read at night when I'm in my room after dinner and relaxing. I don't sit arund in the afternoon reading at home, either, though.

I wouldn't travel for a month doing only 2-3 night stays, no. I usually have one more major city/place I stay 5 to 7 days, and then maybe several others where I only do a couple days each. Sometimes I only spend one day in a place if it's just a stopover for convenience given I don't like traveling all day when in Europe, and I am not really that interested in it For example, once I think I had a flight from Spain probably to France, and I was ending in Paris. I wanted something else in the middle and though I'd sp[end a few days in NE France in the Lorraine area but the only Easyjet flight from my Spain city was to Basel (that made sense anyway for this desire). So I flew to Basel and just spent one afternoon and evening there, and took the train the next day to Nancy. I just had a hotel within a block of the train station, which turned out to be really nice. I did all I wanted to do in Basel that afternoon and evening, actually.

NOw what I don't understand is people who spend so long away from home, I can't do that, I get homesick, so to speak, and just tired of traveling. I've never done a trip longer than a month and that was special and structured because I was attending summer school in Paris. I just really get tired of strange places and strange beds, etc.

Melnq8

I hear you cheska - we usually spend five nights in a given spot, and that often seems too short. We keep saying we'll spend a week per spot and limit our stops, but we haven't managed that yet. Any trip less than a month these days just doesn't seem worth the effort

KarenWoo

We always take trips with multiple stops, and we really enjoy it, but those trips are typically 14 to 16 night trips. We travel like this because we want to see as many places as possible. For instance, when we visited Madrid and Andalucia, we wanted to see the historically important cities in Andalucia - the typical ones that most people want to see - such as Seville, Cordoba, and Granada, and we also included Malaga. That trip we had 2 4-night stays which helps. (Madrid and Seville) The other stays were 1 night Toledo and 2 nights each in Cordoba, Granada, and Malaga. Our most recent trip to Scotland we also had two 4-night stays (Edinburgh and Skye) which makes a big difference to us. We also had one 3-night stay, two 2-night stays and a one-night stay. Because of our ages (76 and 73) I want to see as much as possible. No telling if we would ever return to a country to see what we didn't see the first time.

But we haven't done any month-long trips yet. I would like to start doing that next year. if we do, I envision that kind of trip having lengthier stays. I don't think we could handle a month long trip with only 2, 3, or 4 night stays.

If we stay 4 nights somewhere, we completely unpack. But if it's less then that we basically live out of suitcase. And we do carry 24-inch suitcases and I have a small 13-inch carryon. I think we need to downsize to 22-inch instead of 24-inch as we age and find it more difficult to move luggage around.

rhon

The good thing about independent travel is that you can do what you want. So if you want to move around a lot you can and if you want to spend a month in a place you can. Coming from Australia with high flight costs and long travel times ( 20+ hours on planes ) means we are not going to go for just a few weeks in a year.

It also depends on what you want from a trip. We have just finished our eighth , and maybe last, trip to France. It is a country we love and we just enjoy being there. We like settling into a place and stopping in at the same boulangerie each day, visiting the markets, shopping for food., going for walks, and not necessarily ticking boxes every day. From our point of view, our trip was perfect. We saw new places, old familiar places, wonderful scenery, beautiful villages, were in places not swamped by tourists and generally had a lovely time. That is our style of travel and always has been. Our memories of our trips to France give us much pleasure, and not just because of the big ticket places we have seen, but also because of the small experiences we have had along the way.

Keeping my fingers crossed that it will not be the last.

geetika

We usually do 4-5 night stays, but often times it’s been 2-3. A 1 night stay in Agrigento, Sicily last year, but we only wanted to see the Valley of the Temples, so it served the purpose.

That trip started off with a one nighter near Schiphol, we dropped off our bags and headed straight out to Keukenhof to visit the gardens. Spent 3-4 hours, then bus to Haarlem for the afternoon and evening, before heading back to Schiphol for the night . Flight out to Palermo the next morning. It was busy, but we were out in the fresh air all day and that helped with the jet lag.

We did two weeks in Provence in 2018, a week in Paris several times, also in Bourgogne, Loire, etc. But never longer than 2 weeks, I think we like to move on by then. Our trips are usually anything from 15-18 days to 4-5 weeks.

Sue_xx_yy

We manage because we don't move a long distance between stops. And because every 4th day or so, we do a laundry and other chores which don't feel like chores, just a rest.

It's move more often or do longer day trips. I vote for the first, but as another poster said, the beauty of independent travel is that you can cut your cloth to fit your coat, so to speak. Hope you had fun.

janisj

My perfect pace is something like a series of 4 to 7 night stops, interspersed with the occasional one-nighter 'repositioning'/travel leg in between if necessary.

Travel_Nerd

I think it depends on so many factors, especially size of city, day trip options, mode of travel, etc.

For a large city like Paris, London, Rome, etc. it makes sense to have 4+ nights in a location, more so if doing day trips and especially since public transport is abundant. But say, for example, Zadar, Croatia: the options are slightly more limited where the city itself is fairly small and while there are a lot of day trip options to warrant a longer stay, some of those would also require a car or having to wrangle the limited public transportation options (bus and catamarans via the coast).

For me, traveling solo often, I have the freedom to explore a town quicker than if I were traveling with others. And, as a result, can also get "bored" with the particular city/area quicker, too. And because I won't rent a car without another traveler with me, I'm extremely limited, too, making it difficult for me to explore day trips without considering public transportation or a private driver - which I'd prefer to avoid - also leading to a bit of that boredom. I find I can only people watch for so long!

On my trip last year from Venice to Sarajevo, I stayed longest in the two biggest cities, longer in Venice than Sarajevo But did have frequent two night stays along the way. I only had a month to cover a huge distance and had to keep moving, all while having to consider the size of the town for how long I would need to stay to see everything I wanted to see. And I do not feel like I "missed" anything necessary nor did I feel rushed. I was weary after a month traveling, though.

In contrast, I have also had a 2-week trips encompassing only 3 cities, one trip being Rome, Bologna, and Milan. Still moved a bit, but was a slower pace for a shorter trip in comparison. And while I definitely didn't see "all" of Rome, I accomplished everything I wanted to see.

Itineraries I see on here often: "2 nights Paris with day trip to Versailles, 2 nights Amsterdam, 2 nights Venice, 3 nights Rome, 2 nights Zurich, (insert additional cities for 14 nights here):...now THOSE... would be disappointing, which so many of us can agree.

So, in the end, it really depends on the person and that trip.

bilboburgler

we cycle tour, so stop for two nights every four or five (with all the rest being one night stops), to do washing to have a rest etc. We only take about 10kg of luggage, tops, as every gram is something we have to move over 35 km each day, so the odd extra sock is work for us. We get very good at deciding what to see. Our interest in churches died long ago, our interest in people making things, people performing has grown. Art that is complete is meh, art that gives us inspiration, art that is still growing, or moving or changing is fascinating. Water, reflections, natural life. So we have a plan for the hours between arrival and departure which forms while one of us is showering. We only book the next hotel once the plan is fixed, we have seen the weather forecast etc etc. So we can stay to watch a cheese selling ceremony, and then its back on the road.

On our last long trip the best bits were the un-mown verges beside the roads with every colour iin the rainbow fighting to be seen by bees, the behaviour of birds in the fields, the movement of barges on the canals.

Sometimes the journey is better than the arrival, on the other hand often the shower in hotel is the best thing.

cheska15

It didn’t help that two apartments canceled so we had to find other accommodation, and of course looking for last minute accommodation is more expensive and less suitable.

rhon we have found that we are a little slower this trip too, and it isn’t that we are unfit. My husband plays squash four times a week, and I’m at the gym five days a week.

Christina this will be our last long trip. We did three months this time so we could finish our 2019 / 2020 itinerary. . It is such a long flight from Australia and I am currently saying ‘ I’m not doing this 23 hr trip again” We too have missed our home comforts

Thanks for all the responses. We all have different travelling styles and you learn as you go along.

ANUJ

While I dont endorse these whistlestop holidays, I do move bases a fair bit on our roadtrips to optimise the itinerary and avoid backtracking. As we travel light, packing/unpacking or checking in/out often isnt an issue. It really does come down to travel style.

KayF

I much prefer to have longer stays, at least 3 nights minimum, which gives us 2 days, or a week or more, depending on where we are. Moving on constantly after one or two nights gives me the heebie-geebies. So tiring and everything becomes a blur. I did a one week group tour recently, a big departure for me, and the clincher was the group stayed in one place the whole time (a gorgeous old inn in the Cotswolds) and we did day trips from there. So much more relaxing.

Others must have noticed too, that those new to travel often go at breakneck speed, but the people who've travelled a lot more, want a more relaxed pace. I would much rather have an extra day somewhere with not much to do, then I can sit in a cafe, poke around in shops, sleep a bit later, explore back streets, unwind.

hetismij2

When we had the camper we moved on most days, but that is the nature of that sort of trip, and of course we had everything to hand and didn't need to keep packing and unpacking.
We don't travel much now but when we do we are taking longer to get to a destination, stopping a couple of nights in places along the way and then staying put for a while. We did a few US road trips with one night stops, but that was just a place to sleep nothing more, moving on to spend the days exploring.
Currently, and I admit reluctantly, trying to plan a visit to the UK to see family and attend a reunion. Trying not to outstay our welcome with family but also not to have too many short stops. I think it may well be our last trip over the North Sea. I am fed up with it always being us going there, and Britain holds little attraction nowadays. There are other places I'd rather go, for less money.

I am building up my tricycliing distances now. Who know maybe we'll go by bike/trike soon, though Dutch railways are even less keen to take a trike than they are a bike sadly, unless you are clearly handicapped, which I am not, and many bike routes are unsuitable for a trike as I found out the other day when presented with a steep bridge with steps and a single bike gutter on it. I had to turn around, (no easy matter) as there was no way to get the trike over it.

I've tried to get DH to stay in one place for a length of time but he doesn't like the idea much. I had no problem being away in the camper for weeks, but he misses his band sessions too much to be away too long.

Coquelicot

Cheska, this will shock you, but on our first trip to France we had many one-night stands. And we were camping, so we weren't just packing up clothes etc; we had to fold up our sleeping mats, sleeping bags, and the tent. Often we had to wait for the tent to dry. We were always the last people out of the campground. We spent that time appreciating just being in France and looking forward to whatever the day would bring.

Bilbo, France has the most beautiful roadside flowers, especially in places where they don't mow till June. If we're there in spring we hope to see the primroses, orchids, hawthorn, and laburnum, and to hear the cuckoos. By the time we leave the poppies are starting. My husband counts flowers when he walks and usually finds more than 20 different types.

Bilbo, I absolutely agree about the shower! I'm sure it's even more welcome to someone who's been biking all day. (I also agree about churches. Not a draw for me.)

On every trip to France we want to repeat every good thing we've done before, as well as add new places, but we only have so much time. And yet my husband refuses to move there. Stubborn!

joduhl

We loved spending 10 weeks in Europe this past winter, which included an entire month in Valencia and an entire month in Montpellier. We were able to live like locals, doing regular errands, going back multiple times to places we liked, taking days off and staying "home," cooking food from the markets. We also took a couple of overnight trips from our home base.

This coming winter our plan is to go for less time - we are booked for a total of 6 weeks. And we plan to return to Valencia, but to stay in a different neighborhood - and to the same apartment in Montpellier We are also adding a week in Aix. So a total of 3 places as opposed to 5 this past year.

I also am looking at smaller suitcases as all that shlepping does take a toll on our bodies. And I am determined to take less stuff this time!

In terms of shorter stays, I really think that you need a minimum of 3 days in any place in order to get oriented.

joduhl

Also, in terms of being able to remember what we did each day, for the past 10 years or so I have kept track each day of what we did, where we went, where we ate, what we ate, etc. I have small books in which I write each day.

I started doing this when we were having a hard time remembering "that great restaurant, what did we eat?" "what was the name of that hotel," etc. When I get home I turn those into detailed trip reports for friends, family, but mostly for our own memories.

shelemm

I have done both slow travel and constant movement. It all depends on what I am trying to accomplish. And then of course if you are traveling with others, it is then a question if everyone has the same priorities. For example, once my kids were old enough to have a strong opinion on the subject, itineraries changed taking that into account There is no one size fits all, even from one year to the next.

yestravel

We're retired now and enjoy moving at a much more leisurely pace than we did when we worked. It's nice to be able to stay and maybe get to know a place a little instead of going to a site, seeing it and moving on. We did that when we worked and moved around at a much faster pace. I do try and avoid 1 even 2 night stays but sometimes they just work best and we certainly do them. With longer stays we always find interesting things to see or do and rarely get bored. It was nice back in the day when you didn't need to reserve ahead as then we could really decide how long to stay as we go. For years now, that has not been the case with accommodations and I dont like spending my time searching for a place a few days out, so we tend to plan our reservations for accommodations in advance.