Jazzblues1

My husband and I will be in Paris for a week. We have many things we would like to see while in Paris, although we both tend to be the sort of people who don't like to plan the finer details of vacations in advance. Instead, we go to our destination without a defined plan, and do whatever strikes our fancy after we get there. I haven't decided yet if I want to be a little more rigid with the plans this time, because as I said, there are many things we want to see and do while we are there.

I was just wondering what others here tend to do? Do you like to plan every detail in advance, or are you more of a "fly by the seat of your pants" kind of traveller? How do you think your respective approaches have worked for you in your travels?

I see so many itineraries posted here, I was just curious if we were unusual in our unstructured approach to travelling.

Margo_Chester

I love to plan, and I will spend months planning a trip, but I try not to let my obsessive behavior show too much for fear of scaring my traveling Companions! I do however see to it that we have at least a loose itinerary, otherwise I would be at the museum the day it was closed, I would miss the only train to the chateau on Tuesday and I would be at the pottery shop after store hours - get my drift? Also I tend to have more on my itinerary than I know we can see or do, but that's fine - that way we can go with the flow and cut back if necessary.

ira

Ditto Margot

jules4je7

I plan it to down to the day, with several activities written down for each day by neighborhood. I write down the "must see's" for that area, then a few extra ideas if I have time so I don't miss anything.

I do this because after our first trip in 2003, I wish I had researched some cities like Rome more, because I found out after I left that I had missed quite a bit, and it was purely for lack of having planned it better.

Now, I geek out and make a full blown spreadsheet with graphs and with an easel, it makes a fine presentation (just kidding)...but I do make a spreadsheet.

Not everyone travels like me though...it's the not doing the research and finding out later that you missed something that sucks.

Happy travels,

Jules

bettyk

I spend a lot of time planning our itinerary as far as places to overnight and "possible" daytrips. But once there, we tend to play it by ear depending on how we feel on a certain day and what the weather's doing. This has worked well for us and allows flexibility -- something you need as you get older for sure!

simpsonc510

DH and I pretty much travel by the seat of the pants. We love it that way. I don't think we could make a strict plan and stick to it!!

I realize that we are in the minority in this travel method, bu we enjoy it and don't plan to change the way we do things at our ages (early and mid 60's)!!

StCirq

Depends where I'm going. If it's somewhere I've been to before and know well, I pretty much wing it (but I do check to see what's open which days, which events are on, and make sure I have a roughplan so I don't backtrack and waste time).

If it's a new destination I'm OC. But I don't necessarily follow my own plans rigidly once there - you have to be open to stuff that just catches your fancy on the spot.

twk

Rather than a fixed itinerary, try making a prioritized list of things you want to see. Then, make a calendar for your week and list sites from your list that will be closed on a given day, or offer extended hours, or free admission, or some other special feature (like the fountains running at Versailles only on certain days).

When you get to Paris, you take the list, see what strikes your fancy, and go there. You might also consider what other sites on your list are nearby, and do them at the same time (for example, when going to Les Invalides, the Rodin Museum is a logical follow up, and a good contrast).

At least that's how I like to do it.

Dukey

Seems we have read more than one trip report relating how the poster abandoned/altered some of their plans once they arrived and started doing things. Probably a lot more "the norm" than some folks realize.

Rastaguytoday

What I've usually done in Paris is get a good feel for where it is I'm generally going to do and see.

I then figure out what I want to do on the first day, before or during my flight there.

In the late afternoon of the first day, I'll walk my neighborhood to decide what / where I want to have dinner.

Then I'll go back to my room with some wine and a patisserie (sustenance - of course) and figure out where I want to go the next day. If something is going to be closed, then I change the plan to something else.

There needs to be some sense of spontaneity. The weather also plays a role in the decision.

No more, no less.

Leely

I plan in order to spend more time fantasizing about my upcoming trips; ahem, I'm not daydreaming, I'm <i>researching</i>. Once on the vacation, I pretty much wing it. But of course I have absorbed some of my planning info, so even if I never open my dread Trip Folder, I usually remember what's open and closed on which days, etc.

Enjoy Paris!

janisj

I don't plan a day by day - or heaven forbid, hour by hour - itinerary. I make a list of &quot;musts&quot; and &quot;hope to see's&quot; grouped by neighborhood, including their open hours/days.

Then I can decide each day where to go/what to see depending on the weather, how I feel, special events and so on.

Nikki

I'm not researching, I'm fantasizing. I admit it freely.

I come up with many more ideas than I will ever act on, but the only plans I make in advance are buying tickets to specific events such as concerts and theater. I keep lots of alternatives in mind, and I know the few things that I am going to make priorities (although even those can go by the wayside). Once I am there, and depending on whom I'm traveling with, I decide on a day by day basis.

tzarinna

The only thing set in stone when I travel is where I'll lay my head and my flight schedule. I do a lot of research and have an idea what I want to see but I try not to beat myself up if I don't see all that I planned to. So I suppose I fly by the seat of my pants, mostly. It's kind of why I like traveling alone,I hear no complaints about altering the planned activities and sights.

djkbooks

Recommend highlighting places of interest on a one page map (including dining...). Then, we proceed more or less by neighborhood.

It's a good idea to note days closed so you don't arrive at a museum, restaurant, only to find it's not open.

Planning is not being rigid - rather, it helps make the most of your time.

We love winding up the day at a sidewalk cafe (or on the balcony of our apartment) planning the next day.

After our first trip to Paris (before we were on the web), I was amazed by things we missed that were a street or two over.

nytraveler

I agree with you absolutely - so many itineraries sound like the D Day invasion. We have a list of place we want to see and note which days - if any - they're closed. After that we play it by ear based on weather, mood and serendipity (just stroll through that cute neighborhood we find and see the museum on the list another day - or next trip).

One caveat: this only works if you have several days in each place. If you're on one of those trips with 2 nights (which is one full day and 2 maybe part days) in each place - it won't really work.

amwosu

When my kids were little I took them to Disney World without any planning. It cost a lot of money and we ended up going to the parks on the days they were most crowded due to early entry days, we didn't have reservations for any of the &quot;must do&quot; restaurants and therefore didn't get to eat at any of them, did not know about character meals (also booked up for months), and did not know how to maximize our time in the parks. I've never made the mistake of not planning again.

I love to plan so I don't feel stressed out or overwhelmed by planning. I make plans so I know when places are closed, what is nearby, and great places to eat. However, I don't follow my plans rigidly.

The amount of planning I do depends on the following.
Is it my first time there?
Will I get back there in this lifetime?
Is it a laid back resort destination or a city?
Is DH out of town on business leaving me with waaay too much time on my hands in the evenings???

toedtoes

I'm a planner. I'm an obsessive compulsive planner.

I do a lot of research on what is around where I'll be and what interests me. I can't imagine going someplace with no clue what there is to see or do.

Once I have a list of &quot;must sees&quot;, I try to make a schedule with 2 or 3 items per day that are easily doable. I'll make a note of hours, etc. also. Now I know how long I need at my destination to see all that I know I want to see. If there's too much to see and not enough time, I reduce my expectations before I ever leave home.

Once I'm on my trip, I'm open to changes for whatever reason.

I just don't like sitting around a hotel room trying to figure out what to see or how to get there while I'm on vacation... I'd rather do that while sitting at work and save the vacation for enjoying those sights.

scatcat

I like to &quot;fly by the seat of my pants.&quot;
The only thing that is planned is the hotel rooms especially when there is an event in the city we are staying, such as this May... we will be in Nice May 25-28. Bad timing because of the Grand Prix of Monte Carlo.

But I would rather wake up and decide what I will do that day. I really don't even like to plan the itinerary or book hotels, but my sister feels more comfortable doing this.

My favorite-get a rail pass, wake up, and go where-ever.

RM67

I'm totally and utterly fascinated by some of the extreme planning that seems to go on on here - it really is a new world for me. After careful research (ie reading as many threads as poss!) I've decided it's a mostly American thing to plan to within an inch of your life.

Most British people decide where they want to go, scour the internet for the cheapest deal available, and book it there and then. The End.

There's not usually any worrying over what to wear - we'd probably check teletext the night before departure for the 5-day world forcast and sling a few things in a suitcase next morning. No money belts/packs (I can't bring myself to use the dreaded f-word!!!). No currency calculators. No printed itineries. True, we never take enough sunblock and we always moan about not being able to get a decent cup of tea. But apart from that it's take it as it comes..... 8-)