Itineraries...preparation
 

Tell us: what time do you start in the morning. How many are in the party, age, basic interests and amount to be spent. If you are out the door at 6am you can have a great breakfast at a neighborhood market and be in the city center at openings. Rise at 10am, breakfast at noon, argue the days activities with part of the group. Not much will be seen....you need twice as much time as early riser.

The thought of getting up at 6:00am when on holiday leaves me cold.

In fact, even on workday, I wouldn't be keen!

Maybe come to a happy medium? I like to get out the door between 8:00 and 8:30 myself. For all the same reasons you mentioned. Still a little sleep in till 9:00 never killed anyone (now and again).

Good Luck!

MB

Neither 6 am or Noon to get the day started, but somewhere in between.

I travel solo or with one close friend, and there's no time lost arguing about anything. We spend how much we need to do what we want to do but are not extravagant.

I don't need "twice as much time" as anyone, because it is not a contest how much a person does in one day. You've set up a framework that simply doesn't apply to me or what I want to do when I travel.

We're also a "happy medium" group, but it also depends on the weather and the time of year. It's a lot easier to get out earlier (whatever time "earlier" is) if there's daylight out!

I'm a much earlier riser than my husband. So, especially when we're travelling in May-June, when there's more light, I'll go out for a run or a brisk walk, then he'll get up after I get back. That way we're both happy - he gets some extra sleep, and I get to be out and about.

If we were out the door at 6 am, most places wouldn't be open, in the places we've traveled in France, Spain and Italy and in London. I remember early morning walks in Paris with my son this spring, and pattisseries were just starting to open at 7. We stay in city or town centers, so the travel time to whatever we're doing that day doesn't amount to much time.

I'm up and about at around 8.30-9.00am, however i would argue that those who rise late can see just as much as those who rise early.

Those who rise late, can often go on longer, therefore seeing more of a city at night and some cities really come to life late at night and those who were up at 6 would be fast asleep by then missing out on some great experiences.

There is no right or wrong way to see a city. It is your holiday and however you choose to see a place is up to you

We distinctly do not get up at tcrack of dawn on vacation - since in the evening we usually either have a nice diner or do a play or opera or ballet or even just a jazz club.

So we rise at about 8 or 8:30, have breakfast in bed and head out at about 10 am. So we usually do one sight or area in the am, have a casuale lunch at about 1:30 and do another sight or area in the pm. Then we find a nice outdoor cafe or equivalent for a relaxing drink at about 5 or 5:30 and back to the hotel to shower, change and relax before going out to an event or dinner at 8:30 or 9 (unless it;s someplace like Spain, where dinner is later).

On road trips we count on seeing one town or sight between cities - or possibly 2 really small town, as in Belgium or Germany (and usually have lunch there). We try never to do more than 4 or so hours driving in a day.

At this point in my life I can't imagine what it would take to get me up at 6 am while on vacation - except maybe a fire in the hotel.

At home and while on a trip my preferance is to wake up at 7:00am and have several cups of coffee and either listen to the news or read the news. I do not like to be rushed taking a shower, getting dressed etc. And I really like, or perhaps the better word is need, a couple of hours to "come to" before I start the day. I tend to go to sleep around midnigh but if I am up later that is all right. I don't seem to need as much sleep as a lot of people do..but once in awhile going to bed early or getting up a bit later is nice. Since this is the Europe Board I will say that at 6:00am in Italy it is almost impossible to find anything open for coffee. Even hotels don't usually seem to have room service at 6:00am.

It's usually just my husband and me, and after the jet lag adjustment, we usually wake by 7:00-8:00, eat in the hotel or apartment, and are out and about by 9:30 or so. It's a little different in the countryside, especially if we're staying in a B&B or similar lodging. In that case we usually end up staying longer around the table and chatting. Some of our fondest memories are sharing breakfast conversation with other travelers or hosts.

The only problem with that is...by the time we get to the little village or town we want to visit that day, it's almost lunch time, and then everything closes! We noticed this especially on our trip to Italy several years ago - got to Lucca just in time to snag the last seats for lunch, and then all the stores were closed til 4:00.

Since then we've tried to decide each day that (a) talking at breakfast is more fun and worth it, or (b) put outselves on a timetable for the day and scooted out of there. We've also tried to stay in closer proximity to the most important sites to give more flexibility.

This is our customary 'schedule', which may vary based on the day's plans. Just the two of us, 54 and 60, low-moderate spenders (most exp. hotel ever was 180€, most exp. Europe meal was 90€ incl wine).

-Wake up around 6:30-7:00 without an alarm, dress and go down for hotel breakfast, back up to finish getting ready.

-Out on the street by 8:00-8:30; if we're museuming it, we might do a 'walkabout' until said museum opens, or we go to a neighborhood market for a look around.

-Sightsee until 3-4:00, then it's time for refreshments (lunch was walkup sandwich, quiche, pizza). We either visit a cafe for people-watching while we have a beer/wine, or we take a little picnic to a park somewhere.

-Get ready for dinner around 7-8:00, then an evening walk or a movie or a concert....

-Shower or bubblebath, bed around 10-11:00, peaceful sleep of the pleasantly weary.

I usually travel alone so do whatever I want, whenever I want -- and don't argue with anyone. I don't rise at 6 am on vacation or at home.

The premise doesn't make sense to me, people rise when they want on vacation, and it isn't some triathlon or job that things are to be done in some time. It doesn't make sense to me, anyway, as if you rise later, you probably stay up later, so the same time should be available. You don't need to take two hours in the morning before you have breakfast, anyway, I never do. Also, a lot of neighborhood markets (not sure what that means) aren't open at 6-7 am, anyway. I rarely eat breakfast, but when I do, I don't do it at a market.

I usually get up 7:30-9 am, I suppose, whenever I normally wake up. I see plenty and don't need twice as much time as early risers who are tired and take naps, perhaps (I remember a post on here by some people who did that), or retire early. I'm a nightowl and stay up late. I prefer what I can do in the evening to what I could do at 7 am in a city (ugh).

Correct me if I'm wrong, GSteed, but I think the OP was giving guidelines for more info to be given when someone posts a request for help with an itinerary ("I'm going to New York, what should I see?"), not passing judgment nor even giving a preference(or "framework") on whether to sleep in or not. If for no other reason, this is sound advice on matters to discuss with travel companions; the whole concept of having the same expectations.

Oh SusanSDG, I believe you may be correct! I didn't read it that way at all (obviously). If these are meant to be questions to people posting for itinerary suggestions, that frames this in an entirely different way.

well there have been so many 'surveys' lately, I thought it was another one... guess I'd better go do my housekeeping then, and stop foolin' around.

I usually get up around 8:30am while on vacation, out the door by 9:30am. That works well for me.

Usually eat breakfast at the hotel if its included in the price.

GSteed~ which did you mean, please? For us to answer what we did? Or for others to let you know their style before requesting your help?