chardonnay

I go and go right after breakfast to sight after sight and stop for refreshments and people watching, then keep on with the sightseeing until I am ready to drop at night.

Do alot of you do this? Is this normal?
Does it stop after you have been to a place a few times? I am thinking of this because on my next trip to France I want to sort of take it easy for once.

carrolldf

Chardonnay, I think it depends on the person. If you want to take it easy, then do so. Personally, I prefer the unstructured vacation and one of my major goals is to take it easy.....but taking it easy is defined differently by each person.

I guess what I would have to ask is, what are you like when you're not on vacation? I suspect most of us are not a lot different on vacation than we are in our day-to-day lives so if your normal day must be structured dawn-to-dusk, not sure you will be able to do otherwise on vacation.

chardonnay

I am almost too non-structured in normal life so I am that way on trips too,that may be part of the problem, I run around too much without spending my time wisely!

mimipam

Hi chardonnay,
Well, I am like you. However, my husband is most always with me soooo since he doesn't like my pace we have to compromise. A lot of sight seeing with frequent cafe breaks. What you need is a wonderful travel partner like he is--that way you both get a balanced trip. Happy travels!

chardonnay

Yes, you are right mimipam, I do need your husband! Oh, you meant get my own?

I'm trying, I'm trying. I want one who is wonderful at home and on a trip and they aren't easy to find, good for you that you found yours.

Patty

I can't be on the go all the time when traveling. I try not to plan more than one major site a day and head frequently back to the hotel to rest and freshen up. Luckily my husband and I both prefer this slower pace on trips.

chardonnay

Patty, how many sights do you see in a day usually?

Travel_Fan

I find that one of the pleasures of returning to a wonderful destination several times is the ability to slow down and enjoy the atmosphere more.

I was in Paris last week with a friend, and we had both been there 5-6 times previously. We returned to some favorite places, but also walked the length of the Canal Saint-Martin, wandered through the galleries (pasages), visited the Musee Jacquemart-Andre (a treasure in itself with a terrific cafe for lunch), attended a ballet at the Opera Garnier, etc.

The trip was great, and we both enjoyed our slower pace.

StCirq

When I'm in big cities, I'm usually out the door of the hotel by 8:30 in the morning and rarely back, except for maybe a quick change of clothes and to freshen up, until about 10-11 pm. In between, I never stop, and I'm usually walking, not taking buses or metros. I fall into bed completed exhausted.

When I'm in rural destinations, I'm much more relaxed, taking in two or three towns a day if I'm on a driving trip or just meandering around visiting markets and shops, taking photos, checking out local festivals, etc.

So for me it depends on the locale. But I'm pretty much a type A person to begin with who hardly ever sits down and relaxes, so for me to enjoy a half-hour in a café watching the world go by is like a whole vacation in and of itself.

jsmith

chardonnay, my wife says you can't have me. We generally leave our lodging after breakfast and don't return until late afternoon. Sometimes with almost nothing planned at the beginning of the day. This is the case even with places we have never visited previously. We do our homework before leaving home so it isn't a case of not knowing what to do.

In Lisbon, we walked by a lighting fixture shop and ended spending over an hour there. In Barcelona we spent a very long time in the home department of a dept. store admiring bathroom sinks and accessories. We had never been to either city before and had only 3 days in each at the beginning and end of a cruise. In Venice we wandered by the fish market and spent a half hour admiring the choices.

We spent almost a whole morning in Paris trying to find Mourlot lithographers. We've sat for an hour watching the madness of traffic at l'Etoile. My wife lived and worked in Paris for a year and in London for 5 and I've been to both at least 5 times. Neither of us has been to the top of the Eiffel Tower.

I don't think you can define what is "normal". You do what is comfortable for you and don't question it.

Scarlett

We usually leave the hotel after dressing and having a cup of coffee, we will walk and sightsee all day..stopping only for lunch. Back to the hotel to dress for dinner then not back until late. This goes on until after a few days, the will is there, but we run out of steam, so we slow down the pace, with more sitting in the park and relaxing. That is why I like 10 days instead of the 7 we used to take for trips, a long time ago.
Or we will go to London, for 3 days, and never stop, then drive out to the country where we move very slowly~
I always have that same feeling, I am afraid I will miss something~

Patty

chardonnay,
Depends on where I am, but if it's a city, I generally plan only one activity a day like spending a couple of hours at a museum. The rest of the time, I just like to walk around, shop, eat, etc. If I happen across something else, I'll check it out but prefer to leave a good part of the day unstructured. I'm pretty selective about what I want to see usually and would rather spend more time at one place that really interests me rather than lots of sights.

Patty

Funny that the Eiffel Tower was mentioned... I had also never been to the top in 3 trips to Paris until I went there with my aunt. We were traveling together and it was her first trip to Paris, so for some reason I felt compelled to take her to all the usual sights. Unfortunately, it wasn't such a postive experience as she got pickpocketed in the elevator on the ride down and we ended up spending a good part of the rest of that day filing a police report, getting credit cards reissued, etc.

chardonnay

I like your ways of traveling, you spend time doing things you like even though it may not be an official site. I am learning here. Thanks

SalB

My husband likes to be on the go constantly on vacation. I'm a little more laid back about it. We've compromised. He lets me choose what to do and then we are on the go all day. I enjoy it since it's what I've chosen and he never complains. Well . . . if I pick something totally idiotic, he'll tease a little! 8^)

ira

Hi chardonnay,

No. You are not normal, and probably need professional help.

Almost everyone else in the world, when on vacation sleeps late, has a very liesulry breakfast and doesn't get out of the hotel before 1:00 PM.

They then go have lunch until 3:00.

From 3:00 - 5:00 they go see a sight and have a small refreshment.

They then return to the hotel for a short nap before dinner at 8:00 and return to the hotel about 11:00.