Planning by the Hour, or Take it as You Go...
Feb 15th, 2006, 01:25 PM
#21
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I'm glad a posted a question that was of interest to others. I'm like many of you. I buy guidebooks galore, I am on the internet daily looking up "stuff", I made a file on my computer of places I want to see, things I want to do, I'll add restaurant suggestions later. I also have a calendar I made on the computer with just the dates I'm going to be there, which hotel I'll be at on each day. I can leave this for my pet sitter, and a close friend in case they need to find me.
As far as daily/hourly planning, I think my friend and I will just plan the big things that we need to actually travel to, such as the small concentration camp outside Antwerp. Other than that, I don't plan hour by hour.
I figure with my 5 hour flight to NY, my 3 hour layover, and my 8.5 hour flight to Amsterdam, my travel partner and I will have plenty of time to micro-manage our time if we so choose
As far as daily/hourly planning, I think my friend and I will just plan the big things that we need to actually travel to, such as the small concentration camp outside Antwerp. Other than that, I don't plan hour by hour.
I figure with my 5 hour flight to NY, my 3 hour layover, and my 8.5 hour flight to Amsterdam, my travel partner and I will have plenty of time to micro-manage our time if we so choose
Feb 15th, 2006, 03:49 PM
#22
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We prepare but don't plan. The Michelin Green Guides are our bible.
Other than reserving hotels in cities we do little planning. If we do any touring by auto we will reserve at a few BnBs which we cull from "The Best Bed & Breakfast England Scotland Wales".
In 5 trips to London, 4 to Paris and one each to Rome and Amsterdam in the last 6 years, we reserved restaurants only twice, both in the same Paris restaurant in the 14th. Once because there were to be 6 of us and one couple was coming from their home in the 16th. We have always gotten good recommendations from the hotels and BnBs and have had very good results on our own.
On our last trip to Paris for 7 nights in November 2004 we had only one thing planned. We purchased tickets for Turner, Whistler, Monet a month ahead of time to be picked up at FNAC. For us, this was a show not to be missed. Everything else we did was spontaneous.
Have I answered your question?
Other than reserving hotels in cities we do little planning. If we do any touring by auto we will reserve at a few BnBs which we cull from "The Best Bed & Breakfast England Scotland Wales".
In 5 trips to London, 4 to Paris and one each to Rome and Amsterdam in the last 6 years, we reserved restaurants only twice, both in the same Paris restaurant in the 14th. Once because there were to be 6 of us and one couple was coming from their home in the 16th. We have always gotten good recommendations from the hotels and BnBs and have had very good results on our own.
On our last trip to Paris for 7 nights in November 2004 we had only one thing planned. We purchased tickets for Turner, Whistler, Monet a month ahead of time to be picked up at FNAC. For us, this was a show not to be missed. Everything else we did was spontaneous.
Have I answered your question?
Feb 15th, 2006, 05:31 PM
#23
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I do a ton of research before to the point that I wonder if I have some sort of abnormal obsession with planning trips. I often wonder how people traveled before the internet, I worry that I might have some terrible addiction to travel planning, I read fodors and then realize, "I am not alone."
We always have the hotel reservations settled way in advance. Then, I make a list of the things we want to do and sort of group them by location. For a multiple destination trip (like many cities within a country), I pretty much do a daily high level itinerary. We always leave at least one free day to flex for down time.
I even start planning trips to places for way in the future. I set up a "favorites" folder and bookmark hotels, travel sites, articles for when I plan the real trip.
For our trip to paris in a few weeks, i made a spreadsheet in excel of all the restaurants i want to go to, when they are open, and where they are. Then I ranked them in order of preference. How incredibly anal of me ,huh?
I also read some historical fiction and regular history before i go to remind me of what i really want to see and get in the mood.
It would be very unlike us to just show up somewhere and wing it. Except maybe if we had been there many times before but so far thats not the case...
We always have the hotel reservations settled way in advance. Then, I make a list of the things we want to do and sort of group them by location. For a multiple destination trip (like many cities within a country), I pretty much do a daily high level itinerary. We always leave at least one free day to flex for down time.
I even start planning trips to places for way in the future. I set up a "favorites" folder and bookmark hotels, travel sites, articles for when I plan the real trip.
For our trip to paris in a few weeks, i made a spreadsheet in excel of all the restaurants i want to go to, when they are open, and where they are. Then I ranked them in order of preference. How incredibly anal of me ,huh?
I also read some historical fiction and regular history before i go to remind me of what i really want to see and get in the mood.
It would be very unlike us to just show up somewhere and wing it. Except maybe if we had been there many times before but so far thats not the case...
Feb 15th, 2006, 05:32 PM
#24
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Strictly seat of the pants travel, except for the days we MUST be in any particular location on business. Other than that, we plan it a day or two at a time. Flights to and from USA, rental car, first and last night hotel, and the hotels during business times are all we book ahead. The rest is planned on the run. We LOVE it that way!! I can't imagine going on a vacation with everything planned ahead. Takes the "adventure" out of it imo.
Feb 17th, 2006, 07:58 AM
#25
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I can't imagine either extreme--planning everything or planning nothing.
Planning everything to the hour makes a checklist vacation--can't imagine enjoying being so restricted.
Planning nothing is fine for a weekend road trip from home, but to go all the way to Venice or Rome or Paris and just wander about aimlessly--dang, just couldn't imagine coming back not having seen all the sights around P. San Marco in Venice, or the Roman Forums, or some of the great museums of Paris.
But we all do have our individual personalities, needs, and desires. What is unimaginable to me is undoubtedly the only way to do it for someone else.
Planning everything to the hour makes a checklist vacation--can't imagine enjoying being so restricted.
Planning nothing is fine for a weekend road trip from home, but to go all the way to Venice or Rome or Paris and just wander about aimlessly--dang, just couldn't imagine coming back not having seen all the sights around P. San Marco in Venice, or the Roman Forums, or some of the great museums of Paris.
But we all do have our individual personalities, needs, and desires. What is unimaginable to me is undoubtedly the only way to do it for someone else.
Feb 17th, 2006, 08:06 AM
#26
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I prepare to the extreme by reading everything about the proposed place/trip. I use this board for fine tuning or things I never thought of. I keep a small list categorized like RufusTFirefly's and then leave it up to weather and how I feel as to what to do. Just because you planned on going to a particular place that day and it is on your "schedule" precludes you from serendipity. I like serendipity a lot, since I tend to remember the people I meet and the conversations I've had more than the buildings I saw (although most of my pictures are of buildings - go figure...)
Feb 17th, 2006, 08:10 AM
#27
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By the way, I recently turned down a trip with a "micromanager" friend when it became evident that a trip with her would be a trip with a stopwatch for every "event". No, thanks.
