In some posts I read, people seem to have every last detail of their trip planned out. "Day 1: I'm seeing this, eating here, etc." To me, excessive planning takes a lot of the fun out of vacation. I understand there are things you definitely want to see when you go somewhere, but in my opinion much of the fun comes from what happens when you just head out without a strict itinerary and are willing to stop and explore whatever strikes your fancy. I have a feeling that is why some folks don't enjoy the Road To Hana...they are so caught up on getting to Hana that they lose sight of all the wonderful stopping places along the way. (Obviously some people just didn't like it because it's too winding a road also! )

I'd love to hear what everyone else thinks. Everyone is so different when it comes to traveling, so I look forward to many different views on this.

Planning before the trip - Never. Trying to stick to a rigid schedule once you're on vacation - Definitely.

The most experienced travellers set out with a detailed plan of what they'd like to see & do, and knowing their travel, sightseeing, lodging and dining options. Once they arrive on the ground, you are right, the joy of a vacation comes from exploring, experiencing things at your own pace, etc.

The pre-planning builds in some travel efficiency (not spending countless hours waiting in line, driving from place to place or searching for things to do. It also can greatly reduce the stress should plans change.

I have to plan because my husband doesn't like suprises so he won't just let loose and just go someplace he doesn't know about. If I leave the planning to him we would never go anywhere because he's not into vacation planning. Double edge sword.

We spent the last 20 years vactioning in Florida (where we live)because we were too chicken to leave.

Now that we have started going places I need to make sure things go smoothly
(ie., not having to make last minute decision about hotels, ect). So far it has worked out great and we have had a great time whereever we go.

He is the type of person that is hard to get off of the interstate, so I plan something in the agenda that we have to go off of the interstate for.

In his defense, he is not inflexable and if we see something we want to do, he'll go along.

In the meantime, I have become obsessed with vacation planning! I am glad I found Fodors because it makes it even more fun and I think we will get even more out of our vacations. I am sure we will stumble on some treasures by accident. It is all good if you've never seen it before. And I would hate to miss something by 50 miles because I didn't even know it was there.

I've wondered the same thing.

I sometimes read these intineraries and they sound more like a death march than a vacation. How could people have any fun being on such a tight schedule ("OK, no more looking at the art. We HAVE to have a bagel now or we won't be able to look in the window in 13 minutes.")

The problem I have with all the scheduling is that it seems like people are planning trips from one cliche tourist trap to another cliche tourist stop. The joy of vacationing is finding the unexpected spot, the unexpected moment. Being surrounded by other tourists looking for the perfect tourist experience sounds awful

The 2 methods are not incompatible. I always plan in detail, but leave myself flexible when I arrive. Once at the destination, I usually do about two-thirds of the things on my itinerary, while also doing other things that unexpectly came up along the way.

It is extremely valuable to have an itinerary. When there is only a limited amount of time to spend in a location, I want to spend it in the most effective ways. It is impossible to do this without knowing ahead of time what the area's main attractions are, and what the logistics are, e.g. transportation options etc. Also, planning is FUN! I love the process.

But just because you have an itinerary doesn't mean you have to follow it pricisely to the letter. You can always leave yourself open to changing your mind and doing different things after you arrive. I always do. This is one of the delights of travel.

If you are traveling to a metropolitan city such as NYC, and you have your heart set on eating at a particular restaurant, you must plan ahead and make a reservation -- pure and simple.

We like to know what our options are and plan accordingly so we don't "waste" time figuring stuff out when we get to our destination.

However, we are also very flexible and if we discover something new while on vacation, we go with it.

We get joy out of planning in my family but are definitely open to new discoveries during our trip.

I don't think you can do TOO MUCH planning in the sense of studying maps and guide books; seeing where things are; trying to organize activites in the same area to maximize time and transportation; researching operating hours and open/closed days; checking out ideas for once-in-a-lifetime restaruants, etc. If you make an itinerary, and I always do, you should leave room for relaxing, people watching, having a Gelato, etc. The best thing about deciding on a vacation spot, is my ritual of buying at least $100 worth of guide books and studying them cover to cover. Just a funny story, several years ago during my immaculately planned trip to Italy, we found ourselves standing outside the train station in Siena, no taxis in sight, every bus packed to the bursting point and no idea how we were going to get to our lodging. All my wife could do was look at me and laugh. Eventually a couple of taxis rolled up and we were off.

From a memory standpoint, I have found that looking back over my past itineraries really brings the momories flooding back.

My biggest planning concern usually is hotels/B&Bs, nailing down tickets if it's a theater destination, and knowing how to "beat the crowds" if there is something particular I'd like to do.

But one of my favorite things to do is go someplace I've never been and just wander and explore -- and if I miss the "must-see" things, then so be it. I usually happen upon some interesting things and always have a good time.

I agree, some of the itineraries I've read (especially for New York) seem like endurance contests -- but I have succumbed to the same impulse -- wanting to see all the good things one has read about, and not really having enough time. This used to happen to me a lot when I had friends come to visit in NYC -- "tour guide syndrome" -- I got freaky with over-planning and dragging people all over town. I learned that, especially with groups over four, you really can only do one thing in a day, maybe two. "Troop movements" take time, and just getting around the city can be exhausting if you don't allow yourself a break.

The last trip I took, I struck a balance -- we had a lot of possibilities and options as to what we might want to do every day, but just followed our whims each day and did a lot of straying from the "agenda."

In my opinion, for my own trips, too much planning is a bad thing, but there's no such thing as too much research.

I've actually found the opposite to be true...too little planning can spoil a trip. I've shown up places on days they were closed, or been unable to get into a restaurant I really wanted to try because I didn't plan enough. Last year we had a 3 day weekend in Seattle, and I wanted to see the show at the art museum. I sure wish I'd planned and bought an advance ticket, because it was the last weekend of the exhibit, the lines were outrageous, and we spent probably 90 minutes waiting.

That said, personally, I try to balance this out but not scheduling too tight. We try to stay in the same place for 3 nights at a time, schedule a couple activities, maybe one or 2 restaurants, and leave plenty of open time. I've also learned to never say to myself "well, we might never come back here!" because then I stress out about missing something. I know there's always something to do the next time...even if the next time never arrives.

Oh, and I'm totally in agreement with Dixiegirl. My husband doesn't like surprises either, and everything is much happier when it is relatively well planned out.

Absolutely not! For me, half the fun of a trip is indeed in the planning. Just stay flexible enough to realize there may be a couple of disappointments even the best planning can't prevent.

One thing I have to be careful of: we like to lodge and dine at the very best places we can possibly afford. That can make the disappointments very expensive!

The planning is great fun and a good way to learn a little about the chosen destination.
Whether or not we stick to it once there is another matter entirely, usually not

The most detailed planning I did for a vacation was when we went to Disney World. We were going in late June and I knew we would have to stand in lines. I remember having a schedule for the Magic Kingdom--"we have to go on Dumbo first because it is the slowest loading ride!". My DH, who originally thought I was nuts, thanked me later.

~sunbabe

"Planning takes a lot of the fun out of vacation"? I don't think so. My vacation time is precious. Waiting until you are already on vacation to try to figure out how to get from point A to point B, getting somewhere and finding out an attraction is closed, waiting in line at a packed restaurant because you don't have a reservation....these are the things that take the fun out of a vacation. And many of them can be avoided with some planning.

Sure, if you come across something that you weren't aware of or find you want to spend more time at a particular attraction, you can always alter your plans.

Clifton, you took the words right out of my mouth!! I love to do tons of research - sometimes I'll even create spreadsheets with all my restaurant options. I print it off and bring it with me. There are usually 5x as many restaurants as we have meals available, but it gives me lots of good options depending on what I'm in the mood for. The more research you do, the better, you can never be too prepared. However planning is in the eye of the beholder. Some people feel more at ease when they have a fixed schedule and others prefer a more laid back approach. It just depends on the individual.

Too much is being a slave to your fixed itenerary -- not enough is wandering aimlessly and asking "what do you want to do?" ad nauseum.

My experience has generally been that the larger the traveling party, the more you will want to set at least a loose itenerary which may end up splitting up into two or foursomes and then congregating at a mututally agreeable point once or twice a day.

That said, may I add that as a newbie on this board, I have become so inspired to make a few trips this summer by simply reading your posts; AND doing more research and planning than I probably would have done normally. A big thanks to all of you!

B/

I, too, am a super-planner. Knowledge is power. I buy about $75-100 of books for the destination, read them cover to cover.

I do my first research for a major trip maybe 6 months before-hand. Write out the lists of what my priorities are (including time frames) and rough outlines of the days - then leave them go until about a couple of weeks before the trip. I then review them to see if my priorities have changed (because of items I've discovered in the meantime from articles discovered, whatever). However, I always leave 2 hours every day of the trip completely free for those unexpected, quirky things you discover - you know?

Then when I do go on the trip, I feel I have a good grasp of what my options are. If I find something in my travels along the way that I think I'd enjoy more than what I had originally planned, I just do what I feel.

J62 nailed it -
Planning before the trip - Never.

Trying to stick to a rigid schedule once you're on vacation - Definitely.

last year we did a 10 day Las Vegas, GC, Zion trip and a few days before we left my husband said "You've spent more hours researching and planning than we'll be gone." I can't tell you the number of times I heard How did you know this or that or to eat here or how to get discounts. He said the planning and researching definitely paid off.

We just got back from 8 days in Williamsburg and Washington, DC and the same thing - we don't get to do everything on our list, but we have a plan. I love the planning, researching, questioning part. That's half the fun. Just don't get too rigid and think that you have to do everything on your list. Enjoy the time.

Your opinion: Does it ruin a vacation to do too much planning?

Yes. Absolutely. These myriad NYC itineraries I see posted here, for example . . . good grief! . . . just relax and have fun!

Regardless of your destination, you can't and won't "see it all" in 72 hours, and it's supposed to be a vacation, right?

Explore, enjoy, relax.