Using Time Wisely

Varies according to your interests. For example this is a day my British friend and I spent in Paris in January 2007 (and we had both been there several times before).

Walk from hotel near the Luxembourg Gardens to the Rodin
Museum (she had never been, I had). Visit museum and walk around the gardens looking at the sculpture and admiring the few roses in bloom in January. Time out for a coffee in the garden cafe, sitting outside. Visit shop on the way out.

Walk to the Musee D'Orsay (no line for admission this being January). A few hours there slowing looking at everything and having lunch in the cafe with the clock.
By the way, although there was no line to get in (which there usually is), there were lots of people there including lots of school groups.

From there we walked along the Seine for a while and then turned in towards the Blvd. St. Germain and ultimately to
the Bob Marche dept. store. It was the first day of the sales in Paris and it was jammed. We found it a very interesting experience watching all the French women trying to find bargains!!! As I remember the store as open until about 7pm and we walked back to our hotel stopping for a little rest at St-Sulpice (there are benches in the little square in front). Dinner was in a neighborhood restaurant near the Odeon and it wasn't that great (we chose it by price which was a mistake!!)

So we only got to 2 museums in one day in neither of which did we hurry. There was no way we could have done the Louvre in the same day.

Much of the enjoyment in Europe comes from the casual walks you take, absorbing the local culture. If you rush from one spot to another, you will take in nothing(either of the museums or the local ambiance).

In my opinion from what I read here, Most people are trying to fit too much in too little time.

Yes, I suppose I do a major site each day,, and then tack on a few minor ones as needed ..

I really think doing some research before one goes helps me determine which sites I designate as "major" and which I think I can do in a an hour or two.. there is also the transport time.. If I do a daytrip ( say Bath or Versailles, ) I count them as full days. If something is worth going out of town for,, it had better be worth more then 2 hours to me,LOL!

How I approach this is to research the city or place you are going. Make a list of the things to see. Then categorize it based on the things that you really do not want to miss, the things you really want to do and then go from there.

I know it sounds basic but it can be complicated.
Museums can take forever depending on how you vist them. if there are key pieces you want to see you can get in and out quick.

also think about how busy you want to be. do you want down time? Wandering time?
All this needs to be factored in

Hi Julianne,

I presume you mean how long to stay in one destination, like a city or town.

Really, the best thing to do is to spend plenty of time researching. The more you know about what you intend to do there, the better you will be able to estimate how much time you will need.

If you are able to do it, it is always best to err on the side of caution and give yourself extra time - you can always move on to the next place early if you feel the time has come to move on to the next place.

Finally, once you have a good idea, you could always post your proposed itinerary and ask for input on the forums here.

Hi Julianne,

Do you mean each day,, like how long at a museum,, or do you mean when planning a trip iternerary?

It all comes down to personal tastes doesn't it.. the one rule for me is I don't jump around too much. At least 4 or 5 days in each place. More in some, less in others. I love the Swiss Alps ,, but would not hike for 7 days in a row,, whereas in Paris, I can easily fill 7 or more days,, so alot of my planning is based on how much there is to see and do in a spot.

Pat, I mean time at one museum or another place. For example, is it logical to see Tower of London, Westminter Abbey, and Buckingham Palace in one day? Things like that.

Hi Julianne,

Some travel guidebooks provide an idea of how much time to allocate to a particular site--it really depends on how much interest you have in each.

I try to map out the things I want to see in a city so that I can visit sites in the same area/location.

I try not to pack to much into one day. I might plan one museum visit in the morning, lunch, and one or two sites in the afternoon with time for a coffee or pastry break.

Julianne- It depends on what you mean by "see". I know it sounds rather Clintonesque.. what is is?... But if you just want to check them off your list- look at them from the outside- sure. But to really take them in.... The Tower of London can take anywhere from 2 hours to all day. Buckinham Place- unless you are there during the brief time in the fall when it is open to tours- a few minutes to an hour (if you are watching the changing of the guard). Westminster- a few minutes to see it from outside to several hours with a tour and some "roaming". (personally I like St. Margret's chaple just outside Westminster). It goes back to your personal priorities. Do you LOVE architechture? Are you a real history buff? Do you just want to be able to say you saw it? There is no one right answer. But most people on this board seem to feel that you should allow yourself suffcient time to take things in. We really don't like to rush- there is more than than it may seem on the surface(like the other people, etc. ) and you may want to give yourself time to observe them as well!!!

Unless you get to the Tower of London when it first opens, you will be rushing around to get that all done if you want time to really appreciate it. The Tower line and tour can take a hours, and the other stuff you decided how long you need to look at it, appreciate it, take the pics, and whatever else. I myself, can spend an hour or 2 near Big Ben, in the park next to Lambeth Bridge while having lunch. Its all personal taste. I usually go alone because I like to sit and just absorb where I am at, i.e. sit in Regents park watching the people and feeding ducks, reading a magazine and having lunch. I could easily spend 2 hours doing that! Some people may walk by, snap a pic, and move onto the next thing.

My favorite times in London were when I walked around in non-touristy areas and had sausage and chips in a shop that must have been 100 years old, and also found the Pub with Bridget Jones's flat above used in the movie Bridget Jones (its in Southwark, the Globe Tavern) and went inside and had a drink. Im rambling now so I think the answer is Yes, you can check those off your list in one day, but personally I dont think you will feel fulfilled at the end of the day. At least I wouldnt!

Toni, good point. I guess it does depend on if I just want to do a drive by or see everything!

Julianne the value of time is based on your interests and travel purpose. Do you just want to say "been there, done that" or say "honestly I could have stayed there all day it was so interesting."

it will all depend on your interests; some people could spend a week at the Louvre, others are happy with a 2-hour tour. And it depends on your goals; some people want to say they've seen X, Y, and Z; others prefer to linger but see fewer places.

That said, I start with planning on spending 1/2 a day at a major museum, 2 hours at smaller ones and at other attractions. That gives time to walk around, get from A to B, wait in line for admission, etc.

On a more analytical note, I try to categorize a site or interest first. Rome for example (since I know it well), the Vatican Museum, The Borghese, Ostica Antica, maybe the Colosseum/Forum/Palatine Hill group are all "Major" sites, each could take all day for some, but realistically block out a half day of time. Even the best museum goes stale after few hours, do not feel bad if you do not see everything. Then some sites are minor, Castel St Angelo and some churches are a nice visit, maybe only an hour or two, or less, basically you are going in doing some looking and out. Other sites, like the Piazzas, Trevi Fountain, the Pantheon are all walking sites, good to see, but you can breeze by or pause a bit, but you won't spend an hour there just for the purpose of seeing. From there I lay out a schedule. Pick one major site a day to start, then tack on a minor site or two and some breeze bys to fill in the cracks. I would never plan more than two major sites in a day, and never more than two minor sites in a half day. If in doubt, I leave something off and keep it as a backup. You might also consider what can be done in case of Rain, and what cannot (Vatican museum great in the rain...Forum not so much.) Keep in mind travel distance, group sites together, don't spend the whole day on a bus or metro. Finally, consider the nature of the site and plan for variety. Again, using Rome as an example, there are many many churches, all with fantastic qualities, but spending two days just looking at churches gets tedious, and after the fifth church, you will fail to appreciate even St Peters. Do not...repeat...DO NOT feel that you need to see everything, even in London you cannot hit all of the Museums in one trip, pick the few best or most meaningful for you and do those justice.

I always like some down time in my trips, but if I find there is too much down time, it's time to move on. Big cities require more time, 5 to 7 days to see and get to know. Small towns can vary from 2 hours to 4 days - all depends.

I've also wasted my time in some places, spent too long doing nothing. And other places I really want to return to because I didn't spend enough time there the first time. I know what I wrote is not really helpful or specific. But maybe it is, if you consider that you have to decide what YOU want to do with your time.

On my travels, I've seen young people hang out on the streets doing nothing for days and weeks, and I've seen other young people study a train schedule and find themselves moving everyday, and I've seen older people rushing from sight to sight. And all probably return to say they had a great trip.

My rule of thumb:

Review all the possible sites to see there. I rate the sites as "must-see", "would like to see" or "worth seeing if I have extra time". I plan for one "must see" in the morning and one in the afternoon - two major "must see" sites a day. If I have four "must sees", for example, I'll plan two full days and visit other sites in the area if I can.

It starts with researching what there is to see and do in an area. Then match those to your personal preferences.