Tip 2: Only make a rough itinerary

…and never stick to it religiously

My view when it comes to planning your stay in any destination is that less is more. It does make sense to make some kind of plan or list of things you would like to see and do during your trip. What does not make sense in my opinion is to make a day-by-day and hour-by-hour plan of what you will be doing.

You might have already purchased tickets of made bookings for something in advance, so these would naturally form the backbone of any plan. Listing things that you would like to see or do is also a good idea because otherwise you might forget something and regret it afterward. That being said, I do not advocate cramming a million activities into each day you are away. Often you stumble across the best finds when you have no plan and just stroll around a place. Another perk of not having a strict program planned is that it leaves room for ex-tempore activities that you may not have learned anything about before your trip.

In case you prefer making detailed plans, please do not feel too upset if you are unable to check off everything from your list. This gives you a good excuse to return to any destination.