Tim Travel Advice 3 Comments

With limited vacation time, it is tempting to pack in as much sightseeing as possible into your holiday. So, how do you maximize your time?

Some of these tips require some advance research, such as planning out ahead of time what sights you want to see, their hours of operation, and their locations. By doing a little work up front you can save a lot of time once you are actually on vacation.

Here are a few tips to help you maximize your time while traveling.

Travel Tips for Maximizing Your Time

#1 Get an Early Start Each Day

Arrive at your first sight of the day just before it opens.

Julie Kara Tyler

#2 Visit the More Popular Attractions Right at Opening Time

By avoiding the crowds, you can usually see the sight quicker and it will be a much more pleasant experience.

#3 Use Taxis and Uber to Your Advantage

For attractions that are located far away from other sights, consider taking a taxi or Uber as opposed to taking a bus or walking. The taxi can get you there quicker and drop you off right where you need to be.

London Taxi

#4 Purchase Your Tickets in Advance

Whenever possible, buy your tickets in advance. This avoids long lines at ticket booths, a huge time saver. This also helps avoid disappointment, as some popular attractions sell out days in advance.

#5 Prioritize What You Want to See

Identify which attractions are “must-see” and which are “nice to see if you have time”. If you end up getting behind schedule then consider skipping a lesser priority attraction to make sure you get to all of your “must-see” attractions. Or move through a lesser priority attraction quicker.

Ranakpur

#6 Do Your Research

This can be fun, but it can also be a lot of work. So, you’ve decided to visit Paris for three days. How do you know what to do?

To learn what the must-have experiences are, invest in travel guides, see what people have to say on Trip Advisor, or do your research online, visiting travel blogs like this one. Find out what there is to do and then pick out the experiences that sound the most interesting.

If you want to maximize your time (and have the best experience), make sure you know the days when attractions are open, their hours of operation, and their location.

If you plot these sites on Google Maps, you can plan your days by touring the area where sights show up together on a map. This way, you save travel time and can walk from one place to another.

#7 Skip the Boring Stuff

Be aware of how you are using your time. If you find yourself lingering at an attraction that isn’t that exciting, then move on to something better.

#8 Don’t Be a Slave to Your Must-See List

Don’t feel like you have to check off everything on your list. Be comfortable knowing that you might not get to everything on your list. It’s more important that you took the time to enjoy the experience, the culture, the people, the food, and the sights you did see.

Beefeater Tour

#9 Remember to Have Fun!

Don’t forget why you are on vacation in the first place…to have a good time. It is worth lingering a bit longer in a place where you are having a good time.

Tim in Prague


Do you have any tips on how to maximize your time while on vacation? Comment below!

More Travel Inspiration & Advice

TRAVEL ADVICE: We also have tips on traveling with kids, tips on traveling without kids, plus a massive list of 101 travel tips we learned while traveling around the world.

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UNITED STATES: We have TONS of information about places to visit in the United States in our USA Travel Guide. In our Guide to the US National Parks, get the full list of national parks with important travel planning information, such as things to do in the parks and sample itineraries.

 

Travel Advice Maximize your Time

 

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