Everyone loves their vacation time. You either take the time to relax at home, or perhaps you go to a warm, tropical location to be pampered on a beach, or you go off on an adventure. When you plan on visiting another country, like Italy, you want to enjoy your time abroad. To do this, you need to learn not to overdo it when it comes to planning your itinerary. There is only so much that you can do, after all, and planning your every step is the fastest way to ruin a great trip. Instead, follow this guide to ensure that everyone has a wonderful time.
1. Do Your Research
This is the step that you are probably most familiar with. The better the trip, the more research you should put into it. There is a lot more to cities like Florence than the top ten lists might suggest. That is why a bit of patience and some research can help you find not only the best attractions, but also the best places to eat, to drink, and hidden secrets that the city might hold. Now, before you go and try to fit all of this into one itinerary, you need to ask what your travel companions want to do.
2. Ask for Opinions
Unless you are traveling alone, there are others that you need to think about. Asking them what they want to do in a city they don’t know about, however, won’t work. That is why you need to show them the list of places that you found on top of asking them what kind of things they were hoping to do. Were they hoping to go to a live show while they were there? Did they want to do some shopping? Take what they want to do and show them options.
To make it fair and to ensure that everyone has a good trip, give everyone the chance to pick one activity that the group will do. That way you will be able to fit in everyone’s desires, without it being too skewered. Depending on the size of the group, this could be a great way to start and finish your itinerary. If there is still a lot of time between the activities selected, that’s OK!
3. Plan on the Day
The only things that you should plan are the activities that are ticked. With Florence tours, for instance, you will need to plan around that time frame, since the ticket you buy comes with a time and place to be there for. The same goes for shows and other events. Past that, try to keep an open mind and let the group choose as the day goes on. The best part of having a massive list is that you know what all the good options are near you at any given time, so you can have a great day no matter what.
Planning for a trip means knowing the options, booking in advance, and not trying to schedule every second of your day. Leave yourself open to spontaneous decisions, and you’ll have an incredible trip full of surprises.
