Pack less. Notice more.
The trips we remember are the ones with room in them.
The over-planned trip is exhausting: three museums before lunch, a dinner reservation that means rushing back, a list of sights to tick off. The trips people remember are the ones with space.
Plan one thing a day
One museum, one walk or one long lunch. Leave the rest open for the café you find by accident and the conversation with the shopkeeper.
Take the train
Wouldn't you rather watch the countryside go by than sit in an airport? A train ride is part of the trip, not just the way to get there.
Stay longer in fewer places
Four nights in one place beats one night in four. You start to have a favorite bakery, a usual table and a sense of the neighborhood.
Let someone else plan the hard part
Flights, transfers, the right hotel in the right neighborhood: this is where a good travel advisor pays for herself, and leaves you free to enjoy the trip.
