Once you have decided on a destination, you need to set an itinerary. How much time will you spend on this trip? Deciding how long you can be away from home is the first step. Now that we are retired, I thought we would spend 4-6 weeks on each trip. However, there always seems to be a reason why we have to limit our time away. Most of our trips have been between 2-3 weeks.

If you have a limited amount of time, then you need to prioritize what you want to see. Start by making a wish list of all of the sights and experiences you want for this trip. Go ahead and make a long list- you can narrow it down as you plan your trip.

Look at your wish list and group the items by locale. If you have to travel a long way between locales, that takes time and can be tiring. I like to spend as little time on travel days as possible. If your list contains several places that are near each other, you can choose a central location as your base and make day trips from there.

On our last trip to Italy, we stayed in Siena as our base for Tuscany. We rented an apartment for 6 nights. In addition to exploring Siena, we took guided wine tours to different regions and hill towns each day. We were able to visit Montepulciano, Montalcino, San Gimignano, and Castellina in Chianti. We also had lunch in Pienza and Panzano. You can do guided tours with a local like we did, or you can rent a car in Tuscany if you want to set your own schedule. Having a base made it easier to see the different towns without having to pack up and move every couple of days. It was relaxing to come back to our apartment at the end of the day.

When we visited Australia, one of the sights on my wish list was the Great Ocean Road. We had limited time on this trip, but we were staying a few nights in Melbourne. I was able to find a day tour that included the Great Ocean Road. It was a long day, but we were able to see this incredible sight from our base in Melbourne.

I am a big fan of staying several nights in one place. As I get older, I need to have some down time to relax and rest. I don’t want to be on the move every minute. When I am planning a trip, I set a minimum of 4 nights in one location. That gives us plenty of time for sightseeing, relaxation, and just soaking up the atmosphere of our surroundings.

Of course, the problem with traveling this way is that you can’t see as many of the things on your list. That is why I suggest that you prioritize what you really want to do on this trip. On every trip we agree on what are the “must see” items and what are the “nice to see if we have time” items. I have found that if I am too worn-out from sightseeing, I stop enjoying myself. Your trip should never feel like a chore, it is supposed to be fun!