Planning an itinerary takes some work, but once you get used to doing it you’ll find it goes pretty quickly.

When planning your itinerary there are several things you need to keep in mind:

  • Make a rough itinerary first, then go back and fine-tune it.
  • Is this the only time we will be here? If so, then visit the major attractions and leave time to wander around some of the minor areas for later in the evening.
  • Maximize your sightseeing by hitting everything in a particular area.
  • Plan accordingly for mealtimes so you aren’t rushed.
  • Don’t run from one end of a city to the other, stay in one general area at a time.
  • Pick a hotel that is the midst of several attractions.
  • Pick tours that grant skip the line access.
  • Use Google Maps to star Attractions, Restaurants, and your Hotel.

The biggest part of your planning will be restaurants. Reading reviews and looking at menus does take some time but if you want a better dining experience, whether it’s a quick bite or a sit-down meal of any kind, it’s worth it to take the time and find the right spots.

If you look at my Venice map on the Google Maps post, you’ll notice my restaurants aren’t close to the 2 major attractions I have labeled with hearts, Piazza San Marco and Rialto Bridge.

The reason is that most of the restaurants right near major attractions are tourist traps. Waiters in tuxedos asking if you need a table, wine only by the bottle, a picture menu on the wall outside. These are the places to avoid. Look for restaurants that the locals frequent. Many reviews will even state that the restaurant is filled with locals and not many tourists. That’s the kind of place you want. After planning your meals it becomes pretty simple.

If you are going to be in one place for a couple of days then split your time up into different areas of the city. Don’t waste time running back and forth. In the evening when you have free time, then you can wander all over, but when sightseeing, try to maximize your time by seeing everything you want to see in one area before leaving for another.

There’s nothing worse than finding out you missed something that was only a block away and to go back will take a good bit of time, therefore making you miss other attractions.

Another thing to consider is if you’ll have time to go back to your hotel and change before dinner. If not, then plan accordingly. Smaller cities like Venice isn’t a big deal if you need to go back to change and freshen up, but for Rome, you could be wasting an hour of your time.

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