If you’re heading to Europe soon, you might be thinking, ‘But how long should I spend in each city and country? I want to get the most out of my trip but I don’t want to feel rushed!’
It’s a common question, and in reality there is not right or wrong answer exactly – but my traveled opinion is that a good amount of time to stay in each place would be 2 nights. That gives you more then enough time to do the museums, experience the night life, and wander the streets of the town or city.
Of course some places you will want to stay longer. For example, I like staying 4 or 5 nights in Barcelona. It’s fun, there is heaps to do, and I don’t want to run around like a mad man for 2 days and then jet off somewhere else. I’m traveling to enjoy myself, not to feel rushed!
The best tip I could give you is to travel however YOU want to travel. Some people are the tortoise and others are the hare. I like backpacking as a tortoise, I feel that I get more experiences and adventures by traveling a little bit slowly and really TAKING IT ALL IN, so to speak. The world is full of expectations, but in travel I truly believe there should be none.
If you come across a city or country that you just LOVE, then stay longer – it really is that simple! You’ll know when it’s time to move on again, so listen to your body and your head, and enjoy the whole experience.
Remember to take a break. Yes, travel burn out is a real thing. Anyone who has traveled extensively can attest to this fact – you can just sick of seeing museums and moving constantly from place to place – it’s classic burn out. If you feel it coming on, then STOP and just spend a few days relaxing – maybe reading in the hostel or hotel and spending some time to catch up on lost sleep.
So when traveling, give yourself the flexibility to easily change your plans at a whim. Don’t lock in and book everything in advance, you’ll just regret it later when you make a bunch of awesome new friends that are heading in the opposite direction and have invited you along. And you’ll regret it when you find a city you could easily stay another 3 or 4 days in, only to realize you’ve already booked your bus ticket to leave in the morning.
Tom runs the website ActiveBackpacker.com – a site with articles all about backpacking through Europe and beyond.
