Keen to travel abroad but short on time? Buckle up and saddle in. I’ve got a couple ideas you’re going to want to hear.
I get it. If you’re anything like me, you’re probably already sick of getting bombarded with the notions that you need to quit your job to travel the world or live out of a backpack if you want to be a “real” traveller.
Fortunately, we both know it’s a load of *expletive deleted*.
Truth is travel is not all-in or nothing, despite what the broke-but-Instagram-happy blogger crowd will peddle. You can see the world without giving up your life, your career, or leaving your loved ones and friends behind.
Below, you’ll sift through an assortment of itineraries & travel plans designed with the time-crunched mid-range luxury traveller in mind.
In the end though, these itineraries not about me, but you. (I know it’s a weird to hear anyone say that in one of the most narcissistic industries know to man, but bear with me.)
The itineraries below are based on my travels to over 50 countries in the past decade and a half. These are not personal travelogues or a detailed play-by-play. Instead, I’ve flipped the usual travel blogging paradigm on it’s head, replacing selfies and self-aggrandizing details with practical information that will help you plan your dream trip better.
Enjoy!
City Itineraries
Let’s start with the most time-crunched of all travel plans: city itineraries.
Perhaps it’s because I grew up in Northern Ontario, but I absolutely love visiting cities. (The more urban the better.)
You’ll notice that many of the city itineraries I’ve laid out here focus on an extremely short timeframe: one day.
Now, don’t get me wrong. It’s hard to see a city in a day. I mean next to impossible. And I don’t necessarily recommend it unless it’s your only choice.
But travel being the dynamic crapshoot of layovers and bad transportation connections it is, spending just 24 hours in a city is a real possibly that happens more often than we might want.
Think of these city itineraries less as a be-all-end-all travel plan and more as a starting point. Even when you only manage to get in a quick run through a city, it’s usually enough to inspire a return visit with a little more substance (or otherwise scare you off for good).
Asia
China
Hong Kong
Japan
- One Day in Hiroshima, Japan
- One Day in Kanazawa, Japan
- One Day in Kyoto, Japan
- One Day in Nagoya, Japan
- One Day in Nara, Japan
- One Day in Osaka, Japan
- One Day in Takayama, Japan
- One Day in Tokyo, Japan
Korea
Malaysia
Singapore
Taiwan
Europe
Croatia
Czech Republic
Germany
Hungary
Poland
Slovakia
Slovenia
Spain
- One Day in Barcelona, Spain
- One Day in Bilbao, Spain
- One Day in Granada, Spain
- One Day in Madrid, Spain
- One Day in San Sebastian, Spain
- One Day in Seville, Spain
- One Day in Valencia, Spain
United Kingdom
The Americas
Panama
Oceania
Australia
Country & Region Itineraries
Unless your travels consist only of direct flights and layovers, you’re probably going to want to visit more than one city at a time. These country & region itineraries reflect the whole purpose of Treksplorer as a guide to helping you travel better in less time.
I’ve designed most of the country itineraries below cover 10-day trips. The number isn’t just arbitrary, but based upon the standard two-week North American vacation. (Europeans: please save bragging about your long vacations for another day!)
Once you take into account return long-haul flights, time zone changes, a healthy dose of jet lag, and a little rest upon return, most itineraries in that two-week vacation involve just 10 nights in your destination.
Of course, the more days you can squeeze in the better. (I’ll get to adding longer itineraries soon enough!)
Asia
- What to Do in Bali in 10 Days or Less
- What to Do in China in 10 Days or Less
- One Week in Hokkaido, Japan
- What to Do in Japan in 10 Days or Less
- What to Do in Korea in 10 Days or Less
- What to Do in Malaysia in 10 Days or Less
- What to Do in Taiwan in 10 Days or Less
- What to Do in Thailand in 10 Days or Less
Europe
- What to Do in Croatia in 10 Days or Less
- What to Do in Czech Republic in 10 Days or Less
- What to Do in Germany in 10 Days or Less
- What to Do in Poland in 10 Days or Less
- What to Do in Slovenia in 10 Days or Less
- What to Do in Spain in 10 Days or Less