The forty-eight hour itinerary that actually works

Both approaches to a 48-hour itinerary work. What differs is what they cost you, and the cost is what this sets out.

Three anchors is the right number

Two or three booked or fixed items give the trip a shape without filling it. Everything else emerges from walking between them, which is where most of the memorable parts of a short trip come from. A schedule with ten entries becomes a series of transits punctuated by queueing.

Cluster geographically

Grouping what you do by neighbourhood rather than by interest removes most of the transit time. One area in the morning and another in the afternoon is a workable shape for a single day. Crossing the city repeatedly is the single largest waste of a short trip.

Book only what needs booking

Timed-entry attractions and popular restaurants need reserving; almost nothing else does. Over-booking removes the ability to follow something interesting, which is most of the pleasure of a city.

Leaving one meal and one afternoon entirely open is a reliable improvement.

Eat properly at least once

A long lunch or dinner is not time taken from sightseeing; for many trips it is the main thing. Booking one good meal in advance and leaving the rest to chance is a good balance. Eating where you happen to be standing at eight o'clock is how short trips produce bad meals.

Adjust the size of it until it is something you would actually do tired.

Plan the first two hours

Knowing exactly how you get from the airport to the accommodation, and what you will do first, removes the disoriented start. The rest can be improvised once you have arrived and dropped the bag. This single piece of preparation does more than any amount of itinerary detail.

Side by side

The takeaway

Three anchors, one neighbourhood at a time, and one meal worth planning.

Pick the one that costs you least, and let the rest wait.