Short on travel time? Four ways to visit any city in a day

Published on: August 1, 2016

Most vacations involve spending a number of days, or a week or more, in a single location. However, sometimes people have a limited amount of time to spend in a single city. This can be the result of a long layover, while travelling for business, on a road trip or just wanting to squeeze as many cities as possible into a vacation.

Some people don’t even try because they think it is too much trouble to arrange such a plan.

Even if you have limited time, you can see the best of any city in a day. Here is how to do it:

Research the city: Learn as much as you can about the city before you visit. If time is limited or you unexpectedly find yourself in a certain city for a day, you can always do a quick Google search, read the city’s page on Wikipedia or go to the local tourism office.
Explore your transportation options: How you will get around is often the biggest factor in being able to see as much as possible. Check out the city’s transportation system, invest in a transit pass for the day or find the best routes for driving around the city.
Select the destinations that interest you: You should have no trouble finding websites that are dedicated to the best tourist spots for a given city. Take advantage of the city’s official website, travel guides and even travel bloggers, and come up with a list of places you want to see.
Map out your day: Now that you know what you want to see, plan your day so you can squeeze in as much as possible. Here are some questions you will need to think about when mapping out your day:
- Which attractions do you want to see the most? Prioritize them.
- Where are the tourist spots located?
- Where are they located in relation to each other?
- When are they open?
- How much time do you want to spend at each location?
- Which mode of transportation makes the most sense?

There are many other ways to see a city in a day. Other effective ways are by planning your day by theme, limiting your exploration to a specific area or neighbourhood, or simply winging it and seeing where the day takes you as you make your way through the city.