Sometimes the key to a great trip is a bit of planning, plus plenty of room for spontaneity. Photo / Getty Images
Sometimes the key to a great trip is a bit of planning, plus plenty of room for spontaneity. Photo / Getty Images
A fine balance of preparation and spontaneity makes for the ideal city break, writes Ewan McDonald.
Q. What are your best tips for a short city getaway? We're both pretty impulsive and like to wake up on Wednesday and say, "Why don't we go to Sydney for the weekend?"
A.Ah, the joy of spontaneity. Here's my top tip: that's possibly the easiest way to waste your time and money, especially with the unforeseeable hassles that can be part of the baggage of travelling in these still uncertain times.
There's a fair chance you'll spend most of the long weekend at Kingsford Smith Airport waiting for your suitcase to turn up on the carousel before you have to check in for the flight home.
Take it from one who's made more cockups in more places around the world than most, the key to a spur-of-the-moment getaway is: a little bit, but not too much, planning.
It's going to cost you, whether it's a weekend in Wellington for a test match or a few days in Melbourne with a show, a couple of restaurants and window-shopping at the Paris End or DFO Southbank. Flights. Accommodation. Meals. Getting around.
So, a little thinking ahead can save you money and make the most of your limited time. Here are the five or six things I like to take into account:
Time off: Book yours and make sure it doesn't clash with a public holiday at your destination. More on this later.
Flights: Book them asap, with all the usual caveats about credits, refunds and travel insurance that apply at the moment. Tip: check out options for getting from the airport into the city via public or private transport. Time is precious, and any that you can save...
Accommodation: Whether it's Airbnb, a spa resort, or backpackers, book, make sure the dates and details are set in stone and payment methods are agreed upon. Sounds old-school but it's not a silly idea to print out the emails and bring them with you. While we're on the subject, do you need to put the dog/cat/turtle into a B&B?
The key to a spontaneous city break is a little bit of planning. Photo / Getty Images
Shortlist: Obviously, if you're going to Sydney to see Moulin Rouge at the Opera House or to Melbourne for the Boxing Day test at the MCG, booking tickets will be the first item on the agenda and everything else is pretty much a bonus.
If you're just going somewhere for the weekend, or you're going to a place you're not familiar with, Google "XX things to do in Napier", ask friends, and come up with three to four must-dos.
Look at the map and see where your wanna-sees are because – remember, time is precious – they could be lengthy Uber or bike or public transport rides away from one another.
Browse the best areas for wandering around, good places for breakfast/lunch/dinner/drinks, museums and shops. Tip: even in 2022, there are still cities where the shops close at 6pm or pretty much the whole town closes on Sundays.
Oh, and it's not a bad idea to check the weather for the time of year.
Pack light: Now pack lighter. Seriously, you're going away for a long weekend. Do you really need more than a cabin bag? (Previous note about the luggage carousel also applies.) And you're staying in a city – chances are you will be able to find somewhere that will happily sell you fresh knickers or a new toothbrush. Charge your gadgets and make sure you've got plugs/cables for the phone, tablet, camera, whatever.
Enjoy.
My Impulsive Friends, I know this may sound like being organised to the point of taking all the fun out of your getaway. Believe me, it will save a lot of grief. Possibly even a relationship meltdown.
I know someone who looked at the queues outside the Louvre on a Sunday and said to their partner, "We'll come back early tomorrow," and then found virtually all museums and galleries in France are closed on Mondays. I know someone who said, "Don't bother about booking a hotel, we'll wing it when we get there," and then realised it was July 4 in Honolulu.
I know someone who'd been to Barcelona five times and had never managed to match a stay to coincide with a game involving Messi & Co. Sixth time lucky: bought a ticket at the Camp Nou stadium, at the cost of an arm and a couple of legs – then found the cruise ship sailed at 8.30pm and kick-off was at 9pm.
As I said, I've made more cockups in more places around the world…
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