How to plan a weekend city break

A weekend city break is short enough that every decision counts. A long journey, a hotel on the wrong side of town or a plan that tries to cover everything can eat a third of the trip. The reward for planning it well is a place you get to know a little, with no jet lag and no need for much time off.

Choose the city for the time you have

For a weekend, travel time matters more than anything. A city that takes half a day to reach leaves you one and a half days in it. Choose somewhere you can reach in a few hours, door to door, and that you can enjoy on foot.

Good weekend cities share a few traits: a compact centre, good public transport, food worth planning around and a handful of things you would be glad to see. You do not need a long list. If you try to see a famous capital in two days, you will mostly see queues; a smaller city can feel complete.

If you cannot decide, ask what you want from the break: food, art, walking, nightlife, or rest. Choose the city that is best at that one thing.

Fly or take the train

Count the whole journey, not the flight or train time alone. For a flight: the trip to the airport, arriving early, the flight, the wait for luggage if you check a bag, and the trip into the city. Rail between city centres often wins on short and medium distances because you arrive in the middle of town. For a weekend, aim for a day that begins with you in the city by mid-morning and ends with you leaving after dinner on the last day.

Choose times that give you the most waking hours there. A Friday evening arrival and a Monday morning departure buy you a lot more than a Saturday arrival, if your work allows it. Travel carry-on only if you can; it removes the baggage queue at both ends. Carry-on only packing covers how.

Pick your base

Where you sleep decides how the weekend feels. In a short stay, stay central or close to a station with good connections. The cost of a cheaper place far out is paid in time on transport, twice a day.

Ask three questions of any place you consider: how far is it from where I will spend my time, how do I get there from the station or airport, and is it easy to find my way back late at night? Read recent reviews for noise and for the real distance to the centre. If you have a group, a rented apartment can suit better than several rooms; hotel or apartment goes through the choice.

Plan around three anchors

Instead of a schedule, choose three anchors: one for each of Saturday and Sunday, plus one meal you would plan the day around. An anchor might be a museum, a market, a walk to a viewpoint, or a table at a restaurant that needs booking.

Book what has to be booked: timed entry, a small tour, a popular table. Leave the rest open. Everything else you do should fit between and around the anchors, and any of it can be dropped without regret.

A balanced day has one main thing in the morning, a long unplanned stretch in the middle for lunch and wandering, and a lighter second thing in the evening. People who plan every hour of a weekend come home needing a holiday.

Walk more than you think

In most city centres, the best way to see the place is on foot, with a rest every couple of hours. Plan routes that go through neighbourhoods, not just between landmarks. A walk from one sight to another often shows more than the sights do.

Wear shoes you have already walked in. Check the weather on the Thursday, not the Monday before, and bring a layer rather than a full wardrobe. Have a few indoor options ready if it rains; a wet weekend can be the best time for the places people skip in sunshine.

Eat well without planning it all

Food is often what people remember. Decide one or two meals that matter and book them; for the others, walk until you find somewhere busy with locals. Look at where the queue is, check that the menu is short, and be wary of places with pictures of every dish.

Eat at the local time. In many places lunch is the main meal and dinner starts late, and the best tables fill at the hours the locals eat.

Know the practical bits

Before you go, check the following:

• How you get from the station or airport to your bed, and what it costs approximately.
• Whether the main places you want to visit are closed on certain days. Many museums close on one weekday, and some places shut on Sundays.
• How you pay for public transport, and whether there is a day ticket.
• Whether you need any entry documents. For international trips, check the official government site of the country and your own government's travel advice.

Share it if you are going with others

Even a weekend with one friend benefits from a shared plan. Put the places, the bookings and the times in one spot so that neither of you has to reply to messages in the street. If you are going as a group, planning a trip together shows how to keep one version of the plan.

Leave on a good note

Plan the last day so it ends well, not in a rush. Choose a late breakfast, one easy walk, and give yourself a generous gap before the journey home. Check the time you need to leave for the station or airport the evening before, and put it at the top of your plan.

Take the same trouble coming home as going out. A trip that ends at a calm table is remembered more kindly than one that finishes at a sprint through a terminal.

What to do next

Pick the city, then the two dates, then the base. Once those are fixed, choose your three anchors and book only what needs booking. The rest of the weekend can stay loose.