I’ve always believed in the power of fast travel. There’s nothing like moving relentlessly from one place to another, packing your days full of intense sightseeing and testing out how attached you can get to a place you’ve only spent a few nights (or hours) in.

Here’s my attempt at a bad analogy: If two people were trying to cover 1km, one by running and the other by walking, the person running would get there faster. And when that person is done they’ll be left with more time in the day to cover more distance if they want, all while their competitor is still lagging behind. I see travel in the same way. We only have a finite time and the faster you travel, the more time you have left to visit other places. Although there are definitely positives to staying somewhere for a while and really immersing yourself in the day-to-day life in a place, my style has always been to hop through places briefly, a routine which was born out of working in retail and never being able to get that much time off to go on long trips.

As a result I’ve learnt a few things along the way about how to get the best out of a limited amount of time, whether it involves a few early alarms, researching local transport or just getting yourself in the right frame of mind to get out there and not be intimidated by new surroundings. All these points go without saying really, but its easy to overlook simple advice when caugh up in the stress of arranging a trip. So lets start:

1) Get to know public transport, bus/train routes, even how often the boats sail if you’re visiting islands. Having a rough idea of how far the main stations and ports are from your accommodation can allow you longer to have a browse around if you know you’re not having to call a taxi to get to them. Especially regarding local rail networks, don’t be too anxious to try them out. There will be people who’s job it is to help you if you get lost, and you’ll be surprised how much information you can soak up simply by giving them a go. Even if you don’t actually go anywhere particularly touristy, it could still be valuable experience for future trips. Discovering the colourful Little India district of Singapore was a highlight for me that I nearly missed out on if I hadn’t made the leap. Trust your navigation skills, and if you do end up a bit lost, there will always be a story to tell…

2) Be realistic with your timescales – if you’re visiting somewhere for a day, pick out 2 or 3 landmarks you want to see and plan how long you can dedicate to each one… remember, this includes getting to and from each place. At the end of your visit you want the satisfaction of having ticked off the right boxes and seen and done the things you’d always wanted to in that place. Any bonuses are great but if you’re just passing through, sometimes you’ll have to accept that you won’t have time to experience everything, so stay within reason and don’t take on too much otherwise you’ll end up stressing and missing out on more than necessary. There’s nothing wrong with telling people you went to Dubai and only got to see the Burj Khalifa before heading down to Jumeirah Beach to watch the sunset, if you were just there for the night you did well. The same applies to slightly longer stays, but if you have enough time you can even give yourself a day off to just explore at your own pace, you’ll probably create just as many memories doing that…

3) Being absolutely drained is totally natural – this is a theme from most of my short stays. I get it, you’ve just got off a 6am coach and taken ages trying to find your hostel, the first thought is sleep. But especially if its just a short stay you’ll remember how great somewhere was more than you’ll remember how tired you were from trying to get there, and you might not be back in that place for a while. Obviously if you genuinely can’t keep your eyes open then there’s no shame in taking a break but if you’re staying in a city for a couple of nights you’ll regret spending too much time relaxing in the hostel, especially if you miss out on getting to see a landmark that was on your checklist.

4) Balance out a good social life with getting an early night when needed and pick the right days to be social. If you know yourself well enough to trust that you can be up early after drinking til 5am then go for it because there’s a lot to be said for making new friends on your travels. Otherwise, be reasonable with your schedule and save the serious hangovers for longer stays where you’ll be able to afford a few days off. If you’re only passing through somewhere for a couple of nights you shouldn’t feel pressure to make a million friends. Instead of putting yourself in a position where you’re having to say no to a night out (never something you want to do when travelling), look at booking somewhere a bit more laid back if you’re only staying somewhere for say, one night. It can feel relentless but you didn’t spend £700 on flights to Vietnam to spend your only afternoon in Hanoi in bed after too many 80p beers. I find that anywhere upwards of 3 night stays allow you time to be hungover AND see some sights. 

5) Use the people around you – whether thats other backpackers in your hostel, people you’ve previously met on your travels or just as importantly, those working at your accommodation. One thing I realised in Southeast Asia is that many people working on reception in the various places I was staying have dealt with such a large volume of travellers that they can almost guess where you’re heading next. Even in Muscat, the capital of Oman which is a less travelled destination in comparison, getting into a conversation with the man on reception led to him arranging a taxi to take me around the city for the one day I was there. To some extent, being able to network compliments previous tips about not spending unreasonable amounts of time lazing about in your accommodation…

Of course these are just tips that served me well and there will be many other methods that work well for people looking to see the sights in limited time. As long as you have a high energy, open minded approach to travelling there’s no doubt you’ll get a lot done and build valuable experience along the way.