If you only have a couple of days free to travel, you might be in the process of planning a weekend city break. While it’s always nice to be able to get away if you only have a few days free it can be both exciting and disappointing - on the one hand, you have a chance to get away but on the other, it can feel like you don’t have enough time to explore wherever you are visiting.

The truth is that while a weekend city break is often seen simply as a great way to relax and refresh yourself before another hectic week at work, it can be just an interesting and enjoyable as a longer break. If you are someone who really likes to get to know the area that you are staying in, then you need to know how to make the most of your time when on a weekend city break.                                                                                                                             
Want to maximise what you’re able to do on your next weekend away? Then have a read of the tips below, take note and implement them, and you should be able to ensure that you maximise your time and have the most incredible weekend away.

Choose your destination wisely

The first step to making the most of a weekend away is to choose your destination wisely. Think about what you want to get out of your weekend away - are you looking to relax and unwind or do you want to explore the modern art scene? Choose a destination that will offer you exactly what you’re looking for in a city break, so that you aren’t left disappointed.

Head to Paris for art and architecture. Go to Berlin for modern art. Jet to New York for shopping. Go to London for museums. Research the best cities to visit for the things that you are interested in and then pick one of those cities to head to.

Book in advance

You might have already booked your flights in advance and your accommodation too, but that’s not all you should book in advance. When you’re away for a weekend, time is of the essence, which is why it’s so vital that you book as much in advance as you can do. A major benefit of booking in advance is that the sooner you book things, the cheaper they tend to be, so if you’re on a budget this is a tip that you should also take note of.

For the city that you are visiting, take the time to research all of the must-see sights and attractions and all of the best restaurants to eat in. Place your booking beforehand to ensure that you don’t miss out. For popular attractions, such as the Paris Catacombs tour, it’s worthwhile booking your tickets as soon as possible, in addition to booking queue jump passes if available, to save time. (When it comes to making the most of your trip, it’s little things like this that can make all the difference.)

Plan your itinerary

In addition to booking as much as you can in advance, to make the most of a weekend trip it’s also essential that you carefully plan your itinerary. Take the time to research all of the best things to see and do while you are abroad and create a tick list of each of the things that you definitely want to do. Then, create a timetable for your trip that includes each of these things.

You may not be keen on the idea of having to schedule your time while you are away, but the fact is if you want to ensure that you are able to fit everything into your trip that you want to do, it’s important that you have a schedule in place. You will find fitting everything in far easier if you know what you are meant to be doing and when, as this means less umming and erring about how you should spend each day as your itinerary has already been planned out.

Manage your time

Weekend breaks are great but they come with time constraints, which means that you will want to make the most of every second of your trip. Little things can help you to do that, such as only traveling with a hand luggage so you can skip the queues at the airport while you wait for your bags to be released. This will also mean that you could, potentially start exploring as soon as you arrive as you’ll only have a small bag to carry with you.

Ensure that you are properly prepared to get around once you land at your destination of choice. If you are using a map on your smartphone to get around, ensure that you have already downloaded it and mapped your route. If you are taking transport from the airport to the city centre, ensure that you have booked this in advance and can simply find it and hop in once you arrive.

The more prepared you are for a weekend away, the higher the chance that you will be able to enjoy your time and do everything that you planned to do. There’s plenty to see and do in world-famous cities, which is why it’s so vital that you do lots of preparation and planning in advance, to ensure that you are able to have the most amazing time away and don’t miss out on seeing or doing anything.

Weekend breaks can be a great way to get away and spend some time relaxing and unwinding. While short breaks, if you are smart about planning your trip and are properly prepared, a weekend break can be a lot of fun. Even with just two days away you can see many of the sights that a city has to offer, it’s just a case of planning properly, that’s all. Hopefully, the tips and advice above will help you to do that and have the most amazing time away, relaxing and unwinding while enjoying seeing the sights.

Have something you think should be featured contact us or email at Jeremy@offthemrkt.com to tell us more! Follow Off The MRKT on Twitter and Instagram, and like us on Facebook.