Three anchors per day: a morning sight, an afternoon neighbourhood, an evening restaurant. Everything between them is open. This is the itinerary that gives you structure without removing the ability to respond to what the city is actually doing.

The Anchor Method

An anchor is anything with a fixed or preferred time that you've either booked or deliberately chosen to prioritise. Museum opening time is an anchor. A restaurant booking is an anchor. A neighbourhood you've decided to dedicate an afternoon to is an anchor.

Set three per day maximum. One in the morning, one in the afternoon, one in the evening. Each anchor is a destination and an experience. Between them, you have a city to fill the gaps however the day suggests.

This structure means you always have something to head towards. It also means you always have space to be diverted, to sit somewhere longer than planned, to follow a street that looks interesting, to say yes to whatever the city is offering.

The Difference Between a Plan and a Script

A plan tells you what you're doing and when. A script tells you what you're doing, when, for exactly how long, and what happens next. Plans are flexible by design. Scripts aren't.

The scripted itinerary fails when you want to stay in the museum for another hour, when the restaurant is shut, when you're tired and need to sit down, when something unexpected appears and you want to take it. The plan accommodates all of this. The script requires you to override your instincts to stay on track.

A Good Itinerary Has Breathing Room Built In

The best city break itineraries have gaps that look like nothing on paper. A walk with no destination. An afternoon with one anchor and then nothing. These gaps are not planning failures. They're where the best moments tend to happen, because you're present and unhurried and the city can reach you.

If your itinerary has no gaps, add them. Remove one planned activity per day and replace it with nothing. See what happens.

When to Abandon the Plan Entirely

When you find a café you want to stay in for two hours. When someone recommends something better than what's next on the list. When you're tired and the museum isn't the right call. When the weather is perfect for the thing you'd planned for tomorrow. The plan was always a starting point. It was never a commitment.