Four decisions cover everything: flight, accommodation, one restaurant, one must-book sight. Make those four and you're done. Everything else figures itself out when you're there.

The Four Decisions That Actually Matter

Flight first. Dates and airport locked in, nothing else can move. Book it and get confirmation in your email. Done.

Accommodation second. You need somewhere within walking distance of the centre, or with direct public transport to it. Read three reviews, check the map, book it. This does not need forty-five minutes of comparison. A hotel in a good location that scores 7.5 is better than a hotel in a bad location that scores 9.

One restaurant. Find the one place you'll genuinely regret missing, the one that will require a reservation, and book it for your second evening. This is the only food planning you need. Every other meal, walk until something looks right and go in.

One must-book sight. If your destination has an attraction that sells out, that's your only pre-booking. The Anne Frank House, the Uffizi, the Vatican. If nothing sells out at your destination, skip this step entirely.

The 45-Minute Planning Session

Set a timer. Open three tabs: flights, accommodation, the city's one big ticketed attraction if it has one. Book the flight in fifteen minutes. Book the room in fifteen minutes. Book the attraction and the restaurant in fifteen minutes. Close the tabs.

That's the session. You are now prepared for the trip. Additional reading beyond this is optional enrichment, not planning.

Carry-On Only as Non-Negotiable

When time is short, checked luggage is the enemy. The airport queue to drop it, the queue to collect it, the twenty-minute wait at the belt when you land and just want to get to the city: checked luggage costs you an hour each way.

Pack carry-on only. For a city break of up to five nights this is not a sacrifice. Wear the shoes on the plane, wear them again on the last day. Pack layers, not options. The city has pharmacies if you forget something.

What Not to Spend Planning Time On

Reading forums about which neighbourhood is best. You picked a central hotel. The neighbourhood is fine. Reading reviews of dozens of restaurants when you have one booking already. Watching YouTube videos of the city that tell you things you'll learn in the first hour of being there. Making spreadsheets of opening times.

None of this makes the trip better. It consumes the finite planning energy you have and returns almost nothing. Trust that the city exists and will be there when you land. The best information arrives on the ground.