Practical Sortie writing on multi-city itineraries, travel structure, and making serious planning feel controlled. Get sorted with Sortie.
ItinerariesThe timetable is only the middle of a travel day. Checkout, station transfers, luggage and check-in are what make short journeys consume half a day.
ItinerariesFor most travellers, four to five bases in two weeks is the sweet spot. Six is fast; seven usually turns travel into the dominant activity.
ItinerariesA week in Greece works best as three nights Athens plus four nights on one island or island group, not a ferry race through three famous names.
ItinerariesA week in Benelux works as 3 nights Amsterdam, 2 Brussels and 1 Bruges, with the final night placed where departure logistics are easiest.
ItinerariesA week in the UK works as four nights London and three Edinburgh, with the train day treated as part of the itinerary rather than invisible time.
ItinerariesA week in France works beautifully as five nights Paris and two Lyon, or four and three if food and a second city matter more than Paris depth.
ItinerariesTwo weeks is where a first Japan itinerary can add depth beyond the golden route without turning every second morning into checkout.
ItinerariesSeven days is enough for a strong first Tokyo-and-Kyoto trip if you resist adding Osaka as a third hotel base.
ItinerariesTen days gives Portugal enough breathing room for Lisbon and Porto plus one meaningful third region instead of cramming the whole country into a rail sprint.
ItinerariesThere is no universal right direction. Start in Lisbon or Porto based on flights, onward travel and which city benefits more from your arrival-day energy.
ItinerariesTen days is just enough for Spain’s four-city greatest-hits route if you count nights carefully: 3 Madrid, 2 Seville, 2 Granada and 3 Barcelona is the balanced version.
ItinerariesA first 10-day Japan route should stay simple: 4–5 nights Tokyo, 3–4 Kyoto and 1–2 Osaka. The exact split depends on whether your tenth day is usable and whether Osaka is a stay or a day trip from Kyoto.
ItinerariesFor a first one-week Portugal trip, use 4 nights Lisbon and 3 nights Porto or the reverse. It gives Lisbon enough time for its broader geography while keeping Porto comfortably deep rather than padded.
ItinerariesOne day gives Venice a postcard sampler. Two days is the minimum I recommend. Three days is the sweet spot if you want the city beyond San Marco and Rialto.
ItinerariesFor a first 10-day Italy trip, the cleanest split is 4 nights Rome, 3 Florence and 3 Venice, or 4/3/2 if your tenth day is a departure day. Keep the route linear and protect transfer time.
ItinerariesThree days gives Rome a strong essentials itinerary. Four days separates the biggest clusters and adds neighbourhood time. Five days lets you slow down without running out of world-class things to see.
ItinerariesThe cleanest first-trip route is Madrid → Seville → Granada or the reverse. Give Madrid 3–4 nights, Seville 3 nights and Granada 2–3 nights, and treat the transfer days as real itinerary time rather than empty space.
ItinerariesThree days covers Barcelona’s essential architecture and old city. Four days gives the trip breathing room. Five days lets you add deeper neighbourhoods, museums or the coast without turning every day into a timed-entry relay.
ItinerariesFor a first one-week Andalusia trip without a car, a strong default is 3 nights Seville, 1 night Córdoba and 3 nights Granada. It keeps the route linear and gives the two deepest cities enough time.
ItinerariesA practical 7-day Barcelona itinerary structured by neighbourhood — not a checklist. Covers Sagrada Família, Gothic Quarter, Montjuïc, Barceloneta, and what to book before you arrive.
ItinerariesA good itinerary needs structure without becoming brittle. Use anchors, capacity limits, geographic clusters, deliberate gaps and backup options so the trip survives delays, weather and changing energy.
ItinerariesSome trips can live as a simple list. Others need a real planning system. The difference shows up earlier than most people expect.
