The paradox of tight planning
A more detailed itinerary produces more flexibility, not less. When logistics are locked in advance — transfers, accommodation, key bookings — you can improvise within the space they create rather than spending mental energy on operational questions during the trip.
A loose itinerary forces decisions under conditions of tiredness and limited local knowledge. A tight one removes those decisions in advance.
Three-layer structure
Fixed anchors. Flights, trains, accommodation check-ins, and pre-booked experiences that cannot move. These are the skeleton.
Prioritised options. The top three things you want to do or see in each location, ranked. If time allows all three, take them all. If not, you know the order without deciding under pressure.
Buffer blocks. One to two hours per day of unscheduled time. This is where the unplanned happens — the recommendation from a local, the walk down an interesting street, the part of the trip you will remember.
For a week-long trip, spend 90 minutes building the itinerary before you leave. That is the minimum to confirm the fixed anchors and identify the prioritised options.
A day-one revision is normal. Spend 15 minutes on the first evening confirming the next two days. That is the only real-time planning the trip should require.
Steady wins.