Tuesday Travel Tip: Don't Plan Anything for the Last Day

{Image by photographer Mark Shaw 

for LIFE Magazine in 1957 via Paris Hotel Boutique}

I always try to keep my schedule as open as possible on my last day in a particular location whether I have been there for months, weeks or only a few days. I run my errands, see the most important people and places, and eat all my favorite meals before the last day. I even have a general idea of what I need to pack before the last day.

When I am at a multi-day event and I run into people who say "we should grab coffee while we're here" I schedule it right away, but not for the last day.

If I remove the last day as a possible day to do things, I move the urgency earlier and actually do all sorts of things earlier. Doing "last day things" when I know it's not really the last day is also great, because I know that if something doesn't go quite right, I actually have one more day.

Keeping my last day free allows me to spend a little more time on anything that has held meaning for me in that place. On my last days in various locations I have had time to talk for hours with a close friend without worrying about travel plans, sit outside the Sydney Opera House and watch the sun set, take advantage of unexpected opportunities because I know that things are all set for my impending departure.

Planning ahead actually gives you more opportunity to be flexible and have a meaningful experience before your departure.

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