How Much Time To Leave For A Detour

Start from the size of the place, not its reputation

A famous small town still takes roughly the time a small town takes to see properly, regardless of how much has been written about it. Reputation inflates expectations more than it inflates the actual physical size of a place, so check population and centre size before assuming a detour needs a full day.

As a rough starting point: a village or small town centre, two to three hours. A mid-size city, a full day. Anything with a major museum or site people travel specifically for, add half a day on top.

Factor in the transport gap, not just the visit

The time a detour actually costs is rarely just the time spent there, it's the time spent there plus the gap between trains or buses. A town that's genuinely two hours of interest can still eat up a full half-day if the connections back to your route only run every three hours.

This is where checking a bus station or railway platform's actual timetable in advance saves real frustration, since arriving to find the next connection isn't for three hours turns a pleasant stop into a stranded afternoon.

• Check both directions of the timetable before committing to a detour
• Add 30 minutes buffer either side for luggage storage or walking from the station
• If connections are infrequent, plan the detour around the timetable, not the other way round

Match the time to the type of traveller you're travelling with

A couple without children can often see a small town's centre in ninety minutes without feeling rushed. Add kids, elderly relatives or anyone who wants to sit down often, and that same stop can comfortably use up three hours. Be honest about your actual travelling pace, not an idealised one.

Leave slightly more time than you think, on the first detour of a trip

Early in a trip, before you've found your rhythm, detours tend to run long simply because everything is new and everyone's still figuring out how fast they walk together, how long lunch takes, how much energy is left by mid-afternoon. Give the first detour of a multi-stop trip more slack than later ones.