As I put the finishing touches on my beloved spreadsheeet for our upcoming Japan trip, using a template I built years ago so I can see at a glance what each day holds for lodging/breakfast/lunch/dinner and travel times, I’m curious how people here approach planning? Do you think of each day with 3 meal slots, like we do, and have either a reservation or a loose plan for most? Or do you often wander and wing it?
For us, we like to have a booking or plan for most meal slots, but not all, giving us the opportunity to discover things, and also to skip a meal entirely if we’ve been on a culinary death march for a few days. So I’d say we’re pretty rigorous on that end. But on the flip side, I generally don’t like scheduling anything else other than meals if I don’t have to, with obvious exceptions like if there is a special exhibit or concert we have planned. Mostly our time in between meals and necessary transit is open for whatever we feel like doing in the moment.
One of my colleagues never plans anything on his trips. The thought of going on a vacation without at least a bunch of my meals reserved makes me panic! But clearly it works for him.
Interested to hear how others with the travel passion approach planning.
Of course. Planning around meals is the central structure of every day!
It’s a great question but I have so many different types of travel (work, family, leisure, combinations, solo, extended/short, etc etc) that it’s difficult to generalize as am not always in control of my schedule.
I also strongly prefer to eat breakfast at home, even when traveling, so that is the usually the focus of planning around that meal. But yes, some combination of reservations or planned destinations in specific locations where we will be (if reservations not required).
I agree with Rahsaan. Breakfast is preferred at home.
For me personally I can do every meal planned and booked, but my partner likes to explore, so if I can just stick with one planned lunch or dinner, then I’m happy. Over the years I’ve had as many fantastic meals that were planned as not planned, so I’ve learned to curb my need for order and predictability.
The breakfast chocie for me depends very much on where we are. In France or Spain, almost always just coffee or a simple omelet made in our rental kitchen, if we have one. In Asia, where hotel breakfast buffets in good hotels can be spectacular, or in ryokans, where a usually phenomenal breakfast is included, then it’s one of the important meals of the day. Of course, I am a breakfast eater in general, so that makes a difference.
I started dinner planning a few months ago. If one wants to eat at a restaurant with one Michelin star or more, you have to get on it a couple of months prior. In Kyoto, we were there for 5 nights. One dinner was at a private restaurant that a friend arranged. The other res was at a one star Kaiseki restaurant, Gion Fukushi. So far, my favorite meal. We didn’t plan anything the first two nights. Night one was after flying into Haneda and immediately taking the Shinkansen to Kyoto. We figured we’d be jet lagged so we didn’t want to commit to a reservation the next evening . We winged it on the last night.
We totally winged it in Osaka. It just seemed like the kind of town where that made sense. Found a small sushi bar on one night. We were the only non-Japanese patrons. Another night we walked into a place that specialized in hitsumabushi. It was next level, just phenomenal.
Next was an overnight stay at a ryokan in Shirakawa-go. Accommodations included a terrific Kaiseki dinner and Japanese breakfast.
Out of 4 nights in Tokyo, I made two reservations. We just finished dinner at Tempura Fukushima, a one star. 2 months ago, I inquired about a res at Tempura Motoyoshi, a two star. Couldn’t get a res. In two nights, Sushi Kimura (Ginza). We’re not sure what we’ll do tomorrow night. We’re leaning towards tonkatsu as we haven’t had it yet.
I used jpneazy.com concierge service to make reservations.
We made absolutely no plans for daytime activities and meals. Each day, we’ve met first for coffee and figured it out from there.
Have to say that I am pretty detailed about the planning process, with epic spreadsheets. I hate to be somewhere special, and then months later learn about something amazing that I wasn’t aware of and missed.
Generally don’t make lunch or dinner reservations unless we’re somewhere that is going to be busy (Beaune the week of the Hospice auction, or a major city on a Friday or Saturday night). I will do some rsearch in advance on dining options though.
We also prefer to not rent cars, and rely on guides and public transport - so we look at tour options and plan our connections carefully as well.
Happy to share any of the relatively recent spreadsheets for -
France (Paris, Loire, Provence)
France (Paris, Burgundy, Dordogne, Bordeaux)
Washington/Oregon (Walla Walla and Williamette Valley)
Schedule / Book? Almost nothing. Typically only something like an event or winery appointment, plus transfers (and accommodation). It helps that we generally avoid Michelin * and similar places, so walk-in or book on the day is almost always successful.
However I prep to a rather obsessive level, with an array of restaurants, enoteche, specialist food shops, markets, festivals, other events etc. plus day trip options (including all of the above).
In that way we have flexibility, but don’t feel ‘lost’, as there’s good prep to fall back on, and I’ll have got a decent feel for the geography in advance.
This does not stop us liking the look of somewhere that wasn’t prepped, and trying it out. It also gives us the flexibility to see how we feel on the day, staying close by if a little tired, eating light if feeling full, etc.
Haven’t been to Asia in over twenty years, but I do remember some special ryokan breakfasts.
These days, I try to eat yogurt and fruit for breakfast 365 days a year. And the best fruit usually comes from the farmers market and no need to pay crazy buffet prices for a bit of yogurt. Although if it’s a short trip, then sometimes the hotel buffets can be an adventure/change of pace.
Definitely agree with others about planning food shop destinations as well as restaurants!
How much protein do you eat in the morning? I eat 16oz of plain yogurt for breakfast, which is about 17-18g of protein, equivalent to 3 eggs.
I also eat a very sizeable portion of fruit. In this season it is 2-3 apples/pears depending on size, and some pineapple/papaya/whatever we have around.
I’m not going to get into the argument about protein needs. The research is exhaustive and clear. The RDA is wrong. Aiming for 30g of protein at breakfast is what I’d recommend unless you are getting a whole lot later in the day. Fruit is nice, but it’s sugar (especially with the tropical fruits) at a time when your body is most insulin resistant. Unless your exercise needs dictate otherwise, which they could, I would have your sugar later in the day.
Edited to add that I don’t normally feel it’s my place to tell people what they should and should not eat. But (let’s be honest, we all do it, me included and I take a hard look at myself) there was a least a teensy amount of virtue signaling with the “I eat fruit and yogurt for breakfast” which makes me want to point out that the virtue isn’t that virtuous.
Virtually zero scheduling. This was different, obvio, when traveling for work. I research a lot beforehand so I more or less know some things I want to do and see and I will put myself in position to do some or most of those things in due time but none of it is scheduled.
We are the opposite, especially in Spain where dinner is very late. I prefer to book a significant lunch, then wing it for dinner, if I want anything at all. I sleep better if my biggest eating and drinking is midday. Plenty of exceptions, of course.
Dinner in Spain for us is at opening time. Be it 20:30 or 21h. With a 12 year old in tow (and two teens) we know the point at which a late night impacts the next days activities.