A one week holiday is the only realistic form of leave most of us have, and precisely for that reason it has to be built properly. Seven days is not a small amount, but divided wrongly it turns into three. The reason is simple: the first and the last day go on travelling, and in the middle a person plans a great deal and sees nothing. Below I have written the ways to divide those seven days so that they actually work.
The real number of days in a one week holiday
On a seven-day trip there are five full sightseeing days. The first day goes on the flight, the transfer and settling in, and the last one on the return. Build the plan on those five days, otherwise everything piles up on the final day.
Take this into account when you choose the flight times. An early morning departure wins you a day, and a flight home late at night wins you another. Over a difference of two hours the holiday effectively grows by one day.
Three formats for a one week holiday
| One city | The most comfortable, you see the city in depth, the suitcase is opened once |
| Two cities | Three and three nights, with a short train journey between them |
| Sea and city | Four days on the coast, three in the city, the most balanced for a family |
The three-city version does not fit into seven days, and those who force it in pack a suitcase every morning. If you choose two cities, keep the distance between them under three hours; otherwise you lose a day on the road.
How to divide the days
Alternate a heavy day with a light one. One day a museum and a long walk, the next day a park, a market and a cafe. That rhythm protects you from being worn out by the fourth day.
If you are going out of the city, put it on the third or fourth day. Putting it first means getting up early, and putting it last is a risk, because a delay can affect the return flight. Keep one day completely free, because that day always turns out to be needed.
Read more: A Czech Republic travel guide: Prague, Karlovy Vary, Cesky Krumlov, trains and healing waters
Budget and booking order for a one week holiday
Close the flight first, then the hotel, and only at the very end the entrance tickets. That order matters, because without knowing the flight time you cannot count the hotel nights exactly. Buy the museum tickets once the dates are fixed.
If you do not want to build it all yourself, there are ready seven-day packages that combine the flight with the accommodation. Look at the ready one-week tour packages and compare them with your own arithmetic; on seaside routes the difference is often small. Official information on leave entitlements is on the site of the Ministry of Labour and Social Protection.
A last word
In a one week holiday the real sightseeing days number five, and the plan has to be built on exactly that figure. Choose one or two cities, alternate a heavy day with a light one, keep one day free. To build the route and the visa dates together, fill in the application form.
Note: flight schedules and opening hours change with the season, so check them before you finalise the plan.
