A Lazy Travellers Guide to Holiday Planning

If the idea of crafting an intricate itinerary makes you break out in a cold sweat, then this is the guide for you.

Last updated: July 30, 2026
The Lazy Travellers Guide to Holiday Planning

We get it – planning a holiday can be stressful. But whether you're a laid-back traveller or simply short on time, our tips will help you plan a fantastic getaway without the hassle. Let’s make your next holiday a piece of cake! (Or a scone, if you fancy!)

London attractions

1. Pick a destination with plenty of options

The key to lazy travel is choosing a destination with a wide variety of activities that don't require too much pre-planning. Big cities like London, Paris or Rome are perfect because they offer an abundance of experiences all in one place.

You won’t need to worry about long transfers, renting cars or spending ages researching. Everything you need is right on the doorstep.

London accomodation

2. Book accommodation in the heart of the action

Why waste time commuting when you can stay right in the city centre? Choose accommodation that’s within walking distance of major attractions, restaurants and transport hubs. Not only will this save you time, but it’ll also keep the logistics of your holiday to a minimum.

In London, neighbourhoods like Covent Garden or Southbank are excellent choices for being close to everything, plus there are hundreds of hotels available, for ease, we recommend using an app like Booking.com to filter by budget! 

Package holidays

3. Use pre-packaged travel deals

If you’d rather skip the research altogether, consider buying a pre-packaged travel deal. These often include your flights, hotels and transfers – all bundled together, simple! Companies like easyJet, Jet2Holidays or British Airways offer such packages for various destinations, taking all the guesswork and awkward scheduling out of holiday planning.

Travel apps

4. Download travel apps that streamline everything

There’s an app for almost everything these days, so make use of them! From booking taxis to translating languages, travel apps are your new best friend when it comes to planning. Apps like Pack Point, Citymapper, and XE Currency will handle all the logistics while you kick back and enjoy your trip.

The London Pass, London trip planner

5. Explore effortlessly with The London Pass®

The London Pass is the ultimate tool for the laid-back traveler, granting hassle-free access to over 90 top attractions, including the Tower of London, The Shard, and Westminster Abbey – all without the need to buy tickets at each stop. Skip the queues and make the most of your time with included perks like a Hop-on Hop-off bus tour, letting you sightsee at your own relaxed pace.

Now the London Pass Trip planner tool will take even more stress out of planning your sightseeing. Just input your travel dates, interests, and must-see spots, and the AI will generate a personalised itinerary to make the most of your time in the city.

Whether you’re looking to hit the iconic sights or uncover hidden gems, The London Pass makes it easy to enjoy a perfectly planned London holiday without lifting a finger.

packing suitcase

6. Keep your luggage light

Who needs the stress of hauling heavy suitcases around? Opt for carry-on luggage only, which saves you time at both the airport and your hotel. Pack versatile clothes, leave bulky gadgets behind, and remember – you can always do a quick laundry stop if needed. Plus, you’ll be able to move around more freely, making any spontaneous plans so much easier.

phone getting a notification of updates

7. Set up mobile alerts for key travel info

Ditch the stress of repeatedly checking details by setting up mobile alerts for important travel information. Use apps like TripIt, Google Travel or the alerts in Apple Calendar to store your bookings, then turn on notifications for flight updates, gate changes, and hotel check-in times (in whichever apps you have made bookings with).

You’ll get real-time reminders and updates directly to your phone, so you always know where to go next, and can relax knowing you're not going to miss something.

Borough market, London

8. Opt for easy dining choices

Skip the over-researched restaurant plans and go with simple, convenient dining options. In big cities like London, you’re never far from a good meal. Check out local street food markets, casual eateries or places with set menus to take the stress out of decision-making.

Borough Market, Spitalfields Market or Seven Dials Market for instance, all offer loads of delicious choices in one spot – perfect for when you can't get everyone to agree on one option.

Cute London covered markets

9. Don’t over-schedule your days

Packing your itinerary with back-to-back activities can leave you feeling drained and missing out on the true essence of travel. Instead, aim to plan just one or two key activities per day, leaving plenty of time for relaxation or spontaneous exploring.

With a more flexible approach, you can linger in a cozy café, wander through a local market, or stumble upon hidden gems like quiet parks, charming side streets, or impromptu street performances. Giving yourself room for these unplanned moments prevents travel fatigue and opens the door for a more authentic (and relaxing!) experience.

10. Relax and enjoy the ride

Above all, remember that holidays are meant to be fun and relaxing. Don't get bogged down in the details. With the right tools and mindset, planning a trip can be a breeze, leaving you to focus on what matters most – enjoying your holiday!

With this guide, lazy travel planning has never been easier! Whether you're visiting London with The London Pass® or heading somewhere new, these tips will help you have a stress-free, enjoyable holiday.

Alice Padfield
Alice Padfield
Content Manager

Alice is a copywriter in the Content team at Go City®, where she combines her love for travel, literature, food and theatre to craft inspiring content for cultural explorers. From blog articles to TikToks, she creates engaging stories that help travellers uncover hidden gems and must-see spots in every city. Passionate about exploring new destinations, Alice shares her discoveries to help others curate unforgettable itineraries.

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10 Shakespeare Facts We Bet You Didn’t Know

"Some are born great, some achieve greatness and some have greatness thrust upon 'em." Born in Stratford-upon-Avon in April 1564, William Shakespeare is arguably the greatest playwright of all time. Generations of schoolchildren have - sometimes begrudgingly - studied his plays. Theatre lovers around the world turn out to see them come alive. But what do we actually know about his life? Check out some interesting Shakespeare facts we bet you didn't know. And if you can't read, or simply hate reading, why not go see for yourself at the Globe? Crazy Wordplay According to the folks at the Oxford English Dictionary, Shakespeare introduced almost 3,000 new words to the English language. As well as completely original words, he changed nouns into verbs and verbs into adjectives. Through combining existing words in new ways, as well as by adding prefixes and suffixes, he also gave new meanings to existing vocabulary. In fact, the term ‘box office’ was coined at the Globe theatre. Presumably, their ticket office was a box, or box-shaped. Sounds comfortable. Translations Through The Nations Shakespeare’s plays have been translated into dozens of languages and performed around the world. There's even Shakespeare in Klingon. Surely as beautiful as originally intended. Famous translators include Catherine the Great, who translated The Merry Wives of Windsor into Russian. Thanks, Catherine, you truly were great. And the first president of Tanzania, Julius Nyerere, translated two plays into Swahili. Plague Poetry An outbreak of the plague in Europe closed all of London’s theatres between 1592 and 1594. Since there was little demand for new plays, Shakespeare instead turned to poetry, writing many of his much-loved sonnets during this time. Turns out the plague was responsible for at least one good thing. Not sure if that outweighs all the...plagueness. But it's something! Names In The Stars Several moons orbiting Uranus are named after characters from Shakespeare plays. The likes of Titania, Oberon and Puck are plucked from A Midsummer Night’s Dream. And Ariel and Miranda from The Tempest. So there you go. Bet you didn't know that fact, did you? No. You did not. Birds Of A Feather The first starlings were imported into the US in 1890 by Eugene Schiffelin. Schiffelin was such a Shakespeare fan that he imported all birds mentioned in his plays. Well, at least the ones that didn't already exist in the United States, at least. From Playwright to Copyright Copyright didn’t exist in Shakespeare’s time, so scripts had to be carefully guarded. Actors often only got their lines once the play was in progress, courtesy of lots of careful cues. In fact, many of Shakespeare’s plays weren’t formally published during his lifetime. Perhaps they banned ink, quills and parchment from the audience, too? Otherwise, any old clever clogs would simply take notes and get rich. Shakespeare Or Shakespear..? No list of Shakespeare facts would be complete without some questions regarding the name. The first English dictionary was published in 1604 and only contained 2,449 words (none beginning with the letters W, X or Y). During most of Shakespeare’s lifetime, spelling was not standardised - he even signed his name inconsistently. In fact, there are no records of him ever having spelt it "William Shakespeare", as we do today. Stirred, not Shaken? No, that sounds silly. Lend Me Your Quotes Shakespeare is the second most quoted writer in the English language. Unsurprisingly, only the Bible is more popular. According to the Oxford Dictionary of Quotations, Shakespeare wrote close to a tenth of the most quoted lines ever written or spoken in English. “Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me your ears.” Will-i-Learn Over a million visitors come to the Stratford-upon-Avon theatres of the Royal Shakespeare Company each year. This is in addition to 530,000 children and young people who take part in the Company’s education work. Globe Today, Gone Tomorrow The Globe Theatre in London is built near the site of the original Tudor building. That's because it sadly burned down in 1613. Like the original theatre, it has three levels of seating as well as the ‘pit’. The original theatregoers who paid just a penny to stand and watch a performance were called ‘groundlings’ or, in summer, ‘stinkards’. Lovely... Love the Bard and all things theatrical? Be sure to pop by Shakespeare’s Globe for an incredible behind-the-scenes look and tour of the iconic playhouse. A reconstruction of the original Elizabethan playhouse built in 1599, Shakespeare’s Globe is a timber frame building with an open-air stage, maintaining the authentic feel of Shakespeare’s time.

Dom Bewley
Shakespeare's Globe Theatre Tour
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Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre Tour: FAQs

So, what is Shakespeare’s Globe? Shakespeare’s Globe is a reconstruction of the 1599 Globe Theatre, an Elizabethan playhouse where many of William Shakespeare’s plays had their debuts. And now you can find out all about it on the Shakespeare's Globe Theatre Tour. Is it the original? No, that was demolished in 1644. This reconstruction stands just 230m from the original site. It is designed to be as faithful to the original as possible and is based on lots of academic research into the features, size, materials and shape of the original. Is it simply an attraction, then? No. Shakespeare’s Globe, like the original, is a working theatre. It is open-air, with an authentic thrust stage that leans out into the audience. The building provides cover for three tiers of seating, but most audience members stand, entirely unprotected from the elements. As such, the theatre puts on performances during the summer only.  There’s a self-guided exhibition area too, which you’re free to take a look at afterwards, or beforehand whilst you wait for your allocated tour time slot. Do the tours run year-round? They are indeed. So whenever you’re looking to come to London, there’s a good chance you’ll be able to see the building from the inside and dip your toe into a little London and Shakespeare history. Tours finish at midday during the performance season, which runs from April to October. But no tour is called off due to inclement weather. Because of the open-air nature of the yard, bring appropriate clothing if you think it’s going to rain. What does the tour include? Visitors are taken into the theatre to see the thrust stage and the covered seating of the ‘Wooden O’. You’ll discover how plays were performed in Shakespeare’s time, and how the modern theatre tries to carry on the theatrical legacy of the Elizabethan stage. It’s particularly enlightening to consider the practical problems and considerations that affected the way Shakespeare developed his most famous works. You’ll be guided through the history of the original building and its modern reconstruction, getting introduced to fascinating real-life characters who made the theatre what it was then, and what it is now. Can I stand on the stage? Unfortunately not. It’s for safety reasons though, so fair enough. If you come as part of an educational group, you might be able to during one of the workshops. But for ordinary entry, nope. You do get incredibly close to it though. Just one tiny step and a giant leap from stardom.  Do I get to go backstage then? There isn’t really much to see backstage at Shakespeare’s Globe. So, no. Does it last as long as the Bard's longest play, Hamlet? Blessedly, no. The tour lasts around 40 minutes. Can I book in advance? You can book advance tickets online. If you’re turning up on the day, get there early or else tickets may sell out. The quietest tour is the first one of the day, which runs at 9.30am. I’m bringing my whole crew with me. Can we just turn up? First up, congratulations on having so many friends.  But no, you can’t just turn up if you’re bringing a large number of people. You’ll need to book in advance. What are the opening times? Tours run every 30 minutes from 9.30am until 5pm year-round, apart from April to October when performances are on. During this time, tours end at midday. It’s also during the performance period (when the weather’s nicer, really) that tours get busier. It’s best to turn up as early as you can during the summer months so that tickets don’t sell out on you. Are tours in any languages other than English? No, all tours are conducted in the language of Shakespeare. Although the dialogue is usually not so flowery or hard to follow. However, there are free information sheets available on the Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre Tour. They come in French, German, Italian, Spanish, Polish, Russian, Simplified Chinese, Japanese, Dutch, Korean, Portuguese, Romanian, Greek and Hungarian. Is the Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre Tour fully accessible? Yes, it is. Ask at the ticket office for more details if visiting with someone with hearing or sight difficulties. How do I get to Shakespeare’s Globe? Shakespeare’s Globe is positioned on the Southbank, right by the River Thames. It’s in an enviable position, right in the heart of London, just as the original 1599 Globe Theatre was. This means that it is easy to get to from a number of London locations. Take an easy stroll along the Thames from a nearby attraction. It’s a lovely way to arrive at this centre of theatrical history. You’ll also find it easily accessible by a number of cycle routes. The closest tube stations are Blackfriars and Mansion House, which are both a 10-minute walk away. MBNA Thames Clipper services drop you off at Bankside Pier, which is right by the theatre. There’s some limited parking for blue badge holders on New Globe Walk. If you’re on the train, Blackfriars Station is 10 minutes walk away, while London Bridge is 15. And for all your bussers out there, you can get the 45, 63 or 100 to Blackfriars, the 15 and 17 to Cannon Street; and the 11, 15, 17, 23, 26 and 76 to Mansion House. How much does it cost to go on the Shakespeare's Globe Theatre Tour? Entry to the Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre Tour costs from £17 for standard tickets. Children get in for £10, and Seniors (60 years and over) for £15.50. Bring your ID if you’re a student, and you can get in for £13.50. Family tickets are £46. But as you know, entry is included with your London Pass.  Experience everything London has to offer with The London Pass® Planning your London trip? With The London Pass®, you can explore big-name landmarks, local hotspots and epic tours, all on one pass, all for one price. Not only that, but you'll enjoy savings of up to 50%, compared to buying individual attraction tickets. ✈️ Buy The London Pass® ✈️

Matthew Pearson

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