This is the point where an important skill called "timing" comes into effect. Timing is an important sense for the explorer to develop, and one which evolves with experience. Timing is an intrinsic sense of when to move from one place/situation to another. Different places have more unique (or novel) experiences to offer the explorer than others (relative to the explorer's past experience). The novelty is what stimulates us to grow. Once the novelty of a place wears off we reach a point of stagnation where we need new and different stimuli. This is the time to move on to a new place/situation. Similar places have similar levels of novelty, so when we come to a new place where we feel like we have "done that", then our sense of timing should tell us to move on.
The process of plotting a course begins with drawing a route on a map of the country you will visit (which is found in the beginning of your guidebook) connecting the specific sites and regions you want to see. This route depends on the total amount of time you have, as well as the things you want to do/see.
You need to make an estimation of the amount of time you will spend in each spot. The more information you have about a specific spot, the more accurate your estimation will be. It is important to OVERESTIMATE the time allotment for each spot, since this will give you some flexibility and account for unexpected circumstances (illness, inclement weather, etc.).
Specific factors which contribute to your estimation are:
- the time it takes to perform certain activities (ex. hiking, attending events, etc.)
- the amount of things there are to do
- the time it takes to get there
- the amount of money you have to spend
Another important point is to account for the fact that you usually need to return to the point that you arrived in a foreign country (ex. airport, harbor, etc.) in order to leave. Therefore, it is often best to plot a route from the entry to exit point (which is usually the same and often circular). This makes a smoother itinerary and allows you to spend more continuous time exploring, rather than wasting time in public transportation facilities.