As I have got older (and less cash-strapped), I have moved more towards the relaxed end of the scale.

As a wide-eyed 20-something work-hard-play-hard type, I did a lot of tear-arsing around, spending one day here and half a day there, sleeping on trains and living by the seat of my pants, seeing as many different places as I could at the lowest possible cost in terms of cash and leave time.

It was a helluva lot of fun and I would change absolutely nothing about those experiences.

However now, as a 40yo semi-retiree with 5 free months each winter, the focus is more on relaxation and those 3-day-3-city races have become relaxed 4-week road trips with plenty of multi-night stops.

There are merits to both approaches. It's not just about what suits the individual. It's about what suits you at any particular point or situation in your life.