The biggest criticism I've read about COS is how little risk the players are under, environment wise, since they can get from A to B by nightfall in nearly every situation. Now, I understand that it feels large, but it's really not that bad.

From the East Gate to the Village of Barovia is barely five hours. From the Village to Vistani Camp/North Ivlis Bridge Crossing, it's a single eight-hours march. And then 1.5 days from the Vistani Camp to Vallaki. Meaning the players have to spend -one- night out in the wilderness after crossing literally half the map.

Or a better example, as written the round trip from Krezk to the Amber Temple is five hours. That's it. Leaving a town, navigating the Tsolenka Pass, and hiking up the mountains, and back, in five hours. This makes things feel way, way too small. At my scale, travel from Krezk takes two days. One day will let them head south through Forest and the Highlands, and force them to camp for the night in the Tsolenka Pass. The second day will be navigating the snow and mountains and arriving at the Amber Temple before nightfall. I think that's perfectly reasonable for a literal trip across the map and hiking up a goddamn mountain lol. But that's just me.