[CUnknown]

I am rediculously miserly when it comes to site-searching spells. I don't think I would recommend this style of play necessarily.

But, I will go around manually site-searching with level 1 mages, even, as long as the mage doesn't have to walk too long to get there.

I do a cursory search with low level mages (lvl 1-3) for as many paths as I can, manually. Then I might site search with spells in certain spots -- say, mountains, forest, and waste -- and only spots where I haven't already found at least 1 or 2 sites. If I find 2 sites in a province, or sometimes just 1 if it's a plains or cropland, then I stop searching there.

So, I think even going over a province with a level 1 mage is enough, sometimes. Level 2, definitely, that is basically all you would ever need.