How often do you get to surprise yourself? Never! Because it’s virtually impossible.
Yet surprise trips can do exactly this! Find out more about the benefits of surprise travel.
Taking a surprise trip is an exciting and adventurous experience. You may find yourself in a destination you never expected to be in, but one that is perfect for what you are looking for, and not just by luck of the draw.
Still not quite sure how this would play out? We don’t blame you. Here’s a brief step-by-step guide to how going on a fully personalized surprise trip works with Jubel.
Step 1: Know what kind of trip you want and what your general preferences are
Before you fill out our travel survey, it is important that you have a clear idea in mind about what you are seeking to experience on this trip, your dates, and your budget. The more information you can give us, the more personalized and exciting your trip will be.
Make sure your travel dates are at least 1 month away, otherwise we might not be able to provide our full services, and, also, think carefully about your budget. If you are traveling from the USA and want to go to Asia, 5 days or $1,000 really won’t cut it. In fact, it is quite difficult to get anywhere from the U.S. with less than that for a well-rounded experience. From Europe, it is definitely easier, since flights within Europe are much cheaper.
Step 2: Take the Jubel Survey
Now, you are ready to take the survey. When choosing your destinations and your routes, we look very closely at what type of scenery you prefer, the types of hotels you’d like to stay at, how you prioritize to spend your time and how you like to get around. This is where you will also put your dates, your departure city/airport, and budget.
Once we know your budget, we will stick to it and maximize it for your an optimal experience!
We recommend you take your time filling out the survey. It can be done pretty quickly, but the more information you give us, the better!
A flagship of the Jubel experience, is blending your travel styles to arrive at a trip that’s customized just right for you. We have 5 of them, which ultimately tell us “the vibes” you are looking for and how you’d like to spend your time.
Jubel’s travel styles are: Culturist, Active Nature, Chill Nature, Oceanist, and Party Purist. Learn more about each style here. In the travel survey, you will tell us your travel style priorities.
It is important that you think about what you want for this specific trip, and not generalize. You might, like many, identify with all the categories a little, and perhaps you do want a nice blend of each one for this trip. Or, maybe you are planning a more beach specific trip, for example, where your main priorities may be Oceanist and Party Purist, or you want a relaxed nature getaway, where your main priority will be Chilled Nature.
You also need to decide what level of surprise you are comfortable with. We have 3 categories of surprise: “complete surprise”, “I want to know the continent”, and “I want to know the country” (but not the destinations in the country). Many people, for example, know they want to go to Brazil, just not where!
Many people often leave the “Places to Avoid” section of the survey blank, but this section is the place where you can tell us where you have already been, and where you wouldn’t want to return to. Also, if you have a few destinations in mind that you would like to go to, you can add them in “preferred destinations”. This does not necessarily ruin the surprise; say, for example, that you write “South East Asia” as a preferred destination, the countries and destinations would still be a total surprise.
Finally, in the comments box, it is always helpful to just give a few sentences in your own words that explain your ideal trip. Just what it is you are looking for plain and simple. You can also include things you don’t want to encounter or want to avoid, as well as specify any important things we should know about, such as special occasions or allergies.
Step 3: Email
After you submit your survey, one of our travel specialists will reach out to you via email within one business day. At first, you will receive an email asking whether you would like to proceed via email or phone. Although the survey is very complete, we prefer to have a little dialogue to dig deeper and get a better sense of your preferences and style!
Step 4: Receive Proposal
At this point, one of our travel specialists will get started on your trip and, within three working days, you will receive a completely personalized travel plan.
Our trip proposals contain:
- descriptions of the destinations (without revealing them) and a vague photograph to give you an idea of the sort of experience we cooked up for you, again, without giving anything away
- logistics
- the types of hotels
- the weather of the destinations
- the types of available activities
- and the final price per person, which includes:
- flights, transfers, and accomodations
- full concierge service, customer support 24/7
- your Jubel Atlas, with curated guides for each destination on where to eat, drink, party, and what to do, often times including providers for different activities.
Our Jubel Atlas ensures you will never arrive empty handed at a destination, and will always be in-the-know.
Step 5: Changes and Reworks
Once reviewed, you can ask for changes and reworks of your proposal — we want to make it just right for you.
Step 6: Booking
Once you are completely happy with the proposal and require no new changes, it’s time to book. The price given at the bottom of the proposal is valid for 48 hours, and after that, is subject to change. This is due to the volatile nature of flight, car rental and hotel prices, which can change by the minute. So, if you like the sound of a trip, it’s best to get it confirmed as soon as possible in order to ensure availability and avoid price fluctuations!
Usually, the first payment is simply a deposit, unless the trip is less than two month away, or all of the services on the trip are non-refundable. The first payment is used to pay any portion of the trip that needs to be paid up front (ie — flights, car rentals, non-refundable hotels). The second payment is then collected two months prior to your departure. If a last minute cancellation occurs, we will do our best to refund you as much of your trip as possible. The majority of flights and transfers cannot be refunded, but many hotels can be.
Step 7: Post-Booking + Referrals
Once the first payment comes in, we are sure to get all of your services locked in immediately. Once everything is booked, we will follow up to let you know. In this confirmation email, we will also be sure to include info on any necessary vaccinations for your trip, insurance and our referral program.
Step 8: Jubel Atlas and Travel
Finally, around three or four weeks before your departure, you will receive your Jubel Atlas in the mail. Inside, you will find a general welcome letter along with a number of sealed and dated envelopes. You can go ahead and read the welcome letter upon receiving the package. The smaller, dated envelopes are to be opened along the way throughout your trip.
Each smaller envelope reveals your next destination. Inside, you will find your itinerary, confirmations, best practices for traveling within that certain country, and recommendation guides on what to see, do, eat and drink.
When we ship the package, we will also send you a confirmation email with information on when to get to the airport, weather and a basic packing list for your destination.
Once you receive your Atlas, you are ready to go! And remember, Jubel is always available to answer questions or to help resolve any problems that may come up on your trip.
And so, bon voyage!
Taking a surprise trip can be one of the most exhilarating and fulfilling experiences of your life. By not googling the delight away beforehand, you will allow yourself to truly enjoy your discovery.
Originally published at blog.jubel.co.
