How To Plan the Perfect Weekend Getaway
For many people, the idea of taking a weekend trip to somewhere close by doesn’t cut it anymore. People want to get far, far away from the hustle and bustle of their daily lives. And they want to experience something different than anything they’ve seen before.
If you break it all down, you’d need many things. You’d need a big budget, and to request time off of work, and even a plane ticket.
But what if I told you, there are adventures and new places to explore right at your backdoor? It’d only take a small budget, and one weekend.
There are plenty of factors to consider when planning a perfect weekend getaway. So, you might want to start by reading this guide on how to plan the perfect weekend trip away from home.
What kind of vacation is this?
First thing first, what kind of weekend getaway would you like to plan? You can decide on anything you want to do. Somewhere to hike, or somewhere historic to visit. Somewhere to party, or even somewhere that’s new to explore. Saving an idea in mind of what you’d like to do for your weekend trip will help narrow the search.
Once you have a broad idea of something you’d like to do, your search can begin! And now it’s time to put your plan into action. The next step is to figure out your budget.
Check your Budget
The most important thing about planning a weekend getaway is to know how much you can spend. This can dictate where you go and what you do.
Your priority should be to cover the cost of your activities, food, and hotel. You can always cut costs by choosing a hotel or Air Bnb with a kitchen and making your own meals. This way you can focus your money on an experience instead of fast food. Eating out can take up most of your budget. But you can always plan to have at least one meal at a nice restaurant to enjoy.
Make sure you have a budget for mishaps and accidents. Something unexpected almost always happens when you’re traveling.
If you don’t prepare your budget for things that go wrong, your whole trip might ruin. Your hotel money may need to go to buy a new tire. Your food money may need to go to buy something left from home that’s needed. Like a charger or underwear, a new toothbrush, etc.
Anything can happen while traveling, so it’s a great idea to prepare for it even if you’re not going too far. Planning a weekend trip means you should choose something to do that’s only a few hours away.
Choose something unique to do 3–4 hours away
Search for things to do a few hours away and you’ll have a huge list to choose from. If you’ve decided on what type of vacation you want, it’ll narrow down the list.
Try to do things that are unique to that specific town, something you can’t do anywhere else. For example, Murfreesboro, AR is one of the only places in the world where the public can search for real diamonds in their original volcanic source. So, if you’re looking to go dig in some dirt to find some crystals and take a chance to discover a diamond. It’s the perfect place to go.
Check out unique day trips around you and plan a weekend to drive there. Explore the city and do whatever activity you’ve chosen. When you’ve decided where you want to go. The next step is to choose a hotel.
Choosing a hotel
Within your budget, look for hotels that are around the area you’ve chosen. Or search for a unique Air Bnb that’ll fit your needs. Choosing a place that’s different from an average hotel will make all the difference.
Where you stay has a big impact on how your trip will go. If you stay at the absolute cheapest hotel, you might not enjoy it. When you check-in, you might not feel safe, or you might wish they served free breakfast.
When you’ve chosen the perfect place, it’s time to pack.
Pack according to the weather
Packing is essential to your travel experience. If you forget anything or find that you need something, you’d have to dip into your budget. Look up what the weather will be like at your destination during the time you’ll be there. Always pack a few extra clothes in case you need to layer, or if you spill something and stain what you’re wearing. Packing extra clothes or items for the weekend is never a bad thing, even if you don’t end up needing them.
Pack for the activities planned
Plan out what you’ll wear or what you’ll need for the activity you’ve chosen. It’s a great way to ensure you’ll have an amazing time. For example, If you’re planning a hike at a national park, make sure you have extra socks, toilet paper, snacks, etc.
If you prepare for the worst, you’ll spend your time exploring without worry. You won’t be thinking of everything that can go wrong if you’ve prepared for it. Whether it’s making sure you can survive or making sure you have everything you need.
Preparing for your activity can help you live in the moment and enjoy what you’re doing. And speaking of living in the moment, it’s always a good idea to keep your itinerary open. If things don’t go according to plan, you have enough wiggle room to change it up.
Keep your itinerary flexible
Anything can happen and plans may have to change. There are things that are out of our control. And you aren’t aware of the situation soon enough to avoid it or change course.
Anything can happen such as construction, and natural causes. Or even your expectations of the place can put a stop to your plans.
For example, what if you get to a place you’ve been so excited about, but it doesn’t look like the photos? And it’s nothing like you thought it was going to be. Now all the sudden you’d rather not go. Or the place shut down because they’re remodeling. Or because it’s closed even though their hours are open.
Having a backup plan or other things to do while you’re there can be helpful. A backup plan can save your weekend trip. And you might even have a better time doing something different than you planned.
Deciding to get away for the weekend has no other goal than to have fun! So it’s ok if your trip turns out differently than your plan.
Planning a Weekend Getaway Is Planning to Have Fun!
No matter what, remember you’re planning a trip to have fun. It’s not a mission you need to do, it’s not a task you’re crossing off your to-do list. It’s a time that you’ve scheduled to have fun ON PURPOSE. So no matter what happens, even if things don’t go to plan, the main goal for traveling on the weekend is to have fun.
If you follow these simple steps on how to plan a perfect weekend getaway, you’ll have an adventure. It won’t burn a hole in your pockets as a trip far away would. And you won’t have to disrupt your work schedule.
Enjoy your weekend trip! And if it all goes well, you can always budget and plan a perfect weekend getaway once a month.
Happy travels!
