You can take long weekend trips without spending a lot of money or time. The best part is that you can fit several long weekend getaways into one year. You usually only need to use 1 or 2 vacation days.
These tips will help you plan better and more. Here are my top tips to help you plan the perfect long weekend getaway.
Planning the perfect long weekend getaway? Here are some tips
Set a budget
First, you need to decide on a destination. You may not be able to afford thousands of dollars for every vacation, so you must have a rough budget in place before you start any planning. This will help you make your getaway more affordable.
When planning out your budget, you’ll want to consider the cost of things like transportation, accommodations, activities/sightseeing, and food.
While many people think that all travel must be expensive, you can still travel closer to your home with a smaller budget.
Fly or drive
Once you know how much money you are willing to spend on your weekend trip, it’s time to start planning where you want. The cost of where you want to go will depend on whether or not you are willing to drive and fly. Both have their pros and cons.
If you own a car, driving is the most economical option. You can stop at any point along the route and go wherever you like. You may not be able to travel as far and may need to include parking fees in your budget.
Travel time should be taken into consideration.
When deciding how long your trip should be, my number one piece of advice is to consider travel time. You can easily drive 2 hours from your home and still have enough time to fit in a weekend. If you are flying to a place 5 hours away, it is probably a 4-day trip that makes more sense.
Before asking for time off, I suggest deciding where you won’t go. Then you can begin booking your travel.
Do your research
After you have decided where and how you want to get there, you can start pre-trip research. You can research things such as the best neighbourhoods and the best deals. Do your research on the area and what you can do there.
Consider things such as how easy it would be to park there if driving or how close it is to other attractions if flying. Sometimes it is worth paying more to stay in a central location. You don’t want half of your trip spent on public transport or taxis.
Booking accommodation in advance
Although many people like flexibility and spontaneity when planning their travels, the reality is that long weekend trips are not meant to be flexible. A trip of only 3-4 days may not allow you to make quick decisions.
This is why I advise booking your accommodation well in advance. It would be best if you also stayed in the same location for the duration of your trip, as changing hotels daily can eat into your already limited time.
It was easy to decide to stay in this Puerto Rico hotel throughout my entire trip!
You don’t need to be limited to hotels when looking at accommodation options. B&Bs/guesthouses and Airbnb rentals ( Get some free Airbnb credit here) are all options. It all depends on where you are going and how you travel. However, I recommend staying close to the action (either a city centre or a beach).
The amount of time you need to book depends on the destination and when you travel. However, you will usually get the best rates if your bookings are made at least two weeks in advance.
Make a rough plan for each of your days.
As I said, a weekend trip of this length is not meant to be flexible. To get the most from a short weekend trip, it is important to plan. This could be something that you plan before you leave for home or something you do once you arrive at your destination. I sometimes wait until I get there to plan around the weather forecast.
Once you have done your research and compiled your list of things you would like to see, you can create a loose itinerary that will maximize your time. This will allow you to consider things such as opening and closing times and the proximity of different sites.
When Elliot, my husband, and I visited Portland last summer, we spent one-half-day exploring the city on foot, one-half-day visiting a few gardens/parks that needed an Uber ride. Still, we were very close to each other once we got there and drove to the Columbia River Gorge for one half-day. We rented a car to get to and from the Gorge.
We made it a point to stop by Voodoo Doughnut in Portland while we were there!
A rough plan for each day will allow you to see and do as many things as possible without wasting your time or money. You can also dedicate half the day to cafe-hopping if you prefer!
Make sure to plan your must-do activities/tours.
Book ahead if there is a specific tour or activity you absolutely must do on your long weekend getaway. This will help you plan your rough itinerary, and you won’t have any worries about it being sold out or full upon arrival.
Buy your tickets ahead of time if you go to Disney World or Universal. Book your tickets in advance if you are certain you will be taking a tour of a particular restaurant or seeing a show. Do you want to dine at an award-winning restaurant? Book reservations. If you are going to major cities, consider purchasing an attraction pass ahead of time. It’s one less thing to worry about once you arrive.
When Elliot, my husband, and I went on a long weekend trip in Chicago, we had a list of things to do. We wanted to see an improv show and eat deep-dish pizza. We also wanted to visit at least one museum and both observation towers. I bought tickets for Improvised Shakespeare before we left, and two Chicago CityPasses were purchased to allow us access to the observation decks, museums, and other attractions. While we still had the freedom to choose what we wanted to see, we also didn’t have any restrictions on how many people we could stand in that would limit our sightseeing time.
Be light
You don’t need to have 17 different outfits for a long weekend. You only need one outfit per day. It would be best if you packed the right clothes for the destination, considering the culture and weather forecasts. But don’t overpack.
This is especially true if you are flying for a long weekend. It’s not worth wasting your time at baggage claim or, worse, lost luggage counter. Carry on only to get on with your trip as soon as you arrive.