Given the choice, we’d all love to be sipping from a tall glass of something cool in the sun. Or perhaps you’re more of a city person? Then again, you may be the kind of person who likes to mix things up a bit. Regardless of your preferences, there are some good tips to consider when planning the best weekend getaways.
Sun, sea, sand, city … safari, perhaps? There are those who love scuba diving, those who like to trek, and those who want to camp. When you think about what your perfect weekend trip might entail, the list of options can be overwhelming.
Also, with things the way they are with the global health situation, you may need advice on cancellations and whether your booking is protected – see credit fix for more information.
With all of this in mind, here are some important things to consider when choosing the ideal destination for fun weekend getaways.
Best Weekend Getaways – Things to Consider
Don’t Wander Too Far
This is a tip that most people only come to realize is potentially an issue at the point of booking their flights. If you only have a weekend in which to travel, your flight times become a significant issue.
For example, let’s say it takes you almost one hour to get to the airport and let’s say you have to be at the airport two hours before your flight.
Now, let’s also say your flight is delayed by two hours. If your flight time is above four hours, that’s a grand total of almost ten hours that you will have wasted, not to mention the time you’ll need to get to your hotel.
When you only have 48 hours to play with, perhaps staying a little closer to home will mean you can enjoy more of your destination and less of the inside of a plane.
For all you know, you may have some hidden gems right on your hometown’s doorstep – ask around and see what is close by to where you live.
Planning the best weekend getaways doesn’t have to mean traveling abroad.
Don’t Overstuff Your Itinerary
One of the most common mistakes people make when planning their weekend trips is to list multiple things to do or see per day. This is intentional, of course, with people wanting to make the most of their time.
However, this means you won’t have time to really take anything in because you will always have one eye on the clock.
Plus, if you’ve never been to your destination before, you won’t have as good of an idea of travel times between tourist spots or what traffic is like at different hours of the day.
For example, getting across Paris to visit both the Eiffel Tower and the Arc de Triomphe in a single day is … going to take a lot longer than you might think!
Both constantly watching the time and getting caught up in things that take longer than expected can cause anxiety that will make your weekend getaways less relaxing and less enjoyable.
Visit Early
With such limited time, you’re going to want to beat the crowds. This means getting up early and arriving at your choice of ‘must-see’ sights before 10 AM where possible.
After 10 AM, tourist groups of all sizes have had time to eat their breakfast, load themselves onto coaches, and head out to start swarming around the tourist attractions.
It’s not just that you might not get a nice photo opportunity – places like Edinburgh Castle and Prague Castle have a daily capacity.
Don’t miss seeing and doing the things you most want to experience by arriving late and finding there’s no room left! Planning ahead and getting there early will help you have the best weekend getaways.
Events
One way to make your weekend getaways a bit more special is to see if there are any events happening on the date you plan to visit.
For example, if there’s a festival or parade going on in the city center of where you’re visiting, this can either enhance or put a downer on your trip. It all depends on what you’re into and if you want to get involved.
With large gatherings of people, you can expect road closures, venues to be booked up, and swarms of crowds from far and wide.
It’s always wise to do your research before booking your trip, to ensure that you are visiting when either there is an event going on that you want to get involved with or make sure one that you want to avoid isn’t taking place.
Consider you were to visit a city with a world-famous football team, and they were playing their last game of the sporting season, you can expect there to be a big furor throughout the public.
Along with this, it would be more difficult to get accommodations and reservations – note that room prices also increase when there is more of a demand.
If you only have a few days somewhere new then you want to make sure you make the most of it. All in all, the best weekend getaways are the ones that give you a chance to explore somewhere new, have a breather, and learn about a different place.
If you take the advice in this article then you should be able to plan the best weekend getaways that have the right balance of activities and also downtime. Make the most of each day and most of all, enjoy your trip!
