How To Plan The Perfect Weekend Trip: 10 Steps

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How To Plan The Perfect Weekend Trip: 10 Steps

Weekend trips are a lot of fun. Often, they are the most memorable kinds of vacations because knowing we have less time away from our desks means we throw ourselves into every minute of the vacation and get our money’s worth.

Read our 10-step guide for planning the most unforgettable weekend away.

1. Set a budget

First thing’s first: set your budget. Can you afford to travel overseas? Will you fly, drive or catch a train? Will you stay in a hotel, Airbnb or hostel? Are you travelling to go to a ticketed event – if so, how much will that cost you? Will you pay for it all yourself or with you split the cost with your partner/travel buddy?

Also, keep in mind that travelling and vacationing on the weekend is generally a little more expensive than midweek.

2. Decide on location

Next, you must decide on a location. Will you stay local and have a staycation, or will you fly overseas? Or, are you already travelling somewhere for a work trip, family engagement or wedding and are wanting to extend your trip to experience more of the destination?

3. Check your calendar

Before you book anything, be sure to check your calendar for any clashing events or work obligations. And also check the diary of your partner/travel buddy. 

If you are taking your partner/friend away as a surprise, you may have to be sneaky about booking the trip, and you may have to first ask their work colleagues or line manager.

4. Book time off work

Weekend trips are so named because they occur over the weekend, but sometimes Friday evening to Sunday night/Monday morning just isn’t long enough, especially if the journey is long.

To get the most out of your trip, consider taking either the Friday or Monday off work (or both) so that you can turn your weekend into a long weekend. It will make all the difference and you still won’t have to use up all of your holiday days.

5. Factor in travel and time difference

Don’t forget to factor in the travel time and any major time difference as it may really impact the quality of your trip and the time spent in your destination. For example, if you are flying from Sydney to Perth, you will need to factor in that 4/5-hour flight and make sure that you have enough downtime to make the journey worth it. 

6. Book travel and accommodation in advance

Once you’ve booked your travel, you should next book accommodation. It’s important to do this as far in advance as possible because hotels, Airbnb homes and hostels can book up quickly and rise in price, especially during the high season. If you see any deals on accommodation, be sure to take advantage of them.

7. Create an activity plan

When planning a weekend away, it’s important to create an itinerary or activity plan, even if you don’t plan on doing anything much at all. Your activity plan could include sightseeing, going to the beach, having a spa day, chilling by the pool, or it could even be to dine at a Vietnamese Pho restaurant that you’ve heard good things about or any restaurant for that matter.

8. Pack light

When you’re going on a weekend trip – even if it’s a long weekend – you should pack as light as possible. Be strategic with packing to save on baggage costs and to lessen the hassle of carrying large bags. Generally, you will need two daytime outfits, evening attire, travelling/casual clothes, swimwear and pyjamas.

9. Put your phone on Airplane Mode

When you go on a weekend getaway you should leave all of your stresses and thoughts of work behind, so remember to turn off your phone when on holiday and relax

10. Have fun!

Lastly (but most importantly), have fun! The beauty of a weekend trip is that it doesn’t take a lot of planning and if you’re clever with your time you can see some really amazing places. Better yet, if you work Monday to Friday office hours you can do weekend trips as often as you like – even if you just stay in a nice hotel in your own city!

Enjoy!

Feature Photo by Isabelle Bruce from Pexels
Craig Evans

Hi, my name is Craig Evans. I am a finance fanatic and tech junkie based in Sydney, I frequently write articles related to Business & Marketing and am expanding my niche of writing by experimenting with different content.

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