Life is great. You know what makes it even better? A weekend getaway. Or road trips where you can get away for any two days of the week. There’s no rule that says you have to go from a Friday-Sunday to have fun.
I love the concept of running away for a couple of days to a place that a.) I’ve never been to, or b.) a place that I’ve always wanted to spend a little more time at.
Perhaps the best thing about road trips is that you call the shots. You decide who you are going with, if you are traveling by car, train, or plane, how cheap (or extravagant!) you’ll be, and how many activities you’ll participate in.
The concept of a weekend road trip is simple: to get a quick break and rejuvenate yourself so that you can tackle anything the next week brings.
While I believe that weekend road trips shouldn’t take up too much time planning, there are a few things that you should have figured out ahead of time, like, you know, sleeping accommodations to say the very least. You want to plan just enough so that you’re not left stressed out last-minute but not so much that you don’t have the opportunity to explore, because sometimes when things are spontaneous the best memories are made.
How to Plan Your Perfect Weekend Getaway
Plan where you want to go, and figure out if it’s realistic to go to in a weekend. You don’t want to spend the majority of your weekend traveling as you want to enjoy time at your destination. Try and keep travel times (whether by ground or by air) to around 4 hours or less one way.
Figure out who you are going to go with. Are you going with a friend or two? Perhaps your significant other? Or even, just yourself? Think about the vibe of the trip you want to have and then plan accordingly.
Set your budget. Believe it or not weekend getaways can get really expensive very fast. You need to make sure that you have a budget and that you stick with it. After all, you don’t want to be working overtime the next month just to pay for one weekend.
Schedule some activities but leave some downtime. I’ve been on trips where every hour of the day was packed thanks to heavy itineraries. While the trips were still fun, I’d recommend only one main activity per day and one fun evening out, so you have just enough scheduled activities, but not so much that you need a vacation from your so-called vacation.
Create a list. Write down a list of everything you need to pack, from clothes to chargers, food to water. It will make for an easier getaway the day of takeoff.
Clean your house. You heard me. Nothing ruins a perfectly good weekend getaway faster than returning home Sunday evening to a messy house. Tidy up the week before you go so you can come home and truly feel rejuvenated.
Take some pictures. Don’t spend the entire weekend trying to get ‘the perfect shot’, but do take a few photos. Since it’s a quick trip it will help you remember it later as you’re looking through photos together.
Are you a weekend road trip pro? Do you have anything else to add? I’m happy to share with you a FREE weekend getaway check off list to help you plan for an epic weekend!
~Melissa