Weekend Refreshers: Tips for Planning a Weekend Getaway

Sometimes, when you’re feeling stressed and overwhelmed with adult responsibilities and just day-to-day life, one of the best things you can do is take a weekend getaway. It might not seem like much, but it could completely re-energize you and make you feel better than you have in a long time. If you’re in desperate need of a weekend refresher, check out the following tips to get started on the planning.

Determine Your Budget
How much you can afford to spend plays a big part in where you can go. Once you determine your budget, you can then figure out where you can afford to travel to and how much you can afford to spend for each part of your trip. If you’re going to a locale that’s currently experiencing their “off-season,” you may be able to find better deals than if you were to travel somewhere that’s in the midst of their “peak season.”

Book Close to the Main Attractions
If you were going away for a week or more, there would probably be no problem with staying at a hotel that’s further away from the main attractions whether it’s to save money or just because you’re a fan of that area. However, you only have a weekend, and chances are you don’t want to spend a chunk of that time traveling back and forth from the attractions to the hotel nor do you want to spend extra money in transportation costs (such as if you’re taking a cab each way). You’re better off booking close to the attractions for easy access.

Make a List of Musts
You may not be able to get everything done you want to in a single weekend, but you also don’t want to stress yourself out with trying to do just that. The point of the weekend getaway is to feel refreshed. Make a list of things you absolutely must do on your trip, then follow that up by writing down a few items that you’d like to do if you can get to them. Make your “musts” your priority.

Make Your Restaurant Reservations
One problem you may encounter on your weekend getaway, especially if you’re traveling with other people, is trying to figure out where to go to eat. There are three things to keep in mind. Restaurants are usually always packed on weekends, you want to avoid places that are very poorly rated, and you don’t want to waste time sitting around for 30-minutes waiting for everyone to agree on where to go. When you decide ahead of time what restaurants you want to dine at, you can make your reservations and everything is already set so you don’t have to worry.

Bring a Carry-on
Checking your bag means more time you have to wait around and possibly even more money you have to pay, not to mention it’s a huge hassle if your bag gets lost. You’re better off putting everything into a weekend carry-on.

Consider Making it a 3-day Weekend
As much as you may try to fit everything into two days, it just might not be possible, so why not make it a 3-day weekend? This gives you more time to enjoy your destination while also giving yourself some room just in case you encounter some minor setbacks along the way (such as a delayed flight or having to drive slower because it’s raining). Chances are you’ll feel a lot less stressed with that extra day.

Just remember that the whole point of your weekend getaway is to come back feeling incredible, refreshed, and with a whole new motivation to tackle your day-to-day life. The easier you make it for yourself while you’re planning and while you’re on the trip, the better it will be for you.