Perfectly planned holidays are great – and quite the luxury! But for those who thrive on a little spontaneity, quick little trips now and then help satisfy them itchy feet.
We’ve all seen those inspirational quotes that tell us to “pack a bag, pick a place and just go” or to “visit a new place once a year.”
“Someday,” we tell ourselves as we sit at our desks with an inbox full of emails to reply to. “Someday soon.”
But ever so often, a Facebook memory will pop up reminding me of a holiday years ago, or I’ll see someone Instagramming themselves in a pool surrounded by inflatable unicorns and I think.. “Man… I need a vacation NOW!”
Turns out, there are enough and more places to visit right here in India that can be covered over a long weekend. You’ll get the R&R you crave and you can do it without spending a fortune. Here’s how:
Be Flexible – When planning a quick getaway, you don’t want to splurge all your money. It’s ok to be choosy about destinations when you have weeks to spare. But for a last minute trip, the goal is simply to break your routine. Whether it’s a visit to another city, a quiet hillside or a beach, be open to destinations rather than setting your heart on one place. You’ll get much better deals and you’ll have a unique experience without getting caught up in too much planning.
Take a 3 day weekend – It’s not difficult to try and get a day off work (if you have a good attendance history). Take a sick day off or use up a day of your vacation leave to add an extra day to your weekend. Sure, it isn’t the most ethical thing to do, but then offices don’t have mental/emotional sickness leaves, do they?
It isn’t ideal to travel only for a two-day weekend. In fact, it’s even more exhausting when you arrive at your destination on one day and have to leave the next. The extra day in between makes it feel like a real, relaxing getaway.
Find Great Deals – I’m a big, BIG fan of Skyscanner! And if there’s one fabulous travel hack I can share with you, it would be to use it! If you’re up for adventure, it will tell you the cheapest flights currently and you can pick one to a completely random destination. Skyscanner always manages to find tickets that are cheaper than you would have gotten anywhere else. If you have your heart set on one particular place, set up a flight alert and it will tell you when the tickets are dirt-cheap. You’ll be amazed at how great the deals are and how far you can get with a limited budget.
Try your luck with cancelled bookings – Whether it’s a hiking tour, a city walk or music concert, you’ll always find vacant spots for activities due to last minute cancellations. Even if the last date to sign up is over, call and ask to be put on the cancellation list. You may even get a good deal at the end moment.
Visit a buddy – Chances are, you have a lot of friends who’ve moved to different cities or countries for better prospects. Use your trip as an opportunity to catch up with them and who knows – you may be able to stay with them and save a few grands. Take something from your home-city as a thank you gift and make their day!
Don’t break the bank – A trip is only fun if you aren’t broke at the end of it. Establish a budget and stick to it. It’s important that your desire to travel doesn’t mess up your financial goals. Saving up is SOOO hard, but try to keep a teeny bit of money aside for a quick retreat every couple of months (or weeks, depending on how much you manage to save.)
It’s all about Spontaneity – Ever plan to go to a certain place, lost your way and found a KILLER chai tapri or vintage store in the process? Doing something on the spur of the moment is scary, but fun too! We’re so used to having every day planned perfectly, but it’s nice to embrace the unknown once in a way and see where it takes you. Overthink and over plan those month-long yearly vacations and let these short ones be all about ‘wingin it’
Hopefully, these tips will help you plan an exciting, inexpensive trip. I’m writing this because I’m going on one in a bit. I’ve been telling the folks on Twitter all about it…
If you have any additional quick-trip hacks, I’d love to hear them so please share them in the comments section below.
Bubye!