25 nov 2022
No time for travelling? Why not go on a weekend getaway!
We don’t all have the luxury of taking a whole week off work and go on a holiday.
This can be due to a lack of holiday days, budget and time. But, you can perfectly well visit a city during the weekend :) We have been going on weekend trips for a couple of years now and see that it’s the perfect alternative to exploring a city.
This way, you can go on more ‘mini holidays’ in a year, allowing you to change air and detach from your day-to-day activities for a couple of days.
Additionally, as you are only gone for a few days, it is easier to pick your work or studies back up again, compared to when you are gone for weeks at a time and have kind of a shock to readjust.
I hope we have intrigued you :)
Do you need more convincing? Then, here are three great reasons why you should consider taking a weekend trip:
1. You can express explore a place
When we have a scarce resource, we tend to be more cautious about how we spend it.
Time is no different.
Maybe you don’t have enough time during the weekdays. Let’s say you are studying or working full time. Then using the weekends is a great opportunity to go on new adventures. You’d be surprised to see how much you can fit in 2-3 days.
Express exploring a city is a real-life application of Parkinson’ Law: since we have limited time, we will schedule all the things we want to see in a city within that limited time. We can then focus on the most joyful experiences of our trip.
2. Usually requires a lower budget
The great thing about weekend trips is that you don’t have to spend as much as you would in a longer trip.
Especially if you can plan your accommodation and transportation timely, you can make use of the seasonal or last-minute deals to save a great deal of money.
3. You can take more ‘holidays’ in a year
Since a weekend trip tends to last only 2-3 days, you can actually go on more of these trips during the year. Your whole budget is not spent on one trip and you generally don’t need to take any days off.
Being able to break up your working or studying year by weekend getaways is also beneficial for your mental health.
It is easier for you to detach and reenergise when you are in a completely different environment, allowing you to come back refreshed and ready to continue working/studying.
Now that we have outlined some benefits of weekend trips, you might be wondering how to make the most of it. Here are some practical tips that will help you:
1. Book your bus/train/flight tickets at least 2 months in advance
International transportation tickets have the tendency to increase in price the closer you are to the date of departure.
We highly recommend you to plan and book your tickets ahead of time. Alternatively, if your schedule is not bound to a specific weekend, check for last-minute deals.
2. Book a free walking tour
If you’d like to get a crash course on the place you are visiting, free walking tours are great options. You’ll get the chance to learn about history, top destinations, and local tips in a short time.
Usually, these tours work on a tip basis - so based on the quality of the service you received, you decide how much to pay the tour guide.
Here are some organisations that offer free walking tours:
3. Pack light
Can’t stress this one enough! Traveling light (e.g., with only a backpack) allows you to be extra mobile in the city, doesn’t require hours to pack and (if flying) saves time as you avoid checking in.
Why not challenge yourself to pack as light as possible?
If you have a weekend getaway planned, try packing only the essentials. It is a great way to get into the habit of travelling light and having mobility.
4. Start the day early
If you only have 2 days to spend in a city, you’ll most likely want to make the most of it. Usually overlooked, waking up early and kick-starting your day is actually a great way to do this.
You can even have the chance to avoid the peak hours at tourist attractions by aiming for the earlier entrance slots.
5. Get online tickets for museums and attractions to skip the queue
This one is a real-time saver! You must’ve seen the long queues in front of museums before. Usually, this line is for people who don’t have a ticket and wait to buy one inside.
Well, nowadays, almost all museums and attractions offer online tickets you can buy and avoid the queue.
Plus, your online ticket will most likely include a time slot for your entrance as well. So you’ll know when to be there and avoid spending hours trying to enter.
💡 Extra Tip: Ask around if there is an alternative entrance to the museum. This can help you skip the queue as well.
We hope these tips gave you some insights into weekend getaways and inspired you to book one too! Check some of our weekend getaways and city guides here.