The Go-To Guide For Planning The Perfect Weekend Away

Have you spent a lot of time at home lately? Looking for a quick adventure to break up the monotony of life? If you answered "yes" to both questions, you are in serious need of a fun filled weekend away. A weekend getaway provides the opportunity to escape from day-to-day routines, responsibilities, and the domestic drudgeries of life. It is the perfect chance to recharge, refocus, and connect with yourself (and/or loved ones) while enjoying a stress-free trip away from the hustle and bustle of daily life.

While planning a short weekend away might seem like an easy task, it actually involves a fair amount of work. From accommodations to travel and packing, there are a few things that need to be pre-planned, but don’t let that discourage you. In today’s go-to guide for planning the perfect weekend away, we keep things easy by sharing 8 top tips that are guaranteed to keep your trip stress-free and full of adventure! Ready to take a walk on the wild side? Simply read on to find out more.

Choose Your Destination & Plan Ahead

Obviously, the perfect weekend getaway will mean different things for different people. To some, it may be a quiet and relaxing time away in nature; to others, it may be an adventure-filled two days with lots of activities, sight-seeing, and restaurant hopping. No matter which group you belong to, choosing your destination and making plans ahead of time will help you in many ways. In our experience, the most important part of planning any weekend getaway is to choose somewhere that’s close to home. That way, you’ll be able to minimise travel time and maximise fun — something that is always a plus in our books. It can also be a great idea to plan your trip in advance if you are looking to keep costs low on travel, accommodation, and sightseeing. Most bookings will increase in price closer to your travel dates, while booking in advance and choosing non-holiday weekends will save you a significant amount along the way.

Top Tip: One of our favourite ways to plan for a weekend away includes buying a diary and jotting down various notes and trip ideas for the upcoming year well in advance.

Bring A Travel Buddy (Or Two!)

Striking out on your own has its benefits, but the perfect weekend away can be a fantastic opportunity to spend time with your partner, friends, or family members—especially if you often find yourself too busy during the week. Spending quality time with the ones you care about can instantly transform a trip into something that is ten times better, so be sure to ask around and to bring a travel buddy or two along for the ride. Good company will bring joy to everything you do and help make the weekend more memorable. Of course, this doesn’t mean that a solo weekend away is off the cards. If you do choose to spend some quiet time away on your own, be sure to let your friends and family know your travel itinerary and whereabouts in case of an emergency.

Plan The Perfect Accommodation

Whether you plan on camping in the wilderness, shacking up at a local Airbnb, or treating yourself to a room at a 5 star hotel, planning the perfect accommodation is key to a successful weekend away. In most cases, you’ll get the most out of your vacation time if you stay somewhere close to the action. Thankfully, there are a ton of websites (like booking.com) that allow you to look for a wide variety of accommodation options at the same time: hotels, B&Bs, serviced apartments, homestays and so on.

If you’re unsure or are having difficulty choosing a place to stay, be sure to consider the following tips:

1. Start off by setting your budget to filter out unaffordable accommodation options.

2. Use a map to choose an area or two where you would like to stay.

3. Shortlist 2-4 accommodation options in a location you like and that are within your budget.

4. Compare the amenities of your shortlisted options before making your final decision.

Your accommodation can make or break your trip, so be sure to choose wisely!

4. Keep Your Luggage Light

The best packing rule for a weekend away is to pack light! Since you’ll only be away for 2 or 3 days, the last thing you want is to weigh yourself down by packing a bunch of unnecessary items or clothing that will only take up precious cargo space. If you’re driving, you have the flexibility of packing a small suitcase or duffle bag, which you can easily chuck in the boot. However, if you’ll be flying, taking the bus or train, we highly recommend fitting everything you need into a backpack if possible.

Packing light means less stress and hassle for your trip, which is what getting away for the weekend is all about! For more tips on packing light, be sure to head over to this informative article.

Minimise Travel and Maximise Relaxation

Because a weekend away is often a lot shorter than a traditional vacation, the last thing you want is to spend upwards of 50% of your time commuting. This is why we always recommend minimising travel time and maximising relaxation. If you plan to drive, we suggest choosing a destination that is no further than 2-3 hours from your home base. On the flipside, if you are travelling interstate (i.e from Melbourne to Sydney), you’re much better off hopping on a 90 minute flight than spending 8 hours of your precious time behind the wheel, or even worse, 12 hours sitting on a train.

Regardless of which travelling option you choose, be sure to get an early start on day one and plan to arrive home at a reasonable time on day three so you can prepare for the week ahead.

Pack A Ton Of Snacks

If you’re anything like us, we are constantly looking for the next cafe, bakery, or service station to pick up some much needed food! Whether you’re driving, flying, biking or hiking, it is never a bad idea to keep a bunch of snacks and lots of water on hand. The last thing you want is to have to drive or hop on a plane on an empty stomach, so be sure to plan for this in advance by buying an assortment of healthy snacks like trail mix, granola bars, dried fruit as well as drinks prior to embarking on your journey. Furthermore, eating every couple of hours will help to keep your energy levels up so you can fully enjoy your weekend activities.

Take A Break From Tech

Last but not least, there is nothing better than unplugging for the weekend, aka a digital detox. Make sure you’ll really get the most of your trip and your time away with loved ones by limiting the amount you use your phone, laptop or any other tech devices. Most importantly, a weekend away is a short amount of time when you can take a mental break to quickly recenter yourself and get back on track. If you can, we encourage you to take this time away from technology. However, if you truly can’t, we suggest limiting your use of tech to when you first wake up so it doesn’t disrupt your whole day.

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With the hectic work schedule of modern life, weekends away are always something to be treasured. We hope that you find this weekend getaway planner guide useful. While travelling is always going to take some amount of planning on your part, following these 7 handy tips will allow you to get the most out of your next weekend trip.