Hustle and bustle – hold up! Lets wind down and take a weekend trip. We all need 2 or 3 days away from the daily grind sometimes. Taking a short trip for the weekend is a great way to relax, reconnect with some loved ones, spend time with your significant other, or just plain take it easy.
You know you don’t have to break the bank or spend a lot of time on the road to find that perfect mini vacation. But you do need to have a plan and a budget. Nothing too elaborate, having a simple plan now can help you make the most of your next weekend trip.
Finding the right destination
You don’t have to find the perfect destination, this is only a weekend trip, so lets make the most of it. Find something new, explore something different, and have fun.
Open up a map app and look for a place a few hours from home, if you like to drive then go for 5! Remember; it doesn’t have to be a place you’re already familiar with, A quick online search of a new town and you could find yourself ready for yet a new experience.
If you already have a place in mind, that’s great too! It’s all about getting away for a weekend and making the most of your time.
First things first
Figure out your budget. If you’re going to make the most of you’re weekend trip, you have to have an idea how much your going to spend. With any trip there are alway cost involved – by planning things ahead of time, you can maximize your budget to get the most of your getaway. Lets look at some cost you will incur.
- Travel
- A place to stay
- Food and dinning
- Entertainment
- Shopping
Travel
Map out your destination, you’ll want to know your mileage so you can get an idea of your fuel cost and actual road time. Although it’s a short trip for your weekend getaway, you may want to preplan your fueling stops. If you’re driving an EV it’s a good idea to search out a reputable station with electric charging stations. Some things to consider for your road trip:
- Fuel cost
- Drinks and snacks for the road
- Toll ways
- Possibly travel repairs such as tire replacement or new windshield wipers
You may also want to think about a rental car. It’s only a short trip, and renting a vehicle isn’t necessarily something you really want to do, so it all depends on your situation. Some things to think about before you embark on your journey: Do you want those extra miles on your daily driver? Do you have enough room for your luggage? Do you have enough room for your passengers to comfortably enjoy the trip?
A place to stay
This is something you definitely to book in advance. It would be a weekend getaway without a place to stay for 2 or 3 nights. Search out available places to stay in the area you’re visiting. More times than not, when it comes to lodging, there is a deal to be found. Now and days there are so many hotels offering special rates in order to stay competitive. A bit of searching around or using online travel reservation services can save you some serious cash.
You’re not just limited to hotels either. You can find condos for short stay rentals, time share rentals, resorts and even private residences. Do a little shopping around, check the amenities a place offers. Compare times it may take to go from your place of lodging to places of interest you intend to visit.
Don’t forget their are also camp sites and even the option to rent an RV for the weekend. Well go over that in more detail at another time.
Most of all when it comes to finding a place to stay for your weekend away, stay safe. Check reviews for not only the place you consider reserving, but also for the area of town and other nearby establishments.
Food and dining
Nothing tops off a great weekend away like a great dining experience. You could scout out some restaurants ahead of time, however, the locals always know the best food in town. Check with social media sites for groups local to the area you will be visiting. It’s a good way to find those hidden gems of culinary delight.
Just because your away for the weekend doesn’t mean you have to eat out for every meal. A cooler full of items you can eat on the go can help not only save on food cost, it can also help save time to do other things. On another note, if your rental place has a kitchen, then you have a whole other option available.
Of course there’s always the tried and true eateries you may already frequent locally. Whatever you want to eat – go for it! After all this is your weekend getaway. With all this in mind you can get a fair idea how much you’ll be spending on food cost.
Entertainment
When you choose your destination its probably based on something that peaks your interest in the town your traveling to. Even if your going to just have a laid back time taking in the views, its good to plan out what your going to do on each day. It’s alright if you have a few things in mind and don’t know which to do first until you reach your getaway. Just know about what you want to do and look up the cost to do those things.
Depending what you like to do when you get away for a weekend, your entertainment may not cost you anymore than what you already spent to get there – that’s always a bonus!
Shopping
What would a weekend getaway be without a little shopping? I know when I go on a weekend extravaganza I like to pickup a little memento or two. Sometimes I may even drive a little off course just so I can checkout a store or shopping center that I can’t find close to home.
Whatever you want to do, set a little money aside for some miscellaneous shopping.
Next step is all you!
Follow the above advice and you’re going to have a good idea of what your weekend travel budget should be. There’s always peace of mind in knowing your cost upfront. Having a travel budget planned out is going to make for less stress and more fun!