Going away for the weekend can give you some much needed time to relax and rejuvenate before returning to everyday life. You can go and explore somewhere you know and love, or experience somewhere brand new with people you love. However, that doesn’t mean your weekend will be free from stress, today’s post is all about how to avoid those stresses and have an amazing mini break!
Know your budget
Coming up with a budget can feel too strict and tight especially for a holiday, but it will help you to stay on track and ensure you can afford everything you want to do when you want to do it. Just because you’re not going on a week long trip doesn’t mean you shouldn’t try and stagger your spending to ensure you don’t overdo it. Try and set a ‘strict’ budget with yourself and your travel companions and give yourself a daily budget. Make sure you also know what’s worth splurging on and what you should really save on. A once in a lifetime opportunity or activity? Splurge! Your food for the night? Save! Finding those little ways to save money means you don’t come back feeling terrible about how much you spent.
Make a list before you travel
Make sure you make a list before you travel so that you don’t spend the journey fretting about what you might have forgotten to pack, it also helps with budgeting because nothing eats into your trip money like replacing all the toiletries you forgot in the bathroom before leaving! Do this well in advance so you can buy or find anything you may not already have. Getting everything out of your head and onto paper can be a huge help when going away and theres nothing more satisfying then ticking things of your packing list!
Do not overplan
While having an idea of some of the things you might like to do will help, overplanning is always a bad idea. You want to give yourself some room to breathe and explore without needing to be anywhere. You’ll probably discover things you never would have discovered if you had accounted for every hour of your day! I’ve definitely travelled with people who overplan (think printed schedules with bathroom breaks!) and it feels more like an endurance test then a relaxing holiday, definitely don’t be that person!
Take your time when searching for accommodation
Your accommodation is important, even if you’re not planning on spending that much time there. Looking for high quality serviced apartments will take a load off your mind and ensure you are staying somewhere you’re going to feel comfortable for the next few days. Make sure you ask for recommendations if you need them and read third party reviews, too. Serviced apartments have the benefit of kitchen facilities too which means you can save a bit of money on things like brekkie and late night snacks (or extortionate room service costs!)
Unplug and get off the grid
Take this opportunity to unplug from your phone and everyday life and get off the grid! We shouldn’t be plugged into technology as much as we are, so have a breather and really focus on your surroundings and the present moment for the weekend. Make sure you set technology boundaries if you think somebody from work or home may pull you away from what you’re doing and maybe ask the people in your group if they fancy a social media break too?
Know how you’ll get about in advance
Transport can be one of the most stressful things about going away. It’s up to you whether you hire a car, get the bus/tube/train, or simply walk. Just bear in mind that booking transport in advance can save you a lot of money and looking into things like ‘day rider’ tickets for the local buses can be a great way to budget and get around a new city!
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