One of the best parts about living in Europe is that we can be anywhere in a couple of short hours by plane. If you’d rather travel by car or train, you still have plenty of choices. Therefore, long weekends or a 1 week holiday are doable. But how do you make the most out of such a short time period? Here are 7 valuable tips for you:
1. Pick your location carefully🌆
Right now, it’s easy - we can go to Europe, or...mainly Europe. Either way, when you have limited time, choose a close-by location.
More importantly, make sure to choose a destination that saves you time throughout the whole trip. For example, Amsterdam is a small and walkable capital city, whereas London will require a good couple of hours to explore, even by public transport.
2. Research, research, research📱
I know, I know, you’re thinking “I thought this was a holiday?” But trust me, doing a bit of research before your trip can save you loads of time and money later on. If you want to make the most out of it, it’s important that you know some things, like:
- What’s the best neighborhood for accommodation that fits your needs?
- What are the must-sees?
- What’s the greatest hidden gem?
- Are there any public holidays while you’re there?
- Is public transport accessible, affordable or needed?
Fortunately, this is all information available at our fingertips nowadays - but it’s important we make the effort to look it up. You’ll be thankful later!
3. Pack light🎒
Experienced travelers are usually more comfortable with packing light. If you’re used to 2+ weeks’ holiday, you may think that you can’t go anywhere with only a backpack. But you definitely can. It’s not only easier to travel around (think of not having to wait at the luggage belt), it’s also much cheaper most of the time. In recent years, more airlines started charging extra for checked-in luggage, and those prices can be pretty high!
Most places offer laundry services, and if that’s not the case, you can always find one around your accommodation! It will be much cheaper, and your trips will be a lot more comfortable.
4. Prioritize❗
While short trips are great and always better than no trips at all, it’s rarely possible to fully discover your destination. Therefore, you probably need to prioritize based on what’s important to you. Whether it’s a cultural trip, a relaxing one, a foodie adventure, or a combination of all, make sure you have a list of “have to do’s” and a list of “would be nice to do’s”, so you don’t miss on the best things.
5. Budget💸
Did you know budgeting can actually be easy and fun? bunq users can easily keep an eye on their finances, dedicate a Savings Goal to their short trip, and even keep track of expenses to later on split it with their travel partners.
Whatever your approach is, make sure you have a budget for your trip. It’s easy to overspend when you’re trying to do as much as possible in a short amount of time, but that might just cut into your next trip’s budget - and we definitely don’t want any canceled plans!
6. Get up early🌅
This isn’t sleepy time, unless you specifically took this short trip to relax and unwind, in which case...snooze away.
If you want to explore your holiday destination to the max, a simple solution is to wake up early and even try to stay up late. Sure, it’s not what we’d usually recommend for your normal lifestyle, but it’s a good way to take it all in for a couple of days. Besides, if you’re in a popular destination, the best time to see famous attractions would be around sunrise. And think of those beautiful pictures! If that’s too much, understandable - as a general rule, the earlier the better.
7. Explore like a local🗺️
In most destinations, there’s that 1 thing you’ll have to do, no matter how many tourists are around: the Eiffel Tour, the Big Ben, the Vatican city. But once you cross those off your list, try to explore like (or with) a local.
Take a walk into a residential neighborhood, walk into a small street shop, have dinner where locals do, and don’t be afraid to ask them for recommendations! They’ll know more hidden gems than any travel blog and will probably love to share them with you.
Alright, here you go!🙌
7 super valuable tips for short travels or long weekends. Follow these to make sure you get the most out of your holiday.
