Surprise Travel. Let me tell you about Jake and Robin. They were heading out for their honeymoon, and guess what? They had no clue where they were going. Nope, it wasn’t a joke. They decided to let someone else plan their trip for them. So, they ended up with a plus-sized envelope, and inside it was the surprise: Portland, Maine. Jake was like, “Wait, what? Portland?” But hey, they were going with the flow.
2024: The Year of Surprise Travel?
This whole surprise travel thing? It’s becoming a big deal. Imagine booking a trip without knowing where you’re headed until you arrive. did a survey and found out that more than half the people they asked were all in for a surprise trip, from the destination to everything else, just to shake things up a bit.
How Does Surprise Travel Work?
So, here’s the lowdown: you pick a budget and how long you wanna go. Then, you fill in a form with your travel history, interests, and all that good stuff. The travel peeps plan your trip based on that. A week before takeoff, they’ll send you a cryptic email hinting at where you’re going and the weather there. A few days before, you get a letter with strict instructions not to peek until you’re at the airport. Inside? Bam! Your surprise destination and a whole itinerary with restaurant reservations and cool stuff to do.
The Pioneers of Surprise Trips
Pack Up + Go, started in 2016, is one of the OGs in this surprise travel game. Lillian Rafson, the brains behind it, wanted to show off cool spots in the US that people usually overlooked. She’s set up over 20,000 surprise trips, and she says folks are booking these trips 30% more than before.
Then there’s Black Tomato. They’ve got these “Get Lost” trips. You pick a vibe—desert, jungle, or mountain—but the destination’s a surprise until you get to the airport. It’s all about living in the moment, no plans, just go with it. Sometimes, things get real wild, like when clients on a hike in Morocco stumbled upon a Bedouin tribe. That wasn’t planned, just nature doing its thing!
A Deeper Meaning in Surprise Travel
London’s Brown & Hudson is taking this surprise trip thing to the next level. They’re not just sending you somewhere random; they’re digging deeper. They believe surprise travel can solve problems or help people connect better. They’ve got this ‘Journey With No Destination,’ where they create surprises along the way based on your detailed profile.
They’ve got stories too! Like this lady with memory loss who loved playing the piano. They took her to Iceland, arranged a surprise visit to a music hall, and set up a piano for her to play. They filmed it, so she’d always remember. It’s all about creating unique experiences.
Travel: More Than Just a Vacation
Journey. Sure, tech and cheap flights are cool, but surprise trips are about more than that. According to the folks arranging these adventures, it’s about shaking things up, living in the moment, and discovering unexpected wonders. It’s like stepping into the unknown and coming out with incredible memories. And who wouldn’t want a little surprise like that?