5 Travel Tips For The Perfect Weekend Getaway

When it’s time to get away from the hustle and bustle of everyday life, there’s nothing better than a vacation. And while most people think of a vacation as a long trip, sometimes a long weekend away is just what you need to escape and to explore a new Margaritaville Vacation Club destination. Plus, the shortened time makes it easier to plan — especially for those spur-of-the-moment occasions. Whether flying or driving, here are five travel tips to keep in mind for the perfect weekend getaway.

1. Do Your Research

Since you’ll have just a couple of days to explore your destination, making sure to do some homework ahead of time is key. Check out the neighborhood around where you’re staying as well as what some of the “must-do” activities are. Get a sense of travel times between your home base and some of the things you want to do so you don’t end up crisscrossing all over town.

This is also a great time to see if you need to buy any tickets or make reservations in advance for anything. Check to see if there are any events happening that you may want to attend — from a farmers market to a festival. Or, search for your destination on your social media channel of choice to scope out local eateries and tips from locals.

2. Pack Light

A lot of us are guilty of over packing. But when going on a long weekend trip, the last thing you want to do is haul a ton of luggage with you. Pack separates that are easy to mix and match so you can create a few outfits out of some key pieces. An easy method is to stick with neutral colors with a few pieces to add pops of color. Keep an eye out on the weather forecast too and plan accordingly to avoid having to buy a sweatshirt for an unexpected cold snap or a raincoat for a rainy day.

3. Stay Flexible

With so little time, it may be easy to quickly book up your entire day with meals, shopping, entertainment, and more, leaving you exhausted at the end of the day. Have a rough idea of what you’d like to do and see each day, with time to explore without being tied to a schedule. This also allows for some flexibility should you have to contend with any unexpected weather or a change in operating hours for an attraction.

4. Talk With Locals

Whether it’s your Margaritaville Vacation Club resort staff or the barista at the corner coffee shop, ask locals for their recommendations. Oftentimes you’ll learn about some great off-the-beaten path restaurants and hangouts that the typical visitor may overlook. Locals love showing visitors what makes their city unique, and you can get a really unique feel for the local culture by frequenting their recommendations.

5. Unplug

It’s not a weekend away if you take work with you! Take your weekend getaway to disconnect from your day-to-day, and reconnect with your loved ones. Leave the work laptop at home or turn off the notifications for your email. If you’re traveling with the people who contact you most (like family), designate only one person to have a phone with them to keep everyone else free and notification-free. Need a tech-free way to remember your trip? Keep a written journal during your trip and fill it with all the fun things you did.