Routine can be attractive and certainly has its uses, but life is no fun without a little spontaneity. If you’ve always wanted to visit a new place or just go on a new adventure, now is the time. Here’s how to make great, spontaneous travel plans on a budget:
The important thing when being spontaneous, is that you cannot be too picky. There are probably a handful of places you want to go, but stay open to ones you haven’t thought of yet or don’t pick a destination at all. When you’re looking for inexpensive airfare – consider the destinations with the best deals. Find interesting things to do in the area, or just places you can just relax. Sometimes, all you have to do is just drive an hour out of town for a slight change in scenery to have the effect.
Skyscanner is great tool for finding last minute flight deals to a variety of destinations. Users can view fares for the entire month and choose the least expensive dates. Users can also set up price alerts for their favorite destinations.
So, where do you find the time? This is probably going to be the most difficult part of the trip. Most likely, time is the reason that you are sitting here reading this post, instead of traveling to some exotic location now.
First, be realistic. If the only time you can get is the weekend then, start there. It may seem difficult to justify driving or flying somewhere new when you have to return so soon, but even a short getaway can make a huge quality-of-life difference.
If you can get away for longer, then that is the best option.
One of the most fun parts of visiting a new place is picking your exact location, as every town or section of a city has something unique and interesting to offer. The best way to navigate a newfound city is by shacking up in vacation home rental from sites like HomeEscape or Airbnb. Vacation rentals are often more affordable than hotel rooms and offer much more space and amenities.
Despite renting an entire place to yourself, you also get unfettered access to the contents of the home: video games, books, movies, etc. If you get bored of your destination you can always spend a day inside (and get a peek into how other people conduct their lives).
Another word of advice is to visit a new destination as though you are moving there. Translation = think outside of the tourist areas. That may mean going clothes shopping, catching a movie, or finding the local dive bar. This way, you can reach the locals and decipher the best of what the town has to offer.
HomeEscape is a vacation rental website that charges no listing fees or booking fees. Check out some of our most popular destinations:
