How To Plan A Weekend Trip That Actually Feels Like An Escape

When you book a weekend trip, it can be really easy to overschedule yourself and come back more exhausted than when you left. And while this is great for some short trips and immersive destinations, it doesn't have to be how all weekend trips go or even need to be.

Planning a weekend trip that feels like an escape can be incredibly restorative and send you back feeling refreshed and recharged, ready to jump back into life again. Let's take a look at how to do exactly this.

Choose A Destination That Feels Different
The further removed from your everyday life your destination is, the more it'll actually feel like an escape. That doesn't mean distance. It means contrast. If your week is spent in a busy city, then you need to make sure that your escape is somewhere like a lakeside cabin, and you're surrounded by open space and fresh air. This will do so much more for you than an urban retreat will.

There are plenty of options on either end of the scale, depending on what you're looking for, but if you want to be in the heart of the action, then a city centre boutique hotel could be the escape you need, or do you want somewhere more rural but in a spot that puts you in the heart of things, an RV Park could be exactly what you need.

Plan To Arrive As Early On Friday As You Can
Friday evenings are usually the time when people make it to the their weekend destination. But arranging your working week or getting a head start means you've got a little bit of extra time to settle in before you can relax or enjoy your destination. This way, you get arrival stress out of the way, and you get two full evenings before you leave to just relax. Even an hour or so earlier than you normally would arrive somewhere can make all the difference for a weekend break.

Build Free Time Into Your Day
There is always going to be that temptation to fill up your days to get the most from your weekend break. But that's not going to make it feel like an escape. What is, however, is having a loose plan that's flexible and allows you downtime and the opportunity to stop and relax. Give yourself permission to do nothing, to take longer at a meal, or to sit somewhere and people-watch. Plan a couple of things worth showing up for, but other than that, allow yourself to see where the day takes you.

Choose Activities That Dictate The Pace
If being on the go is part and parcel of your life, then choosing to partake in activities that encourage you to slow down is going to be beneficial here. If you're doing the opposite and are using this time to try things you would never normally experience or are far from your life, then go for it.

What you actually do is up to you, but making sure you choose the right activities for the pace of the weekend means you'll get out of it exactly what you want and need to head home and back to life as usual on Monday morning.

This is a contributed post.

Photo: Singles