Many people only have a week or two of vacation allowed with their jobs or school for a whole year. Sometimes we are also limited by finances and a lengthy stay just isn’t in the cards. So, what do you do when your vagabond feet are itching? You could skip the trip and save it for another time when you have the ability to take a full week off. Or you could do a long weekend and see just the highlights. But how do you do that?

• Flights

  • Check sites like Skyscanner where you can put in your airport and choose “everywhere” as the destination. This will give you the least expensive options for “anytime” or specific dates.
  • Consider flying into or out of a different airport. From Ohio where I live, I have 4 airports to choose from. They are all about the same distance from my usual airport, so the cost vs. the time spent driving can be easily weighed. So, consider your options and select a major hub whenever possible.
  • Red-eye flights can save you time and money! You sleep on the plane and diminish some of the effects of jet lag too!

• What to see

  • KEEP IT SIMPLE! – Seriously, don’t try to do everything. If you have a long weekend, you need to keep in mind that 2 of those days are for traveling!! That means you have 2 full days, at best to see as much as you can. To really get a taste for a city, stay put!
    • One city – Fly into and out of one city and see the sights there. Do not venture out of the city and try to see it all. It won’t happen. You’ll be exhausted, rushed and spend a lot of time (you don’t have) and money (you may not be able to justify) trying to do it.
    • Stick to the touristy places! – This is your chance to see the tourist hot spots. I’m a bit of an “off the beaten path” kind of gal myself so I get it! You want to see the historical sites frequented by tourists, but you want to get a feel for the heartbeat of a city and that isn’t found there. But when time is limited, see the big places, the “must-see”  tourist spots. Plan the adventures and local sites for the next trip.
    • Less is more – If you are in a city with LOTS of things to see, like Paris or London for example, you will find it difficult to see everything even if you stick to the tourist hot-spots. You will need to evaluate and prioritize which sites are the most important to you to see. Map it out and keep yourself from backtracking (read: wasting time) by sticking to one section of the city each day.
    • Pick one hot spot eatery – One place that will leave a huge impact and give you a taste of the local cuisine. Hit up message boards or Trip Advisor for those can’t-miss locations and food suggestions.
    • Photos are your souvenirs, but you still want to shop – Grab something that really represents the location. Personally I have gotten away from just knick-knacks as souvenirs as they fill space and collect dust too much for me. I try to go with something that I will use like a mug or a wearable. That being said, get yourself ONE souvenir to remember your trip by and save the space and weight in your suitcase.

Don’t allow limited time or a tight budget keep you from seeing new places. With a little planning you can manage to take in the highlights of a city and return to see all of the things you missed when you have more time.

The long weekend is a great way to travel more frequently without draining your back account or depleting your vacation time! Go ahead! Get out there and explore the world!

“Keep your heart open, a suitcase packed and wander often, for the world is wide and adventure awaits.” ~Emylee