Sure, spending at least a week in a different country is ideal. However, if you’re short on PTO or your schedule is too hectic for a long stretch away, it’s not actually required. In fact, exploring a new destination in three or four days can lead to exciting, hit-the-ground-running possibilities.
With careful planning, research, and flexibility, a short international getaway is entirely possible. “Don’t let others try to tell you that you need a lot of advance preparation or a lot of time in a destination for travel to be worthwhile,” advises My Wanderlusty Life travel blogger Ashley Smith. “Travel is always worthwhile, no matter how short the trip.” Here is how to plan a brief vacation overseas.
Fly direct
Long flights with layovers are the exact opposite of what to book for a weekend in Europe, Asia, or South America. For a quickie international getaway, the best way to decide where to go is to look at destinations you can reach via the most direct flight possible.
“This will maximize how much time you can actually spend in that destination rather than en route,” Smith notes. “Take a look at which airlines your local airport serves and check out their direct-flight options to see which destinations would be best visited from where you live.”
A red-eye flight would also be ideal because you can land early in the morning and start your day in an entirely different country. Another benefit of a short jaunt? A carry-on bag is more feasible than checked luggage, which eliminates time waiting at the airport.
Consider convenience
Smith suggests visiting places that have attractions close to one another. “You’ll want to visit cities whose major attractions are not too spread out,” she says. “You want to try to keep your commuting time between them to a minimum.”
It’s also important to make sure you choose a destination that can be experienced in just a few days. For example, cities like Lisbon and Amsterdam are great for long weekends, while spots like Paris and Rome likely need more time to be fully explored and appreciated. Smith, who lives in Boston, suggests cities like Florence, Italy, for its pedestrian-friendly layout; Munich, Germany, for its dependable transportation; and Reykjavik, Iceland, for its stellar tour operators.
“If you live on the West Coast, Mexico and Canada are very scenic destinations with short flights,” suggests travel blogger Gennifer Rose, who once flew from San Francisco to London for three days. “For those on the East Coast, Europe is right across the pond. You’ve also got some amazing tropical island destinations, such as the Bahamas, Turks and Caicos, Puerto Rico, and the Dominican Republic.”
Map it out
With a limited number of days, it’s essential to pick a few things you want to do and see on a short trip. Choose must-haves for attractions, and separate them from things you can do next time you visit when you might have more time for exploration.
“You should narrow down to one specific sight you want to see the most at your destination,” Rose says. “You can then build your itinerary around this one spot. Book your hotel [within] walking distance to save time, and find nearby restaurants and attractions. You won’t have the luxury of traveling all over the city in a short period of time. Plus, you don’t want your trip to feel super-hectic and chaotic.”
Smith advises creating a list of sites in order of priority and including operating hours. “Add all of these locations to a Google map to get a roundabout idea of where everything is located and how long it will take you to travel between them,” she says. “Connect the dots in the way that makes the most logistical sense, and — voila! — you [have your] itinerary.”
Additionally, evaluate whether or not a day trip elsewhere is feasible. For instance, a trip to Montserrat from Barcelona is possible via the R5 from Plaça d’Espanya in Spain, while Ireland’s iconic Cliffs of Moher can be visited via car or bus from Dublin. If you do decide to take a day trip, make sure it’s the only thing planned for that day to avoid over-exhaustion.
Buy tickets in advance
Once you have specifics, buy admission early to avoid waiting in line to buy tickets on site. “Your time is short, so you don’t want to waste precious hours trying to figure out what to do in a new place,” says travel writer and content creator Jessica Poitevien. “You can be flexible and leave room for spontaneity, but make sure the major activities are planned beforehand.”
Smith points to sightseeing passes as a helpful way to economically hit up a bunch of sites. “Many tourism boards offer these 24-, 48-, or 72-hour passes that include admission to the most popular sites at a discount,” she says, “and even allow you to skip the lines. This frees up so much time, which you can use to see and do more stuff.”
Be flexible
When it comes to booking a flight, look for one that works with your schedule, but keep in mind that you may pay more for a shorter trip. While a ticket to a farther away destination or one with more layovers might be cheaper, it’s not necessarily worth it for a quick trip.
“If you see a last-minute super flight deal, then jump on it,” says Rose. “But if you’re more of a planner and prefer to do plenty of research ahead of time, I would say book three to six months before your travel date.”
Poitevien believes being open-minded is key. “I use Google Flights to add in my home airport and keep the destination blank,” she says. “Using that explore option allows me to see all the best flight deals for my dates. Then, I look at a combination of cost and time spent traveling.”
Natalya Jones is a Florida-based writer who has contributed to HuffPost, Elite Daily, Active, BuzzFeed, and Medium.
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