BY: CAROLINE ROLF
This travel agency is one-of-a-kind. The start-up eliminates the stress of planning a vacation by doing all the busy work for you – from booking the hotel to recommending tourist attractions to choosing the destination.
The catch? You won’t know the destination until you’re about to depart.
Pack Up + Go is a website dedicated to planning the most mysterious weekend trips based on your interests and budget. Lillian Rafson, founder and CEO of the start-up believes that travelling all about experiencing new things and taking that experience to the next level by adding an element of surprise.
“It’s great for people looking for something new to add to their travel repertoire and people who don’t necessarily know or care where they want to go,” Rafson tells Pittsburgh’s NPR News Station.
Sound crazy even for adventurous travellers? Here’s how it works.
First, you decide if you have one destination in mind or would rather take a road trip. The site will ask you to select your preferred mode of transportation and budget. A road trip will cost you between $350-$2,000, while a train, bus, or plane will run you $450-$2,000 US.
Next, you complete a survey, providing your basic information and important details like where you’ve travelled before and what you’d most like to do. This is to ensure you don’t revisit a destination or get directions to an art museum when you’d rather head to the beach. Other details to mention are accessibility needs, schedule restrictions such as work hours and if you’ll be bringing your children.
The last part is the most fun. You are given a list of over 20 activities and asked to select the ones that most appeal to you; the more you check off, the more fun recommendations you’ll receive on your trip.
The least fun part? Paying for it. Pack Up + Go is non-refundable, so choose wisely!
What now? Patience and preparation.
After you finalize your details and transaction, you will receive an envelope in the mail confirming your hotel and travel bookings. But one question still remains, where exactly are you going?
Not until a week before your trip will you then receive an e-mail informing you of your destination’s weather forecast, without specifically mentioning where it is. Also included in the mysterious e-mail are a recommended packing list and a time and place to be if you opted for the single destination trip. You’ve been warned.
Finally, the day has arrived and you’re about to set off for adventure! You can rip open the top-secret envelope and reveal just where you’re headed. Hopefully the news leaves you excited rather than dreading your weekend away. Rafson and her team include a list of recommended local gems to visit on your trip, from breweries to scuba diving. However, you must schedule the excursions yourself.
“We partner with locals in each of our destination cities,” Rafson explains, “so all of your recommendations are vetted, and often off the beaten path.”
Currently, all destinations are set for three days within the United States so that U.S. citizens feel more comfortable travelling without the worry of high phone bills or language barriers. Pack Up + Go will make it possible to meet up with other travellers in your group if your budgets are similar but no, they won’t offer a refund even if you despise your destination. Although, it’s very unlikely that you will. Lastly, keep in mind that the agency covers travel and lodging, but not food, entertainment, or your recommended activities.
Sound like something you’d try? What are you waiting for? Book a trip, rip open your envelope, pack up and go.
Image sourcing: unsplash.com/, kitthedig.tumblr.com
