It’s Spring Break time and if you’re lucky, you’re planning a family trip someplace fun, maybe warm, and relaxing. Oh, did we say relaxing? Hahahahaha! You’re bringing your family. You won’t relax. In fact, you’re probably going to need a vacation to recover from your trip. But who wants to plan ANOTHER getaway so soon after the amazing organizational feat you will have accomplished by maneuvering your whole team from your Bergen County, NJ home to another location and back again? Here’s a thought: leave the planning to Pack Up + Go, the new start up travel agency that plans three-day trips to locations around the US. The catch? The destination is a surprise.
Wait, what? Is your inner control freak um, freaking out? We know, right? But just let the idea settle in for a second. How cool would it be not to know where you’re going but just be open to the idea of finding someplace new to explore for a weekend? Plus, Pack Up + Go is sending travelers to cool places like Chicago, Nashville and New Orleans.
Here’s how it works. First, at least 4 weeks before you want to travel, you provide Pack Up + Go with your budget. Budgets for most people start in the $450/pp range for driving trips. Then, you complete a survey about places you like to go, things you like to do, and any other information the travel agents will need in order to book your perfect getaway. Then, you wait. Pack Up + Go will take care of your travel and accommodation arrangements while you go about your usual life in the dark about the adventure that awaits you.
A few days before you are scheduled to leave, you’ll receive an email from Pack Up + Go giving you the weather forecast for your destination, a list of recommended items to pack for your trip, any luggage size restrictions, and directions on where to go and when (train station, airport, etc.) You will also receive a packet in the mail that you are instructed not to open until the day you travel. In that packet, your destination will be revealed and you will receive directions to your accommodations and a city guide of places to go and things to do in the city to which you are traveling.
Fees for Pack Up + Go do not include any food or activities you choose to indulge in while you are away. Which is great if what you really want to do is sleep late, soak in the sights of a new city, and let the day unfold as it will. Another plus? You can gift a Pack Up + Go trip to someone else. So if you’ve got a spouse, sibling or friend who could use an adventure, give them a gift card that will wedge them right out of their comfort zone. Also, Pack Up + Go isn't just for adults. They'll plan family outings as well. So? What are you waiting for? Oh right, you’ve got to get through Spring Break first.
