Discover the Perfect Budget for Your Surprise Vacation
When choosing a budget for your Surprise Vacation, there are many variables to consider.
As Surprise Travel experts, we are here to let you in on the nitty-gritty secrets of how the budget works so your sign-up will be as easy as possible!
Written by Corinne Hogge, Lillian Rafson, and Jordan Tobe
Pack Up + Go Budget
Your budget determines where we send you, how you get there, and where you stay. The higher your budget, the more options our Travel Planning Team will have when booking your Trip.
Although you get to select the budget for your Surprise Trip, there are many factors that impact the minimum price option:
Type of Trip: Plane Trip, Road Trip, Outdoors Road Trip, or You Pick Trip
Departure airport (if applicable): Traveling from smaller airports is more expensive than traveling from a larger airport.
Departure date: Holiday weekends, graduation weekends, and peak travel times cause increases in fares and hotel prices.
Number of nights:
Minimum: 3-days, 2-nights
Maximum: 11-days, 10-nights
Number of travelers
Number of hotel rooms
Our Trip Types
Plane Trips:
How much does it cost?
Budgets start at $900 / per person (2 or more travelers)
Solo traveler trips start at $1,350
Budgets are based on departing airport, # of nights, and # of hotel rooms selected
What is included?
Pre-booked accommodations (hotel or bed + breakfast)
Round-trip plane tickets
Curated recommendations for things to see, do, and explore in your destination that fit your unique interests
Dinner reservations for the first night
Why are solo trips more expensive?
A large portion of your trip budget is used for the hotel. However, a hotel room will cost the same whether one or two guests are staying in it, so the price for the trip is lower if you have a travel companion. Solo travelers, we love you, but you’re just a little more expensive!
You Pick Trips
How much does it cost?
Budgets start at $500 / per night
What is included?
Pre-booked accommodations (hotel or bed + breakfast)
Curated recommendations for things to see, do, and explore in the destination of your choosing
Dinner reservations for the first night
Ticket to a surprise attraction, event, or experience
Parking (if applicable) or a ride-share gift card
Road Trips:
How much does it cost?
Budgets start at $500 / per night
What is included?
Pre-booked accommodations (hotel or bed + breakfast)
Suggested stops to and from your Surprise Destination
Curated recommendations for things to see, do, and explore in your destination that fit your unique interests
Dinner reservations for the first night
Parking (if applicable)
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A Road Trip is a more “classic” Pack Up + Go Trip where your destination is a surprise! Your surprise destination will be 3-6 hours from home and you will drive there yourself. A Road Trip includes customized Road Trip directions from your home to your destination with pit stops along the way.
With a You Pick Trip, you decide your destination when signing up! This means you are selecting the city in which you will explore, and your ‘destination’ is NOT a surprise. You can select from dozens of cities around the US, all you have to do is get yourself there. You choose the destination, we’ll plan the surprises for you once you get there!
Travelers enjoy a hike outside of Asheville, NC
Outdoors Road Trips:
How much does it cost?
Budgets start at $500 / per night
What is included?
Pre-booked accommodations:
For your Outdoors Trip, you may stay in a:
• Cabins
• Glamping style tents + yurts
• Bed + Breakfasts / Inns / Lodges / Boutique Hotels
Your accommodation will be selected based on your preferences, accommodation costs, and availability
Suggested stops to and from your Surprise Destination
Curated recommendations for things to see, do, and explore in your destination that fit your unique interests
Parking (if applicable)
Airport Guide
Your departure airport has a big impact on the cost of your trip. Larger, international airports offer more flight options at lower costs than smaller, regional airports. Mid-sized + smaller airports are more likely to require a connecting flight than larger airports.
You can list multiple airports on your Pre-Trip Survey. Our Travel Planning Team will choose the flight option that best matches any time restrictions listed on the Pre-Trip Survey and maximize your time in the Surprise Destination!
The Library at the Virgin Hotels New Orleans
Hotel Guide
Like flight prices, hotel prices fluctuate for many reasons - season, convention schedules, sporting events, holidays, etc.
Most Pack Up + Go travelers stay in 4- or 5-star hotels, and no matter where, our travelers stay in clean, safe hotels in convenient locations.
Do you have specific hotel preferences?
If you love pools, trendy hotel bars, or want to be in a specific type of neighborhood, this is the information we love to know. Please tell us on your Pre-Trip Survey! This information will help us select the perfect hotel for your getaway and will help us decide whether to allocate more of your budget to an upgraded hotel.
What types of hotels does Pack Up + Go book?
We work with a range of hotels! We love the artsy and stylish 21C Museum Hotels, budget-friendly Doubletree by Hilton Hotels, the boutique Kimpton hotels, and the more traditional Omni hotels. When possible, we work with local luxury hotels like the Rittenhouse Hotel in Philadelphia, and national luxury chains like the Four Seasons.
Your budget determines what type of hotel we book for your getaway. A minimum budget trip will likely stay in a more traditional hotel, while a higher budget may stay in an upgraded suite in a boutique hotel.
Interested in a Bed + Breakfast?
A Bed + Breakfast is a private home with 4 - 11 rooms. These accommodations are great for travelers hoping for a more intimate + family-style experience! Let us know if you would prefer to stay in a Bed + Breakfast on your pre-trip survey, and we’ll do our best to honor this request!
A traveler enjoys a kayaking adventure!
Activities
All trips receive recommendations with curated suggestions for your mystery destination. If there are extra funds in your budget after we book your travel + accommodations, we will include some extra activities to enhance your surprise vacation!
Want activities included with your getaway?
We suggest that you select a higher budget and include any specifics on your Pre-Trip Survey. After we book your travel and accommodations, we use the rest of your budget for gift cards or tickets to attractions that we think you’ll love!
How are activities decided?
The amount of money we have left in your budget
Your interests
Interested in a specific activity for your getaway?
Be sure to tell us in your Pre-Trip Survey, and we’ll do our best to accommodate! We may email you to add extra funds if we aren’t able to include it in your original budget.
