How to Plan & Prepare for a Mystery Trip
If you love to travel as much as we do, but you’ve never tried a mystery trip, you are missing out on one of the most fun, freeing experiences ever. Before you immediately say, “I hate surprises,” hear me out. I just want you to think about where you could possibly end up (after making a pros and cons list) that you would absolutely refuse to go to. That said, you can have as much or as little control as you want throughout this entire process.
There are endless opportunities right here in the U.S., let alone the rest of the world. Honestly, you could probably spend your entire life vacationing and exploring Pennsylvania and still not see everything there is to offer. I am not knocking the decade-old annual family trip; however, there is a lot out there. Aren’t you a little curious?
I will walk you through all the steps we take when planning a mystery trip. Remember, this is just how we do it. Your answers, wants, needs, pros, and cons will most likely be different from ours, but I promise you won’t be disappointed if you try it!
Step 1: Make the Decision
I know this seems like a no-brainer, but honestly it might be the biggest step holding you back. You most likely have a ton of questions or concerns running through your mind that stop you from even considering this as an option.
Some questions people have asked me when the topic of a mystery trip comes up:
What if you don’t like the destination?
Easy. If you absolutely do not, in any way, shape, or form want to go somewhere, you let the travel agent know. For a while, Mexico was 100% on the “no travel” list for us personally. We let our agent know, and it wasn’t an issue.
If you refuse to go somewhere too hot, too cold, too far, or too close, those are all things discussed prior to anything being booked. If you end up somewhere you don’t want to be, that’s more on you for not voicing your preferences.
What if something is scheduled that we don’t want to do?
We have been on trips where an activity didn’t sound super appealing to us. Depending on what it is, we can either cancel it ourselves or contact the travel agent and she will cancel and refund it—or cancel and book something else.
For example, on one of our trips (which I will do a more in-depth post on soon), there were two days of bus tours. We did want to get to a few of the locations, but my husband cannot do hours upon hours on a bus without getting extremely motion sick. It wasn’t a problem—she canceled those tours, we found another activity, and she booked that for us.
I will be honest, something like this rarely happens, and it was our fault for not mentioning motion sickness as a possible hurdle when planning.
Knowing that you will be in good hands with a travel agent you can talk to—and who understands your wants and what to avoid—takes a lot of pressure off the decision to just say YES.
Step 2: Finding Your Agent
If you Google mystery trips, you will find different websites that offer this service. We have tried one of those websites, and I can say you are much better off finding a travel agent who is willing to plan a mystery trip.
We personally use Shelby, and she is wonderful to work with.
Step 3: The Real Decisions
Now that you have decided to be brave and try a mystery trip—and you’ve contacted your travel agent—it is time to narrow down the specifics.
Here are some topics to discuss with your travel partner or consider yourself before talking with the travel agent:
What is my budget?
Do we want to stay in-state, on a specific coast, or travel internationally?
Do we want to fly or drive?
Available dates. I recommend choosing a larger range than what you actually want to travel. Prices can vary greatly depending on location, days, and local events. If you plan to take a 3-day trip, offer 5–6 days that you could be flexible with. This may not always be possible, but if it is, it really helps.
Distance. If you are planning to drive, do you have a minimum or maximum distance you are willing to travel? The same question applies if you plan to fly. Do you want to arrive by a certain time?
We once said, “We want to fly, leave from Elmira airport, and arrive around lunchtime.” Using the time difference, we ended up in Arizona!
Be sure to clearly share your pros and cons. What do you like to do? Hiking, spas, museums, tours, sports—anything you enjoy seeing or participating in.
Don’t forget your cons list. Ours looks like this: motion sickness considerations and never being more than an hour from the airport to the final destination if we are flying.
Step 4: Paying and Preparing
Once you have discussed everything your agent needs to know, you will obviously pay for your trip. We personally request that she use the whole budget. Some agents will hold back $100–$200 to give back to you on the day of your trip for extra spending money. That is totally your call. I think having the option is nice, but it is something you can discuss and decide together.
Now your trip is paid for, and it is quickly approaching! You are probably wondering how you prepare for a trip when you don’t know if you are going to land in Florida or Maine in January.
About a week before you leave, your agent should send you the weather forecast for the location—without revealing the actual destination—along with any packing hints you may need (bathing suit, sneakers, formal wear for a nice dinner, winter hat, hiking boots, etc.).
Anywhere from a few days to a couple of weeks before your trip, you will receive a packet in the mail. This is where your willpower will be tested.
We have never had an issue waiting to open the packet. We like to open it in the car—either sitting in the driveway ready to pull out if we are driving, or in the airport parking lot if we are flying.
I highly recommend waiting as long as you can. It makes it so much more fun.
Step 5: Open the Envelope
This is going to be exciting no matter when you open it. Although I recommend waiting as long as possible, even if you can’t wait any longer, you will still reap the benefits.
Mystery trips aren’t really about the destination.
They’re about letting go.
Letting go of control.
Letting go of routine.
Letting go of needing every detail planned.
As moms, we spend so much of our lives coordinating, planning, scheduling, and managing every moving piece of our households. Choosing a mystery trip is one small way to step out of that role and allow yourself to be surprised.
And honestly? That alone is worth it.
So if you’ve been curious, take this as your sign.
Make the pros and cons list.
Have the conversation.
Be brave enough to say yes.
You might just end up somewhere you never would have chosen—and loving it more than you imagined.