How to Plan a 3-Day Weekend

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Everybody loves the weekend, as it provides a much-needed respite from the workweek. The weekend allows people to relax and do activities that they normally wouldn’t have time to do during the week. One of the only gripes people have with the weekend is how short it is, as it only lasts two days. That’s why people love three-day weekends, weekends where you have either Friday or Monday off. You can get so much done on a three-day weekend, ranging from looking at Cincinnati houses for sale for a new home, or just simply getting caught up on work.  Three-day weekends are also the perfect time for a little trip. However, you must be careful when planning a trip over a three-day weekend, as you only have a limited amount of time. So how do you get passed this time crunch? Here’s how to plan a three-day weekend.

Pick a Location

An important part of planning a three-day weekend getaway is choosing a location that you will spend your time at. Picking a location can be quite tricky, as you have a lot more limitations than you would normally have when planning a vacation. Since your time off is only three days, you will likely have to pick a location that is relatively close and can be accessed quickly. A general rule of thumb for short trips like this is that you should never spend more than four hours traveling to get to your location. Picking a location that offers value but also doesn’t take too long to get to can be challenging, but if done correctly you can have a truly amazing getaway.

Choose Activities

The next thing that you need to do for your short getaway is to plan out what you’ll be actually doing at your destination. Planning the activities of your trip largely depends on what location you choose, but there is still some room for some flexibility. For example, if you choose to drive to a beach that wasn’t far off, then you could choose between surfing, sailing, swimming, or relaxing. Compared to a normal longer vacation, this part is extremely important due to the limited time. Usually, you would have enough time to do all of your desired activities, but thanks to the time crunch this might not be possible. As a result, you may have to just pick your favorite activities and leave the rest for some other time. 

Book in Advance

As with any vacation, booking in advance can be a huge help with planning. Three-day weekends are usually pretty big travel weekends, meaning that some places may be full or booked. In order to avoid this inconvenience, you should book ahead in order to ensure that your spot is reserved. If you have your eyes set on staying in a hotel or eating at a particularly busy restaurant, then you’re going to want to make reservations ahead of time. Not only can this save you some hassle, but you could actually get some better deals by booking ahead of time. Hotels have been known to jack up prices at the last minute, so securing your spot in advance may save you some money.

Allocate Time for Return

One of the biggest mistakes that people make when taking a three-day weekend is not allocating enough time to return. Vacationers usually try to cram in as much activity as possible, resulting in a very late return time. Typically this results in the family getting home late on the third night, leaving little time to get ready for work or school the next day. Getting home late on the third night will likely mean that you won’t sleep well and you will have a miserable first day back to work or classes. In order to avoid this from happening, you should ensure that you are already on your way home by the early afternoon of your last day. Doing this will allow you to be home around dinner time, allowing you plenty of time to settle in and prepare to go back to work or school the next day.