Planning Your Perfect Weekend Getaway

With work and family commitments, it’s not always possible to take a week or a fortnight break in a far-flung destination. Sometimes, all we can manage to squeeze in is a brief weekend to kick back, relax and enjoy ourselves.

When all you’ve got to play with is a few days, it’s important that you make the most of your time. That’s why we’ve created this guide to planning the perfect weekend getaway so that you can make the most of your precious time away from life’s pressures.

Pick your destination

First things first – you’ll need to decide where you’re going to be spending your weekend getaway. But with so many fantastic destinations on your doorstep, choosing which one will be the focus of your weekend is easier said than done.

When you’re looking for inspiration or you want to find more information on a destination, Lonely Planet is a good place to start your search. This site has a detailed entry for every city you could think of and will tell you the best attractions, sites, and things to do.

Top tip: For a truly memorable weekend, pick somewhere that you, or anyone you know, have never visited before. You’ll arrive without any preconceptions of what to expect and you’ll experience a destination with a fresh set of eyes!

Rest your head somewhere special

You’ve picked your destination. Now it’s time to find somewhere to rest those aching feet after you’ve clocked up serious sightseeing miles.

When it comes to picking your accommodation, you’re guaranteed to find one of the big hotel chains wherever you’ve decided to visit. While this is a perfectly adequate place to base a weekend and somewhere to sleep at night, it’s likely that sleeping is the maximum time you’ll want to spend in your soulless little box of a hotel room.

Make the most of your precious weekend away from home and work, by staying somewhere that’s really going to help you relax and enjoy yourself. Luxury hotels, like those from Hand Picked Hotels, are perfect for adding a touch of opulence and relaxation to a weekend break and can be found throughout the UK, so you’re sure to find something that’s close to the location you’ve chosen.

Top tip: Hotels advertised as being in the country aren’t necessarily ‘in the middle of nowhere’. Norton House in Edinburgh, for instance, is set on 55 acres of grounds and is perfect for relaxing in quiet surroundings. It’s also just a 20-minute drive from Edinburgh, so it’s an ideal base for exploring the city as well as chilling out in the countryside.

Make the most of your time

We’re not for one minute saying that you should make an itinerary of all the things you want to see and do on your break. After all, the point of a holiday is to take a break from timekeeping and living by the clock.

On the other hand, if you’re limited to a weekend it’s a good idea to do a little bit of planning with regard to your sightseeing and activities. Prioritize what you want to see the most and find out the location of attractions in advance to save valuable time getting lost looking for things.

Top tip: If you’re planning on visiting lots of attractions, you could make a big saving if you buy a ticket that gives you access to more than one. Something like this ticket, which gets you into four of the most popular London attractions, is 40% cheaper than if you paid for each one individually.

You may only have a few days, but that doesn’t mean you can’t have a memorable trip that does just the job when you’re in need of a break from life’s pressures. With a little bit of planning in advance, you can make the most of whatever time you have to play within one of the UK’s fantastic destinations.