When Pack Up + Go emerged on the scene only a few years ago, surprise travel was a radically new concept in the United States. So what, exactly, is surprise travel? 

Written by Corinne Hogge + Jordan Tobe

Surprise Travel [sərˈpraiz ˈtrævəl]:

1. Who is Pack Up + Go?

2. How does Pack Up + Go Work?

3. Where am I going on a Pack Up + Go Surprise Getaway?

4. What happens after I sign up?

5. Why Should I Take a Surprise Trip?

Who is Pack Up + Go?

We're a travel brand that plans vacations around the US. The catch? Your destination is a surprise until the day you depart! Our Surprise Trips start at 3-days, 2-nights and can depart any day of the week.

Pack Up + Go was started in 2016 by Lillian Rafson. She was inspired to create the company while trekking through Latvia when she realized that she had made it all the way across the Atlantic, but had never been to South Carolina. In reality, she hadn’t traveled around the United States much at all. At that moment, she decided that she would move home and get to work helping others explore the USA with ease, spontaneity, and surprise.

How does Pack Up + Go Work?

When you sign up for a Pack Up + Go Surprise Getaway, you are signing up for a stress-free, curated experience where our Team will take care of the planning so that you can focus on the adventure!

We use a variety of factors to make decide your destination, hotel, and recommendations. The most important information we use to choose your mystery destination comes from the Pre-Trip Survey you fill out when you sign up. On that Survey, you will tell us what you like to do when you travel, your travel history, who you’re traveling with, whether the trip is celebrating anything special, and more! A member of the Pack Up + Go Travel Planning Team will analyze your information and match you with your Surprise Destination -- almost like a dating profile! Some of the other factors that impact your Trip’s details are the budget you select, your departing airport or address, any time restrictions, and your departure date! While the destination will be a surprise for you, it has been carefully planned by a member of our Team.

Pack Up + Go is a travel brand that purchases airfare, hotel accommodations, spa treatments, tickets, and tours on behalf of our travelers. While we are lucky to have amazing hotel + small business partners around the USA, we are neither a hotel or a tour provider.

Where am I going on a Pack Up + Go Surprise Getaway?

Over the past 6 years, we have been lucky to send travelers to more than 300 cities across the US, from the beautiful Black Hills of Rapid City, South Dakota to the charming Southern city of Savannah, Georgia, and the many coastal cities of California! What we have discovered during our time of surprise vacation planning is that the United States has just as many destinations, oddities, and micro-cultures as anywhere else on Earth, and we can wait to share them with you.

If you take a Plane Trip, Road Trip, or You Pick Trip, you will stay in a city destination, and for Outdoors Road Trips and Outdoors Plane Trips, you will be staying in an accommodation closer to nature!

What happens after I sign up?

Once your Surprise Destination has been determined, your Travel Planner will begin booking your reservations! They will book your plane tickets, plan your custom Road Trip, secure your hotel or bed + breakfast, and purchase any activities or add-ons that fit into your budget. Pack Up + Go then takes time to put together curated recommendations to fit your interests in the destination. The goal is to provide you with many amazing suggestions so that you can still choose your own adventure without having to do the research. Once all of these details are finalized, they get shipped to you in the Surprise Trip Envelope! 

Meanwhile, you haven’t had to worry about a single detail since you submitted your survey! One week before your surprise trip you will receive an email from Pack Up + Go telling you the weather forecast for your destination, some suggested packing items, and where to be + when on your departure day. Now all that’s left to do is to pack up your bags and go (see what we did there?)! When it is time to head to the airport or jump in your car and hit the road, open your envelope and reveal your Surprise Destination!

Once you’ve learned your destination, the surprise travel experience doesn’t stop there. At Pack Up + Go, we know that there are a lot of unknowns in travel, even when you’re destination is not a surprise! Airline schedules change all the time, hotels can over-book, and activities can be canceled...The difference when you travel with Pack Up + Go is that there is a dedicated staff member on-call 24/7 during your trip to help you out when these situations arise.

Why Should I Take a Surprise Trip?

We know our travelers value mystery trips for a number of reasons. First, our travelers understand the importance of traveling with an open mind - “I don’t care where I go, as long as I get to go somewhere!” is a sentiment we hear often. Our travelers head to destinations they may not have selected themselves with an openness to trying new things in a new place. Next, putting your plans in someone else’s hands allows you to step out of your comfort zone. So while you may be the kind of person who likes to plan everything, handing the reins to someone else can be exhilarating, exciting, and even refreshing! Lastly, surprise travel with Pack Up + Go encourages travelers to support small businesses - especially those who are doing good things in their communities! 

So, while many people think of surprise travel as just showing up at the airport and hopping on the next available flight, Pack Up + Go has a different idea. Let us carefully choose your destination and make all of the plans for you! Our Traveler Support Team is available to help 24/7. On a surprise getaway with Pack Up + Go, you might just step out of your comfort zone and into a brand new city with endless possibilities for exploration! 

Still not sure? Check out these great articles about why you might opt for a Pack Up + Go trip:

• The Wall Street Journal: Why Even Control Freaks Are Opting for ‘Surprise Vacations’

• Medium: Why I Let a Stranger Choose Where I Was Going on Vacation

• Travel + Leisure: Are Micro-cations the Newest Millenial Travel Trend?

• The Washington Post: Want to travel but don’t care where? ‘Surprise vacations’ have you covered.

We look forward to sending you somewhere soon! Have a question? We’d love to chat!