| Global Travel That’s Short and Sweet
Weekend Getaways Are So Much More Than Road Trip to Palm Springs
The Signal - Business Section, December, 2005
Tahiti for five days, say it isn’t so. But it is. So is London for a long weekend, New York for a show on Broadway, and just about anywhere else you can imagine. The short getaway is back and with a vengeance, thanks to the speed in which we travel, live and experience.
Just because a week is too long to be gone from the office, don’t let that stop you from enjoying a high-impact three-day jaunt to Hawaii. People, the traditional long vacation is so a thing of the past, the modern traveler skips out of town for a few days on end, not weeks. Still time to go to the same exotic destinations to experience the best there is to offer, the mini-vacation is today’s reality.
But like any other activity, you’ve got to plan ahead. Pull out your new 2006 calendars, coordinate schedules and get some travel dates in mind. Now is the time to look forward to the New Year, book early and have several adventures planned and waiting to be taken.
For many of us committing to travel, or rather time away from work, kids, school, whatever, can be challenging. But once the vacation nears, we are always glad to have the break. By taking several long weekends, rather than one extended holiday, your vacation time seems longer, you are able to visit new places, and you go away more often. Weekend getaways are so much more than the old school road trip to Palm Springs. You can actually go somewhere exotic.
Plus, the world seems to be getting smaller, so faraway destinations really aren’t so distant. We actually can fly to Tahiti for five days. Thanks to the host of non-stop flights available from our local airports to all over the map, we can hop on a flight and travel to many places within a few hours. Tahiti, with only a two-hour time difference, is great – exotic, doable for a long weekend and offers the same relaxing benefits of a longer trip. And, you can still stay connected to the “real” world if needed.
The trick here is to plot it out in advance to get the best airfares and accommodations available. By taking advantage of early booking, your travel professional will be able to find you value and benefits that make the whole idea of a mini-vacation easy on your checkbook.
Actually, I just recently was in Tahiti for five days. It is possible, not unheard of and certainly not unrealistic to do. Traveling for short stints is also very refreshing and allows you to feel like you were away for a long time, without the pileup at home that actually comes with being gone for several weeks.
Seems everyone is overscheduled these days, including the kids. Running constantly from work to school to sports events to play dates, and the list goes on. Why not stop for a few minutes and take time to plan your own “play date.” Make a date with your partner to spend three days on the beach in Maui, or with your kids to go to Disneyworld in Florida for a long weekend. It’s the 21st century and that’s how people travel.
Don’t be caught this same time next year wishing you had taken more trips. Do something. If you don’t block out the time, 2006 will disappear too. Tahiti in five days, yes it is so.
Commentary provided by Eric Maryanov, president and founder of All-Travel.com, the Los Angeles-based travel management company with an office in Valencia. He can be reached at 661.775.7511..
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