How to Plan a Spontaneous Getaway

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Image: Flickr, Adrian Wiggins

By Jessica Plautz2014-04-16 12:38:49 UTC

Have you been daydreaming about your next vacation? Why not take it this weekend?

The word "vacation" is more evocative of a pristine Caribbean beach than a mid-size town two hours from your home, but both have their benefits, and even the shortest getaway can be refreshing. There's no better time to travel than now, so stop putting "plan vacation" on your to-do list.

See also: 10 Best Apps for Navigating a New City

"Planning" and "spontaneous" may sound contradictory, but there are a growing number of travel booking tools that make guesstimation a viable way to plan a trip.

Consider this your how-to guide for making this weekend one to remember.

Step 1: Get Out of Town

Whatever town you're in, it's time to get out of it, so let's look at the options.

Image: Flickr, Kuster & Wildhaber Photography

The cheapest domestic airfares are available 100 to 21 days before the flight, according to Expedia's Sarah Gavin. Twenty days out, prices begin to go up until three days before the flight, when average fares drop 6%.

Don't book a planet ticket the day of travel, though: "The actual day of departure fares are two times what you would have paid when the fare was at its lowest," said Gavin.

Just as important as timing is flexibility. The key to getting a good price on last-minute travel is to think beyond the usual destinations.

"If you can be flexible on your destination," said Gavin, "you can really experience travel in all of its glory and get a good deal." Gavin said that setting your home airport can offer a snapshot of potential destinations:

View flights for the upcoming weekend from your home airport.

Flight is not the only option for transportation, of course. Amtrak prices, while not the cheapest, remain relatively steady even close to the day of travel. Check train routes from your home town for ideas.

And last but certainly not least, there's the tried and true road trip. Take a look at Google Maps and seek out scenic routes instead of highways. Bonus points if you don't use GPS on the road.

Step 2: Pack a Bag

That's "bag," singular. Bring exactly what you need and not a single item more. Even better, channel Coco Chanel and remove one item from your luggage before you leave the house.

If you're flying, remember to be carry-on friendly: This is a last-minute getaway, and last-minute getaways do not involve spending 45 minutes at baggage claim. You don't want to carry extra weight on your adventure, anyway.

Step 3: Find a Place to Stay

Technology is your best friend when it comes to finding a great place to stay at the last minute. There is no reason in this age of booking apps to drive around a new city looking for a "Vacancy" sign.

A hotel must maintain the same price on all of its online listings, whether you find the room on a booking site or on the hotel's own website. There are a couple ways to potentially get around that to find a deal.

Package deals and mobile apps can include rooms priced to sell, according to Gavin at Expedia. On average, travelers save 10% when booking a package compared to what the price would have been when booking each part separately.

Same-day hotel booking app HotelTonight added a new feature Tuesday called "Look Ahead" which provides a rate forecast. Previously, the app showed only the prices for a hotel tonight, now provides an informed estimate of what hotel rates will look like in a given city for the next week. "a snapshot of last-minute room rates and expected savings, hotel availability and other location-specific information for the upcoming week." The new feature is available in NYC, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Miami, Washington, D.C., Chicago, San Francisco, San Diego and Dallas.

HotelTonight starts listing unsold hotel inventory at 9 a.m. local time each day. Booking on the app takes less than 10 seconds, according to the company, and you can book up to five nights. All the hotels are vetted by HotelTonight staff. The options are ranked based on how good a deal each room is. That means that even if a room isn't the cheapest, it might rank higher because it's a great deal. How much you splurge is up to you.

If renting a house or an apartment is more your style, Airbnb also has listings available same day. Save yourself time communicating with the host by finding a listing with "Instant book."

Step 4: See the Sights

You should now have a destination and a place to sleep, but no specific plans for how to spend your time. Lucky for all of us, there are now a growing number of resources and apps that provide recommendations for what to do right now.

When possible, find the local experts: For New York, check out events on the Skint, whose tagline — "Free and cheap New York. Every day" — explains everything you need to know. In San Francisco, try FunCheap for activities that are, you guessed it, fun and cheap. Local weekly publications — LA Weekly, Chicago Reader, San Diego Citybeat — are a great resource for the activities that are more interesting than the typical tourist attractions. If your town has a great local guide, share it in the comments.

Music lovers can download the Bandsintown app for an easy guide to the bands and performers playing tonight and in the next few days in many cities. Recommendations take your music library into consideration by default, but you can also choose to view all local shows.

For general city guides, Lonely Planet's entire library is now available with a monthly subscription from Scribd.

And never forget the food. Foursquare, Yelp and TripAdvisor are some tried and true apps that will help you find the perfect place to eat. Or even the coolest person to hang out with.

What tools do you use for last-minute travel? Share in the comments.

Topics: Apps and Software, budget travel, flight, getaways, HotelTonight, Lifestyle, travel, Travel & Leisure