- Do you complain about the lack of annual leave at your work place?
- Do you want something more from your weekend than sleeping in till noon?
- Do you ask yourself, “What did I do during the weekend?” as the days were too unmemorable?
If you’ve answered “YES” to all three questions, perhaps it is time you try travelling during the weekend.
[Photo credit: Duane Mendoza]
Before I quit my job for this round-the-world trip, I was travelling quite a lot despite only having 20 days of annual leave. I wanted to get away from the busy life in Singapore so I was plotting at least one trip each month.
Many of these trips did not require me to take days off my annual leave because I chose to travel during the weekend.
Welcome to the start of the “Weekend Traveller” series where I share my tips on why you should travel more during the weekends, how to choose a weekend destination, how to prepare for a weekend trip and other related information.
The Weekend Traveller will appear every 2nd and 4th Tuesday. Here are some of the topics I have in mind:
- Should you be a weekend traveller? Pros and cons of weekend travel
- How to choose a destination (time, cost)
- How to pack for a weekend
- Research to make every second count
- Making your personal guidebook
- What to do when travelling
- What to do when you are back
- Useful sites for booking and useful smartphone apps
If you think there are more that I can touch on, feel free to leave it in the comments.
Let’s start this week’s discussion with the pros and cons of weekend travel.
Pros of travelling during the weekend
- Travel more: There are 52 weekends in a year so you get to travel beyond the days you have in your annual leave.
- Use less annual leave: Annual leaves are best used in chunks so you can travel to further destinations and spend more time there.
- Weekends will be more interesting: No more weekends filled with sleeping in until noon and Youtube watching. You get to go out and smell different air.
- Less luggage: A backpack of clothes is sufficient for a weekend trip which cuts down on luggage cost on budget airlines.
Cons of travelling during the weekend
- Short time: Even if you travel during Friday night and reach your home early Monday morning, weekend trips are really short.
- More expensive: When you consider that your air ticket is split into only 2 days of expenses, it can be more expensive than a week’s trip.
- Tiring: Trying to pack loads of sights and things-to-do into 2 days can drain your energy.
Are you convinced that being a Weekend Traveller is for you? If so, join me in 2 weeks when I discuss how to choose a location for a weekend trip.
If you are not yet convinced, read on and see if you change your mind.
Are you a Weekend Traveller? Which places have you visited during the weekends? What related topics do you want me to cover?
Check out the rest of the series:
Part 1: Pros & cons of weekend travel
Part 2: Where to go for Weekend Travel?
Part 3: Choosing transportation for weekend travel
Part 4: Travel planning for weekend trips
Part 5: Make your own travel guide for a weekend trip
Part 6: How to pack for a weekend trip
Part 7: How to use Foursquare to plan a day’s travel
Part 8: Why a weekend trip is the best time to start solo travelling
Part 9: I’m going to Melaka for a weekend trip
YQtravelling 
I am not a weekend traveller but thats a great idea to take on for next year.
Just need to cut down travel time somehow.
Ok! I’ll address travelling time (Location) in upcoming posts.
Looking forward to it!