NoleNomad

Whether due to an incredible air fare and/or hotel special, unused vacation time that will disappear, a financial windfall, or whatever... there are times when a golden opportunity to travel overseas suddenly presents itself. Usually, this means little or no advanced planning.

I have read of some of these experiences on this board but would love to hear more... the good, the bad, and the ugly. How did you deal with the uncertainty, and did you find you preferred this style of travel? Thanks.

Dukey

I once flew to Amsterdam at the last minute and got an incredibly cheap airfare. I was there for five nights.

The sex was fantastic and worth every penny, too.

esm

Went to Paris to visit our son 3 years ago. Rockford airport was trying to compete with Chicago with a special promotional rebate on airfare. I think the cost per person was $400.

We found a special rate at Citadines so it worked out nicely. BTW, what is the wild hair part?

shelly_m

We were offered a 10-day trip to Ireland and London by my husband's company. It was with a group, so we didn't have to do any last minute planning...

...Until we missed our flight from Newark to Shannon due to weather. The best Continental agent in the world worked for about an hour to reroute six of us to Paris instead. We then told the company travel agent that if she could put us up for the first night somewhere in Paris, and we could find accommodations for the remaining two nights and a way to get to London.

When we arrived in Paris, they had reserved us rooms at the Hotel du Louvre in the 1st, and they had gone ahead and paid for all three nights. It was a fabulous hotel, one that we would never have been able to afford on our own.

Luckily, we had French-speaking Canadians in our group, and were able to make our way around Paris, out to Versailles, and to book Eurostar tickets to meet up with our group in London.

We went with no plans and no expectations. It was a fabulous three days in Paris.

This year I was lucky enough to return to Paris with my mom and was able to see all the things we missed on that quick trip.

irecommend

Naughty, naughty Dukey!!!

NoleNomad

esm,

"wild hair" is an expression meaning a sudden, often irrational, urge to do something out of the ordinary.

esm

Thanks NN; I guess I have wild hair!

SAnParis2

Although I would guess those days are now past us, my wife & I grabbed 'e-savers' several times & traveled to Amsterdam, Paris & Munich. They were all leave Thursday evening, return Tuesday trips. Worth every dime, & I'd do it again in a heartbeat.

Vicky

Oh I have the impulse all right -- right now, in fact. Go to the airport, get on a plane and be having cafe creme and croissants in Paris tomorrow. alas I am WAY too much of a planner for such a thing... And the planning is very much a pleasure - comparing assorted web sites and hotels, getting the best hotel for the price at the best value... I always thought: if I got an inheritance, I'd be on the first plane to Europe. When I got it in 2002 (grandparents), did I do it? I did not! I still planned out my trips as carefully as ever... Spontaneous I'm not! But I can dream

LSky

Pretty much everything I need for a trip is already in my suitcase. Just add clothes and fill a container for moisturizer.

When I come home, I refill all of the travel sizes of shampoo, root lifter etc, throw in a bar of travel soap and a travel toothpaste.

I'm set and always hopeful that I'll have a wild hair, (not going to happen travel blow dryer already in there) spur of the moment unplanned trip to anywhere. If it this trip is in the States, I take out my adapter.

KayF

I used to spend 6-12 months planning our overseas trips then we moved to another country to live and it all changed.

We had been in the new country about a month, so stressful times, my husband got a new job and we found we could squeeze in a week's holiday somewhere. We quickly chose the Algarve in Portugal . I knew NOTHING about the country or the area.

I was online searching and booking flights 2 days before we flew out and the night before we left I was crazily trying to find accommodation. On the way to the airport we stopped to buy a small guidebook. Boy, was I stressed with doing no planning but we had a good time anyway.

Kay

Fodorite018

My first trip to Europe was spur of the moment. My DH was deployed and we found out they were doing a port stop, so I had one week advance notice. I had gotten our passports (kids and myself) a few months before in the hopes that we could meet him somewhere. But that was the extent of the planning. With the one week notice, I got airline tickets and hotel reservations. I still remember getting on the plane at JFK with the kids, who were only 4 and 7 at the time, and thinking "what in the world am I doing?" as I was nervous about my adventure. Best thing I ever did!!! We had a fantastic time and it really got me wanting to explore more areas.

rogeruktm

A few years ago British Airways had a 3 day offer for a round trip between San Francisco and London for $199. I booked it and was off the next week.

anniemackie

Perhaps five years ago, while on break at work, I called my husband and told him there was an independent tour for 10 days in Ireland. $1,500 for the two of us including car rental, B&B's, and flights. He said "No!" I said "Yes!", he said "GO!", and I clicked within two minutes. We left the next month, which considering our normal planning routine, was as spontaneous as we're likely to get.

It was a great trip, made even more memorable by what we considered a fantastic deal. It was definitely the off-season, but during that cold spring, we saw a 50-degree difference in daytime temps between home and Ireland. It felt like summer!

~Annie

Lynn_Gibson

A few years ago, I took a last-minute trip to London for six days. I needed to get away by myself and it was wonderful. I did exactly what I wanted to do, walked a lot, and thoroughly enjoyed London.

I travel for business a lot, so I just packed up, and told my family (my kids and mother live nearby)on my way to the airport (from a phone) that I would be in London for a few days. They know me too well to protest. I had a marvelous time - and I'm trying to figure out how I can get a week away before the end of this year.

SusanP

In March of 2006, I really needed to get away and wanted to go to Rome. I was looking to leave the following week, but the flights were $2000+, obviously way too much for me to afford. I didn't give up, just kept checking them several times a day. Then on Expedia, up popped an Expedia Bargain Fare for around $550 that guaranteed a major airline and not more than one stop. I grabbed it.

This was less than a week from when I left. I immediately went to Sleep in Italy and got lucky with an apartment for 11 nights right off Campo de' Fiori. Loved every minute!
Wish I could do it right now!

Carrybean

After a battle with my ex-family in 1979, I decided "the heck with it" and booked a trip to Sint Maarten for 2 weeks over Thanksgiving. Had never been there & fell in love with it. Met this older lady who lived there with a business & came back to the same nuts family.

Went back in January & stayed with the lady for a month. Wound up getting a job there off-season babysitting a guest house which turned permanent in 1982. Lived there until 1989 when the place was sold.

Moved back to the area of my nutty ex-family for 6 months, sent my resume all over the USVI (never had been here), was asked for an interview, went, got hired & moved here in a week's time.

Be careful of those wild hairs.

Carrybean

I know, I know - it wasn't Europe but it was overseas (half-French/half-Dutch.)

girlonthego

somewhat unplanned. and not Europe..We had a trip to Hawaii planned. I had read books and decided everything. It started raining about a month before our trip and didn't stop. Kauai was flooded and Oahu dumped 50,000 gallons of raw sewage right in front of our hotel...I switched to the Big Island two days before our flight. I bought a book to read about it on the plane, but didn't. We winged the whole trip and it was fun.
Now, I need to have a Europe escape with lots of wild hairs!!!

suze

I would do Mexico or Hawaii for a beach vacation on a "wild hair" but not Europe.

It costs too much and I'd want to have time to better make my plans.