Spontaneous Trip
 

What is the most spontaneous trip you ever took. Where was it and how was it different than the rest?

Suddenly decided I needed some single malt, so hopped in the car and got a bottle of Laphroaig from the local liquor store. Not a long trip, but totally satisfying. :-)

Not in Europe, so I can't answer.

Too many to count within Turkey.

Internationally, to Venice, Helsinki & Tallinn, Essex, Cheltenham, Alessandropoli, Chios, Leipzig-Prague, Denmark, Belgium, Holland, Batumi, Almaty, Bishkek, Osaka, Kyoto, Chicago, Milwaukee, New Orleans, Virginia Beach, Cancun. Las Vegas, Boise, Detroit, Wyoming, Arizona. Boston, New Mexico, Baltimore, Atlantic City, Troy (Ohio) Fire Island, Fort Meyers.

planned trips were Thailand, Spain, France. Italy, Germany, Switzerland, Austria, Bulgaria, Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan, Paris, London, Yorkshire, Cambridge, Manchester

I and I hope DW have enjoyed all trips, whether spontaneous or planned, except those we had to make with friends.
Older daughter did not enjoy those after she was sixteen, but younger one enjoyed all trips she made with us (or she somehow appeared to do so)

Around here, locally, plenty. But a long-distance trip, never. I save my spontaneity for when I'm actually there.

Negotiated a surprise day in Paris via the airlines on my return from Greece.

Pretty much like a planned trip, just shorter. Visited some of my favorite places and wandered to discover new ones.

A weekend trip to Yellowstone. Came home from work, loaded up the car and set off.

We deleted more than half your country tags because they messed up the page formatting

I have never taken a spontaneous trip.

Went to Portugal with less than a weeks notice. Found out DH was having a port stop there, so I loaded up the kids and we went. I was nervous on the plane wondering what the heck I was doing, and the kids were young, but it was fantastic!

In the 1990s, a travel company offered these crazy off-season packages between November 1 and March 15-- $599 for roundtrip flights between NYC and Rome (or Florence or Venice), including 5 nights in a hotel (usually pretty good location) and airport transfers. This was based on 2 people traveling together. For another $30 each we could add another night at the hotel. Putting this in perspective, at that time the flight alone might be more like $800. There were Christmas and New Years holiday blackouts, but Thanksgiving was not considered high season. So...

For about 10 years I spent every Thanksgiving on a quick trip with friends to Rome, Florence, or Venice. I have a friend in Florence, Rosa, so she would often join us wherever we were.

One year I could not go because a big project was supposed to start at work. The Sunday before Thanksgiving I called Rosa to have a phone "visit" since I would not be there. She exclaimed, "Why aren't you coming?! You should come!"

At work the next day, I discovered my project would not arrive until after Thanksgiving. I immediately went online to see what crazy prices one would have to pay to get a ticket to Florence the next evening (Tuesday), returning after five nights (Monday). Most roundtrip flights were $1400. Air France has a freakish option out of Newark via CDG for $415 roundtrip.

I bought the ticket, told my boss I would be out Wednesday and Monday ("Good for you!" she said) And called Rosa to tell her I would arrive in Wednesday morning.

It was a great trip, didn't do anything special, but it felt more special since it was unexpected.
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Amsterdam
 

I came home from work, depressed thinking about the the fact that my ex bf birthday coming soon and we supposed to go to Leeds for a romantic weekend.
With my booked holiday, suddenly I had no plans for what to do and my mood went worst, so I came home, went online and booked myself a trip to Amsterdam. It was very unique experience.

What a great story! I'm sure Rosa was thrilled - and good for your boss!

In the 90s, Delta had weekend specials. Fares that were dirt cheap. Flights to the west coast (from Atlanta) were a little bit pricier but they allowed more days. They did have a few flight options to Europe but we never took those. At midnight on Tuesday nights they would post that week's "deals". You had to fly out on Thursdays (and maybe Friday mornings) and return on Sunday or Monday mornings. Before my partner went to bed, we'd talk and pick two or three places we'd be interested in. At midnight I'd be dialing. It was all automated. You'd pick choice 1 through 5 (sometimes 7). We went somewhere almost every month on those deals. For $39 to $69 round trip, it was worth it! LOTS of weekend trips during those years. ALL of those trips were spontaneous. In the morning I would announce where we'd be going that weekend. SO much fun!

I once traveled to Ukraine in the Carpathians with friends. The nature there is of incredible beauty, skiing in Bukovel. I really liked everything.