What is a “Surprise Trip?”
Have you ever heard of “surprise trips?” It’s exactly what it sounds like. Rather than planning your own trip, a travel agency will do all the decision-making and bookings for you. Then, they will surprise you with the destination once you get to the airport. A number of companies already provide this service, like “Pack Up + Go” and “Brown & Hudson”.
Why Take a “Surprise Trip?”
If you struggle with decision-making, it’s the ideal solution. Among couples recently married, trips where the couple does not need to plan have always been common. However, the concept of a surprise trip is now getting more mainstream. In a recent Booking.com survey of 27,000 travelers from 33 countries, 52% are open to booking a surprise trip where everything – even the destination – is unknown until they arrive. Booking.com predicts that surprise trips will become a trend in 2024.
How Do “Surprise Trips” Work?
When you book a surprise trip, you pick a price based on how far you want to go and how many days you want to travel. You fill out information like your past trips, interests, and dietary choices. Then, an in-house team plans your trip. A week before you travel, you receive the weather forecast for your destination, so you know what to pack. Then, in the mail you get a special envelope that you open at the airport. When you open it, you receive your destination, as well as an example itinerary and suggestions for attractions.
Advantages of Surprise Travel
In psychological studies, data shows that surprises force your brain to focus on what is happening, and curiosity grows. Compared to daily life, which can sometimes follow the same predictable routine every day, surprise travel means you don’t know what you will experience next. In the next section of this article, we explore areas of Greece where your surprise travels could take you.
What are the Most Popular Areas of Greece?
Crete
Crete is an island of infinite mystery and a feast for all the senses. Crete is the largest island of Greece and has a rich history, various cultural influences, world-famous cuisine, unforgettable hospitality, and a wealth of music and tradition. The enormous coastline offers magnificent beaches and for the adventurers, this island is a real treasure. The island is easy to reach by boat and plane, and it is always a few degrees warmer than the rest of the country due to its southern location.
The Peloponnese
The Peloponnese is one of the most popular regions for tourism on the mainland of Greece. It is close to Athens, which in itself offers a wide range of attractions, but also good accessibility. Furthermore, the Peloponnese has been the center of action and events since ancient times, so it possesses many important archaeological sites, such as Olympia, Epidaurus, and Mycenae. As it is surrounded by coastline, it consequently also has the most beautiful beaches and waters. Some of the most famous places in the Peloponnese are Nafplion, Gythio, Monemvasia, and Pylos.
The Aegean Islands
When we talk about the Aegean islands we are talking about a huge number of islands that span from the coast with Turkey to far south across the Mediterranean Sea. The most famous islands are the Sporades archipelago (Skiathos, Skopelos, Alonissos and Skyros), the Cyclades (Santorini, Mykonos, Naxos and Paros), the Dodecanese (a.o. Rhodes, Kos, Karpathos, Kalymnos, Patmos, Lipsi, Leros, Telendos, Nisyros, Symi, Halki(Chalki), and Kastelorizo), and the Saronic Islands (Poros, Salamis, Aegina and Agkistri, as well as Hydra and Spetses). Also Thassos, Samothraki, Limnos, Lesbos, Chios, Samos, Ikaria and Evia are Aegean islands.
Central Greece
This region has beautiful valleys for fresh summer walks and ski slopes. There are also beautiful cities, charming villages, delicious cuisine and of course the authentic Greek hospitality. Yet there are three truly indispensable destinations in this region. The first is the archaeological site of Delphi, which has been an important and magical place with beautiful scenery since ancient times. Equally breathtaking is Meteora; an impressive area of large mountain peaks with on top a series of monasteries, some of which are open to the public and the view will always stay with you! Finally, the beautiful Pelion peninsula is a must-see with its delightful mountain villages.
Ionian Islands
The Ionian Islands are located in the Ionian Sea, west of the Greek mainland and for a small part off the Albanian coast. They were also called ‘Heptanisa’, which in Greek means ‘seven islands’. This was derived from the seven main islands of the archipelago, namely Corfu, Lefkas, Ithaka (also called Ithaki), Kefalonia, Paxi (also called Paxos), Zakynthos and Kythira.
Planning a Viewing Trip
Are you interested in visiting these areas of Greece? Planning a viewing trip is the perfect way to explore new destinations in Greece. If you need help planning your trip, or need ideas of “surprise” destinations in Greece, contact us here.
