Insider travel tips: 10 reasons not to travel on long weekends
If you are retired, or enjoy independent work hours, one of the benefits is you don't have to run with the pack. Or do you just want to travel smarter, not harder and get more bang for your buck? School holidays and long weekends are good time to put off travel and enjoy a well-earned break at home.
Here are 10 reasons why this travel insider says it is a good idea to sit back and relax and enjoy a staycation.
1. Inflated airfares
The crush of people wanting to travel on a long weekend means you'll rarely find a deal that is genuinely attractive. Those who have to travel will face high airfares due to demand. Airlines have perfected scaling airfares to maximise their returns so if you can travel when others can't you'll pay a lot less.
2. Traffic jams
Turn the radio or TV on towards the end of a holiday break and you just know there will be bulletins detailing the traffic delays getting back into the city in time for work. This is a Sydney speciality.
3. Crowded airports
The scene from Planes, Trains and Automobilesdepicting crushing crowds and cranky patrons perfectly depicts the horror of long weekend travel. Do you really want to be one of them?
4. Kids everywhere
We love little people and traveling with the family can be a great experience but traveling with lots of other people's kids rarely is! If you’re a grandparent, give your kids a break and enjoy your grandchildren at home.
5. Queues, queues, queues!
Long weekend lines can be long. Whether it's a museum, gallery, or attraction you almost certainly will spend more time in the queue waiting for tickets or bustling to the end of the line.
6. Madding crowds
Once you do get into your event, the crowds don't miraculously disappear. You could be scrunched up against other patron with limited breathing room, or the precious prime vantage point for a picnic has already been discovered by another group or ten.
7. Dire dining
"I'm sorry, your selection is not available". You've been salivating over those BBQ ribs ever since you spotted them on the menu, but long weekends inevitably means your favourite selection is sold out. And after that disappointment you’ll probably be slugged with a long weekend service fee.
8. Sold out!
Peak times means peak popularity so you need to do planning – and paying – ahead just to ensure you’ll get into the place you’ve travelled to visit.
9. Harried staff
Extra crowds put extra strain on staff, too. So don’t expect the same level of service when you’re just one of an endless stream of patrons.
10. The last resort
Resorts fill quickly for peak holiday times and while that’s great for their bottom line it may mean you can’t stay where you wish or in your preferred room. And forget about the welcome upgrade on arrival.
The long weekend can instead be a perfect time to discover your hometown or neighbourhood while everyone else is away.
Written by David McGonigal. Republished with permission of Wyza.com.au.