Naturally, the length of a trip depends first on many factors that arise at home: available vacation time, finances, personal and professional commitments, etc. Other factors are more a result of the destination choice: density of sights, transportation/logistics, special events, and the desired pace of the trip. How can you decide what's right for you? Well, think of it as dining out...

The Getaway: An Appetizer

We all need to escape the daily grind on occasion, and a getaway is usually understood to be a short reprieve--an opportunity to briefly immerse yourself in a different environment just long enough to recharge your batteries. For a getaway, two to four nights can be enough, but you'll want to be strategic. Do you really want to spend two of those precious days in transit? It's good to limit the travel time on a short trip to a half day in each direction, a couple of hours by plane, perhaps. Choose a destination that has enough to sustain your interest for a short time, and your accommodations should be well-located for the intention of the trip. City break? Stay in the middle of everything, where walking is easy. A nature retreat? Choose a place that will be scenic but just enough off the beaten path so as not to spend endless hours getting there.

The Short Trip: A Cup of Soup and a Salad

Many people like to bookend a trip between two weekends, spending perhaps five to seven nights away from home. This length will give you more of what you want in terms of a longer getaway: a perfect window for exploring a larger American city or a limited region. If you live on the East Coast of the United States, it's not at all out of the question to pop over the pond to London, Rome, Paris, Berlin, Madrid, or Amsterdam for a week, since the trip is relatively short and direct flights are available from major US cities to major European cities. Even from other areas, a week can be the perfect length for a trip to Mexico City, Toronto, the Caribbean--in short, anyplace you can reach in three to eight hours of travel time, with no more than one change of plane. Another factor to consider: your relationship with jet lag; if it's a big issue for you, stick with a destination that won't force a major time shift on your body.

The Medium Trip: A Main Course with Dessert

Now we're getting to the heartier and more filling options. A ten-day trip gives you enough time to get to know a destination better, as well as a fighting chance to fully recover from jet lag. You might be tempted to go farther now--perhaps to Europe or South America. If it's a long way, you may still end up traveling overnight from day one into day two, and day ten would be your journey home. Between these bookends, you've got seven good days. Not as much time as it seemed at first, right? This length is usually nice for one or two destinations at most, say Madrid and/or Barcelona. It's also still a great time frame for exploring one major city with a couple of day trips thrown in for variety, or perhaps a nice range for exploring a smallish region with a rental car, with one or two "home bases" at most. It's also a nice manageable length to enjoy a seven-night river cruise.

The Full-Size Trip: A Three-Course Meal 

If you've pondered or been part of a Mon Voyage Small Group Trip, you will have noticed that I find two weeks a sort of sweet spot. (And by two weeks, I might sometimes mean two weeks bookended by weekends, so up to 16 days.) It's perfect if you want a more leisurely or immersive stay in an area. It's also a great length for exploring several cities or towns in one country, perhaps two to four stops in all. I normally oppose staying in any destination for only one or two nights unless there's a very good reason for it! I dislike packing and unpacking almost as much as I dislike changing planes, and I avoid each studiously. Veterans of traveling with Nicole will tell you that we confine ourselves to three or four locations in two weeks, places from which we can explore both what is immediately at hand as well as what may be reachable on a short day trip. Two weeks is also about the longest that many people feel comfortable being away. A fortnight can also be the sweet spot in terms of a trip flying by and being ready to go home.

The King-Size Trip: A Seven-Course Tasting Menu

For destinations that are much farther away or require more complicated logistical arrangements, the more time you can carve out, the better. Think here in terms of a slow-travel, detailed sojourn around one country in Europe, a trip to discover the rich culture of India, or a river cruise with extra time in Cambodia and Vietnam. Perhaps an African safari or a long stay in Australia is on your list. When you consider the amount of time it takes to arrive at and return from these destinations, it only makes sense that you'll want to stay longer after having gone to some trouble to get there. Sometimes this is a dream trip or a bucket-list destination that requires long-term planning and saving. But don't put it off forever or you may never have the thrill of that adventure.

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A Tasty Opportunity: last call for CDMX!

De los Aztecas al Zócalo, Mexico City: November 6-13, 2022

It's a weeklong major city immersion with a day trip for variety. Reply directly to this email to inquire about last-minute availability on this closer-to-home adventure to discover the incredible culture and history of our southern neighbor's vibrant capital city.