10 keys to organize a surprise trip

Tired of always making the usual gifts? Do you want to surprise a special person and you have run out of ideas? Maybe every time a certain date arrives, be it a birthday, an anniversary or the commemoration of a special day, and you decide to make a different gift with which to surprise someone, you feel desperate. There are many original ideas, but you are done with all of them. However, there is something that you know never fails: organizing a surprise trip.

You know that giving a trip to a desired destination is something that the surprised person will never forget: just seeing the emotion with which they discover the surprise will already be worth it. But what should you keep in mind before considering organizing a surprise trip? What details can't you forget? Don't worry, so that you don't have any loose ends at Skyscanner, we have proposed to give you all the keys to organize the perfect surprise trip. Keep reading and start devising your plan. It will be a sure hit!

1. Choose the dates carefully

An essential piece of information, of course, will be to know what dates the person you want to surprise has available. It is not going to be that, once all the surprise is organized, you discover that it is impossible for him to travel because he already has other commitments! So with any excuse, like, for example, presenting him with a fictitious plan so that he agrees to save those days for you, stay covered in that aspect.

It's always a good idea to have a buddy help you with this part of organizing a surprise trip. A good friend or friend, a family member, a co-worker...Anyone you know you can trust and that they will keep the secret will be able to lend you a hand and find out for you what dates they would have available, so you will avoid the possibility of raising suspicions.

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2. Ask her for vacation days on the sly

As long as your surprise trip lasts more than a weekend and is going to last for a few weekdays, you'll need the help of another new sidekick: her boss or boss, or, instead, someone co-worker who can mediate for you. This management will be more feasible the more margin time you have to do it: this way they can organize themselves much better at work.

And it is that, most likely, when you give the surprise gift to that person, what worries them the most are those vacation days that they will have to request at work. When you tell him that you have already done all the arrangements and that he does not have to bother about anything, it will be an added joy.

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3. Buy the cheapest flights

Just because you are going to prepare a surprise trip does not mean that you cannot save a few euros, of course not! And, for this to be possible, nothing is easier than taking a look at the Skyscanner flight search engine. By making use of some of its tools, such as the Full Month or Cheaper Month option, you will have a better chance of finding a flight that suits your needs at the most competitive price. Another issue will be availability: if you are flexible on the dates to travel, one more advantage that you will have gained to find cheap flights.

One more option to find the cheapest flights for your surprise trip will be through a price alert. In this way, Skyscanner will be in charge of scanning all the offers that the different airlines launch, and being aware of any price drop. If this happens, it will notify you through its application to any of your electronic devices. There will be no better way to make sure you find the flights at the best price.

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4. Choose the destination

Perhaps the most fun part of the whole process of organizing the surprise trip: where will you take that person you want to surprise? The tastes of both the lucky person and the days you have for the getaway will greatly influence this issue, although some ideas to inspire you never hurt.

A proposal that never fails is a beach destination: white sands, warm and turquoise waters, an intense sun that tans your skin... And the best thing is that to find a panorama as appealing as this you can choose between staying in Spain, choosing an island like Ibiza, Formentera, Menorca, or any of the Canary Islands, or throw yourself a little further: the Amalfi Coast of Italy, the Greek Islands or, why not, the Mexican Caribbean or Cuba can be wonderful places.

If the person surprised, however, is more of an urbanite, you won't have a problem either: there are many cities to which you can find direct flights from Spain: Berlin, London, Rome, Paris... Or maybe cross the pond to New York, Chicago or Los Angeles: they will be destinations that will undoubtedly surprise the chosen person. And, if what you are really looking for is a somewhat more exotic trip, there is nothing like betting on a destination like Thailand, Japan, Kenya or Tanzania. Of course, wherever you go, rest assured that you will enjoy it.

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5. Find out and manage the visa

Have you already decided the destination to which you are going to give a surprise trip to that special person? Great! Now, all that remains is for you to manage some bureaucratic procedures that you may need and cannot escape. For example? The obligation to obtain a visa for depending on which countries: if you are going to fly outside of Europe, it will be something that you must take into account. And it is that, although many countries already have the possibility of managing the visa on arrival, many others force you to request them, even months in advance.

If this were the case, you will have to go to the embassy or consulate on duty or, in any case, send the necessary documentation by courier. The passport will be essential, so you will have to manage to get the one of the surprised person without them noticing - make sure they will not need it until the date of the surprise trip or you will have a problem! - and do all the bureaucratic paperwork, once again, secretly.

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6. Check that the documentation is in order

And imagine that, already about to leave on a surprise trip, you stand at the airport to board and you realize that the documentation of the surprised person -passport or ID- has expired: that would be quite a drama! So keep that in mind, and in a hidden way, when you have the opportunity, check that the documentation of the person you are going to surprise is in order. This way you will make sure you don't experience any scares.

And we go even further: if your surprise trip is to a destination on another continent, most likely, you need your passport to be valid for at least 6 months at the time of travel. So now you know: among the keys you must have when organizing a surprise trip, remember to check the expiration date of the necessary identity documents and make sure that, if 6 months of validity are necessary, these are fulfilled.

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7. Find out if there are any events at the destination

Great: you have already made sure that the dates of the surprise trip fit the person who is going to be surprised, you have bought the cheapest flights and you have verified that all the documentation is in order. The time has come to organize the trip for when you arrive at the destination.

And a good way to make the surprise even more rounded if possible, is by keeping an eye on the events that will be held in the chosen place during your stay. Perhaps there is a notable concert or an exhibition that you cannot miss. Or, perhaps, what can put the icing on the surprise cake is a festival that coincides with those dates. What is clear is that the more complete the surprise is, the more both you and the lucky one will enjoy during the days that the surprise trip lasts.

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8. Find out what the weather will be like at the destination

It is essential to have a good control of what temperatures it will be like at the destination chosen for the surprise trip and if the inclement weather plans to do its thing. In the first place, consulting what the weather usually does when you are organizing the getaway. And, secondly, by paying attention to the forecast during the days before the trip. Because if the weather is going to behave well, there will be no problem, but if, on the contrary, you are going to be surprised by rain, cold or, why not, even snowfall... you better be prepared! And it is that, when preparing the suitcases, it will be a very important issue to take into account.

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9. Prepare the suitcase with the appropriate clothes

No one better than you will know what the surprise trip that you have been organizing for so long consists of, so you will be the perfect person to prepare the suitcase of the imminent surprise. That is, without him realizing it, so make sure you don't include anything he's going to miss quickly!

Either by yourself or with the help of your buddies, you must manage to access the closet of the surprised person and choose what clothes will be the most appropriate to take on the trip. If you have planned a beach destination, don't forget, of course, to include a bathing suit and towel -even sunscreen!-. If, on the contrary, you opted for an urban destination, good comfortable shoes with which to walk its streets for hours will be essential. If, on the other hand, it is a more exotic destination, have light clothing to help with high temperatures and mosquito repellent. And, of course, underwear and a toothbrush!

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10. Invent an original way to surprise

Well, it's time to break the news to the imminent surprise: have you thought through how you're going to do it? If you've made it this far and organized a great surprise trip, the communication must be up to par, don't you think?

Fear not, there are as many options for announcing the surprise as the imagination can invent, but here are some ideas in case they serve as inspiration.

One of them is the most popular: give him a voucher where he discovers the plan. This same option, somewhat more elaborate, could be accompanied by a letter where you explain the reason for this exciting initiative. At the end of it, reveal the destination. Although if you are one of those who likes to endure emotion until the end, be clear: cover the eyes of the person you are going to surprise and do not uncover them until you find yourself at the boarding gate: they will hallucinate. You can always give her an object that is related to the destination to which you will travel, prepare a guessing game for her or, why not, take her to a traditional food restaurant of the destination and reveal the surprise there. Be that as it may, your surprise trip will surely be a success.

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