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When I travel, I like to let things happen, because many of my most memorable moments happen while chatting with strangers on uncrowded streets or in restaurants.
So my friend told me Journee — a travel agency that specializes in mystery tours and plans everything for you, including the destination — I had to try it out on my solo trip.
Companies like Journee have become increasingly popular in recent years as more travelers turn to the idea of having someone plan their trip for them. Booking.com survey of 27,000 travelers It turns out that more than half of respondents would welcome the idea of traveling to unknown destinations.
I was excited to find out what all the fuss was about and book my own surprise trip. Here’s what it was like traveling to an unknown destination with Journee.
The company asked me questions about my travel preferences and sent me hints along the way to reveal the answers.
I created a PowerPoint game using some tips I received from the company.
Andrea G. Preziotti
When booking the trip, the travel company provided me with a detailed travel questionnaire that asked about my interests, curiosity, risk tolerance, health, and overall travel philosophy. They also asked me details about my “purpose” for the trip, my safety standards, and my logistics and budget.
The company then sent me a travel proposal and gave me some tips on the cities I could travel to – I was never forced to book and the proposal itself was completely free.
Once I decided to take part, they gamified the pre-trip content, sneaking fun facts and tips into my WhatsApp DMs to heighten the tension.
I challenged myself (and my friends) to use my brain (no Googling) to figure out where to go, and it resulted in many great travel conversations.
The company also provided a detailed packing list, including items such as bank cards, mobile phone, chargers, passport and comfortable walking shoes.
The destination announcement was quite disappointing
On the day of my departure, I added a few euros to my carry-on bag before catching an Uber to Newark Airport. In the car, I daydreamed about my destination, secretly hoping it was somewhere I’d never been before.
My plans to shoot a public video at the airport were quickly foiled when my driver informed me that Newark has two international terminals.
I was disappointed because the tour company did not include the device information on the envelope so I had to open the card on the vehicle.
But I was excited about the place on the card: Lisbon.
In addition to our destinations, the envelope also contained a detailed itinerary listing each day’s pre-booked excursions, like an electric bike tour and a sunset cruise, as well as free time for each day.
The company was very good at arranging accommodation and activities.
I arrived in Lisbon in the morning on a basic economy flight, relieved to find that my airline had booked me a studio apartment with a spacious balcony overlooking the street.
I loved that it was in a residential area and with the metro station and grocery stores nearby it felt like I had moved abroad.
My first group trip ended up being a one-on-one e-bike tour of the city after participants canceled due to rain.
I took the 2 hour electric bike tour along the Tagus River.
Andrea G. Preziotti
A city guide took me on a two-hour tour along the Tagus River, a route I ended up retracing multiple times over the course of the week.
We visited the 7,000 year old megaliths.
Andrea G. Preziotti
Other trips booked by Journee were also fun, including a drive through the countryside to a small village southeast of the city, where our group sheltered from the rain to visit a Stonehenge-like group of megaliths. Dating back 7,000 years.
One of the final projects on the trip was a visit to the UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Jeronimos Monastery, where the sheer tranquility was worth waiting in line for 90 minutes.
As the week progressed, I began to deviate from my pre-planned schedule.
I decided to skip the excursion on the third day and explore somewhere off the beaten path.
Andrea G. Preziotti
Although I enjoyed the group tour, I was concerned that I wouldn’t have enough time to explore the city on my own, so I decided to cancel the tour on the third day and explore some more off the beaten path areas.
I walked through the Alcántara district and stopped at the LXFactory, a food and art venue housed in a former textile industrial complex.
We also cycled around the Mouraria and Alfama districts and ate our fill of bacalhau, Lisbon’s salted cod tapas. Fado Museumlearned about the history of Portugal’s soulful music at an interactive and immersive cultural arts center.
It was great to get to explore a different side of the city that wasn’t on our original itinerary.
The trip was fun, but I would change things up a bit next time.
Overall, it was exciting to get out of my comfort zone and let someone else plan the trip – I loved the surprise of not knowing the destination and visiting historical sites that were off the beaten path.
Next time I would book with a friend and discuss this directly with the tour company to allow more time to explore freely.