Have you ever been on a surprise holiday?
Does the idea fill you with excitement or leave you worrying about the finer details?
How about a surprise trip where the destination, flights and accommodation have been sorted? All you would need to do is turn up at the airport with your passport.
That’s exactly what I did on a recent trip to Cologne with WowTrip.
I’ve always liked the idea of a surprise holiday but I equally like to have a little structure to my trip. If the organisation can be left in the hands of someone else then we’re onto a winner.
If you fancy checking out what we got up to in the form of Instagram Stories then pop over to my page and click on the Cologne Highlight.
Suzanne from The Travel Bunny, Jenny from And She’s Off and me!
What exactly is a Wowtrip?
If you’re looking for a surprise holiday then you must check out WowTrip. You simply select your travel dates (you can travel from 2-7 nights), the airport you wish to travel from and how many people you’ll be travelling with. They’ll then arrange a totally surprise trip for you and your friends.
The booking process is so simple and it’s a fun and easy way to explore somewhere new. You can even opt out of visiting certain destinations. The first is free and then it’s £5 per destination you wish to exclude.
The trips are from £150 to £200 and this covers your flights and accommodation. So all you need to worry about is your transport to and from the airport. I travelled to Manchester from Sheffield by train which was really easy and when we arrived in Cologne we just hopped on a train into the centre.
Is Wowtrip really a surprise?
So, 48 hours before the trip you can find your flight times and a weather report, so you have an idea of what to pack. You’re also able to get access to your boarding pass which you can print off or you have the option of waiting ’til you’re at the airport and download the pass to your phone (this is what I did).
So yes, it really is a surprise but I like that it’s flexible depending on how much control you like to have over your day. Some people would feel a lot more comfortable knowing where their destination is a couple of days before they go away.
I do recommend leaving it as long as possible before checking your boarding pass, it’s all part of the fun.
I downloaded my pass from WowTrip whilst I was on the train to Manchester Airport. I was delighted to see that we’d be heading to Cologne in just a couple of hours. I’ve visited many places in Germany over the years and always love having the chance to explore a new part.
WowTrip also gives you access to a mini city guide which is fun to download and look at on your flight.
How did I end up taking a Wowtrip?
I took part in Monica Stott’s e-course, The Blogger Course – well worth getting involved with if you’re keen to take your blog to the next level. Alongside the course is a Facebook group which we all hang out in. It’s really useful for all things blogging and a brilliant way to get to know the other people taking the course.
Back at the start of the year, Monica suggested a Blogger Course trip away. A few months later, a lot of work from Monica and some help from the lovely folk at Wowtrip and PING, we were all heading to our respective airports up and down the country about to embark on a surprise weekend break.
What was the hotel like?
When I travel I like to stay in a comfortable hotel. I like to ensure it’s going to be in a good location, clean, comfortable and most importantly, that I feel safe there.
Luckily, Wowtrip guarantee 3* or 4* hotels with a rating of more than 3 on Tripadvisor. The hotels will always be central too.
We ended up staying at the Holiday Inn Express which was situated near the Old Town and just a 5-minute walk from the U-bhan stations. I was really happy with this.
The hotel itself was modern, I believe it had recently been refurbished. The bedroom and bathroom were very clean and my bed was so comfortable. Perfect after a long day of walking.
I felt very safe in the hotel, I always do when I stay at a Holiday Inn. It had a continental breakfast buffet which was included with our stay. It’s always nice to be able to have something to eat before heading out for the day.
A quick overview of our Wowtrip to Cologne
I really enjoyed our surprise trip to Cologne. I was planning to put everything about the trip into one big post but this is already getting pretty long.
So, I’ve decided to split it into 3 posts with today’s post focusing on what exactly a Wowtrip is. I have a few posts coming later this week to show you what we did and ate in Cologne.
Hues of Delahaye, Being Buttons, Olivia Leaves, Taylor Hearts Travel, The Travel Bunny, Elle Croft, Roaming Required, Stephanie Fox , And She’s Off, The Travel Hack, Adventures of a London Kiwi, Britpakgirl.
It was fantastic to travel with a group of like-minded bloggers. I felt I managed to speak to everyone on the trip and it was lovely to have the chance to make new friends. The trip was very relaxed and we split off into groups or ventured off on our own depending on what we wanted to see.
I returned home feeling truly inspired after spending a few days away with a creative bunch of people in the beautiful city of Cologne.
Would I take another Wowtrip?
I would totally take another Wowtrip. It’s something I’d love to do with Phil, especially because we’re so bad at actually getting around to booking trips away. We both put our work first so I think this would be a really fun and easy way of having a break together.
A Wowtrip would make for a really good gift for anyone who loves to travel. You can opt out of destinations you’ve previously visited but I personally have no problem going back to the same place twice. There’s always something new to see. Plus, it’s all about the people you’re travelling with, that’s what really makes the trip special. Wowtrip just takes care of the stress and research of planning the holiday.
Thank you to Monica and Wowtrip for arranging our surprise holiday. It was fantastic.