How One Startup Revolutionizes Vacation with Surprise!

Kevin Price catches up with Lillian Rafson, Founder + CEO, of the Surprise Travel Agency Pack Up + Go to learn more about the process, the business, and lessons learned over the past 2.5 years of the company’s existence. This “low tech, high touch” agency specializes in providing excellent customer service while they work to plan 3-day getaways for travelers where the destination is a mystery.

How does it work? Pack Up + Go offers two types of trips – Plane/Train Trips, or Road Trips. Travelers select their budget and travel dates, then take a quick survey. On that survey, you indicate your interests, cities previously visited, and offer any other critical information for the trip-planning team to know. Once a traveler hits checkout – they just sit back + relax. From there, a Pack Up + Go travel agent uses this information to select their destination, books travel and accommodation, and arranges a curated guide to a mystery city somewhere in the United States. If the cost of travel + accommodations comes under the amount budgeted, they’ll throw in extras such as gift cards or tickets to activities in the destination city.

One week before their departure date, travelers receive an email with the weather forecast for their destination, some helpful hints about the mystery city, and some recommended items to pack for their trip. A few days before departing, travelers receive an envelope in the mail, which contains a full guide to their destination city – including hotel directions, recommendations for local attractions, and fun facts!

Travelers love the concept, and the company’s growth has continued to skyrocket over the last two years. Embracing spontaneity, reducing planning stress, and enjoying the comforts of increased personalization are just a few of the reasons that customers are flocking to purchase a vacation into the unknown.