Picture this: you arrive at a London airport, with no idea where you’re going, but the anticipation of a trip of a lifetime. This is what Journee does. The London-founded company send holidaymakers and adventurous travellers on surprise trips – with flights booked, hotels secured, and activities you’ll love reserved all without you lifting a finger. You only find out where you’re going once you’re at the airport. Intrigued?
Here at Secret London, we were most definitely intrigued. When we’re not writing about London-based activities and restaurants, you’ll find many of us on annual leave, travelling the world. Two of us decided to book a Journee trip for ourselves to see whether this viral concept was all it was cracked up to be.
The questionnaire
The start of your journey – sorry, journee – is a 10-minute questionnaire. It’s totally free to fill out, and no commitment is required at this stage. Tom (from our Secret London video team) and I filled out the questionnaire on a rainy April afternoon, dreaming of sunnier climes.
The questions were far more thorough than I expected, taking into consideration every aspect a traveller might face. Of course, there are the standard questions about budget, style of travel, and preferred weather (um, sun?!), but there were more thoughtful questions too. One section acknowledges some countries’ hostile attitudes toward different races or sexual orientations; Journee gives the space to travellers to reflect on these and their own circumstances, so it’s not a worry when a mystery holiday is booked.
We received our Journee Proposal in 24 hours – I was impressed! The proposal outlines key aspects, like flight details and typical weather predictions, as well as vague descriptions of activities. This document, presented beautifully with cool illustrations and digestible information, is further reassuring to any anxious traveller, or simply those who may have a problem relinquishing control.
The lead-up to the trip
Once we were happy with the proposal, we hit book – then the real fun began! Journee sent clues about our upcoming trip via WhatsApp, and there was info in the online ‘Journee Passport’ too. Our initial thoughts were that we were heading somewhere in Italy; however, a few clues threw us off. If the trip isn’t too soon, you can pay in instalments or altogether; it’s totally up to you.
The Journee pack arrived four days before departure – you can open the postal envelope, but not the individual envelopes inside. Word of warning though, if you click on the boarding pass element of your ‘Journee Passport’ on your phone, you will see your intended destination. Avoid opening it until after you open the envelope at the airport for maximum effect.
But how will I know what to pack for my Journee mystery holiday?!
Three weeks before your trip, a packing list and daily-updating weather report unlock on your Journee Passport. This will have all the info you need to pack for your Journee mystery holiday adequately.
How do you book travel insurance for a Journee trip?
Travel insurance isn’t included in the Journee booking, but they recommend purchasing coverage that excludes the US, Canada, and the Caribbean (ooo, another hint there to narrow down your guesses!) Alternatively, you can contact the Journee team with the email address of someone you trust, and the team will share information about your destination, so they can book travel insurance for you.
The Journee trip itself: our Secret London review
After much anticipation, and an early 5am arrival at Gatwick Airport, all was revealed: we were going to Bilbao, northern Spain! I was so excited as it was an area I’d never been to before, and knew little about; already I was reaping the benefits of the mystery holiday.
Alongside our Reveal Postcard, our Journee pack included a guidebook with restaurant recommendations, sights to see, and even handy Spanish phrases, plus a comprehensive document with information on the hotel and tours booked for us. Any questions we had were answered between the two; this guidebook was a great, reassuring touch from Journee, given the fact we had no idea where we’d be.
Bilbao was a very walkable city, so we made good use of this guide, checking out many of the suggestions listed, as well as stopping at places that simply caught our eye. My particular favourites were the palm-lined Plaza Nueva, which we revisited at least once a day, and the funicular above the city for stunning city views of the terracotta rooves and lush green mountains.
As previously mentioned, we had a selection of pre-booked, and already paid-for, activities sorted by Journee on our mystery holiday, which I felt truly allowed us to immerse in local culture and gain an understanding of the Basque Country. I learnt a lot about the people and the area’s history and current situation.
My particular trip highlights included the humbling visit to Guernica, the difficult but rewarding climb up to Gaztelugatxe (Dragonstone in Game of Thrones, FYI), and the pintxos and wine walking tour. The latter not only introduced me to some incredible food (hello, peanut duck!) but I tried things I probably wouldn’t have (like olive oil collagen on cod and bread). As these were small group activities, there was great camaraderie, laughter, and the chance to meet other travellers.
So, is a Journee trip worth it?
In short, yes. I absolutely loved it. Of course, booking a package trip instead of booking each element individually yourself will always come at a slightly higher cost, but Journee is worth it – it’s reasonably priced, and for what you pay, you get a lot in return (plus they plan the trip to your budget in the first place, anyway!)
The care this company have taken to not only give you that Instagram-worthy “surprise moment” but also cater to the very real, offline experience of travelling is second to none. They take great care to ensure you not only see the sites, but have the opportunity to immerse yourself in the location’s culture. I would have overlooked Bilbao as a destination, had it not been chosen for me by Journee, and it’s now somewhere I can see myself returning to again in future.
Start your Journee and fill out the questionnaire for your own surprise trip here.