- by StephOnTheMap
- published
Is a Mystery Holiday With Journee Worth It?
Would you book a trip with Journee where you reveal the destination at the airport? Well, I did!
After seeing numerous ads for Journee and watching others reveal their destinations with excitement at the airport, I decided a Journee holiday was something I wanted to experience for my 33rd birthday. So I did it, I dared to Journee and, this is how it went…
I’m not a go-with-the-flow kind of traveller. I like to carry out extensive research on a destination beforehand, create a spreadsheet of costs and finish with a PDF document of a day-to-day itinerary written in the third person.
My friends and family have a right giggle at me for this, but equally, I am the go-to person among my peers when planning trips. So, handing over complete control to Journee took me out of my comfort zone.
The Journee Questionnaire
Journee prides itself on providing unique experiences that are off the beaten path and authentic. So, I was extremely excited to receive my trip proposal in my inbox!
To get started, I filled out the Journee 10-minute questionnaire for them to match me to a destination based on my travel personality. I asked to visit a new destination that was colourful, picturesque, and mountainous. As well as a fast-paced and off-the-beaten-path.
I pressed send and waited in anticipation for 24 hours to receive my trip proposal. But to my surprise, I received an OH NO message the following day. I opened the email to discover that Journee could not find a match.
A Journee employee suggested a date change or budget increase. Changing the dates was not an option as I wanted to be away for my birthday. So I decided to up my budget slightly as I received a £50 voucher attached to the email to use off my booking for the inconvenience.
After another 24 hours, I got the email I was waiting for. The trip proposal! Overly excited, I read the proposal. It shared small details about my destination and the excursion.
The Cost
The trip price displayed at the bottom of the proposal was £820. It was higher than I initially wanted to pay as Journee trips start from £549pp for a 3-night, 4-day trip. However, if you travel solo, the minimum budget is £650.
DECLINE OR ACCEPT
Despite the price, I accepted the proposal as I was too excited and invested in wanting to complete the trip.
The Lead Up
It had been a long six-week wait as the anticipation built up day after day leading up to the trip with each clue I received about my destination. My Journee package arrived roughly five days before my trip via post. I hid it in my bedside table drawer, determined not to open it.
What Am I To Pack?
Packing can be stressful, so you can only imagine packing for a trip and not knowing where you are going. However, Journee reveals a packing list via a digital Journee passport that will give you an overview of any basics you need to pack. I admit it is very simple, but you will get the vibe of your destination through the clues and the initial trip proposal.
The digital passport also provides an updated 24-hour weather report so you can select your clothes accordingly. With my packing list and all my clues in hand, I knew I needed to pack outfits that would reflect being in a fairy-tale and comfortable shoes fit for a lot of walking.
The Night Before
Suitcase packed, audiobook downloaded, and my Journee package in hand, I left for Gatwick airport.
My flight was at 7 am, so I had to book an airport hotel the night before as no public transport was running that early. A hotel was another expense for the trip, but I thought it was my birthday, so what the heck!
I arrived at Gatwick Travelodge, had dinner, and spent the night tossing and turning, wondering if I had guessed my destination correctly and what adventures lay ahead.
THE BIG REVEAL
I arrived at the airport two hours before my flight with no idea where my destination would be or what airline I would be flying with.
Although I had a strong sense of where I was going from the clues, the not knowing for sure created suspense.
I found a quiet spot in the airport, set up my tripod, AND 321…. your Journee match is Alsace, in France! The postcard read with a colourful picture of houses in the center.
Call me Detective, I was correct. There were a few key clues that gave it away. However, I will not put any clue spoilers in the blog post. I have to keep some mystery, just in case you get matched to the same destination.
But even though I guessed the region, I still had no idea what city or town I was staying in or what I would do.
Journee had taken care of everything and completed my online check-in the day before. All I had to do was log onto my virtual Journee passport, download my flight ticket, and cruise through security.
Airport Breakfast
My airport tradition is to have full English. So I got a table for one at the cheap and cheerful Wetherspoons and read through my Journee package with pure excitement. It consisted of a travel guide on Alsace, a personalised itinerary, and the train tickets I needed for part of my trip. After enjoying breakfast and reading my Journee guide, I boarded the flight with a window seat view.
The Trip
Although my reveal postcard revealed Alsace, my trip started in Basel, Switzerland. I had never been to Switzerland and always wanted to go, so I was super excited.
I thought I would have a transfer waiting to escort me to my hotel. However, that was not the case. My itinerary read I was to get a free bus to the city center and then make my way to the hotel. Whereas my initial proposal detailed my trip included transfers for when I arrived.
I would consider myself an experienced solo traveller, but landing in a new country, having done no research, I felt a little uneasy.
After asking three staff members and going up and down the escalators, I finally found the bus stop to the city center. From the center, my hotel was a 15-minute walk. So I put on my Google Maps, and away I went.
Exploring Basel, Switzerland
I arrived at my hotel and dropped off my bags because I could not check in until 3 pm. The hotel was basic but clean, with friendly staff in a great location.
I could not fault the hotel and I had a great stay. The hotel also gave me a free bus pass and offered a free minibar and tea and coffee in reception.
I left the hotel and explored what the city had to offer. After stopping for food, I flicked through my Journee itinerary and visited a few recommended places from my itinerary.
I must say Basel did not blow my mind, other than the pistachio cinnamon bun I had at Cinnamood. There was nothing much to do other than look at buildings and eat. So, at this stage of the trip, I was feeling underwhelmed by it all and thought oh no, what have I done? The day got better when I managed to book a boat ride down the Rhine and went to the Markthalle in the evening and enjoyed some food and salsa.
Journey To Alsace
In the morning I caught the train to Colmar in Alsace, France. Journee had pre-booked and paid for the train tickets in advance. The hotel was a short walk from the train station. They offered luggage lockers so I dropped off my bags and headed out. This hotel was very nice. It was colouful, had a few areas and included breakfast during my stay.
When I arrived in Colmar, I fell in love with the colourful houses and striking architecture. It felt like I had been dropped into a fairy-tale and, my trip instantly improved. I spent the day walking around taking photos, enjoying a boat ride on Petite Venise and indulging in local cuisine. I also managed to book onto a FREE walking tour last minute and discovered many things about Alsace.
The Journee Excursion
On my birthday, Journee arranged for me to go on a guided half-day tour of three villages in Alsace. When I first read the trip proposal, I asked to change the experience as I felt it was not suited to my personality. I was assured by Journee the experience chosen was not to be missed. But I am sorry to say it did not live up to my expectations.
Don’t get me wrong, I had a good time, but it was something I could have done on my own which was the concern I had. I will admit it is easier to visit the villages as part of a tour to save on bus or taxi. But the tour needed another element added or be run slightly longer for how it was set up.
It was written in my itinerary as a guided tour of the villages, going through the wine routes and seeing castles. I only saw one castle from a distance, and there was no time to sample wines. In each location, we received a 10-15 minute talk about the village, and then it was free time. However, the free time was not long enough to do anything other than take photos, have a drink if we were lucky, or go shopping in one of the gift shops.
In the first location where the castle was we did not have time to walk up to the castle. The second location was the most picturesque but only got 30 minutes of free time. So it left no time to do a wine tasting session at the recommended place by the guide or wander into the picturesque vineyards. I just about managed to get a glass of wine in a small bar and eat a brexel while walking back to the meeting point after taking a few photos. The last stop was a viewpoint we all went up to together then the tour was over.
The villages are beautiful, and I am glad I saw them, but I would have loved to spend more time in at least one of them. I felt like the tour was missing something. It sounded better on paper. I would have liked time to enjoy a wine-tasting session in one of the villages, especially as Alsace is known for wine and the tour was along the wine route.
I did manage to get some epic photos though, so it would be an Instagramers paradise.
The Weather
My trip was forecasted light-moderate rain every day. I checked my virtual Journee weather forest daily, hoping it would change. The majority of the trip was sunny, with only short bursts of rain. But, then the afternoon of my birthday, I was not so lucky. The heavens decided to open and washed out my plans.
I got to enjoy the morning sun on the guided tour arranged by Journee. However, in my free time, I decided to get the train to Strasberg as it was a suggested place to visit on my itinerary. 1hr into being in Strasberg, a thunderstorm broke loose. I got drenched from top to toe with everything in my backpack.
The bike tour I had booked and my plans to climb the cathedral got canceled. So, while I waited for the rain to settle and figure out what my next move would be, I decided to find a restaurant.
Browsing over the menu, I opted for an Aperol spritz and a cheese board for one, which was supposed to be for two, and enjoyed the cathedral views until the rain washed me out again.
The Last Day
On my last day, I researched things to do in Alsace to ensure I was not missing anything. I spent the morning visiting the Alsace Statue of Liberty, browsed around the local market, and then visited the Alsace wine museum.
After the museum, I went to a family-owned local wine-tasting establishment and had a wine-tasting session to end my trip.
I then got a train back to Basel for my flight back to the UK. There was a long flight delay, and I missed my last two trains back to Reading. I had to pay a hefty taxi fare from Gatwick to Reading which was an unexpected cost I did not prepare for!
WAS JOURNEE WORTH IT?
Would I book a Journee trip again? Yes, would I repay the price I paid? No.
Booking an experience like Journee, I expected to overpay for my trip, but not to the amount I ended up paying. Overall I had a great time and I absolutely loved the surprise element and the clues. However, I have to question whether the price matched my experience.
Had there been a minimum of two excursions, transfers for when I landed as advertised, and a little more attention to detail, for example, a happy birthday message on my postcard and itinerary? Then maybe…
Because £820 for a 3-night trip in France, with one excursion, is more than I have paid for a 7-night all-inclusive 5-star resort in Turkey with flights and transfers!
I cannot fault the organisation and creativity of the company. Journee organised the trip beautifully, and the communication was excellent. I loved the idea of receiving clues, as it added an extra element of excitement.
However, if I were to book again in the future, I would book with a friend off-peak and pay the advertised £549pp. But booking solo over a bank holiday weekend again, I think not.
Let me know in the comments if you would dare to Journee
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