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Travelers usually receive a weather forecast, a packing list and instructions on when to arrive at an airport or train station before departure. They learn their destination at the airport
in an Instagram-worthy moment of ripping open an envelope to reveal the place. Most companies provide clues in a series of envelopes mixed with emails to heighten the anticipation. The exact
timing of deliverables differs from company to company. Whym Travel doesn’t reveal departure details until 24 hours beforehand and the destination two to three hours before departure. With
Black Tomato, a New York-based luxury travel company that offers Get Lost mystery adventures, travelers don’t learn of their destination until they get there. The cost varies — from $30 for
a road trip itinerary to tens of thousands of dollars for a multi-week, survival-type adventure overseas. Most trips don’t include food unless they’re billed as all-inclusive. Pack Up + Go’s
average price for a plane trip for two people for four days and three nights is $2,700, Rafson says. That includes airfare, accommodations, a guaranteed activity, dinner reservations and
recommendations. If any budget is left over, it goes toward other activities. Train or car trips start at about $1,000 for two nights. All travelers receive printed and digital itineraries.
Another mystery travel company, Guess Where Trips offers one-day digital road trip itineraries for $39, or $65 for a “pretty package” that arrives in the mail, founder Jessica Off says.
Prices exclude overnight lodgings but include recommendations. In the mailing, travelers don’t learn their final destination until the last of five envelopes. WHAT ARE THE OPTIONS? Some
surprise travel companies focus on shorter domestic trips. “One day appeals to people because many don’t want to pay for a multiday surprise trip because it’s a little risky,” says Off,
whose 2019 Christmas gift to her parents inspired her to start Guess Where Trips a year later. The Canada-based company offers road trips in that country and certain U.S. cities in about a
dozen states plus Washington, D.C. California was added this year, and Michigan, Ohio, Washington and Texas are also on tap for 2024, Off says. Guess Where Trips’ 50-60-page itineraries
include maps, facts, at least one free stop such as a walk, and recommended pay stops such as museums. Off boasts that the company sends someone to test “every single road trip.” One
California Day provides day trip itineraries in that state mapped with four surprise stops. It’s the least expensive option at $30 for a downloadable PDF. Because Guess Where Trips’ and One
California Day’s “itineraries to go” don’t include bookings, travelers can use them whenever it suits them.