It happens to all of us. One moment our friend group is whole, complete and spending day after day in each other’s company. The next, it’s scattered all over the world. As we grow up, get jobs and find lives in other cities, we tend to drift apart – but only geographically. Friendships stay strong no matter the distance. However, every now and then it’s fun to close the gap and surprise our loved ones. While getting an excuse to take a holiday and see a little more of the UK. But how best to plan a surprise trip to see friends?
Make Sure They’re Free!
Before you take any further steps to surprising your friend on their home turf, make sure that they’ll actually be free to see you on the day you intend to visit! You can do this without letting on that you’re coming to visit them; get in touch with a housemate of theirs, or a mutual friend in the same city, and find out what you can from them about your friend’s availability. Once you’ve confirmed that you’ll be able to surprise them, you can fully prepare for your trip down.
You could even go one step further by arranging their partner or housemate to take them out somewhere so you can take your surprise to the next level. By organising a meal or a drink in a bar or pub, you could easily surprise them with your unexpected arrival. This way, the fun can start as soon as you meet and you’ll be left with a sweet, funny memory that will last throughout your friendship.
Take A Gift Along
Make sure not to go empty-handed. Granted, your spontaneous company may be gift enough for your friend, but some nice chocolate and a bottle of bubbly could never go amiss – plus, you’ll most likely get to share them later as you catch up on the living room sofa!
But if prosecco and chocolates aren’t your thing, perhaps consider searching for a gift that means a lot to your friendship. Maybe something fun and quirky that refers to an inside joke, or maybe even a nice picture of the two of your in a frame that they can put in their house to always have a piece of home.
Book Advance Tickets
With a specific day in mind to go and surprise your friend, you’ll want to ensure that you get to their city as planned; delays happen, and without the proper preparation you could miss your train – and your window to see them. You may also find yourself wanting to stay longer on the other side, especially if your friend moves things around to spend more time with you and show you the sights! In this case, an anytime return ticket would make sure you don’t get stranded, or forced to return home before you’d like to.
Booking an anytime return ticket means that an extended trip is a likely possibility, so always remember to pack in preparation for that with extra clothes and toiletries.
Take Precautions Against Coronavirus
Despite the lifting of lockdowns and all restrictions, Covid-19 is still present in the UK and still dangerous to the asthmatic and immunocompromised. It would be wise to arm yourself against the virus, with extended periods on public transport to get to your friend’s city. A face mask is essential, as well as a portable bottle of hand sanitiser for all buttons and safety handles. You should also take a lateral flow test before you leave, to ensure you do not introduce coronavirus to your friend or their group.
If you’re up to date with your COVID vaccinations, perhaps consider obtaining a COVID passport in which you can keep in the wallet of your smart phone. That way you are fully prepared to enter any establishment where tight restrictions still in place and ensuring that you’re travelling as safely as possible.
Prepare For Alone Time
As with any surprise trip, you may find that your friend has immovable plans for parts of your visit – whether work, or a family visit. As such, you should prepare to be alone for stretches of the day, until your friend is free again. You can do this by researching their city in advance and picking out some tourist attractions your friend might not be too enthusiastic about visiting, living in the city as they do.
Surprising your friends in their new city can be a fun and happy time for everyone involved, and a time that will create the fondest of memories. It’ll give you the chance to sit back, relax and dive deep into nostalgia, all whilst providing the opportunity to explore another part of the UK. Taking some of our tips into consideration will mean you’ll pull off your surprise and of course, have the best trip possible!
Collaborative Post
This must be such an amazing thing to do!
Danielle | thereluctantblogger.co.uk