Would you leave your travel plans in the hands of a stranger not knowing where you’re going until you’ve reached your point of departure? Our guest Lillian Rafson, founder and CEO of the start-up Pack Up & Go bet on this premise when she made her pitch to the judges of the Invest in Her competition. The result - she won the competition which came with a cash prize to fund the venture.
An avid travel enthusiast Rafson states, “Travel is all about experiencing new things and my thought behind this was how can we take that experience to the next level?”
Rafson’s solution was to introduce an element of surprise in which you don’t know where you’re going until the day you depart.
While some might be hesitant to embark on a trip, not knowing where they’re going, planned by someone else, Rafson says, “It’s great for people looking for something new to add to their travel repertoire and people who don’t necessarily know or care where they want to go.”
Taking away the pain and burden of travel planning Pack Up & Go. People interested allowing Pack Up & Go to plan their next getaway follow a few steps. The adventure begins by filling out an online survey of your travel preferences.
Pack Up & Go offers two options. One is road trip if you would like to drive your own car. Directions with roadside attractions and accommodation reservations are provided. The other option allows Pack Up & Go to plan everything. “We book you travel and your accommodation in addition to the curated map of recommendations,” says Rafson.
Once you select your preferred option Pack Up & Go offers a wide-range of budget options for you to choose from.
At present, Pack Up & Go is limited to the United States in order to provide customers with a built-in level of comfort. “When you’re traveling domestically you’re already comfortable with the language, the currency and you know you can use your phone.” says Rafson. While people are excited to travel overseas Rafson points out the United States has an incredible wealth of destinations.
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