FAQs
If you have a question that's not covered below, please don't hesitate to reach out to us on or WhatsApp +44 7510 374705.
1
How does Journee work?
1. The first step involves us getting to know you. Our Trip Matchmaker form allows us to get a feel for what you’re into (and what you’re not), as well as when you want to go away and what your trip budget is.
2. Within 48 hours, we’ll follow up on email to discuss your responses, clarify a few things, and address any concerns/questions you might have.
3. Once we’ve matched you with a mystery destination and itinerary we think you’ll love, we’ll send over a Trip Proposal for you to review. You can make as many changes to it until you're happy. We'll then collect a deposit (usually 30%) so we can begin booking your trip.
4. 30 days after paying the deposit, we'll collect the remaining amount so we can finalise all the bookings. This may have happened sooner depending on how close the trip is, or later if the trip is not for a while.
5. We believe that the experience before you go away should be an experience in itself, so expect some intriguing clues along the way. We'll set up a private WhatsApp group between you and us to share these clues and answer any questions you may have.
6. 10 days before you depart we'll send you a recommended packing list and a weather report (which updates every day) for your mystery destination.
7. A week before you depart you'll receive a package in the post. This covers everything you need for your trip, including instructions about flight boarding passes, your destination reveal postcard and your Trip Pack which we've made just for you. Your Trip Pack contains a day-by-day itinerary of everything you'll be doing, interesting trivia about your destination, a language guide and a list of our restaurant recommendations based on your dietary requirements.
8. On the day of departure (most people wait until the airport) open the envelope revealing your destination, and have a read of your Trip Pack to see what you’ll be doing. Then head off to explore your mystery destination.
9. When you're away we'll be there 24/7 on our WhatsApp group just in case you need us.
10. When you’re back from your trip, we’ll send you a breakdown of everything that we spent using the budget you gave us, including the 20% Journee fee. We'll also return any unspent money.
2
Who is Journee for?
At the moment we send solo travellers, couples or groups of adults (up to four) away. But more importantly, the people we send away are curious and open-minded travellers, not tourists. They want to try new experiences, meet interesting people, and immerse themselves in different cultures and ways of doing things.
3
What kind of places do you send people?
We send people all around the world. As long as it’s not dangerous, and we think it's a great match for you, it’s on the shortlist! Tropical beaches, historical cities, the desert - they’re all potential Journee destinations.
That being said, there are some destinations that have more than their fair share of visitors. So we'll never match people with Paris, Venice, London New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Singapore, Bangkok, Dubai or Delhi.
4
Can we exclude destinations?
Absolutely! As part of our Trip Matchmaker form, we want to hear about ALL the places you don’t want to go to. Maybe you’ve been there before, or maybe you’ve not heard good things from others. Let us know and we’ll be sure not to send you there.
5
Can we pick a destination?
At this point no. Part of the Journee experience is not knowing where you’re going, and we know that’s not for everyone. However, we're confident that our travel experts will match you with a destination that you'll love exploring and might not have even realised you wanted to go to.
6
What if we don't like the destination you picked for us?
Unfortunately, everything will have been booked and planned by the time your destination is revealed on the day of travel. However, we’re really thorough in getting to know you as part of the process and our travel experts know what a fantastic trip looks like.
7
How does payment work?
You let us know what your budget is in the Trip Matchmaker form. After we’ve matched you with a mystery destination and put together an itinerary, we’ll send you a trip proposal to review. If you're happy with everything, we'll collect a deposit (usually 30%) and the remaining amount 30 days later (it may be sooner or later depending on when your trip might be). We use Stripe as our payment partner.
Whatever budget you give us, we will always spend your money wisely with the best intentions in mind. This involves looking for the best possible deals based on everything you've told us in this form. When you get back from your trip we'll provide you with a detailed breakdown of exactly what was spent on what, and return any unused money to you.
8
How much does Journee charge?
Journee takes 20% of the budget you give us. For a 2 night, 3 day trip, the minimum budget amount per person is £300 if sharing a room with one other, and £350 in a single occupancy room.
9
How should we decide our budget?
We've put together this handy table to give you an idea of what your budget should be depending on the length of the trip and whether you're sharing a room or not.
10
How do we know what to pack?
We’ll send you a list of things to pack 10 days before you go away. This list will be tailored to the weather at your mystery destination as well as anything specific you’ll need to take with you.
11
What if we need help when we're away?
We’ll make sure everything you need to know is in the detailed pack we send you in the post a few days before you go away. You'll also be in a private WhatsApp group with us so you can reach us 24/7 whilst you’re away.
12
What if we can't go on the trip after booking?
We’ll try to do our best with a refund but this depends on when you let us know you want to cancel the trip, and how much we’ve already booked at that point. For things we’ve booked (flights, accommodation, etc.) we’ll reach out to suppliers to see what refunds we can get to pass back to you. However, we obviously can’t guarantee a refund as it may be out of our control.
13
Can we give Journee as a gift?
Absolutely! Let us know the budget and whom you want to send away and we’ll take care of everything for you. If gifting Journee is something you’re thinking about, please send us an email to sendmeaway@journeetrips.com.