People are paying travel agents to send them on mystery trips where they don't even know the destination. It sounds like a dream vacation.

• Travel companies offer mystery trips where people are surprised by the destination of their vacation.
• The trips remove the hassle of planning but still have room for spontaneity.

A week before a Journee mystery trip, the traveler receives a sealed envelope in the mail.

Inside might be an itinerary for a week in Seville, Spain, or two weeks in Bulgaria. It's up to the traveler to decide when to open it.

And it's not just Journee that's embraced the idea of "mystery trips." Guess Where Trips, The Vacation Hunt, Pack Up and Go, Magical Mystery Tours, and Surprise Me Trips are just a handful of companies that have jumped on the bandwagon of mystery vacations.

The concept is simple: You tell a travel company when you want to travel, what type of trip you want (relaxation, adventure, beach, Europe, etc.), your budget, and any places you don't want to visit.

Then, they build you a surprise itinerary, send over a packing list, and encourage you to reveal the destination at the airport.

As a travel reporter, I think it's a genius idea.

I'm enticed by both the thrill and convenience of mystery trips

Vacationing and traveling is a privilege, but it's also work.

The biggest struggle is sometimes figuring out where to go. Do you visit a new country? Or explore a place you've fallen in love with and where you know you'll have a good time?

Making that decision is only the beginning.

You then have to assess what flight to take. Do you splurge on a direct flight? Or do you use a layover as an opportunity to add another destination to your itinerary?

Next up is scouring for hotels, Airbnbs, VRBOs, hostels, or home shares.

And you'll also need to figure out how you want to fill your days and fill your stomach.

It involves research and time and can also involve stress.

A mystery trip, on the other hand, removes those inconveniences. Instead, it adds an element of excitement to a vacation.

You might end up on a plane to a place you've never heard of or trying a local dish you'd never thought you'd taste.

Plus, companies cater to all types of travelers. If you don't have a passport, are afraid of flying, or only have a weekend to spare, it seems like there's a mystery trip for everyone.

This wouldn't be the only way I travel, but I'd absolutely give it a try

As much as planning a trip is work, it's work I absolutely love.

Researching a destination's nearby ghost towns or chatting with locals about what restaurants to visit are elements of a trip that I enjoy.

What I don't always love is figuring out which train to take and when to take it.

Mystery trips seem to remove the hassle of logistics, but they still create room for spontaneity. No one is forcing you to do the itinerary the company has created, and ultimately, a vacation is what you make of it.

Plus, I might end up in a destination I never considered visiting, and that alone is worth it.