If you have some concerns when thinking about the usual vacation – perhaps because it seems like a lot of work, or expensive, or both – then it might be a good time to consider taking a staycation. A staycation is simply a vacation you spend at home, or in your hometown, but designed to give you the relaxation and respite you are looking for.
If you stay home or nearby, you can invite friends or family to join you on certain days trips or mini-trips. And if you feel like you have you’ve overbooked your home vacation, it’s much easier to slow down or shorten your staycation by one day as you’re not far from home.
Although you’re taking a staycation, here are some tips from travel agents:
- Plan as if you were going on a real holiday. Block the calendar, make a travel plan, stay away from the phone, and make sure you avoid doctor’s appointments, groceries, tasks and responsibilities.
- Consider yourself as a visitor to your own region and identify places you have never been to before or wanted to revisit. Ask the local tourist office what they recommend to visitors or ask for a visitor guide of your region. Or get a book from the library or bookshop about your region. Look for attractions within a radius of 25, 50, 75, 100, and 150 km, because such distances make for doable day trips.
- Tell people that you are on vacation, you can set up an absence notification on your mailbox. This helps to avoid an accumulation of voicemails and emails that could keep you busy or spoil your holiday feeling.
- If you decide to have a staycation from home, try to eat out as much as you want, or enjoy a takeaway service. Avoid chain restaurants—unless you specifically prefer them—and try some new and interesting places.
- Take lots of pictures! Precisely because you are closer to home than on some vacations, the experiences and adventures are valuable and fun to review.