In the past couple of years, the bad economy has forced many people to take a “staycation” instead of a vacation. A staycation means staying in your local area instead of traveling domestically or internationally. Of course, that doesn’t mean you’re not allowed to have fun! A staycation can involve hanging around your house or taking day trips to explore your city or state. While many may view a staycation as inferior to a vacation, that doesn’t have to be the case. Here are 10 reasons that staycations can be better than vacations:
Easy Planning
One of the benefits of taking a staycation over a vacation is that it’s pretty easy to plan. If you have a week off of work you don’t need to worry about rushing to pack your suitcase and arriving on time for your flight. You don’t need to worry about booking each vacation day full of activities. You already know where you’re sleeping and what’s around you, so planning should be a piece of cake.
Little to No Travel Costs
Another benefit of taking a staycation is that you eliminate travel costs that usually go along with vacations. You don’t have to worry about paying outrageous airline or hotel prices. When people travel for their vacation the most expensive part tends to be the airplane ticket or the hotel room.
No Time Lost Traveling
Additionally, a staycation means that you don’t have to worry about booking an extra day to travel to your destination. There’s nothing worse than planning a one or two-week vacation only to realize you lose one or maybe two days because or airline flight times. By taking a staycation the only time you lose is driving or public transportation time if you decide to take a day trip somewhere.
No Travel Stress
Traveling can be a lot of fun, but it can also be stressful. You need to make sure you check in and out of the hotel at the correct times, that you don’t miss your flight or mess up your itinerary, and that you don’t leave anything behind. You also want to make sure that you make the most of your trip and see everything there is to see at whatever location you choose. A staycation shouldn’t stress you out at all since the most you’ll have to worry about is how to keep yourself entertained.
Inexpensive
One of the best reasons to take a staycation is because it can be very inexpensive. Many people have opted for staycation due to the rising cost of vacations or because they’re on a limited financial budget. Staycations can be pretty cheap especially if you choose to spend your vacation at home watching movies, catching up your reading, or going to movies or dinners out on the town. Even if you go to a big event such as a sports game, a theatre show, or an amusement park you’re still saving money. Had you done those same events on your travel vacation, you would have been saying the same price but you would have also been paying for airfare and hotel accommodations as well.
Explore Your Town, City, or State
Have you always wanted to go to a certain museum or take a certain tour of your city but have never found the time? Maybe you’ve always wanted to explore other parts of your state but couldn’t rationalize taking a day off to go on an impromptu road trip. A staycation would be the perfect time to explore your town, city, or state. Even if you’ve lived in the same city for years, there are probably places you’ve never even visited. A great place to start is your local visitors center where you may find interesting things to do which you never even knew about.
Catch Up on Activities
Is there a book you’ve been meaning to read for years? Maybe you’ve put off painting your dining room because you haven’t had time. Or perhaps you’ve always wanted to start a garden but had no free days to start the project. A staycation can be the perfect time to catch up on any hobbies, activities, or projects you’ve been meaning to do.
Relaxing
If you’re constantly stressed out by work, family obligation, financial problems, or other issues, then a staycation could be exactly what you need to relax. Sometimes there’s nothing better than relaxing to give you a fresh start and vacations are too often about seeing sights and cramming too many things into one day or one trip.
Comfort of Your Own Home
Of course, another great reason to take a staycation is because you can relax and enjoy your vacation from the comfort of your own home. You won’t need to deal with sleeping on a lackluster hotel bedroom or trying to find a decent place to eat. Sometimes there’s no better place than your own home when you want to just sit back and relax.
Set Your Own Pace
Taking a staycation also means that you’re not bound by a strict schedule. If you’re taking a vacation to a location you’ve never been before, you might have a strict sightseeing or entertainment itinerary. Many cruises or group tours don’t allow time for you to do what you want and you’re rushed along from location to location. A staycation lets you set your own pace. So if you want to catch a movie in the morning and spend the day lounging around the house, you’re more than welcome to do so.
(Photo courtesy of Nostepinne)
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