What Is A Staycation?

Over recent years, staycations have become increasingly popular all around the world. While this term might be used more frequently in the United States, other countries have adopted the term – and for a good reason. 

A staycation usually involves traveling to nearby locations rather than going far away for a vacation or holiday. There’s a lot more to it than that, though. 

To find out more about staycations and why you should think about going on one, keep reading! 

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What is a Staycation and what are the benefits?

What Is A Staycation?

A staycation is a mix of two words “stay” and “vacation.” According to the Cambridge Dictionary, this term refers to a vacation you take at home or near your home instead of traveling to a different place. 

In other words, if you live near a great national park, you could go on a staycation and camp in the park for a week. If you live near a popular city, why not travel to that city for a staycation there?

This way of vacationing and thinking can open you up to many great experiences without considering expensive train or airplane tickets.

Many people choose to stay at home and explore their own city, whether taking a picnic, a hike, visiting a museum, or a local attraction. Some families decide to stay in a local hotel to make it feel like a real vacation.

Think of a staycation as the opportunity to take day trips and explore your local area. It’s a great way to enjoy what is already around you and have fun closer to home.

Why Have Staycations Become So Popular?

It comes as no surprise that the global economy has seen better days. Not only that, but nowadays, we need more money to simply survive, and wages haven’t gone up with inflation and other issues.

This means that people often have less money to spend on vacations. 

While many of us would love to go overseas, it simply isn’t a viable option for many anymore. Most families need to save up for a year or more in order to be able to afford a vacation.

Staycations are a lot more financially viable for everyone but also much easier to organize. 

A staycation will typically be easy to organize and less stressful for everyone involved. Not to mention, a staycation allows you to head home at any point if there is an issue that you need to deal with. 

Who Should Go On Staycations?

We mentioned that staycations have become popular partly because of the economy. However, that doesn’t mean that those who are well off should be going abroad every year. Anyone and everyone should be able to enjoy a staycation. 

You don’t need to be a student or struggling with money to warrant a staycation. These types of vacations are great for everyone, and they will give you a chance to appreciate what is already around you. 

What Are The Benefits Of A Staycation?

We have already mentioned a few benefits of staycations, like less stress and more affordable, but that isn’t all. A staycation is synonymous with less pollution as well as being more frugal.

You will naturally spend much less on a staycation (unless you live somewhere incredibly expensive), which is already great for you and the family. 

What Is A Staycation

In current times when wages won’t reflect the cost of living, finding ways to save money on vacation is always useful. This will allow you to save that money for essential things, like repairs on your home or a car repair. 

Staycations Help Protect the Environment

Pollution is another huge issue that we are experiencing today. Tourism is responsible for significant pollution worldwide, and it’s great if we can reduce it as much as possible.

That isn’t to say that you should never get on an airplane again, but that we should be more conscious about it.  

Not only that, but many popular tourist destinations suffer at the hands of tourism. For example, the beautiful islands of Hawaii get overrun with tourism in the peak season, making life for the locals difficult and unpleasant.

Many popular spots suffer from this same issue, and it is easy to forget that these places are people’s homes. 

Staycations Are More Affordable

Coming back to the affordability aspect, there are a lot of things to consider when traveling abroad. For example, visas, hotels, plane tickets, and insurance.

If you enjoy a staycation, you don’t need to worry about a visa, plane tickets, or expensive insurance. You can save on paying the expense of accommodation if you choose to stay at home and take day trips in your local area. This also helps your local economy by keeping the money you spend locally.

Of course, there could always be cases where insurance is necessary, but it is less likely at a staycation. That itself can save you so much money but also keep stress levels down.  

Another great thing about staycations is that it’s a lot easier to enjoy a staycation with friends. Everyone will be able to join you on the staycation since there won’t be a massive financial strain.

This means you can make unforgettable memories with all your closest family and friends at a great price.  

Staycations Are Less Stress

Let’s admit it; we probably spend more time exploring faraway places than sites nearer home. We tend to dismiss local sites assuming we will go there “someday.” Therefore, there are bound to be locations nearby that we haven’t explored or activities we haven’t yet tried.

Taking a staycation with your family means you don’t have to stress about planning a complex vacation, and you don’t have to take long leaves of absence from work. You don’t have to spend time packing for every family member, and you save time without long travel days. Ultimately, with a staycation, you get more time to relax and unwind.

You and your children will end your staycation feeling refreshed rather than exhausted from lots of traveling. Many families return from a busy vacation feeling like they need to take a vacation to recover from their vacation! A staycation helps avoid all this stress and exhaustion!

What Can You Do On A Staycation?

You can do anything you like on a staycation! Within reason, of course. During this time, you can take a moment to breathe and unwind rather than stress about everyday life. 

Below are a couple of things that you could try out to make the most of your staycation:

  • Turn your phone off! – step away from the busy modern life and turn your notifications off. There will be time for your phone when you get back. 
  • Enjoy the outdoors – if you’re in an area with great outdoors, you need to make the most of it. Enjoy nature and breathe the fresh air. 
  • Make the most of the different atmosphere – like a vacation, a staycation’s atmosphere will be different. Enjoy it, and try not to stress too much. 
  • Spend time with family or friendsplay board games, watch movies, or do anything together to bond. These are the memories you will cherish forever. 

Check out these ideas of things to do on a staycation, such as family-friendly winter activities. Or how about the Best Family Indoor Activities To Do On Your Travels or Staycation Ideas For Families?

Is your family considering a staycation over summer break? Use my Summer Planner for Kids to be intentional with the limited summer months by planning your summer activities and daily schedules.

Final Thoughts 

A staycation is essentially a vacation close to home. It’s an easy, efficient, and affordable way to take a break from your life without going all out.

You don’t have to spend hundreds or thousands to have a good time, and you will be doing the world a favor by polluting less. 

You can still enjoy your regular vacations, too! Just consider whether you need to fly to Hawaii every year or if you can have fun closer to home. 

For more about family travel, check out these posts:
How To Start Saving For A Vacation With Kids
How To Get Cheap Plane Tickets
Parents Guide to Saving Money on Vacation with Kids
Traveling with a Baby

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The BE Family Travel Team writes articles to help parents travel with children.