As travel costs increase and our free time does the opposite, many of us simply can’t manage two-week-long luxury breaks anymore. Instead, we’re opting for weekend breaks that are close to home and easy enough to slot in with our ever-encroaching 9-5s.
These staycations ensure that we can get away without breaking the bank, or even needing to cut into our precious vacation allowance. But many people find that their weekend breaks leave them feeling more stressed than they were when they left. That’s because of a few common staycation mistakes, the worst of which we’re going to consider here.
# 1 – Overspending
You’ve chosen a weekend break to keep your vacation spending in check, so it’ll definitely ruin your trip if you run up a bill that’s just as big as your last all-inclusive big trip. Unfortunately, mistakes that include failing to book accommodation or flights in advance mean that this isn’t entirely out of the question.
While a weekend trip might seem like it has the luxury of spontaneity, you will inevitably pay above the odds for last-minute additions like a walk-in hotel room. By comparison, booking your essentials well in advance allows you to secure both crucial early-bird pricing and potential deals that simply won’t be on the table later. As well as helping keep costs down, this forethought ensures that you have plenty of stress-free budgeting time.
# 2 – Failing to do your Research
Considering that you’re visiting somewhere close to home that you potentially already know, you might be tempted to skip any trip research. But this is your next big mistake, and it could see you wasting time when you already have so little of it.
If you want to plan a truly fun trip, break away from your normal haunts to truly explore your location. Research everything from the best sites to see, to the restaurants most frequented by visitors. This will all help you feel like a tourist in your hometown, and it’s a sure way to make this feel like a refreshing break, even if you live just half an hour away. Developing an itinerary this way also ensures that you’re more likely to fill every last second of your stay.
# 3 – Skipping Planned Tours
It’s easy to assume that you don’t need planned tours during a staycation, but trust us when we say that you do. Whether it’s Hollywood locals taking a bus tour around LA, or Montana locals booking a tour to see some Yellowstone wildlife, you can bet that these trip extras will become the highlights of your stay. That’s because they’ll reveal to you sites that you’ve never seen, or facts that you simply weren’t aware of, no matter how long you’ve lived nearby! Not only does this new tour-led view guarantee the best staycation you could hope for, but it also stands to give you a brand-new appreciation for everything that your local area has to offer.
Weekend trips don’t leave a lot of wriggle room, so streamline your experience by avoiding these fatal mistakes! Ready to plan your next trip? Our team of agents is ready to help!