Taking off Travel blog

Staycations are becoming more popular. Reportedly coined by Canadian comedian Brent Butt, the term means a stay at home vacation and refers to the practice of enjoying a vacation from a home base. Instead of spending thousands on travel, gas, hotels and meals, you could save your money and take in the sights that are close at hand. Here are some tips for making the most of your staycation.
1. Switch Off

You may be close to work, but there’s no reason to pop in to check on the latest deal. Treat your staycation like a vacation and let someone else handle work for a week or two. Don’t check email or cell phone messages any more often than you would if you were thousands of miles away. If you do, you risk losing that holiday feeling.

2. Make Some Plans

Don’t be tempted to sit at home and become a couch potato. When you go on vacation you find things to see and do. You should do exactly the same, but this time your chosen outings will be no more than a day trip from your home. Research your local area - you may find a few sights you didn’t even know were there. Guidebooks are a great way to find local attractions off the beaten track.

3. Banish The Housework - And Your Friends

When you go on vacation, you don’t do housework - so don’t do it on staycation either. A week without chores won’t kill you and will certainly leave you feeling refreshed. Another way to make sure this staycation is different is to keep this as family time. That means no friends or relatives tagging along on your outings.

4. Take Pictures

When you live in a place, you often take it for granted, but with a staycation you will be looking at it with new eyes. Capture the sights and feelings by taking some pictures, just as you would if you were jetting abroad. This is a great way to remember what a great time you had - without even leaving home.

5. Set A Budget - And Splash Out

Just like any other vacation, a staycation needs a budget so you don’t end up overspending. But that doesn’t mean doing without some luxuries. Just as you treat yourself while on vacation, do the same now. Visit a day spa or have a meal at a restaurant that would normally be out of reach. Since you’re saving on flights and hotels, you can afford a bit of pampering.

Tags: staycation, travel, Travel Tips

This entry was posted on Thursday, June 4th, 2009 at 4:48 am and is filed under Travel Tips. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.