Are you looking to escape the everyday this summer? Consider planning a summer staycation! Staycations are a great way to have a vacation while staying close to home. They’re often cost-effective and give you an opportunity to explore your local area. They can also be planned well in advance or last minute for a long weekend trip! Not sure where to start in planning your getaway? We’ve listed out steps to help you plan the perfect vacation close to home! Check out our steps below:
- Research your trip. You may think that a local weekend trip doesn’t take planning like a two-week long international trip does. While it may not take as much planning, local trips still require some research to be stress-free! Knowing what you want to do and where you want to stay are vital for anything that needs to be booked in advance. Search for local areas of interest, hotels, and events in order to plan out your trip and secure accommodation in the right spot.
- Be a tourist in your own community! Have you thought about exploring your hometown like a tourist would? We’re often quick to tour anywhere but our own backyards! But planning a staycation is the perfect opportunity to be a tourist in your local area! Do all the touristy things and enjoy all that there is to see, do, and eat.
- Search for any deals. Sometimes, communities want to encourage their locals to stay and vacation right there. Similarly, nearby communities may seek to entice people to come during the summer. These mean deals! With a little internet hunting, you may be able to find some great deals on hotels or food depending on where you’re going. If you’re not picky about when you go, certain times of the summer will also have better deals versus busier weekends.
- Look up local events. Staying local means you can take advantage of the events that are happening in your community! Check out what’s going on at the time of your staycation and plan your trip around that.
- Create a budget. No matter how much your trip might cost you, it’s good to plan a budget. Going on a staycation is usually cheaper than other trips as transportation isn’t typically an expensive factor. But having a budget will keep you in check and allow you to enjoy your time off without stressing about money. It will also help you take full advantage of saving money on your trip as a local!
- Treat yourself! With staycations being traditionally cheaper than overseas trips, it’s okay to treat yourself a little extra! If you’re not looking to save money by taking a local trip, go out for that fancy dinner or see that show you’ve been dying to watch. Since you’re most likely saving on transportation, it’s great if you want to spend a little extra on having a fabulous time! Just be sure to accommodate for this in your budget.
- Book ahead. Don’t underestimate the busyness of your local area during the summer! Book things as far in advance as you can. The summer months can be incredibly busy and things will fill up quickly!
- Enjoy your time away! Partaking in a staycation means there’s no endless list of things to get together or logistics to figure out. You’re in an area you know well, you’re not far from home, and if anything goes wrong, you have everything at your disposal to make it right. Sit back, relax, and enjoy the trip!
As you can see, there are so many reasons to plan a summer staycation. Stay in the comfort of your hometown and enjoy everything your community has to offer! We hope our list of tips has helped you in planning your staycation this summer!