It is something that has soared in popularity over recent years and following on from recent events, one can only assume that the staycation is only going to grow even further.
Of course, there are two types of staycation. One is opting to stay at home, in your own four walls (as many of us are doing at the moment). The other is to just holiday in your country of residence. It is the latter that today is going to focus on. As we all know, mistakes can be easily made when booking a standard holiday. Unfortunately, the same faux pas can occur for a more local getaway, and this is what the focus of today’s article is going to be on.
You choose the wrong time of year to travel
Particularly if you are attempting to travel within the UK, a much bigger degree of seasonality needs to be taken into account. While peak seasons exist in most countries, warmer climates tend to have longer ones. It means that attractions are open for longer periods of the year.
In the UK, this doesn’t necessarily happen. Some outdoor attractions might just be open during the warmer months, and this obviously limits your staycation possibilities somewhat.
Granted, if you’re looking to make the most of the great outdoors and natural beauty, this won’t be a concern. However, for anyone who is looking to tick off Trip Advisor-like attractions, this should be something to bear in mind.
You don’t take into account rush hour
Again, all countries have it, but some are worse than others.
Staycations often take place for shorter amounts of time, perhaps over the course of a weekend. It can quite often mean that you depart on a Friday evening, when the traffic is at its absolute worst. The consequence of this is that the journey takes an age, everybody is tired upon arriving and the trip has already got off to a bad start.
As such, plan around these times. Whether it is the time you are departing, or the time you are heading to a specific place as part of your staycation, make sure it does not collide with rush hour.
You don’t think about the bigger picture
In other words, you don’t think about location, location, location. Particularly in areas where the weather is not reliable, you need to turn to areas with plenty around them. For example, a hotel in Swansea opens itself up to plenty of coastal activities. However, put yourself in the middle of nowhere, and your options are suddenly very limited.
You are glued to your phoneWhen you do arrive at your place in question, don’t fall into the classic trap of being glued to your phone. Sure, there might not be any roaming considerations to think about, but this is still a holiday. If you stick to your phone for the trip, it’s not just you who is going to suffer, but your family aren’t going to receive your full attention either.