What Is The Difference Between Vacation And Staycation?

Who else wants to know the difference between vacation and staycation? If you are, like me, then let’s find out in this post together.

I just encountered the word staycation recently while hopping from one article to another as I was looking for lists of “things to do” for our vacation in Asturias and Santiago de Compostela.

So, I started to research and read more articles about it and share with you the results.

So, What Is The Difference Between Vacation And Staycation?

Vacation is a recreational travel such as a short pleasure trip far from home or a journey abroad, which involves packing, and is often expensive, while staycation is going to leisure activities in nearby places without the need of booking accommodation, and doesn’t involve packing, and is way affordable.

Pros & Cons Of A Vacation

Vacation is already very familiar to all of us because this is what we do when we want a break from our jobs, when we want to spend time away from a stressful situation or schedule even for a short time, or when we want to visit new places and bond with loved ones and friends.

Whatever the reasons for taking one, vacation comes with its own advantages and disadvantages.

PROS OF VACATION:

• Experience new things. – The opportunity to experience a new place and learn a bit about its culture and history, try its local food and delicacies, its people’s hospitality, and see its beautiful landscapes, terrains, and attractions – are just some of the things that make me excited to go on a vacation. Everytime we go on a vacation, I always learn something new and interesting.

• Bonding with family and friends. – Vacation is a great way to visit families who live far away or a time to bond together with friends, especially those you don’t see often.

CONS OF VACATION:

• Expensive. – Vacation is expensive especially if you travel as a family, and more so if your destination is far from home. And this is precisely our case as a family of 4 going on a vacation to the Philippines to visit my family.

• Needs thorough planning and packing. On-the-spot vacation might be applicable to solo travel, but I find it impossible when vacationing as a family. You have to make sure that there are no overlapping schedules, book accommodations, detailed itineraries, and of course, there’s the packing! And if you’re a mom of small kids, you already know you need to pack for everyone! You definitely can’t go on vacation without equipping yourself with enough travel tips from experienced mom travelers!

• Long flights and drives. – This is especially true for destinations that are far and very far from home, and it might cause challenges like jet lag or lost luggage. And in the case of long drives: motion sickness for kids, among others – can definitely reduce or remove relaxation time for parents.

Pros & Cons Of A Staycation

And now let’s talk about the concept of staycation. Wikipedia defines it as:

A staycation is a period in which an individual or family stays home and participates in leisure activities within day trip distance of their home and does not require overnight accommodation.

This is why I like the idea of a staycation because it means having fun and leisure activities close to home, without the need to take a plane flight and pack a suitcase, and without the need to stay the night away from home. How convenient for families with small kids, like mine!

Staycation costs less compared to a normal vacation that involves air or car travel, and accommodation among others.

For this reason, staycation became popular in the U.S. during the financial crisis of 2007-2010, and it also became popular in the UK in 2009 when the country’s currency got a lower value which made holidays abroad more expensive. And with the COVID-19 pandemic, a staycation is becoming common.

Aside from the monetary benefits, I find staycation a great alternative to vacation, especially for families with toddlers because it means being spared from the challenges of long-distance traveling like jet lag, long drives, and packing.

PROS OF STAYCATION:

• Less expensive. – Since a staycation is exploring local attractions in your own city or neighboring ones, it means short travel time and no accommodation bookings needed (though others can also opt for a one-night hotel stay), which means that it’s cheaper than a vacation! There are families who make staycations as a way of saving money for a major vacation.

• No heavy packing involve. – This is such a relief for moms, especially for moms with toddlers like me!

• No long flights and long drives. Long flights and drives can certainly be fun, but not much when you travel with small kids. This is exactly the reason why my husband has vowed not to take another long flight anymore while the kids are small because we had a very bad experience on our very first vacation to the Philippines with a 1-year-old toddler – he only slept for 1 hour on our approximately 12-hour flight from Barcelona to Singapore.

• Environment-friendly. Because you don’t have to take flights and long drives, you’ll generate fewer emissions and less waste. A very good way especially if you are looking for ways to lessen your carbon footprint.

• It supports the local economy. Staycation is a great way to explore your local area and by doing so, you also support local businesses, you are helping to create jobs and boost the local economy. Your money will not only support the businesses of your hometown but also the people who work for them. 

CONS OF STAYCATION:

• It can feel boring. – Since you are coming home after enjoying the day’s activities, there is a big tendency to feel bored. But this can be avoided if you plan ahead and choose activities that will surely give enjoyment and fun to your entire family.

• You might be tempted to keep on working. – Staycation is designed to be a vacation from home and it means not doing any work or housework at all. But this is very difficult to do, especially if you see that the kids’ toys are already all over the place. And if you have a very hardworking husband who gets nervous when he is not doing anything, this is a possibility.

The advantages listed above are what convinced my husband to say yes to my proposal of a staycation, instead of the original plan of having another vacation (a short one) before #1 starts going to school this September.

Though staycation is a new word for me, I realized that the previous day trips to the beach, the museum, and theme parks were already staycation activities. However, I am excited to plan our very first “official staycation”. And I’ll be sharing it here with you, soon.

Some Family Staycation Ideas

Some of the most common staycation ideas for families with kids are being a tourist in your own city, going to the pool, going to a zoo or an aquarium, having a movie marathon, setting up a camping tent in the backyard, visiting a children’s museum, going to a theme park, and going to a picnic.

For more family staycation ideas, read this: 55 affordable and fun family staycation ideas.

Another staycation idea is to make it thematic, like a food staycation where you focus your activities around food. Examples are eating out in a fancy restaurant, and cooking an international dish together.

If you’re specifically looking for Catholic staycation ideas, this post is for you: 31 Catholic staycation ideas you can do with your family without traveling far.

So, Which Is Better: A Vacation Or A Staycation?

There’s no “one is better than the other” when it comes to vacation and staycation, both are good and fun. The decision of which one to take depends on your circumstances, current conditions, budget, and schedules.

In my own opinion, a mixture of both is a good balance especially now that our kids are small. One or two vacations with mini-staycations scattered throughout the year is a good idea.

With covid19 still rampant here in Spain, a staycation is really a good option.

If you want to try a family staycation or planning to have one, this post might be of help to you: How To Plan A Family Staycation With Toddlers.

FAQ ABOUT Staycation

Final Thoughts: Difference between Vacation and Staycation

Now that the difference between vacation and staycation is clear, I would love to have a mix of both for my family.

Whether we choose vacation or staycation, we have to put in mind that the purpose of having one is to explore new places and experiences; and taking time to relax and spend quality time, so the best option is whatever sounds most convenient for the entire family.

Most of all, it should be fun and safe for all.

So, what do you prefer, vacation or staycation? Feel free to share your thoughts in the comment section below!