A staycation offers a chance to treat yourself.
The next time you’re looking to take a short trip, why head out of town when you can have an enjoyable vacation by staying close to home? “Exploring your backyard with a staycation is a relaxing break and one that’s very special because most of us have never visited the highlights in the area where we live,” said Marla Schaffer, the president and chief executive of Leaders in Travel, a New York travel consultancy.
She shares her top tips on how to have the ideal staycation:
BOOK A LUXURY HOTEL
You’re not far from home, but the point of a staycation is to feel as if you got away, and staying at a high-end hotel is a good way to do that. “The property you book should make you feel pampered with its luxe surroundings and doting service,” Schaffer said. Many upscale hotels, especially in cities, even offer appealing staycation packages with breakfast, late checkout, in-room movies and discounted spa treatments.
RELY ON THE TOURIST OFFICE
When looking for ideas on how to spend your minibreak, Schaffer said your area’s tourist bureau is a gold mine for suggestions. “The bureau will have information on the latest happenings and will also know about free events and tours,” she said. Her favorite staycation activities include checking out bookstores to meet authors in town for signings, visiting wine stores for free tastings, seeing museums and catching a show at a comedy club, theater or concert hall.
CONSIDER A SPLURGE
Since you’re not paying for airfare or spending a large amount of money on fuel, a staycation is a good excuse to spring for an indulgent experience that otherwise is too expensive. You can take a helicopter ride or a private boat tour, for example, to see where you live from a different perspective. Other possibilities include a massage or a facial at a fancy spa, dinner at an expensive restaurant, a private cooking class with a well-known chef or a private behind-thescenes tour of a museum or theater. Schaffer has arranged for her staycation clients in New York to be given backstage tours of Radio City Music Hall and Lincoln Center and has also booked private walking tours of art galleries in SoHo with a local artist.
DON’T OVERSCHEDULE
While you should have some semblance of an itinerary, as with any vacation, don’t plan too much for your staycation: Leave room for spontaneous discoveries.
Select an area of town that’s unfamiliar to you, and walk the streets or skip making dinner reservations one evening, and enjoy small bites at the bar at several different restaurants. Better yet, sleep in and have breakfast in bed or hang out in your pajamas one night while you watch a movie or savor a rich dessert.