How to Make Your Holidays More Fun

There’s nothing quite like heading off on your holidays. The sense of adventure, excitement, and stress-free relaxation (at least when you get there) is palpable and can help refresh, rejuvenate and reset.

That said, for some people, vacationing can be a real stressor. This is especially true if we have a family to bring along or intensive travel plans. It might be that after some time, you wish the whole thing could be planned in advance for you so you could just have a good time and not worry about the overbearing logistical effort.

Of course, hopefully, this isn’t what you feel all the time, just once in a while after a particularly busy time, and or when you have intensive plans. That said, is it possible to make your vacation simpler and easier to deal with?

What if we could find a way to streamline our approach to exploring the world, or simply make sure that our holidays are dealt with ahead of time rather than worrying about them over the course of a week?

I hope to answer these questions and offer some advice. Let’s get started!

Transporting Luggage

If you are traveling by car, you’ll find a luggage holder installed on your vehicle (such as a top box, or a small trailer) extremely useful! Packing for a holiday doesn’t have to be as intense and tiring as it might otherwise be. We all know what it’s like to drive on vacation with a car full of luggage and our friends or family members tightly fit in the rear seats, sharing space with a suitcase. This is tiring and uncomfortable!

Simply having a spot to safely pack and carry luggage with you, even on long-haul journeys, makes the process of traveling to any destination much more tolerable.

Make The “Getting There” Part Of The Experience

Most of us think that the time we take to get from one place to another is something we just have to deal with. Something that we might not like doing but we grind through anyway in order to get to the reward at the end.

But what if “getting there” could be part of the experience? If possible, booking an extra day or two to stop over and camp out while on your travels could be a great idea. Or simply booking an extra day at the hotel on the way to get a good night’s sleep could make the drive more enjoyable.

Here is my FREE Road Trip Planner to make things easier!

This is certainly true as it relates to traveling with children, as we all know just how tired they can get on long car journeys.

The same goes for other forms of travel, too. It might be that taking a plane and then a train is preferable as well as a great opportunity to discover a new place. Or, taking a coach/bus that allows you to see some sights in another part of the country. These methods can help break up your trip.

There are many ways to go about this, but ultimately, if it makes you happier, helps you feel more rested and relaxed, and maintains your enthusiasm for travel, then these transportation alternatives might mean you made a good decision.

Holiday Homes

A good holiday home can serve as an investment that pays dividends over the years based on its potential resale value or your willingness to rent it when not there (hello Airbnb!). It’s for this reason that many people purchase vacation homes around where they like to spend the summer, ensuring that they never have to compete for a prime destination from that point forward.

There are alternative options that may be more suitable. You may consider investing in a stationary caravaning/mobile home, especially if hoping to enjoy a holiday in the UK, France (there are a ton of these in Brittany and the South of France), Spain, or Portugal. It's a fantastic way of establishing a home base, maybe even near family members.

Just knowing you have “a place” you can consider ahead of time allows you to be more flexible with your planning. Tying yourself to a holiday home doesn’t mean that you’re restricted, it means convenience and ease, allowing you to explore anew, albeit with a solid base this time.

Staying With Friends

We get by with a little help from our friends, right? It can’t hurt to visit them once in a while, and to use this as an excuse for a mini vacation. Whether it means visiting a friend at the other end of the country for the weekend, or going to France to visit family friends for two weeks and setting your family up in the spare bedrooms (oh how I wish my French mother-in-law had a bigger place!). It's a great way to reunite with your friends.

This might sound like a selfish decision but it’s really not, taking time out to see someone you care for, introducing them to your child or pet… These things can help relationships survive distance or diverging life paths as well as set up new visits for the future.

Of course, keep in mind that it’s only fair to let them use your home (or holiday home) when they need a break.

Being a Tourist

Too often, people think that you have to walk off the beaten path in order to do anything of worth. But there’s absolutely nothing wrong with doing the regular tourist things. Like visiting the Eiffel Tower in Paris, or simply eating a great deal of pizza and pasta while in Rome! These activities are popular for a reason, and feeling bad about opting in is your choice!

You should feel free to be the most basic tourist imaginable rather than hiking up Kilimanjaro if that is your thing.

After all, when we can remove the rules from our travel experiences, we’re much more likely to have fun and be present.

With this advice, I hope you can see how simple and easy holidays can be. Have fun and create beautiful memories!

How about you? Have any tips for making your holidays simpler and more fun? Do share!

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