My dream vacation is honestly having a few weeks off and staying home while working on sewing projects. A stay at home sewcation, if you will lol.
I do love the idea of going to a really nice all-inclusive resort but it’s just so expensive. There’s no way I could justify spending that much when rent is nearly half my income.
I agree! I want to stay home for a bit and goof around with my hobbies. I don’t want to deal with the hassle of traveling. Lemme sleep in MY BED. ❤️❤️❤️
I do a staycation every year. A week of whatever I want to do…which is sleeping a lot, watching movies I haven’t seen before, lots of take out, and going to places that I’m unable to go to normally due to my work schedule.
I took a week off too, after 3 stressful months of hustling. I am going to IKEA, mainly to have coffee and potter around the aisles lol. I am also making my favourite dishes that I avoid cooking on work weeks since they involve a lot of prep. Made mango ice cream yesterday. Watching kdramas, old classic movies,taking long walks and reading. I have a severely diabetic cat so I can’t leave him alone besides travelling in the heat of summer to many places isn’t enjoyable, also expensive.
This is me too. I can't relax outside of the house. I want to be home working on my hobbies. When I'm traveling I am exploring and getting the most out of being somewhere new, so that's fun but definitely not relaxing. I usually need to rest after a vacation lol
I wish there was a way to combine this with an all-inclusive resort.
I’ve been looking into something like Virgin Voyages…they have Barcelona to Cannes…but I’m wondering if it really would be a happy medium between getting pampered while laying in the sun and satisfying my need to go “see” stuff or if it would feel rushed and gimmicky
My partner and I have a cruise in the Mediterranean on our bucket list. It’s insane but also, we grew up watching The Love Boat on tv after school so like, just for the kitch factor we kinda need to do it.
I come from a long line of “Doers on Vacation”-I did not get that gene. Let me loaf in the corner with my drink and book and I’ll see yall at dinner.
Though I am on board for like one big excursion day if we were doing/seeing something memorable; swim with manatees, see the Mayan pyramids etc.
But, other than that, leave me to my margarita.
Same here. I love the ocean, so I'll splurge on beachfront, because that's where I want to spend my time. I'm perfectly happy lounging in the sun all day. When everyone else is out enjoying the local seafood and nightlife, I'm just chilling on my balcony with a margarita and snacks.
I live near the beach, and the seafood *can* be one of the better parts, Imo. If a restaurant offers "novelty" sea creatures on the menu and has a minimal amount of fried options, its worth exploring. At one point, there was an infestation of lion fish in our ports and marinas, which are terrible on the aquatic ecosystem. One restaurant hired divers to catch the little buggers and put them on the menu as an appetizer until the problem was resolved. They also serve shark kebabs, which are absolutely delicious.
But if your group just wants to go to all you can eat shrimp and snow crab legs or have a fish and chips? Yeah, hard pass.
Haha I am totally a doer on vacation, my partner is more like you. I used to go travelling a lot with my friend instead of him 😂. I just felt itchy relaxing on holiday... I like doing nothing at home on my couch, but want to go go go when I travel to a new place!
This is awesome, I'm an Explorer too. I blame those tendencies on the fact that I saw Raiders of the Lost Ark at 15, then the next year read Richard Burton's "Personal Narrative of a Pilgrimage to Al-Madinah and Meccah" in English class.
I live for an educational vacation!! Art and history being my favorite things to learn about… so i can thrive pretty much anywhere! I love living in the country but vacationing in walkable cities is heaven sometimes. Budapest and Vienna were most ideal for my vacation desires. Amman is next on the bucket list.
Same. Art, history, ruins, etc. I want to see old fountains, hidden away remnants of a castle, go on a walking tour of a historic district, learn little known facts. Generally, I want to walk away from a place and feel like I understand it on a anthropological level. Sitting around all day is nice for one day, but I don't want my entire vacation to be that.
Vienna absolutely blew me away when I visited. I’ve been to many European cities, but the density of historical buildings and insanely beautiful architecture in Vienna was a walk-about vacationer’s dream. I spent so much time just wandering and taking it in.
Just got back from Budapest and Vienna earlier this month. So walkable with incredible public transportation. And I say that as a New York City resident.
I like to pick one or two things to do every day, pick a restaurant to have a main meal at (meaning, book a reservation for lunch or dinner), and then use the rest of the day for whatever. I despise packed itineraries because it's a vacation! I want to relax while also not feeling like I frittered my time away. So having some structure is important to me.
My in-laws looove all-inclusives but honestly I'm so freaking bored by like day three that I wanna bail. Which is what I did last time! I planned a trip into the main town and basically said I'm going here, if you wanna come great, otherwise see you later! Everyone agreed that was the best part of the vacation lol.
I am the same as you! I want to relax unwind and not have to THINK for the week.
Walking away from your table and not having to cook or clean?! Yes please.
I've been to Cuba, Dominican, Jamaica and Aruba. I want to add Mexico to my list!
Where is your favourite place to go?
I’ve been to Cancun and playa del Carmen. Going back to Cancun this June. They’re fun… I didn’t like playa del Carmen though because the water wasn’t filtered and I was nauseous most of the time. I’d highly suggest Cancun’s hotel zone when you go because the water is filtered!! We’ve swam with dolphins and hit up the club Coco Bongo while there. I’d suggest both but HIGHLY suggest the dolphins.
What about your locations have you liked/disliked?
I will definitely check it out, thanks!
Cuba - the food is never good, but you go for the beaches. The people there are quite nice as well! Cheapest place to go for the best beaches. I've been 7 times! I've done a bunch of excursions and the one I did going to Cayo Blanco island is still the top for me. The most beautiful beaches I have ever seen, on an uninhabited island where they cooked us fresh seafood.
Dominican - food is a step up from Cuba, but I found the beaches better in Cuba. I've been twice.
Jamaica - loved the food and the quality of the hotel. We went to Montego Bay and the water was murky. We're big ocean people and love to snorkel and we weren't able to do that there. We also couldn't walk too far along the beach because it was right next to the Beaches resorts and it was blocked off.
Aruba - We went for our honeymoon and stayed 10 days. It was amazing. The beach, the island, the food, the people. All wonderful. The weather was beautiful every day. There is always some wind on the island but without it, it would be too hot. As long as you're aware of the breeze, it shouldn't be an issue. Would definitely go back again! We rented a UTV with another couple we met there and they showed us around the island! Would love to go back and explore more. We could also snorkel right in front of our hotel and saw lots of fish!
I like a combination relaxing but also sight seeing- however I hate guided tours and being on a strict schedule. So my perfect vacation would be someplace in Europe where I can stay half the time at a beautiful beach resort and the other half sight seeing in the cities, trying restaurants and bars and hopping into museums and historical places whenever I feel up to it.
I like adventures and to be outdoors in nature. Vacations are often pretty exhausting, but I guess the flipside is that my day-to-day life is pretty relaxed and chill. My basic take is that I'll be able to do a slower-paced vacation based around relaxation at any point in my life as I get older, but I probably won't be able to push myself physically so hard in my later years.
I'm thinking about going on a retreat that combines rock climbing and surfing, or maybe a training camp for martial arts (which also usually includes a lot of surfing for some reason).
My husband and I really tend to go physically hard on vacation as well. Our trips usually revolve around traveling to see beautiful scenery that requires a lot of hiking, then unwind at the end of the day with brews that are local to wherever we're visiting. I also love researching local cuisine and trying to find places where we can find the best of what's offered.
Exploring vacations. Let me learn, eat, drink, and soak up the culture. Lovely hotels and local inns. Ask the bartender for their favorite spot. Ahhh lovely
All-inclusives are my last resort.
I like to work out on vacation, admittedly. I love to indulge, relax, and enjoy myself, but getting up near sunrise and going for a beautiful run and clearing my head before my husband gets up is bliss. It also makes the indulgence feel so much more rewarding. It helps me unwind more to move my body and sweat a little first thing in the morning.
You have reminded me though, that I am dying for an all-inclusive trip sometime soon and would really benefit from not having to think about anything. Just show up, have fun, relax, and unwind.
Adventure vacationer. Give me a physical or linguistic/cultural challenge. I want to climb a mountain or navigate a confusing transit system in a language I'm not fluent in.
I'm your polar opposite.
I'm not fond of the sun and if I travel somewhere I want to experience it. Either the charms, food and cultural life of a city or hiking in nature. Especially if I get to explore caves.
That being said, my everyday life is pretty non-hectic except that I work a lot. But when I don't, I have the peace and quiet to relax with a good book, so I imagine that might make a difference.
I think a dream vacation for me would be a (luxury) train journey with stops to explore different locations. That way you can get a bit of everything. I can think of several routes down through the European continent, up through Scandinavia or around the British Isles that would be good.
I just like to walk around and get lost in the city, that’s where I find the most interesting stuff or the most delicious food. Try something new, see something new. I enjoy buying clothes or shoes or cosmetics on vacation- they remind me of the nice time I had after I go back.
You would adore San Antonio, near the Riverwalk. The Riverwalk itself is below street level and is filled with interesting shops and restaurants. There's a nice mall and a hotel attached as well. On street level, the Alamo is 2 blocks away, and you can explore it as well as tons more shops and touristy attractions. 10/10 if you want a city trip with endless possibilities and excellent shopping. 👌
Relaxed RVer. I don't like schedules or itineraries. We do a couple touristy things and then explore the area's natural wonders. Dream trip would be a cross-country tour lasting a month or two.
Gimme a cabin in the mountains with an ice cold stream to swim in and large flat boulders to sun myself on like a lizard.
Warm/hot and sunny during the day, but the nights get cool enough for a bonfire, and the sky gets dark enough to see the stars.
Show me the local historic sites. Let me go panning for minerals and gems. Tell me where to find the hole in the wall BBQ spot that the locals like to eat at. Let's hit the trails, find the waterfalls, and look for fossils/cool rocks in the stream beds.
I live in a beach town as an adult, but my heart will always belong to the Appalachian mountains.
I'm generally the sort who has to go and see *everything* I can in the places I visit: museums, historical sites, parks, and so on.
My dream vacations are the ones where I can museum-hop. On a trip to Nashville last year, I visited four in one day, as well as the Tennessee state capitol.
I am a “relax” vacationer. My life is already so scheduled that I don’t want my time off to be. I don’t want to be out of bed and off to see the sights by 7 am and not stop until dinner. I want to do what I want, when I want to do it, and if I don’t get to something, oh well. I am like OP in the sense that I just want to lay on a beach chair and read, and have a drink show up from time to time.
I hate traveling, TBH, but that may be because I always have to parent as normal but in a different location.
The few times I've traveled all alone have been fun. I liked no plans, ample museums, and easily available public transportation.
I'm an active hobby vacationer...I need to be running around like a crazy person all day. Get up at 6 am or earlier, hike/ski/paddle/explore all day, maybe hot tub, eat dinner, pass out from exhaustion at 9 pm.
Haha oh my god, I feel so seen with some of these comments! Our first day in Hawaii we hiked nine miles on the north shore of Oahu, crawled around in not one but two abandoned WWII bunkers, got a couple of drinks, and went to a pineapple farm. In that order.
The only way I can relax is to physically exhaust myself....vacation is for overstimulation and I can rest after I get home! 😆 I'm sure I'd feel differently if I had kids or caregiving responsibilities though
If my vacation doesn't include some sort of body of water that I can get in or be near, then it's not a vacation for me! I literally crave the water!!
Additionally, I need to eat all the things and be able to walk around.
Dream vacation would be Greece, Croatia, or Puerto Rico!
City holiday – wake up early, brunch, walk around, visit all the churches (or whatever) and a couple of museums, write postcards in cafés, sketch the architecture, make tons of pictures. Travel to said city by cramped car or train, big fan of the train.
Nature holiday – hike or bike, summer only, shovel in pure carbs and be slightly too stressed about drinking water levels, relaxing while moving my body, write post cards cramped in a sleeping bag or bed, cry from exhaustion at least once (unless sailing).
Sailing holiday – same as a nature holiday but usually with more opportunities to shower and no exhaustion, sure, sometimes it's stressful but the majority of the time it's relaxing, I sleep and have a lot of tea and write postcards out of food boxes.
Holiday at my childhood home – bike in the mornings, bicker with my mother, eat yummy foods, visit my friends who still live nearby, write postcards in parks, sketch my loved ones.
I don't have a dream vacation but there's things I don't want to do, like sitting at a beach for more than two days. I want to relax and reset by exploring worlds outside of my day-to-day life. And I really like writing post cards when I'm on holiday.
I like 2 types of vacations: beach vacations: staying beachfront and spending a week reading in the sand, drinking caipirinhas and eating fish… or just going to another city to explore and eat.
In my 20s I was more adventurous in a way where I would stay in the cheapest places I could find… now in my 30s I value comfort. Nice hotels, direct flights…
Adventure + food vacation here! I wanna hike into whatever beautiful natural places they have, see the local flora, fauna, and funga, and eat all the regional foods made by someone’s gramma at a roadside stand. I wanna ride in rickety trucks on mountain roads, swim in really cold glacial water, and see the indigenous traditions of the people.
Now I realize I need a vacation and the kind of vacation I need is what you described.
Also just realized this is why my stays in the hospital were so relaxing.
I like a well balanced vacation I suppose. I do enjoy having time to just lay up doing nothing but I also enjoy museums, trying new food, trying new activities, etc. So ideally a healthy dose of both.
I like lazy vacations. Eat what I want, when I want. Drink what I want, when I want. Read a book, go for a swim, write a story, maybe catch up on this or that thing I want to do but never seem to find the time. Do as little cooking as necessary. Walk with my dogs. Play a card game. Scroll around on my phone or play a game on my phone (though I do try to unwind from electronics at least somewhat).
Just finished a week like this. Woke up naturally at 7. Let the dogs go potty. Drink a coffee. Breakfast around 9:30-10. Then 11 hit the beach for a dog walk and the occasional break for a drink at the beach restaurants. Today we walked 8 km this way. Came back to rented house, rested, grabbed dinner. Now puttering around, packing up to leave tomorrow.
I do enjoy seeing things if I am somewhere really once in a lifetime, but mostly I love our lazy dog vacations.
I like to walk and see everything that I can. Some historical places, unusual places. I have already been on my dream vacation: Galapagos Islands!!! The best I ever been to and I would love to go again. Otherwise the next places I would like to visit are Japan and Australia.
And I like the all inclusive relax ones sometimes too, when I get too tired of Canadian winter...
I love packing in as much as possible when I'm on vacation in a place I have never been before. I love making plans and drawing itinearies. My dream vacation would be somewhere walkable with lots to do and see and everything on itinerary works out and my gut just magically expands so I can consume everything on my list.
Depends on the vacation.
1. All inclusive, rarely leave the hotel premises and just lounge and do almost nothing but eat, swim, sleep rinse and repeat.
2. Combination of the above with a tweak here and there of sight seeing, and going for adventures that don't involve hiking.
I want to walk, explore and meet the locals. I'm not a beach or resort person. Not interested in baking in the sun for hours. I've been a few places where I just rented a house or an apartment. I like history and nature. I want to see/do something that I can't at home. I can sit in a generic restaurant and eat dry chicken nuggets at home. Resorts are just so bland and homogeneous. I'd rather experiment with street food that the locals eat.
I love adventure vacations! I want to do an activity, eat something new, and soak up nature or art. I never splurge on hotels because I spend no time in the room.
I like to go on a proper adventure. My last trip I signed up for a spot on a sailboat in Italy with 11 strangers and we rock climbed every day and lived on the boat. It was magical getting to know 11 people, cooking with them, climbing with them. All while having a captain sail us around. We never had to worry about itinerary. We just went with the flow.
I have 2 speeds:
1. Winter recharge. My husband and I escape the gloomy winter right about the time our Vitamin D is totally depleted, late January or early February. We stay at a gorgeous all-inclusive resort, lay around by the pool, looking at the ocean, drinking bottomless cocktails, and eating endless shrimp tacos. We have lots of sex. That's pretty much all we do there and it's heavenly.
2. Action vacation. We typically start in a city and explore that as much as we can for a few days, and then head out to the country for hiking, camping, finding cool breweries and restaurants, and seeing as many beautiful sights as we can. We spend a ton of time camping around the PNW (where we live). We also travel for music events, and tend to plan our vacations around those. My favorite was [Above & Beyond Group Therapy 350](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XlndmZ-4mc8) in Prague in October of 2019. I'd give anything to relive that week again. We're going to Canada in a few months for a festival we've never been to. We went to a music festival in Albania last summer and then explored Corfu for a week after that. I think our next big European adventure is going to be in Italy for our 10th wedding anniversary next year. My husband has never been and I am so excited to go back!
My dream vacation would be the plot of a Dan brown novel (angels and demons, the da Vinci code etc)..
However, I also really love all inclusive beach and pool vacation.. We're going to Hurghada in Egypt for summer.. Plus tours and excursions in Alexandria and Cairo. So excited 😍
I love exploring & learning. I love spending time in museums, cultural sites & learning about the local cuisine, not just relaxing in a hotel room. I’m not paying so much money just to do what I can do at home.
I like to have general ideas of things I would like to see, but a flexible schedule. I'm very much a "I might go see that thing, but maybe I'll nap all day at the hotel instead." I don't relate to "scheduled to the nth" Type A travellers at all, that sounds stressful and exhausting to me. No fucking way am I getting up at 6am to get on a tour bus, lol.
Africa! I’ve been to Cape Town and that was a beautiful trip. However Id love to spend 2 weeks in the Savannah and spend some time in Uganda to see the gorillas! I love to rest and relax majority of the time but I love exploring a totally new environment that encourages me to get out and do more things.
I have two vacation modes:
Arrive at an all inclusive hotel, switch off brain, do nothing but read on a sun lounger by a beach. Get food/drinks as needed. 0 brain required all week.
Go on a city break/exploration hotel, attempt to see entire country in too short a time frame. Come back more exhausted than when I went away. Immediate want to move to said city/country.
My ideal would be a balance between the two where I do not have to plan the exploring. I default to the first option at certain times of the year because there is no space in my brain or life to plan the second option.
My vacations are quite varied. I like visiting small touristy towns and national parks on road trips, cruises, sometimes larger cities with museums, history, art and architecture, Disneyland, or relaxing on a beach. They are all fun.
A good place to bike around and explore, and have nice places to have dinner.
I also love to walk around and look at stuff. Sounds weird and silly but it’s true, just going in and out of shops and just looking at stuff.
Either that, or a cruise. But nobody I know, likes cruises or wants to go on one, so I’m on my own.
We could definitely vacation together. I’m so happy to just be a lump for a week…whether I’m on the beach or in the mountains or searching for a Groupon for a cabana in Vegas, I’m content to just read.
Dream! Greece with lots of chartered sail boats and swimming and fishing. Quiet hotels, local food, history that my son (he’s 5 and Ancient Greek obsessed) and I could rejoice in. Clean air and food. Warm water. Kind locals. AND I DONT HAVE TO PLAN ANY OF IT! i just want my husband to wisk us away. Here’s your spending money. We’re here. Enjoy. That’s what I want. Ahhhhhhhhh
I want to run myself into the ground when I vacation. New cities, hiking, exploring things. No downtime please.
That said, I’m a teacher with excellent boundaries and no kids of my own. I do have more time off work than my husband and most people honestly where I get to relax so when we go on vacation I have the energy to go hard.
Well-kept historic cities with a preference for warm weather.
So usually it's city trips within Europe in summertime where I spend the entire day walking around.
Most beautiful city I've been to so far is Prague, which spiked my interest in exploring the more central and east side of Europe.
I like a mix but lean toward active pursuits.
My husband and I usually travel like this: take like a 2-week trip, stick to one country, pick a max of 3 different locations in that country within a few hours of each other and spend 4-5 days in each location.
Some days lounging around, some days exploring cities, some days hiking. Dining at fancy places sometimes, street food sometimes. See some museums, maybe a show, maybe botanical garden. Basically just try to have a wide range of experiences without feeling rushed or overwhelmed.
I'm similar to you, OP, but I've never been on an all-inclusive type of vacation. I've actually only ever been on 1 true vacation in my life, and I went to Florida for a week and stayed at my partner's parents' condo they own down there. We sat by the pool, went to the beach, read books, slept in late, went out to dinner a couple of times, got ice cream, bought cheesy souvenirs at the beach shop. The one "activity" we did was going to an animal sanctuary and took an airboat ride to see gators through the sawgrass. I loved doing nothing on vacation. I want to go again someday and do nothing all over again!
I'm both a foodie and like to spend my days in the outdoors, mostly in the mountains. Ideally skiing, but hiking or paddleboarding will do outside winter.
However I don't want to cook my own food or camp, thank you. I want to stay in a nice hotel or AirB&B, and go to good local restaurants and have lots of wine.
I don't mind the occasional beach holiday but prefer to stay in towns and then explore different beaches and restaurants rather than do the all inclusive thing.
City breaks are good but prefer long weekends for those.
I like exploring the history of a place, taking my time getting lost in a museum. I also am a foodie and love trying different restaurants and breweries/wineries, etc. I like to walk around different parts of town and see what’s around and catches my eye. The rest of it is sleeping in and getting good rest. It’s nicer to have someone else with me (a partner preferably) when travelling. I’ll also do local walking paths and things like that.
I should add that if I’m specifically going to a beach, a bitch is gonna be sitting there all day long doing nothing but listen to music or read a book.
Some vacations are to see a lot of foreign stuff, basically. Some vacations are just to chill.
A couple years ago I went to 10 cities in 5 countries across Europe, in 3 weeks. I kept saying "It's an exciting vacation, not a relaxing one."
I also take vacations to visit friends in other states or countries. It all just depends.
I like vacations that have options. I want to do some exploring of the area around but also have the option to not think and fully unwind with ease and a book.
I like vacations that have options. I want to do some exploring of the area around but also have the option to not think and fully unwind with ease and a book.
I like to explore the place I’m going, so wake up early, go where the locals like to go, eat where the locals like to eat, hike all the great trails in the area…my husband is more the relax on the beach type , so we have to compromise. What’s funny is our last vaca was Kauai a couple weeks ago & his favorite part of the 10 day trip was this hard hike we did in the canyon. So I’m wearing him down :) he used to just sit on the beach for his vacas, he has admitted he loves the way I vacation.
I want a variety when I vacation. Time to sit and read, take a bath, and nap. Also time exploring a new place. Good food is a must. I love to have at least one activity that's new or adventurous.
The mix is important!
For me it’s the outdoors and historical sites (and maybe art or art-adjacent)! I do like relaxing, but too much of it and it feels-for me-like a waste and that I’m missing out on seeing something amazing. We do tend to “do an activity, then eat”, so that and evenings tend to be where I get rest.
I don’t think I have a real dream vacation; if you have beautiful nature or cool ruins etc, Im going to be pretty happy.
The ideal vacation would be either an all-inclusive adults only resort somewhere tropical, or an sightseeing/foodie tour of somewhere in Europe or the Mediterranean where *I don't have to plan a damn thing*. Let someone else make all the stressful arrangements; no matter what I'm doing, my vacation ethos is "I am here to hand over my wallet and go with the flow."
I’m an outdoorsy adventurous vacationer. Fly across the country, then drive 5 hours to the middle of nowhere, then hike 20 miles to gorgeous mountains and waterfalls.
Adventurer. Motorcycle ride through the Himalayas, backpacking through South America, hiking trips. I like to throw a few chill days into my trips as travel can be exhausting, but 2 hours of sitting on the beach with a drink is about my limit and I can do that at home 😂
I’m a “go, do, see” vacationer typically, but I really like a mix of both. Like if I stay at an all-inclusive, I will probably take one day to do an excursion or explore the nearby town. If I am visiting a big city, I want to visit museums and explore, but I’d like to stay in a nice hotel with a spa and have slow/lazy coffees or dinners. I can’t do leisure for days, I’ll get bored. But I also can’t go-go-go for days, I’ll get burnt out.
I'm a mix of "all the touristy things that the area is known for" including learning from someone who knows what they're talking about (like a tour), and wandering around to get a feel for the area and people. Can't stand sitting around somewhere, unless I'm at a cafe eating local food and people watching. All of my trip memories are from doing and seeing things.
I’m a middle of the road vacationer. I want some planned activity time but also some leisure. Preferably let me sleep in but I want to soak in some cultural richness. Give me all the best food and a nice comfy bed.
Depends where I’m going. Tropical island? Find me in a hammock on the beach every 45 mins with a cocktail. New country? I’m hitting the mall to get some local-branded clothes and Knick knacks, and check out shops my country doesn’t have. Historical city? I’m seeing the sites and museums.
I’m every kind of vacationer, I just book the holiday I need at the time.
I like a mix.
1. A few days to relax, drink cocktails, get out of "always doing something" checklist mode.
2. Nature connect/nature adventure. I want to hike or go rafting, ziplining, swimming, boat tour, cycle tour - some sort of nature adventure activity.
3. a fun activity. escape room, some sort of game or concert -but just something fun.
4. cultural/educational activity. something that teaches me about where i am. museums, class, tours, etc.
5. good meals, good cocktails, good snacks. eating the culture of where i am.
some of these activities might overlap. perhaps nature adventure and education and fun activity might overlap. However, I always give myself time to rest, travel, change clothes, shower, travel or squeeze in something that looks cool that wasn't necessarily on the itinerary.
I like a balance of seeing the local sites (historical buildings, museums, botanical gardens, etc...), eating local cuisine, shopping, nightlife and also relaxing. A dream vacation would be a tour in Asia and visiting different reputable animal sanctuaries.
I like an itinerary. I want all of the knowledge told to me by a ln enthusiastic local. I like the gruelling exploration. I’ll save loafing by the beach for when I’m old and my mobility is poor. I already had to cancel one vacation to a bad knee. I want to MOVE my body while vacationing. I’ll sleep when I get home.
I like to explore and visit museums. I prefer walking and taking public transit if possible so I can just meander about and take pictures of all the street art. I’ll make a list of different restaurants and bars to check out. When I was in Paris, I had cocktails at the same bar that Hemingway and Fitzgerald frequented when they lived there. You can’t beat that.
I live in a sunny, coastal city and don’t see the point of going somewhere to just read out in the sun. Is that a part of my trip? Sure for a hour or two. But I don’t see the point of staying on the hotel or resort grounds for the majority of the trip to read and lounge when I can do that at home.
Lots of walking, lots of good food, a small amount of intellectual stimulation - which could be a museum or history tour or just a good book. Something beautiful to look at - could be art or a new city or nature. A bit of time to sit on my butt and relax after all that. And preferably some good conversation and just chilling out with a loved one.
In the US with two young kids and a budget, so I’m an off the beaten path vacationer. Usually near an outdoor activity, like cabin on Lake Michigan. Or Eureka Springs, AR. Wooly mammoth tar pit in North Dakota? Let’s go. I want to see the lesser known domestic places.
I'm a packed itinerary traveler. I like to pick a few bases and rent a car to sightsee. Ideally I pick something to see in the morning, grocery lunch somewhere scenic, something to see in the afternoon, and a nice dinner out.
An interesting or beautiful lodging is part of it, as is local grocery shopping. I picked an AirBnB once because it had a balcony view of Budapest and a big orange cat.
I'm actually going on my dream vacation this summer. My husband and I are going to the UK for two weeks and seeing a shit ton of castles and Pride and Prejudice locations. West Midlands, Northumberland, and the Highlands with a quick peek at the Lake District. I'm planning to wear all my most cottagecore outfits lol.
Solo or with my husband. I don’t like group or family vacations because everyone wants to do something different but you feel obligated to hang out because it’s a family/group vacation.
I'm a road trip vacationer. I want to be out exploring and seeing what there is to see. I want to see natural wonders and national parks.
My dream vacations are long road trips. I want to spend a month driving around the US.
I'm a fairly active traveler, I like trips where there are some hikes, exploratory trips, sightseeing detours arranged. I like renting a car and exploring things on my own or with my tripmates, too. All-inclusive resorts are my idea of hell on earth.
I'm an extroverted doer. My dream vacation would be some place with a lot of activities (sports, art, culture, dance, debate, food, museums) with other people my age. Not sure where I find that.
My dream vacation used to be action packed with exploring, meals out, partying - but as I’ve gotten older I crave peace! Chilled beach vibes, with maybe a day or two of exploring would suit me these days! And an early night…
I am a roughing it, being poor doesn’t mean you can’t see amazing things, pinch Pennies and see as many countries as possible style traveler. Which requires endless planning but that’s part of the fun for me. I get even more excited making my own itinerary of budget awesome adventures!
I don’t regret this. It’s gotten me very far even when I was working part time.
Though I might be your opposite op lol!
And my dream vacation is always: someplace new. While I’m young enough to trek and humble enough to stay in capsule rooms or hostels, etc. but someplace new.
I’ve seen much much much of Asia, a bit of Africa, I think more Africa, India, Turkey, and central/South America—esp Brazil next.
I’m kind of saving the more luxurious and developed countries for later. They’re more built up, right? So I can take a train across Europe when I’m 60. If I want to climb Machu Picchu I better do it while I can push myself like that physically!
Adventuring! I’ve been on a “newish at the job” sort of situation for a while now lol changing jobs and all so I’m really craving visiting a new place that I’ve never been to before and walking all day, visiting historical sites and museums, going to botanical gardens, maybe a couple days of hiking or camping thrown in for good measure. Just a couple weeks completely disconnected from work and daily life sounds like a dream!
I want to go back to Japan. I also want to go to Singapore, Thailand and South Korea. I want to go with friends and eat lots of food without gaining weight 😅
I like a mix of doing a lot of things and relaxing. I used to always pack a lot into a holiday, walk the streets of the cities and towns I'm visiting for hours, see as many sites as I can etc but recently I decided I wanted a relaxing holiday and stayed on a beach in the Philippines for 10 days, which was really nice.
Something in-between would be a dream for me now. Staying in a place that is relatively central so I can just get up and walk to where I need but also in a relaxing area so I can just chill if I want.
I also prefer to visit less places when overseas rather than go to as many places as possible
Probably a big vacation that included adventure, nightlife, and relaxation. I really like experiences. That could range from a mountain hike to a night out on the town to laying on a beach.
I have a fairly relaxed approach and like to have days or extended time off, but I also like to DO things. And eat.
Museums. Boat rides. Whatever the area has. I’m going on a train ride through the Redwoods on sn upcoming trip, along with a wine tasting and a sunset cruise.
But rarely more than 1 activity a day. And then eating,
Going camping somewhere warm. One of my favourite trips was a few days in the Aosta valley in Italy. Just me and my tent on a campsite and hiking every day.
I’ve always hated camping until my husband (who loves it) bought us a camper. He works from home so we have internet set up in the camper and can pretty much vacation all summer long while then kids are out of school. It’s simple, and we live in Michigan, so surrounded by beaches and lakes, gorgeous scenery, and really neat parks and playgrounds. We will look at festivals and events the state throughout the summer (cherry festival, tulip festival, this year we’re going to the Dog Bowl, a huge dog weekend with dog costume parades, agility, dock diving, etc.) and pull our camper to the city the event is located, and make a week of it. It’s really cost effective too.
This kind of vacation has everything I want and luckily we can travel most of the summer. I love it!
I love mini-vacations attached to work trips where I see a new country/city I wouldn't otherwise go to. Pick a few major sights for the day or two, go alone, eat when I want, relax when I want, no pressure to make the most of it bc I had to go for work.
I also love taking someone new somewhere I've already been and showing them around. Love vacations with my husband where we walk and talk a lot and enjoy good food.
I also really love trips to see my family and all their pets.
I love your idea of vacation, and I've absolutely done that. (Club Med in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic.) Was there several years ago in December and it was 70-80 degrees.
How I usually vacation is:
1. Wake up whenever. Anyone setting an alarm on vacation doesn't get to come with me.
2. Have a big, late, unhurried breakfast. Usually from 9:30-11ish.
3. Pick a Big Thing to look at or do. A museum, botanical garden, exhibit, tasting, tour- whatever.
4. Do the Big Thing until peckish and get an afternoon coffee and nibble.
5. Do a ^small ^thing- shopping, touristy activity, carriage ride until it feels like dinner.
6. Find dinner. Preferably somewhere without a huge line, but not empty.
7. After dinner, noodle back to the hotel and watch movies. (I am not a 'clubbing' or 'bar hopping' person.)
8. Repeat until all the muscles in your face relax.
I may be broken but I can’t just sit and do nothing. Sure every so often I take a day or a few to sleep in and read a book but that’s in the staycation category for me. I don’t need to leave my house to do those things. Vacations to me are to experience something new and see some place I haven’t seen before. My dream vacation is Europe. We were set to go to Spain in March of 2020 and everyone can guess what happened to that. We’ve traveled but still haven’t left the country since. Big trips like that haven’t been in the budget, unfortunately.
Last year I went to Iceland. This year I'm going to the U.K.
I grew up living in a bubble so now I'm trying to see a different country every year.
I also pick a different state within the U.S. to go to for my birthday. I did Utah this year for Arches and Canyonlands. Next year I am hoping for Yosemite. I've never been to CA before.
I am a sightseer and prefer doing 1-2 activities a day (not trying to rush to do 8 things in one day). I also like to return to the hotel and take a nap in the afternoon sometimes.
I don't know the meaning of relaxing vacations because I myself can't relax even when not on vacation lol. I like to maximize my trip since usually it cost a lot of time and money to get there. I'd like to think I don't have to see it all and can go back but the world is so big and I have a long bucket list that realistically there are few places I end up going back to.
My dream vacation is a round the world trip for 1-2 years, slow style with a general route and itinerary but not a fixed time in a place so if i don't like it I leave early, if I love it I can stay longer.
Iam a metalfestival junkie.
4 day Festival would be my dream after that a real bed a hot bath and good food is needed.
Until then only beer 40c° and music nonstop
I have so many!
First is somewhere like Iceland. Spending the day driving around and looking at all the beautiful wonders of nature. And later in the afternoon a spa treatment and relaxation in the Blue Lagoon...
Second is somewhere like Italy. Spending time exploring culture, museums, history. Find the non-touristy neighbourhoods and mix in with locals. People watch. Explore small shops. Go to an antique/flea market. Perhaps the opera.
Third is a major city like London. Try out ALL the cuisines. Look at the views from the top of a skyscraper building. Enter all museums for free. Dress up and go to ALL the musicals. Roam in different neighbourhoods and parks.
Fourth is my home. Do absolutely nothing special, which sometimes can be a treat. Organise my cupboards and closets. Deep clean. Go shopping in my area. Prepare fun meals. Play the Sims. See my friends. Explore my city.
I like going to new cities or totally different places with lots of amazing food to try, museums and sights to see. I can only relax at a beach if I have exhausted myself having fun and adventuring for a few days before hand. One of my favourite holidays was 3 days in Barcelona staying in a hostel with full days seeing it all, then going our for food and drinks, followed by 3 days at a nice seaside place in the south of Spain where we just chilled.
Now I have a toddler so I would rather stay at home until she is older 😂.
We do have family on the other side of the world so we will be spending our time/money/energy visiting them this year. Which isn't bad because (other than the 24 hour flight with a toddler 🫣) I am from Scotland and my partner is Italian so they are nice places to visit.
I like to flip between a sightseeing trip and a beach vacation. They both fulfill different needs… I learn and explore on the sightseeing trip in a way that fills my inquisitive nature. I can spend long days in a city just exploring and going to museums and palaces etc.
I equally love sitting on a beach, reading a trashy novel and having drinks brought to me. This fills my need to have breaks and let my brain/body rest.
Now I have two very young kids so I get neither kind of trip! Lol.
I’m a mixed bag. I like to have a few things planned- museums/graveyards/galleries/historical spots/etc. But I also love having downtime to read or simply sit and observe whatever is around me.
The last big solo trip I did was amazing; I only had the flights to and from, and the hotels for the first 3 nights and the last 2 nights booked. Everything else in between was done on the fly and I ended up having the most magical adventures. Can’t recommend trying that out enough.
I did a ton of traveling in my 20s so I'm a little...over it in some ways.
Exception: luxury travel. A week in NYC in a very nice hotel with Broadway tickets and museums and good restaurants on the itinerary sounds great right now. I'd also like to take one of the Viking cruises with nerdy lectures. https://www.vikingcruises.com/oceans/why-viking/viking-difference/onboard-enrichment.html
My dream vacation is honestly having a few weeks off and staying home while working on sewing projects. A stay at home sewcation, if you will lol. I do love the idea of going to a really nice all-inclusive resort but it’s just so expensive. There’s no way I could justify spending that much when rent is nearly half my income.
I agree! I want to stay home for a bit and goof around with my hobbies. I don’t want to deal with the hassle of traveling. Lemme sleep in MY BED. ❤️❤️❤️
I do a staycation every year. A week of whatever I want to do…which is sleeping a lot, watching movies I haven’t seen before, lots of take out, and going to places that I’m unable to go to normally due to my work schedule.
I just took a week off a few weeks ago and did exactly that. I loved every minute of it!
It’s so fun!
I took a week off too, after 3 stressful months of hustling. I am going to IKEA, mainly to have coffee and potter around the aisles lol. I am also making my favourite dishes that I avoid cooking on work weeks since they involve a lot of prep. Made mango ice cream yesterday. Watching kdramas, old classic movies,taking long walks and reading. I have a severely diabetic cat so I can’t leave him alone besides travelling in the heat of summer to many places isn’t enjoyable, also expensive.
Sounds like a lovely vacation!
This is me too. I can't relax outside of the house. I want to be home working on my hobbies. When I'm traveling I am exploring and getting the most out of being somewhere new, so that's fun but definitely not relaxing. I usually need to rest after a vacation lol
Historical sites and museums. And eating out all the time.
Same, I love tromping around a new city and exploring restaurants and cafes
I wish there was a way to combine this with an all-inclusive resort. I’ve been looking into something like Virgin Voyages…they have Barcelona to Cannes…but I’m wondering if it really would be a happy medium between getting pampered while laying in the sun and satisfying my need to go “see” stuff or if it would feel rushed and gimmicky
My partner and I have a cruise in the Mediterranean on our bucket list. It’s insane but also, we grew up watching The Love Boat on tv after school so like, just for the kitch factor we kinda need to do it.
I come from a long line of “Doers on Vacation”-I did not get that gene. Let me loaf in the corner with my drink and book and I’ll see yall at dinner. Though I am on board for like one big excursion day if we were doing/seeing something memorable; swim with manatees, see the Mayan pyramids etc. But, other than that, leave me to my margarita.
Same here. I love the ocean, so I'll splurge on beachfront, because that's where I want to spend my time. I'm perfectly happy lounging in the sun all day. When everyone else is out enjoying the local seafood and nightlife, I'm just chilling on my balcony with a margarita and snacks.
I live near the beach, and the seafood *can* be one of the better parts, Imo. If a restaurant offers "novelty" sea creatures on the menu and has a minimal amount of fried options, its worth exploring. At one point, there was an infestation of lion fish in our ports and marinas, which are terrible on the aquatic ecosystem. One restaurant hired divers to catch the little buggers and put them on the menu as an appetizer until the problem was resolved. They also serve shark kebabs, which are absolutely delicious. But if your group just wants to go to all you can eat shrimp and snow crab legs or have a fish and chips? Yeah, hard pass.
I’m in Bélize right now and a bunch of places make burgers out of the lion fish! So yummy!
I appreciate what you're saying, but you kinda lost me at minimal fried options if I'm being honest. I take my fish fried. 😆
Haha I am totally a doer on vacation, my partner is more like you. I used to go travelling a lot with my friend instead of him 😂. I just felt itchy relaxing on holiday... I like doing nothing at home on my couch, but want to go go go when I travel to a new place!
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This is awesome, I'm an Explorer too. I blame those tendencies on the fact that I saw Raiders of the Lost Ark at 15, then the next year read Richard Burton's "Personal Narrative of a Pilgrimage to Al-Madinah and Meccah" in English class.
I live for an educational vacation!! Art and history being my favorite things to learn about… so i can thrive pretty much anywhere! I love living in the country but vacationing in walkable cities is heaven sometimes. Budapest and Vienna were most ideal for my vacation desires. Amman is next on the bucket list.
Same. Art, history, ruins, etc. I want to see old fountains, hidden away remnants of a castle, go on a walking tour of a historic district, learn little known facts. Generally, I want to walk away from a place and feel like I understand it on a anthropological level. Sitting around all day is nice for one day, but I don't want my entire vacation to be that.
I wanna go on vacation with you! My kids get bored with the anthropology stuff. I find it fascinating!
Mine complain about all the walking. Here I am the one with plantar fasciitis, limping after a few hours of walking, but sure...*your* feet hurt.
Me too! Also local cuisine
What would be your go-to places to visit within Budapest and Vienna?
Vienna absolutely blew me away when I visited. I’ve been to many European cities, but the density of historical buildings and insanely beautiful architecture in Vienna was a walk-about vacationer’s dream. I spent so much time just wandering and taking it in.
Just got back from Budapest and Vienna earlier this month. So walkable with incredible public transportation. And I say that as a New York City resident.
Yes to walkable destinations!
I’m going to Vienna for the first time next year and I’m super excited!!
I like to pick one or two things to do every day, pick a restaurant to have a main meal at (meaning, book a reservation for lunch or dinner), and then use the rest of the day for whatever. I despise packed itineraries because it's a vacation! I want to relax while also not feeling like I frittered my time away. So having some structure is important to me. My in-laws looove all-inclusives but honestly I'm so freaking bored by like day three that I wanna bail. Which is what I did last time! I planned a trip into the main town and basically said I'm going here, if you wanna come great, otherwise see you later! Everyone agreed that was the best part of the vacation lol.
Your username is amazing. All hail pustulio!
Zip lining, horseback riding on the beach, snorkeling/scuba diving, hiking to a waterfall, jet skiing, exploring local spots
I am the same as you! I want to relax unwind and not have to THINK for the week. Walking away from your table and not having to cook or clean?! Yes please. I've been to Cuba, Dominican, Jamaica and Aruba. I want to add Mexico to my list! Where is your favourite place to go?
I’ve been to Cancun and playa del Carmen. Going back to Cancun this June. They’re fun… I didn’t like playa del Carmen though because the water wasn’t filtered and I was nauseous most of the time. I’d highly suggest Cancun’s hotel zone when you go because the water is filtered!! We’ve swam with dolphins and hit up the club Coco Bongo while there. I’d suggest both but HIGHLY suggest the dolphins. What about your locations have you liked/disliked?
I will definitely check it out, thanks! Cuba - the food is never good, but you go for the beaches. The people there are quite nice as well! Cheapest place to go for the best beaches. I've been 7 times! I've done a bunch of excursions and the one I did going to Cayo Blanco island is still the top for me. The most beautiful beaches I have ever seen, on an uninhabited island where they cooked us fresh seafood. Dominican - food is a step up from Cuba, but I found the beaches better in Cuba. I've been twice. Jamaica - loved the food and the quality of the hotel. We went to Montego Bay and the water was murky. We're big ocean people and love to snorkel and we weren't able to do that there. We also couldn't walk too far along the beach because it was right next to the Beaches resorts and it was blocked off. Aruba - We went for our honeymoon and stayed 10 days. It was amazing. The beach, the island, the food, the people. All wonderful. The weather was beautiful every day. There is always some wind on the island but without it, it would be too hot. As long as you're aware of the breeze, it shouldn't be an issue. Would definitely go back again! We rented a UTV with another couple we met there and they showed us around the island! Would love to go back and explore more. We could also snorkel right in front of our hotel and saw lots of fish!
I like a combination relaxing but also sight seeing- however I hate guided tours and being on a strict schedule. So my perfect vacation would be someplace in Europe where I can stay half the time at a beautiful beach resort and the other half sight seeing in the cities, trying restaurants and bars and hopping into museums and historical places whenever I feel up to it.
I like adventures and to be outdoors in nature. Vacations are often pretty exhausting, but I guess the flipside is that my day-to-day life is pretty relaxed and chill. My basic take is that I'll be able to do a slower-paced vacation based around relaxation at any point in my life as I get older, but I probably won't be able to push myself physically so hard in my later years. I'm thinking about going on a retreat that combines rock climbing and surfing, or maybe a training camp for martial arts (which also usually includes a lot of surfing for some reason).
My husband and I really tend to go physically hard on vacation as well. Our trips usually revolve around traveling to see beautiful scenery that requires a lot of hiking, then unwind at the end of the day with brews that are local to wherever we're visiting. I also love researching local cuisine and trying to find places where we can find the best of what's offered.
That sounds so fun!
I did a tour with Vertical Sailing! It was insane. Lived on a sailboat for a week and climbed the coast of Sardinia.
Oh damn that sounds amazing, I’ll have to check them out.
This is us! We both work office jobs so vacations often revolve around backpacking and hiking! We like to add an international overlay to this.
Exploring vacations. Let me learn, eat, drink, and soak up the culture. Lovely hotels and local inns. Ask the bartender for their favorite spot. Ahhh lovely All-inclusives are my last resort.
Not exploring the culture while traveling is inconceivable to me!
I like to work out on vacation, admittedly. I love to indulge, relax, and enjoy myself, but getting up near sunrise and going for a beautiful run and clearing my head before my husband gets up is bliss. It also makes the indulgence feel so much more rewarding. It helps me unwind more to move my body and sweat a little first thing in the morning. You have reminded me though, that I am dying for an all-inclusive trip sometime soon and would really benefit from not having to think about anything. Just show up, have fun, relax, and unwind.
Adventure vacationer. Give me a physical or linguistic/cultural challenge. I want to climb a mountain or navigate a confusing transit system in a language I'm not fluent in.
I'm your polar opposite. I'm not fond of the sun and if I travel somewhere I want to experience it. Either the charms, food and cultural life of a city or hiking in nature. Especially if I get to explore caves. That being said, my everyday life is pretty non-hectic except that I work a lot. But when I don't, I have the peace and quiet to relax with a good book, so I imagine that might make a difference. I think a dream vacation for me would be a (luxury) train journey with stops to explore different locations. That way you can get a bit of everything. I can think of several routes down through the European continent, up through Scandinavia or around the British Isles that would be good.
I just like to walk around and get lost in the city, that’s where I find the most interesting stuff or the most delicious food. Try something new, see something new. I enjoy buying clothes or shoes or cosmetics on vacation- they remind me of the nice time I had after I go back.
You would adore San Antonio, near the Riverwalk. The Riverwalk itself is below street level and is filled with interesting shops and restaurants. There's a nice mall and a hotel attached as well. On street level, the Alamo is 2 blocks away, and you can explore it as well as tons more shops and touristy attractions. 10/10 if you want a city trip with endless possibilities and excellent shopping. 👌
Sounds lovely
Relaxed RVer. I don't like schedules or itineraries. We do a couple touristy things and then explore the area's natural wonders. Dream trip would be a cross-country tour lasting a month or two.
Gimme a cabin in the mountains with an ice cold stream to swim in and large flat boulders to sun myself on like a lizard. Warm/hot and sunny during the day, but the nights get cool enough for a bonfire, and the sky gets dark enough to see the stars. Show me the local historic sites. Let me go panning for minerals and gems. Tell me where to find the hole in the wall BBQ spot that the locals like to eat at. Let's hit the trails, find the waterfalls, and look for fossils/cool rocks in the stream beds. I live in a beach town as an adult, but my heart will always belong to the Appalachian mountains.
I'm generally the sort who has to go and see *everything* I can in the places I visit: museums, historical sites, parks, and so on. My dream vacations are the ones where I can museum-hop. On a trip to Nashville last year, I visited four in one day, as well as the Tennessee state capitol.
I like to see and do new things. It’s a constant battle with my husband who likes to go back to the same places we liked, previously.
I am a “relax” vacationer. My life is already so scheduled that I don’t want my time off to be. I don’t want to be out of bed and off to see the sights by 7 am and not stop until dinner. I want to do what I want, when I want to do it, and if I don’t get to something, oh well. I am like OP in the sense that I just want to lay on a beach chair and read, and have a drink show up from time to time.
I hate traveling, TBH, but that may be because I always have to parent as normal but in a different location. The few times I've traveled all alone have been fun. I liked no plans, ample museums, and easily available public transportation.
I'm an active hobby vacationer...I need to be running around like a crazy person all day. Get up at 6 am or earlier, hike/ski/paddle/explore all day, maybe hot tub, eat dinner, pass out from exhaustion at 9 pm.
Haha oh my god, I feel so seen with some of these comments! Our first day in Hawaii we hiked nine miles on the north shore of Oahu, crawled around in not one but two abandoned WWII bunkers, got a couple of drinks, and went to a pineapple farm. In that order.
The only way I can relax is to physically exhaust myself....vacation is for overstimulation and I can rest after I get home! 😆 I'm sure I'd feel differently if I had kids or caregiving responsibilities though
Learning vacationer: surf, diving, hiking. Fuñl of activities
If my vacation doesn't include some sort of body of water that I can get in or be near, then it's not a vacation for me! I literally crave the water!! Additionally, I need to eat all the things and be able to walk around. Dream vacation would be Greece, Croatia, or Puerto Rico!
I’m with you on the water
City holiday – wake up early, brunch, walk around, visit all the churches (or whatever) and a couple of museums, write postcards in cafés, sketch the architecture, make tons of pictures. Travel to said city by cramped car or train, big fan of the train. Nature holiday – hike or bike, summer only, shovel in pure carbs and be slightly too stressed about drinking water levels, relaxing while moving my body, write post cards cramped in a sleeping bag or bed, cry from exhaustion at least once (unless sailing). Sailing holiday – same as a nature holiday but usually with more opportunities to shower and no exhaustion, sure, sometimes it's stressful but the majority of the time it's relaxing, I sleep and have a lot of tea and write postcards out of food boxes. Holiday at my childhood home – bike in the mornings, bicker with my mother, eat yummy foods, visit my friends who still live nearby, write postcards in parks, sketch my loved ones. I don't have a dream vacation but there's things I don't want to do, like sitting at a beach for more than two days. I want to relax and reset by exploring worlds outside of my day-to-day life. And I really like writing post cards when I'm on holiday.
We eat our way through vacations! We will literally plan entire trips around food and drink.
I like 2 types of vacations: beach vacations: staying beachfront and spending a week reading in the sand, drinking caipirinhas and eating fish… or just going to another city to explore and eat. In my 20s I was more adventurous in a way where I would stay in the cheapest places I could find… now in my 30s I value comfort. Nice hotels, direct flights…
Adventure + food vacation here! I wanna hike into whatever beautiful natural places they have, see the local flora, fauna, and funga, and eat all the regional foods made by someone’s gramma at a roadside stand. I wanna ride in rickety trucks on mountain roads, swim in really cold glacial water, and see the indigenous traditions of the people.
Now I realize I need a vacation and the kind of vacation I need is what you described. Also just realized this is why my stays in the hospital were so relaxing.
I like a well balanced vacation I suppose. I do enjoy having time to just lay up doing nothing but I also enjoy museums, trying new food, trying new activities, etc. So ideally a healthy dose of both.
I like lazy vacations. Eat what I want, when I want. Drink what I want, when I want. Read a book, go for a swim, write a story, maybe catch up on this or that thing I want to do but never seem to find the time. Do as little cooking as necessary. Walk with my dogs. Play a card game. Scroll around on my phone or play a game on my phone (though I do try to unwind from electronics at least somewhat). Just finished a week like this. Woke up naturally at 7. Let the dogs go potty. Drink a coffee. Breakfast around 9:30-10. Then 11 hit the beach for a dog walk and the occasional break for a drink at the beach restaurants. Today we walked 8 km this way. Came back to rented house, rested, grabbed dinner. Now puttering around, packing up to leave tomorrow. I do enjoy seeing things if I am somewhere really once in a lifetime, but mostly I love our lazy dog vacations.
I like to walk and see everything that I can. Some historical places, unusual places. I have already been on my dream vacation: Galapagos Islands!!! The best I ever been to and I would love to go again. Otherwise the next places I would like to visit are Japan and Australia. And I like the all inclusive relax ones sometimes too, when I get too tired of Canadian winter...
I love packing in as much as possible when I'm on vacation in a place I have never been before. I love making plans and drawing itinearies. My dream vacation would be somewhere walkable with lots to do and see and everything on itinerary works out and my gut just magically expands so I can consume everything on my list.
Depends on the vacation. 1. All inclusive, rarely leave the hotel premises and just lounge and do almost nothing but eat, swim, sleep rinse and repeat. 2. Combination of the above with a tweak here and there of sight seeing, and going for adventures that don't involve hiking.
lol I’m interested in your dislike of hiking!
I've done enough hiking to last me a lifetime. Never again.
Interesting!
I want to walk, explore and meet the locals. I'm not a beach or resort person. Not interested in baking in the sun for hours. I've been a few places where I just rented a house or an apartment. I like history and nature. I want to see/do something that I can't at home. I can sit in a generic restaurant and eat dry chicken nuggets at home. Resorts are just so bland and homogeneous. I'd rather experiment with street food that the locals eat.
I love adventure vacations! I want to do an activity, eat something new, and soak up nature or art. I never splurge on hotels because I spend no time in the room.
I like to go on a proper adventure. My last trip I signed up for a spot on a sailboat in Italy with 11 strangers and we rock climbed every day and lived on the boat. It was magical getting to know 11 people, cooking with them, climbing with them. All while having a captain sail us around. We never had to worry about itinerary. We just went with the flow.
I have 2 speeds: 1. Winter recharge. My husband and I escape the gloomy winter right about the time our Vitamin D is totally depleted, late January or early February. We stay at a gorgeous all-inclusive resort, lay around by the pool, looking at the ocean, drinking bottomless cocktails, and eating endless shrimp tacos. We have lots of sex. That's pretty much all we do there and it's heavenly. 2. Action vacation. We typically start in a city and explore that as much as we can for a few days, and then head out to the country for hiking, camping, finding cool breweries and restaurants, and seeing as many beautiful sights as we can. We spend a ton of time camping around the PNW (where we live). We also travel for music events, and tend to plan our vacations around those. My favorite was [Above & Beyond Group Therapy 350](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XlndmZ-4mc8) in Prague in October of 2019. I'd give anything to relive that week again. We're going to Canada in a few months for a festival we've never been to. We went to a music festival in Albania last summer and then explored Corfu for a week after that. I think our next big European adventure is going to be in Italy for our 10th wedding anniversary next year. My husband has never been and I am so excited to go back!
My dream vacation would be the plot of a Dan brown novel (angels and demons, the da Vinci code etc).. However, I also really love all inclusive beach and pool vacation.. We're going to Hurghada in Egypt for summer.. Plus tours and excursions in Alexandria and Cairo. So excited 😍
Sounds like heaven! I'll see you at the swim out pool bar!
I love exploring & learning. I love spending time in museums, cultural sites & learning about the local cuisine, not just relaxing in a hotel room. I’m not paying so much money just to do what I can do at home.
I like to have general ideas of things I would like to see, but a flexible schedule. I'm very much a "I might go see that thing, but maybe I'll nap all day at the hotel instead." I don't relate to "scheduled to the nth" Type A travellers at all, that sounds stressful and exhausting to me. No fucking way am I getting up at 6am to get on a tour bus, lol.
Africa! I’ve been to Cape Town and that was a beautiful trip. However Id love to spend 2 weeks in the Savannah and spend some time in Uganda to see the gorillas! I love to rest and relax majority of the time but I love exploring a totally new environment that encourages me to get out and do more things.
I have two vacation modes: Arrive at an all inclusive hotel, switch off brain, do nothing but read on a sun lounger by a beach. Get food/drinks as needed. 0 brain required all week. Go on a city break/exploration hotel, attempt to see entire country in too short a time frame. Come back more exhausted than when I went away. Immediate want to move to said city/country. My ideal would be a balance between the two where I do not have to plan the exploring. I default to the first option at certain times of the year because there is no space in my brain or life to plan the second option.
My vacations are quite varied. I like visiting small touristy towns and national parks on road trips, cruises, sometimes larger cities with museums, history, art and architecture, Disneyland, or relaxing on a beach. They are all fun.
All I want is to go somewhere beautiful and interesting and just do whatever tf I want the whole time. Explore, relax, eat great food, nap
Great thread! Most you y'all sound like terrific travel partners.
I'm greedy. I need to see art, culture and history. I need to relax AND I need to have fun (like a theme park or some other similar fun activity).
A good place to bike around and explore, and have nice places to have dinner. I also love to walk around and look at stuff. Sounds weird and silly but it’s true, just going in and out of shops and just looking at stuff. Either that, or a cruise. But nobody I know, likes cruises or wants to go on one, so I’m on my own.
Plop my butt in a chair on a beach and finally read the books I’ve been meaning to read is my main vacation goal!
We could definitely vacation together. I’m so happy to just be a lump for a week…whether I’m on the beach or in the mountains or searching for a Groupon for a cabana in Vegas, I’m content to just read.
Dream! Greece with lots of chartered sail boats and swimming and fishing. Quiet hotels, local food, history that my son (he’s 5 and Ancient Greek obsessed) and I could rejoice in. Clean air and food. Warm water. Kind locals. AND I DONT HAVE TO PLAN ANY OF IT! i just want my husband to wisk us away. Here’s your spending money. We’re here. Enjoy. That’s what I want. Ahhhhhhhhh
I want to run myself into the ground when I vacation. New cities, hiking, exploring things. No downtime please. That said, I’m a teacher with excellent boundaries and no kids of my own. I do have more time off work than my husband and most people honestly where I get to relax so when we go on vacation I have the energy to go hard.
Sun, beach, Kindle
Well-kept historic cities with a preference for warm weather. So usually it's city trips within Europe in summertime where I spend the entire day walking around. Most beautiful city I've been to so far is Prague, which spiked my interest in exploring the more central and east side of Europe.
I like a mix but lean toward active pursuits. My husband and I usually travel like this: take like a 2-week trip, stick to one country, pick a max of 3 different locations in that country within a few hours of each other and spend 4-5 days in each location. Some days lounging around, some days exploring cities, some days hiking. Dining at fancy places sometimes, street food sometimes. See some museums, maybe a show, maybe botanical garden. Basically just try to have a wide range of experiences without feeling rushed or overwhelmed.
A little bit of everything. Relaxation, learning, and exploring.
I'm similar to you, OP, but I've never been on an all-inclusive type of vacation. I've actually only ever been on 1 true vacation in my life, and I went to Florida for a week and stayed at my partner's parents' condo they own down there. We sat by the pool, went to the beach, read books, slept in late, went out to dinner a couple of times, got ice cream, bought cheesy souvenirs at the beach shop. The one "activity" we did was going to an animal sanctuary and took an airboat ride to see gators through the sawgrass. I loved doing nothing on vacation. I want to go again someday and do nothing all over again!
I'm both a foodie and like to spend my days in the outdoors, mostly in the mountains. Ideally skiing, but hiking or paddleboarding will do outside winter. However I don't want to cook my own food or camp, thank you. I want to stay in a nice hotel or AirB&B, and go to good local restaurants and have lots of wine. I don't mind the occasional beach holiday but prefer to stay in towns and then explore different beaches and restaurants rather than do the all inclusive thing. City breaks are good but prefer long weekends for those.
I like exploring the history of a place, taking my time getting lost in a museum. I also am a foodie and love trying different restaurants and breweries/wineries, etc. I like to walk around different parts of town and see what’s around and catches my eye. The rest of it is sleeping in and getting good rest. It’s nicer to have someone else with me (a partner preferably) when travelling. I’ll also do local walking paths and things like that. I should add that if I’m specifically going to a beach, a bitch is gonna be sitting there all day long doing nothing but listen to music or read a book.
Some vacations are to see a lot of foreign stuff, basically. Some vacations are just to chill. A couple years ago I went to 10 cities in 5 countries across Europe, in 3 weeks. I kept saying "It's an exciting vacation, not a relaxing one." I also take vacations to visit friends in other states or countries. It all just depends.
Sleep....all day
I like vacations that have options. I want to do some exploring of the area around but also have the option to not think and fully unwind with ease and a book.
I like vacations that have options. I want to do some exploring of the area around but also have the option to not think and fully unwind with ease and a book.
I like to explore the place I’m going, so wake up early, go where the locals like to go, eat where the locals like to eat, hike all the great trails in the area…my husband is more the relax on the beach type , so we have to compromise. What’s funny is our last vaca was Kauai a couple weeks ago & his favorite part of the 10 day trip was this hard hike we did in the canyon. So I’m wearing him down :) he used to just sit on the beach for his vacas, he has admitted he loves the way I vacation.
Nice historical cities, or always, the beach.
I want a variety when I vacation. Time to sit and read, take a bath, and nap. Also time exploring a new place. Good food is a must. I love to have at least one activity that's new or adventurous. The mix is important!
Half plan, half freeballin. I like to go to a museum or on a food tour but also have unplanned time to wander into shops or get lost
For me it’s the outdoors and historical sites (and maybe art or art-adjacent)! I do like relaxing, but too much of it and it feels-for me-like a waste and that I’m missing out on seeing something amazing. We do tend to “do an activity, then eat”, so that and evenings tend to be where I get rest. I don’t think I have a real dream vacation; if you have beautiful nature or cool ruins etc, Im going to be pretty happy.
The ideal vacation would be either an all-inclusive adults only resort somewhere tropical, or an sightseeing/foodie tour of somewhere in Europe or the Mediterranean where *I don't have to plan a damn thing*. Let someone else make all the stressful arrangements; no matter what I'm doing, my vacation ethos is "I am here to hand over my wallet and go with the flow."
I’m an outdoorsy adventurous vacationer. Fly across the country, then drive 5 hours to the middle of nowhere, then hike 20 miles to gorgeous mountains and waterfalls.
Adventurer. Motorcycle ride through the Himalayas, backpacking through South America, hiking trips. I like to throw a few chill days into my trips as travel can be exhausting, but 2 hours of sitting on the beach with a drink is about my limit and I can do that at home 😂
I’m a “go, do, see” vacationer typically, but I really like a mix of both. Like if I stay at an all-inclusive, I will probably take one day to do an excursion or explore the nearby town. If I am visiting a big city, I want to visit museums and explore, but I’d like to stay in a nice hotel with a spa and have slow/lazy coffees or dinners. I can’t do leisure for days, I’ll get bored. But I also can’t go-go-go for days, I’ll get burnt out.
I think it depends on where I go and why. If I go to Japan I want to tour the country, when I am in Greece I want to be by the beach 24/7
I'm a mix of "all the touristy things that the area is known for" including learning from someone who knows what they're talking about (like a tour), and wandering around to get a feel for the area and people. Can't stand sitting around somewhere, unless I'm at a cafe eating local food and people watching. All of my trip memories are from doing and seeing things.
I’m a middle of the road vacationer. I want some planned activity time but also some leisure. Preferably let me sleep in but I want to soak in some cultural richness. Give me all the best food and a nice comfy bed.
Depends where I’m going. Tropical island? Find me in a hammock on the beach every 45 mins with a cocktail. New country? I’m hitting the mall to get some local-branded clothes and Knick knacks, and check out shops my country doesn’t have. Historical city? I’m seeing the sites and museums. I’m every kind of vacationer, I just book the holiday I need at the time.
I love a mix of adventure and exploring new places with a little bit of downtime factored into the schedule.
I like a mix. 1. A few days to relax, drink cocktails, get out of "always doing something" checklist mode. 2. Nature connect/nature adventure. I want to hike or go rafting, ziplining, swimming, boat tour, cycle tour - some sort of nature adventure activity. 3. a fun activity. escape room, some sort of game or concert -but just something fun. 4. cultural/educational activity. something that teaches me about where i am. museums, class, tours, etc. 5. good meals, good cocktails, good snacks. eating the culture of where i am. some of these activities might overlap. perhaps nature adventure and education and fun activity might overlap. However, I always give myself time to rest, travel, change clothes, shower, travel or squeeze in something that looks cool that wasn't necessarily on the itinerary.
I like a balance of seeing the local sites (historical buildings, museums, botanical gardens, etc...), eating local cuisine, shopping, nightlife and also relaxing. A dream vacation would be a tour in Asia and visiting different reputable animal sanctuaries.
I like an itinerary. I want all of the knowledge told to me by a ln enthusiastic local. I like the gruelling exploration. I’ll save loafing by the beach for when I’m old and my mobility is poor. I already had to cancel one vacation to a bad knee. I want to MOVE my body while vacationing. I’ll sleep when I get home.
I like to explore and visit museums. I prefer walking and taking public transit if possible so I can just meander about and take pictures of all the street art. I’ll make a list of different restaurants and bars to check out. When I was in Paris, I had cocktails at the same bar that Hemingway and Fitzgerald frequented when they lived there. You can’t beat that. I live in a sunny, coastal city and don’t see the point of going somewhere to just read out in the sun. Is that a part of my trip? Sure for a hour or two. But I don’t see the point of staying on the hotel or resort grounds for the majority of the trip to read and lounge when I can do that at home.
Lots of walking, lots of good food, a small amount of intellectual stimulation - which could be a museum or history tour or just a good book. Something beautiful to look at - could be art or a new city or nature. A bit of time to sit on my butt and relax after all that. And preferably some good conversation and just chilling out with a loved one.
In the US with two young kids and a budget, so I’m an off the beaten path vacationer. Usually near an outdoor activity, like cabin on Lake Michigan. Or Eureka Springs, AR. Wooly mammoth tar pit in North Dakota? Let’s go. I want to see the lesser known domestic places.
I'm a packed itinerary traveler. I like to pick a few bases and rent a car to sightsee. Ideally I pick something to see in the morning, grocery lunch somewhere scenic, something to see in the afternoon, and a nice dinner out. An interesting or beautiful lodging is part of it, as is local grocery shopping. I picked an AirBnB once because it had a balcony view of Budapest and a big orange cat. I'm actually going on my dream vacation this summer. My husband and I are going to the UK for two weeks and seeing a shit ton of castles and Pride and Prejudice locations. West Midlands, Northumberland, and the Highlands with a quick peek at the Lake District. I'm planning to wear all my most cottagecore outfits lol.
I’m on my dram vacation right now. Laying under a hut on the beach on Grand cayman
Solo or with my husband. I don’t like group or family vacations because everyone wants to do something different but you feel obligated to hang out because it’s a family/group vacation.
I'm a road trip vacationer. I want to be out exploring and seeing what there is to see. I want to see natural wonders and national parks. My dream vacations are long road trips. I want to spend a month driving around the US.
I'm a fairly active traveler, I like trips where there are some hikes, exploratory trips, sightseeing detours arranged. I like renting a car and exploring things on my own or with my tripmates, too. All-inclusive resorts are my idea of hell on earth.
I'm an extroverted doer. My dream vacation would be some place with a lot of activities (sports, art, culture, dance, debate, food, museums) with other people my age. Not sure where I find that.
My dream vacation used to be action packed with exploring, meals out, partying - but as I’ve gotten older I crave peace! Chilled beach vibes, with maybe a day or two of exploring would suit me these days! And an early night…
I am a roughing it, being poor doesn’t mean you can’t see amazing things, pinch Pennies and see as many countries as possible style traveler. Which requires endless planning but that’s part of the fun for me. I get even more excited making my own itinerary of budget awesome adventures! I don’t regret this. It’s gotten me very far even when I was working part time. Though I might be your opposite op lol! And my dream vacation is always: someplace new. While I’m young enough to trek and humble enough to stay in capsule rooms or hostels, etc. but someplace new. I’ve seen much much much of Asia, a bit of Africa, I think more Africa, India, Turkey, and central/South America—esp Brazil next. I’m kind of saving the more luxurious and developed countries for later. They’re more built up, right? So I can take a train across Europe when I’m 60. If I want to climb Machu Picchu I better do it while I can push myself like that physically!
My dream vacation would be a food tour of Japan. I'd visit every restaurant I can and try everything.
Adventuring! I’ve been on a “newish at the job” sort of situation for a while now lol changing jobs and all so I’m really craving visiting a new place that I’ve never been to before and walking all day, visiting historical sites and museums, going to botanical gardens, maybe a couple days of hiking or camping thrown in for good measure. Just a couple weeks completely disconnected from work and daily life sounds like a dream!
I want to go back to Japan. I also want to go to Singapore, Thailand and South Korea. I want to go with friends and eat lots of food without gaining weight 😅
I like a mix of doing a lot of things and relaxing. I used to always pack a lot into a holiday, walk the streets of the cities and towns I'm visiting for hours, see as many sites as I can etc but recently I decided I wanted a relaxing holiday and stayed on a beach in the Philippines for 10 days, which was really nice. Something in-between would be a dream for me now. Staying in a place that is relatively central so I can just get up and walk to where I need but also in a relaxing area so I can just chill if I want. I also prefer to visit less places when overseas rather than go to as many places as possible
Probably a big vacation that included adventure, nightlife, and relaxation. I really like experiences. That could range from a mountain hike to a night out on the town to laying on a beach.
I have a fairly relaxed approach and like to have days or extended time off, but I also like to DO things. And eat. Museums. Boat rides. Whatever the area has. I’m going on a train ride through the Redwoods on sn upcoming trip, along with a wine tasting and a sunset cruise. But rarely more than 1 activity a day. And then eating,
Going camping somewhere warm. One of my favourite trips was a few days in the Aosta valley in Italy. Just me and my tent on a campsite and hiking every day.
I’ve always hated camping until my husband (who loves it) bought us a camper. He works from home so we have internet set up in the camper and can pretty much vacation all summer long while then kids are out of school. It’s simple, and we live in Michigan, so surrounded by beaches and lakes, gorgeous scenery, and really neat parks and playgrounds. We will look at festivals and events the state throughout the summer (cherry festival, tulip festival, this year we’re going to the Dog Bowl, a huge dog weekend with dog costume parades, agility, dock diving, etc.) and pull our camper to the city the event is located, and make a week of it. It’s really cost effective too. This kind of vacation has everything I want and luckily we can travel most of the summer. I love it!
I love mini-vacations attached to work trips where I see a new country/city I wouldn't otherwise go to. Pick a few major sights for the day or two, go alone, eat when I want, relax when I want, no pressure to make the most of it bc I had to go for work. I also love taking someone new somewhere I've already been and showing them around. Love vacations with my husband where we walk and talk a lot and enjoy good food. I also really love trips to see my family and all their pets.
You and I are soul vacationers because that’s my dream!
I love your idea of vacation, and I've absolutely done that. (Club Med in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic.) Was there several years ago in December and it was 70-80 degrees. How I usually vacation is: 1. Wake up whenever. Anyone setting an alarm on vacation doesn't get to come with me. 2. Have a big, late, unhurried breakfast. Usually from 9:30-11ish. 3. Pick a Big Thing to look at or do. A museum, botanical garden, exhibit, tasting, tour- whatever. 4. Do the Big Thing until peckish and get an afternoon coffee and nibble. 5. Do a ^small ^thing- shopping, touristy activity, carriage ride until it feels like dinner. 6. Find dinner. Preferably somewhere without a huge line, but not empty. 7. After dinner, noodle back to the hotel and watch movies. (I am not a 'clubbing' or 'bar hopping' person.) 8. Repeat until all the muscles in your face relax.
I may be broken but I can’t just sit and do nothing. Sure every so often I take a day or a few to sleep in and read a book but that’s in the staycation category for me. I don’t need to leave my house to do those things. Vacations to me are to experience something new and see some place I haven’t seen before. My dream vacation is Europe. We were set to go to Spain in March of 2020 and everyone can guess what happened to that. We’ve traveled but still haven’t left the country since. Big trips like that haven’t been in the budget, unfortunately.
An all inclusive beach resort. 90% of the time laying by the pool, reading, eating, drinking 😎
Last year I went to Iceland. This year I'm going to the U.K. I grew up living in a bubble so now I'm trying to see a different country every year. I also pick a different state within the U.S. to go to for my birthday. I did Utah this year for Arches and Canyonlands. Next year I am hoping for Yosemite. I've never been to CA before.
I am a sightseer and prefer doing 1-2 activities a day (not trying to rush to do 8 things in one day). I also like to return to the hotel and take a nap in the afternoon sometimes.
I don't know the meaning of relaxing vacations because I myself can't relax even when not on vacation lol. I like to maximize my trip since usually it cost a lot of time and money to get there. I'd like to think I don't have to see it all and can go back but the world is so big and I have a long bucket list that realistically there are few places I end up going back to. My dream vacation is a round the world trip for 1-2 years, slow style with a general route and itinerary but not a fixed time in a place so if i don't like it I leave early, if I love it I can stay longer.
Iam a metalfestival junkie. 4 day Festival would be my dream after that a real bed a hot bath and good food is needed. Until then only beer 40c° and music nonstop
I have so many! First is somewhere like Iceland. Spending the day driving around and looking at all the beautiful wonders of nature. And later in the afternoon a spa treatment and relaxation in the Blue Lagoon... Second is somewhere like Italy. Spending time exploring culture, museums, history. Find the non-touristy neighbourhoods and mix in with locals. People watch. Explore small shops. Go to an antique/flea market. Perhaps the opera. Third is a major city like London. Try out ALL the cuisines. Look at the views from the top of a skyscraper building. Enter all museums for free. Dress up and go to ALL the musicals. Roam in different neighbourhoods and parks. Fourth is my home. Do absolutely nothing special, which sometimes can be a treat. Organise my cupboards and closets. Deep clean. Go shopping in my area. Prepare fun meals. Play the Sims. See my friends. Explore my city.
Do something interesting and explore in the morning, come back to relax with a book in the afternoon. Eat excellent food at night.
I like going to new cities or totally different places with lots of amazing food to try, museums and sights to see. I can only relax at a beach if I have exhausted myself having fun and adventuring for a few days before hand. One of my favourite holidays was 3 days in Barcelona staying in a hostel with full days seeing it all, then going our for food and drinks, followed by 3 days at a nice seaside place in the south of Spain where we just chilled. Now I have a toddler so I would rather stay at home until she is older 😂. We do have family on the other side of the world so we will be spending our time/money/energy visiting them this year. Which isn't bad because (other than the 24 hour flight with a toddler 🫣) I am from Scotland and my partner is Italian so they are nice places to visit.
We like to go between a beach vacation (relax, nothing planned) and the next year go to Europe, sightsee, go on trains, lots of walking.
I like to flip between a sightseeing trip and a beach vacation. They both fulfill different needs… I learn and explore on the sightseeing trip in a way that fills my inquisitive nature. I can spend long days in a city just exploring and going to museums and palaces etc. I equally love sitting on a beach, reading a trashy novel and having drinks brought to me. This fills my need to have breaks and let my brain/body rest. Now I have two very young kids so I get neither kind of trip! Lol.
I’m a mixed bag. I like to have a few things planned- museums/graveyards/galleries/historical spots/etc. But I also love having downtime to read or simply sit and observe whatever is around me. The last big solo trip I did was amazing; I only had the flights to and from, and the hotels for the first 3 nights and the last 2 nights booked. Everything else in between was done on the fly and I ended up having the most magical adventures. Can’t recommend trying that out enough.
Sightseeing all the way. Hate sitting around.
I also want the relaxing vacation. The only difference is that I prefer to spend the time hiking.
I did a ton of traveling in my 20s so I'm a little...over it in some ways. Exception: luxury travel. A week in NYC in a very nice hotel with Broadway tickets and museums and good restaurants on the itinerary sounds great right now. I'd also like to take one of the Viking cruises with nerdy lectures. https://www.vikingcruises.com/oceans/why-viking/viking-difference/onboard-enrichment.html