No one likes the end of a vacation. Even if you have another one planned in a few months’ time, that last day leaves you having to get your head back in the real world. And, let’s be honest; that’s not a reality any of us like to face. The idea of going back to work and life can be enough to put a real damper on any potential post-vacation high.
Worse than the typical last day blues are the last day blues with an uncompleted vacation plan to boot. There’s nothing more frustrating than having to leave a country when there’s still a lot more you want to see and, for most of us keen travelers, there’s always more we want to see.
Whether you’re away for a week or two, it can often feel as though there just aren’t enough hours in the day to visit all those must see spots. There’s nothing nomads hate more than not getting the full experience. If this is something which happens to you often, it’s time to put those worries to bed. We’re here with some ideas which ensure you see everything you want, each time you go away. Read on to find out what they are.
Worse than the typical last day blues are the last day blues with an uncompleted vacation plan to boot. There’s nothing more frustrating than having to leave a country when there’s still a lot more you want to see and, for most of us keen travelers, there’s always more we want to see.
Whether you’re away for a week or two, it can often feel as though there just aren’t enough hours in the day to visit all those must see spots. There’s nothing nomads hate more than not getting the full experience. If this is something which happens to you often, it’s time to put those worries to bed. We’re here with some ideas which ensure you see everything you want, each time you go away. Read on to find out what they are.
Extend your stay
This one might seem obvious, but it’s worth saying anyway. If you always feel like you don’t have enough time in your destinations, the simple answer would be to extend your stay. If you know there’s a lot you want to see in an area, book in for a month instead of a week. If that doesn’t seem enough, go all out and look for a house rental which would allow you to stay for six months or more. There’s no chance of saying you didn’t see everything after a stay of that duration.
A longer trip means you can see and experience more culture on a day to day basis, and, isn’t that something every traveller dreams of? Of course, we know that staying away for this length of time isn’t possible for every place you visit, and whilst this is the dream, we don’t all have the funds or situation to live that way. BUT, if a country has been at the forefront of your bucket list for longer than you can remember, this may be the best way forward. In some cases, you could also use that country as a base, and take the chance to travel from there. That way, you won’t feel as though you’re spending a fortune on one trip.
This one might seem obvious, but it’s worth saying anyway. If you always feel like you don’t have enough time in your destinations, the simple answer would be to extend your stay. If you know there’s a lot you want to see in an area, book in for a month instead of a week. If that doesn’t seem enough, go all out and look for a house rental which would allow you to stay for six months or more. There’s no chance of saying you didn’t see everything after a stay of that duration.
A longer trip means you can see and experience more culture on a day to day basis, and, isn’t that something every traveller dreams of? Of course, we know that staying away for this length of time isn’t possible for every place you visit, and whilst this is the dream, we don’t all have the funds or situation to live that way. BUT, if a country has been at the forefront of your bucket list for longer than you can remember, this may be the best way forward. In some cases, you could also use that country as a base, and take the chance to travel from there. That way, you won’t feel as though you’re spending a fortune on one trip.
Make like a non-nomad and plan
Nomad living and planning go together like a divorced couple in an elevator. They just don’t work. Most nomads prefer to travel in an off-the-cuff way which makes complete sense. After all, the best experiences often come when you’re living in the moment and taking each day as it comes. But, it’s also worth noting that putting a rough plan in place could ensure you see everything you want to. That’s not to say you need to plan exactly where you have to be at each hour of your visit, but a rough guidance could be all you need to fit everything in. So, next time you visit a country with loads of things you want to see, sit down with a piece of paper and make notes. Write down locations you want to visit, or excursions you’d love to go on. Then write a day you could do them, if a few things are in the same area, group them in the same day.
To help with spontaneity, leave a few days blank. Having this guide to come back to ensures you make the time for everything you know you want to see. Bear in mind that this doesn’t have to be a solid thing. You could switch the days around if the weather doesn’t suit, or your mood changes. Ticking off the items on your list ensures you won’t go home feeling like you missed out. Don’t worry; you don’t have to tell your friends you succumbed to the much-dreaded plan. What happens on vacation, after all …
Nomad living and planning go together like a divorced couple in an elevator. They just don’t work. Most nomads prefer to travel in an off-the-cuff way which makes complete sense. After all, the best experiences often come when you’re living in the moment and taking each day as it comes. But, it’s also worth noting that putting a rough plan in place could ensure you see everything you want to. That’s not to say you need to plan exactly where you have to be at each hour of your visit, but a rough guidance could be all you need to fit everything in. So, next time you visit a country with loads of things you want to see, sit down with a piece of paper and make notes. Write down locations you want to visit, or excursions you’d love to go on. Then write a day you could do them, if a few things are in the same area, group them in the same day.
To help with spontaneity, leave a few days blank. Having this guide to come back to ensures you make the time for everything you know you want to see. Bear in mind that this doesn’t have to be a solid thing. You could switch the days around if the weather doesn’t suit, or your mood changes. Ticking off the items on your list ensures you won’t go home feeling like you missed out. Don’t worry; you don’t have to tell your friends you succumbed to the much-dreaded plan. What happens on vacation, after all …
Book late flights
This one may be an unpopular idea, but it can be a great way to make the most of your time. The trouble with daytime flights is they result in wasted days. Even if you arrive early in the morning, there’s little chance you’ll be up to much that first day. What’s more, leaving at noon on your final day means you’re unable to go far on that last morning. Late night flights are the best way around the issue. You’ll be able to go straight to sleep when you arrive and have full use of your first day away. You’ll also be free to go wherever you fancy on your last day and just head back to the airport after dark. If you’ve never tried this before, give it a go. In this one simple move, you can add an extra two days to your vacation for the same price. Isn’t that the dream?
This one may be an unpopular idea, but it can be a great way to make the most of your time. The trouble with daytime flights is they result in wasted days. Even if you arrive early in the morning, there’s little chance you’ll be up to much that first day. What’s more, leaving at noon on your final day means you’re unable to go far on that last morning. Late night flights are the best way around the issue. You’ll be able to go straight to sleep when you arrive and have full use of your first day away. You’ll also be free to go wherever you fancy on your last day and just head back to the airport after dark. If you’ve never tried this before, give it a go. In this one simple move, you can add an extra two days to your vacation for the same price. Isn’t that the dream?
Don’t be afraid of tourist excursions
Those of us who travel often treat tourist excursions with scorn. Oh, the shame of the open-topped bus and the keen photographers. BUT, excursions might be worth more attention than you give them credit for, especially if you’re pushed for time. The benefit of these is that they’re a fast and efficient way to see a lot of what you want. You may have to put up with irritating commentary and other tourists, but that’s a small price to pay for getting the most of your experience.
You don’t have to tie yourself to these each day of your stay, but one or two excursions to historical sites or outlying islands could be better than you realize. Many countries are also introducing hop-on-hop-off bus tours. These allow you to get on and off as you please for one set price each day, and are ideal for seeing the entirety of your destination in the space of a day. What’s more, it’s the perfect compromise, even though you’re doing the “tourist thing”, you’re doing it in your own time and on your terms. Even better, the audio commentary on these tours only works if you plug your headphones in, so, you don’t have to listen to the boring stuff if you don’t fancy it!
Those of us who travel often treat tourist excursions with scorn. Oh, the shame of the open-topped bus and the keen photographers. BUT, excursions might be worth more attention than you give them credit for, especially if you’re pushed for time. The benefit of these is that they’re a fast and efficient way to see a lot of what you want. You may have to put up with irritating commentary and other tourists, but that’s a small price to pay for getting the most of your experience.
You don’t have to tie yourself to these each day of your stay, but one or two excursions to historical sites or outlying islands could be better than you realize. Many countries are also introducing hop-on-hop-off bus tours. These allow you to get on and off as you please for one set price each day, and are ideal for seeing the entirety of your destination in the space of a day. What’s more, it’s the perfect compromise, even though you’re doing the “tourist thing”, you’re doing it in your own time and on your terms. Even better, the audio commentary on these tours only works if you plug your headphones in, so, you don’t have to listen to the boring stuff if you don’t fancy it!
You can always revisit
There are 195 countries in the world, and us travelers want to see as many of them as possible. It’s no surprise, then, that we’re hesitant to revisit destinations. After all, that bucket list is long and always getting longer. How are you supposed to find time or money for two trips to one country? In truth, revisiting could provide the ideal solution. All you need to do to justify a return trip is to consider that you can’t cross that country off your bucket list yet anyway … you haven’t seen enough of it! What’s more, you can probably get away with a reasonably short trip back as there’s a chance you’ve seen most of what you wanted to. Why not set aside a long weekend to get those last bits done? Then, and only then, will you be free to cross that country off without reservation.
There are 195 countries in the world, and us travelers want to see as many of them as possible. It’s no surprise, then, that we’re hesitant to revisit destinations. After all, that bucket list is long and always getting longer. How are you supposed to find time or money for two trips to one country? In truth, revisiting could provide the ideal solution. All you need to do to justify a return trip is to consider that you can’t cross that country off your bucket list yet anyway … you haven’t seen enough of it! What’s more, you can probably get away with a reasonably short trip back as there’s a chance you’ve seen most of what you wanted to. Why not set aside a long weekend to get those last bits done? Then, and only then, will you be free to cross that country off without reservation.
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