Summer is finally here, and it is time to take off some of that pressure from your stressful job. What better way to do that then to take a day trip or a day-cation? Ok, yes that was super corny, but I like corny jokes 🙂 ! Many people think that in order to enjoy your summer, you have to take off work for an entire week or set aside time to go away for a weekend, but that is not the case! A day trip is a great idea, and I’m going to tell you why.
1. It’s cost efficient!
When taking a vacation, you have to worry about flight and hotel costs and making sure you have money for food every day while you’re there. If you take a day-cation, you’ll only have to worry about gas and food for one day! However, if you pack some snacks from home and take some meals that don’t have to be kept cold or warmed up, you can eliminate the costs of dining out altogether! My family and I went to Dewey Beach in Delaware for Memorial Day, and we spent $35 to fill up the tank and $10 to park when we got there. We had packed snacks, drinks, and our lunch for the day, and we were good to go. You can do it too — just take a cooler with you to keep your drinks cold, fill up your tank, and get on the road!
2. You can still relax and enjoy yourself!
No, it’s not a week or weekend-long trip, but a day trip can still serve the same purpose. It takes your mind away from your work-related troubles and gives you a much-needed break so that you can come back re-energized. During your day-cation, you can immerse yourself in a place nearby that you’ve never heard of or a place nearby that you’ve always wanted to visit. Try to use this as an opportunity to try new things, meet new people, and have fun! You can choose to go by yourself and learn about what makes you happy, or you can get a couple of friends or family members who are always down for a good time, set your playlist for the car, and make some unforgettable memories!
3. It’s easy to plan!
You can literally start planning your day-cation today, even if you don’t plan on going for another month or so. Start with mapping out your budget for the day, and look at places nearby that have inexpensive attractions that interest you. Make sure you have money for gas, tolls, and souvenirs, and you’re good to go! It’s that simple, I promise. The hardest part might be picking the best place to visit because some of these places are hidden gems, trust me!
One example of a hidden gem is Lancaster, Pennsylvania. My family and I went for a spring break day-cation, and we had an absolute blast! We went to a bowling alley, tasted some wine, went souvenir shopping, and tasted something called shoo fly pie (which was really delicious)! The best part about it was that everything was free besides bowling and shopping. Yes, we really went wine tasting for free! I don’t know about where you all live, but wine tasting in the D.C. area is NOT free, and it is certainly not cheap. I say all of this to say, do your research, find what interests you, and allow yourself to have fun! It’s really easy!
Let me know in the comments where you want to visit for your day-cation!
“Live and work but do not forget to play, to have fun in life and really enjoy it.” -Eileen CaddyÂ
Day trips can be fun. Thanks for sharing.
Thanks for reading!
great ideas, Never thought about this way.
Thanks for reading!
I live in Spain and I often go to Granada for day trips. I love Granada so much, it is the kind of city that you can never get bored of. Also eating there is cheap, as with every drink you get a plate of free tapas. 🙂 What not to love about that?
That sounds like an amazing and very inexpensive fun time! Thanks so much for reading!
I agree with all these! There are times that I’d only have 1 day restday per week but I’d still use it to either climb a mountain or drive to a nearby city. Thanks for the tips!
Ah, I love going hiking. Connecting with nature is one of my favorite pastimes. Thank you so much for reading!
I personally like to travel in night but your points are valid points that day trips are beneficial in sense of saving money etc.
There’s nothing better than driving at night on a nearly-empty highway. Thanks for reading 🙂
I love the idea of day trips! Quick getaways. I agree they can be cost efficient. And a easy way just to relax and get away
Definitely! Thanks for reading!
Yes! We love taking day trips, especially this time of year.
Definitely! If you go on the perfect day, you’ll be able to soak up a lot of sun and avoid the rain. Thanks for reading!
Hey yes, I agree with you. I just started to travel alone .. reading travel related things making me alive now 🙂 Hmm.. What Eileen Caddy said was also true 🙂
Happy blogging. Hope to hear from you soon.
Most people don’t like traveling alone, but it’s a great way to truly connect with yourself and learn more about yourself along the way. Thanks so much for reading!
Yes, it’s efficient and also super fun 🙂 and you can take them more often than long vacations.
Yep, that’s why I absolutely LOVE day trips! So much fun. Thanks for reading!
I love taking trips for all of those reasons PLUS it doesn’t take up any vacation days.
Exactly! I didn’t even think about that!
My family and I are so into the day trips. They have a lot of benefits and cut a lot of the cost.
That’s why I love them so much! As a college student with a part-time job, I don’t have much time or a lot of money for vacations. However, a day trip still gives me a break from school and I don’t have to spend much! 😀
We are Disney world annual Passholders and take day trips to Disney about twice a month. I love it! It gives us a way to have a break from our day to day activities and get away from everything. And it almost feels like a reset for the week to come!
Definitely! It’s important to reset sometimes, and a good day trip can do just that!
My family and I love day trips. Thanks for sharing. 🙂
They really are amazing; thanks for reading!
Day tripping is not really our thing but with your list above, i somehow thought about it and maybe can try it next time
Great, let me know if you like it! Thanks for reading!
I love a good day trip!! It is so fun just to get out and go!
Yes! It’s truly amazing! Thanks for reading!
I also love day trip too. Amazing post!
Thank you so much for reading!
Only problem with Day trip is we take many stops in the name of rest and spend more on food and coffee.
Very understandable! Try making your food in advance and pouring a nice, fresh, hot cup of coffee before you leave! Maybe that will decrease the amount of stops you make. Thanks for reading!