Short Break Vs. Longer Vacations: Which One Should You Choose?
It’s always great to have a treat to look forward to, especially if you’ve been working hard recently or have been going through a stressful period in life (pandemic, anyone?) Whether you’ve made plans to see friends or have a pamper day to yourself at home, having some time to have fun and relax is essential for your well-being. What’s even better is looking forward to a trip away so you can get a change of scene and truly feel as though you’re escaping from your usual routine and travel; but should you book a short break, or a longer vacation ? Here are some pros and cons for both to help you decide which kind of holiday you should take.
Table of Contents
Short Breaks: Pros
Short breaks tend to only be a few days, usually long weekends, and the benefit of this is that you don’t have to use up a lot of your annual holiday allowance at work. You can even time these breaks with public holidays that you’ll already have off, so you can strategically use up your holidays to turn a long weekend into a half or full week off, or save them for another time.
Going away for a few days is also cheaper than going away for one or two weeks at a time. This could mean that you’re able to travel to a few different places in one year, rather than spending longer at just one destination.
Short Breaks: Con
As short breaks do only go on for a handful of days, this can result in you trying to fit in as much as possible while you’re away. While this can be exciting, it also doesn’t do much to help you relax, so you might come back from it feeling just as tired as when you left.
Longer Vacations: Pros
If you go on a longer vacation, you have more of a choice on where you can visit. Cities are ideal for short breaks as there’s plenty to do and they’re easy to travel to; but if you want to explore more picturesque destinations further afield, a longer vacation is much better for this, as you have more time to get there. For some inspiration for longer holiday breaks and where to go, visit Mr Hudson Explores.
In addition, longer vacations give you a lot more time to get settled at your destination, resulting in more time to unwind while you’re there. Unlike shorter breaks, you have more time to explore the surrounding area—whether that’s sight-seeing or doing other activities at your resort or locally. You can take a far more casual approach to your holiday and function at a pace you’re comfortable with.
Longer Vacations: Con
As it will take up more of your holiday allowance to go on a longer vacation, this means you’ll have to wait longer to go on it. Sometimes, waiting for a one- or two-week holiday is great, but everyone reaches the burnout phase at some point, so it can be better to know you can take a break a bit sooner if need be.
If you’re ready to plan a getaway, use some of these pros and cons to help you decide whether a short break or a longer vacation is what you need.
