The word staycation was coined to refer to not going anywhere during a vacation. Maybe you just want to relax at home or save some money by hanging around town. Now, though, the word staycation just doesn’t sound all that exciting. Instead, let’s stretch our legs a bit and wander around the world of words to see if we can find some more fun ways to refer to a vacation where we take it easy while taking it easy.
⛱ You don’t need to travel far (or at all) to take our quiz on these many ways to talk about your staycation. Take the quiz now if you’re ready!
day trip
A day trip is, as the name states, is a trip a person takes during which they leave and return home within the same day. A person could spend a day trip in their own local area or travel to a nearby city, beach, park, or other interesting destination. Generally speaking, day trips can also be more spontaneous as they are unlikely to require booking an airplane or organizing hotel reservations. Typically, the term day trip is often used in travel marketing that targets locals or tourists staying in nearby hotels.
daycation
Daycation is another word to refer to a vacation that only lasts a single day. Daycation, like staycation, is a rhyming play on the word vacation. The term daycation can be used interchangeably with the word day trip, and the two are often used together. Typically, a person spends a daycation at a local beach, amusement park, or another place nearby. In travel marketing, the word daycation is often used by hotels and motels that allow travelers to pay to use their amenities, such as the pool or spa, without having to book a room.
weekend getaway
It’s time to extend our vacation just a little bit to another day or two. The term weekend getaway is used to refer to a trip or vacation that is planned to last a weekend and might include Friday too. While people usually spend weekend getaways close to home like day trips, they may involve short plane trips or bus rides if someone doesn’t live close to a beach or other touristy area. The term weekend getaway is a marketing favorite that is used especially by places that feature relaxing beaches or romantic spots for couples looking to spend time together. A getaway is, of course, “a place where one escapes for relaxation, vacation, etc., or a period of time for such recreation.”
mini-vacation
If you only have time or money for a short break, you’re probably looking for a mini-vacation. This term combines the word mini, meaning “small,” with the word vacation. A mini-vacation is a short vacation, usually only a few days, that a person doesn’t plan to spend too much money on. Because people often travel on the weekends, mini-vacation is often used interchangeably with weekend getaway. In travel marketing, mini-vacation is often used by businesses that offer affordable accommodations or day packages that allow people to relax at a reduced price.
be a tourist in your own city
The phrase be a tourist in your own city is often used in articles or marketing encouraging people to relax in their own hometown or local area. The general idea behind this phrase is to encourage a person to explore new parts of their local area they have never seen or to try to view their homeplace from a new angle to get a sense of exploration. If someone is encouraged to be a tourist in their own city, it usually means to find new spots, sample the local foods and events, or hang and chat with locals. Needless to say, it also won’t be too costly to travel to a place you already live in.
micro-tourism
Let’s stay close to home and engage in some micro-tourism. This word is a combination of the word micro, meaning very small, and the word tourism, the act of traveling from place to place. Micro-tourism refers to a person traveling to places near their home or even being a tourist in their own city. In general, micro-tourism refers to a person visiting places that are within a short drive from their home. Micro-tourism focuses on exploring local destinations. This practice became more popular in the past few years as most people have been reluctant to travel outside their country or even their local area.
holistay
If you want your staycation to feel a little more festive, then you might want to call it a holistay. Like staycation, holistay is formed from the word stay, meaning to not go anywhere, combined with the word holiday, meaning time spent away from work or duty. Holistay is a less commonly used synonym of staycation that is used generally to refer to time off that a person spends at home or a vacation spent at or close to home.
shortcation
We’ll keep things brief. Shortcation combines the word vacation with the word short, in the sense of a small period of time. Shortcation is a general term that refers to any vacation or trip that doesn’t last very long. In practice, it can refer to both day trips and weekend getaways. The term shortcation has been particularly popular among Middle Eastern travel agencies, who used it to market safe and short trips to tourist centers during the COVID-19 pandemic.
nearcation
Our last word keeps things safe, but not too safe. The term nearcation is yet another word based on vacation, albeit this time combined with the word near, meaning within a short distance. Unlike many of the other words we have looked at so far, nearcation could actually refer to a lengthy vacation as long as it is not too far from home. Nearcation is a general, less commonly used word that is used to refer to any vacation spent relatively close to home. While this could refer to being a tourist in one’s own city, a nearcation could also occur in another state or another part of the same region of a country.
