For those who vacation for a really long time

[epcotty]

If you're not at Disney/Universal etc, how do you vacation for weeks/months etc in one place without getting really sick of where you are? I just don't understand it. Assume the place does have some attractions but nowhere near enough to justify spending weeks or months at. And you end up staying at the hotel/house/condo almost all the time. How do you do this without going crazy?

 

[VicarJT]

We have vacationed on Mt Desert in Maine for anywhere from 2-4 weeks at a time, and we never get bored. There is always something to do, and since it mostly involves biking, walking, or boating, we can do the same thing several times and always experience something new. Even on days when we just stay at the house, we are away from the ringing phones and house projects and we get to enjoy hanging out together. We do get teased a lot because our vacation spots are so vastly different from each other - Acadia National Park ... nature at its most real, and Disney ... the perfect childhood that no one ever had.

 

[stephk1981]

I think it depends what you find fun/ relaxing. My DH goes to the Upper Peninsula to go hunting and just ' chill' for 2-3 weeks every November. DH, his dad, brothers, and uncle's love it. They just ' enjoy nature' don't have plans away from their cabin etc. To me, that sounds like torture, to them, it's amazing! We go to Disney while he is in his rustic wonderland. I personally have to have activities on a holiday, and new ones most days....as in, I don't want to go hiking, biking, to the beach etc everyday. I want something new and fun to do each day, to me that is a vacation

 

[bankr63]

We vacation for long term in locations that provide us the opportunity to do the kinds of things we like to do.

If you are vacationing long term in a location you dislike, doing activities you dislike, you are doing it wrong. Move on.

When a long term destination no longer provides enjoyment and fulfillment, it is also time to move on.

 

[Chrisizzle]

Forget weeks or months... I wouldn’t be able to manage a weekend at an all inclusive resort in the tropics.

Having said that, I am also guilty of feeling like I need a vacation when I get back from vacation.

I will try to see enough of a country in 3 to 4 weeks to not need to return again. That means never more than two nights in any locale for countries the size of Portugal, New Zealand, Nepal, Morocco, etc...

 

[epcotty]

Thanks for the replies. We know of some who mostly just stay at the hotel during their multiple week or month long trip and that boggles the mind

 

[fla4fun]

I think it depends on your vacation style. I have a very hectic life, and suffer a lot from stress as a result. When I go on vacation, I don’t want to be on a schedule. I want some days where I am alone and do absolutely nothing. I need that in order to survive the rat race. I would be on edge if I were changing resorts every day or two. Even at Disney, while I usually book my 3 FP for each day, I end up canceling most of them after the first day or two.

Some people thrive in activity and need constant change to remain engaged on vacation. Others use their vacation to withdraw from the world and regroup. Neither is wrong.

 

[lorenae]

It depends for me. I live in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, so while I love to visit cities and urban areas, I can't do it for very long. However, I can easily spend a month in Tuscany or three months on the Gulf coast. I'm really active, but I like rural areas or smaller cities and villages where I can live. I got to know the people in the deli and the pizza place next door (Tuscany) and spent alot of time just living day-to-day. In the Texas gulf coast, I got to enjoy art classes and yoga for the months I was there, and made lifelong friends.

In Florida, I became such a part of the community in a small little town that I bought a small house there. I guess visiting for more than a month can be dangerous if you find a place you love.

 

[shocker]

I dunno, long vacations aren't for everyone

 

[dish rag]

If you're not at Disney/Universal etc, how do you vacation for weeks/months etc in one place without getting really sick of where you are? I just don't understand it. Assume the place does have some attractions but nowhere near enough to justify spending weeks or months at. And you end up staying at the hotel/house/condo almost all the time. How do you do this without going crazy?

For me it’s easy.

 

[EveDallas]

Thanks for the replies. We know of some who mostly just stay at the hotel during their multiple week or month long trip and that boggles the mind

You don't have to understand it. Just because it's not your idea of a vacation doesn't mean it's not enjoyable for some people. For some, downtime where you don't have daily obligations is priceless. To each their own.

 

[TonyaG83]

I love vacationing like a “local”. If I’m not at Disney I’ll grab a 3-4 week stay off vrbo in an area that is close to a major city, with amenities I can enjoy day to day, access to good food/restaurants, decent shopping, and just relax. My favorites are Queens (cheaper than Brooklyn and just as accessible to NYC), Boca Raton (close to great beaches and a semi-decent Uber ride to Miami), and Burbank (so much cheaper than Hollywood adjacent neighborhoods and really, driving in LA is a nightmare anywhere you are).

 

[Magical2017]

I would do it if I wanted to use Orlando as a home base and visit both Orlando as well as cities that allowed for day trips. It is a strategy I would use if I were visiting, say, Italy. It is not something I would do for Orlando but that is because we only go there for the theme parks.

 

[disneysteve]

If you are vacationing long term in a location you dislike, doing activities you dislike, you are doing it wrong.

Exactly. I think the question is a little odd honestly. Clearly, if someone is spending an extended period of time in an area, it must be because they like the area. It doesn't matter if it's a beach town, a big city, a resort area, or a lake house. They wouldn't be there if they didn't like doing what there is to do there.

We've never been able to vacation anywhere for more than 2 weeks but I would love to once I'm retired and have the time. We have done a bunch of 2-week vacations in various areas. We love being able to explore the area and attractions and also do day trips from where we are staying, usually up to about an hour in any direction.

 

[epcotty]

i know we'd be bored to tears if we went on vacation and essentially never left the hotel for weeks or a month. From how it sounds most of those who replied would still at least leave the hotel sometimes here and there even if they want to do a really relaxing vacation. In our opinion, most odd thing of all is people who vacation for a long time in something besides a hotel and never seem to leave during the time they're there. Then neighbors know, notice, and really think it's strange especially if you never seem to go anywhere. Also especially if there's some annoyance factor with them. Not that we're here all the time by any means but with cases recently any time we are here they are too (regardless of when we're there which varies) and they never seem to leave for any length of time on any day.

 

[disneysteve]

i know we'd be bored to tears if we went on vacation and essentially never left the hotel for weeks or a month.

Where have you heard of people doing this?

 

[epcotty]

Where have you heard of people doing this?

In our complex, it seems to be commonly done. It's nice so people just vacation there and many really never go anywhere

 

[disneysteve]

In our complex, it seems to be commonly done. It's nice so people just vacation there and many really never go anywhere

Interesting. So you know that there are people who never leave the building for weeks at a time? That does seem a little odd no matter how nice the hotel might be.

 

[epcotty]

Interesting. So you know that there are people who never leave the building for weeks at a time? That does seem a little odd no matter how nice the hotel might be.

Right. It's not even a hotel but some people use it as such

 

[disneysteve]

We would certainly go out to eat, do some activ

Right. It's not even a hotel but some people use it as such

Oh, your first post said "hotel/house/condo". What sort of place are you actually talking about? Is it a resort complex or a residential complex? Are there shops, restaurants, a pool, fitness center, game room, activities and such on site? Or are people just literally staying in their house and never leaving? Are they not going out to eat, buying groceries, doing any sort of shopping or other activities?

I can't help but wonder how you know these folks are never leaving.