The covid-19 pandemic changed so much about what we love about taking time off to travel. As the virus spread around the globe in early 2020, vacations were one of the first things that got cancelled. As so many of us were forced to isolate, to work from home (or lost our jobs), vacation time was at the bottom of the priority list. Fortunately it is ready for a rebound as flights return, restrictions are eased, and travel seems possible once again. Now it is about following the new rules of travel to mitigate the risks for ourselves and others.
So what has the pandemic taught us about work-life balance and taking our paid time off (PTO)? Let’s reveal the 5 time-off lessons learned so we can use it to our advantage as we plan to take vacations in the future.
1. Be Flexible with Your Travel Bookings (or have a backup plan)
I’ve yet to meet a person who didn’t have their vacation cancelled due to covid. Hopefully you were able to get a full refund on your flight, tour, and accommodation bookings. Not since 9/11 has air traffic been affected at such a large scale. No one likes to have their hard-earned vacation plans wiped out. That is why it is essential to have a backup plan so you and your family don’t miss out on the joys of travel.
Many types of vacations require little planning such as a long weekend away or a repeat trip to a resort or amusement park. Those don’t require a backup plan in the same way as a major trip does. Like where there are many moving parts including flights, hotels, transportation, and ticketed activities. It doesn’t matter whether you booked the entire itinerary yourself or used a travel agent or package tour operator. The point is that a lot of thought and effort and expense went into designing your big vacation. So what if you have to cancel at a moment’s notice?
A vacation backup plan means identifying one or more alternative destinations that you can quickly book if your trip is cancelled. Think about what you can do during already scheduled time off from work that does not require a lot of advance planning.
Of course you can choose to postpone your vacation and go to work instead. That means taking those vacation days later in the year, but that may not always be an option. Your employer may not offer that kind of time-off approval flexibility. Or if it’s already late in the year then you may not be able to or want to roll-over your vacation days. Taking regular time-off is required for a healthy work-life balance. So having a backup vacation plan means you do not miss out on essential leisure time.
Vacation Backup Plan Inspiration
So what are some ideas for taking your paid time off when your vacation is cancelled? I suggest you pull out Google Maps to pinpoint one or two options that are in driving or public transit distance. Here are 4 backup vacation examples as a starting point:
- Stay a week in a roadside extended-stay hotel that includes breakfast or has a kitchen plus a pool and fitness center. You’ll have plenty of opportunities to head out on day trips or just relax in your suite hotel if the weather turns.
- Take the train or bus to the next big city (e.g. Philadelphia if you live in NYC) to spend a long weekend in a downtown hotel or Airbnb. In addition to site-seeing, shopping and historic walking tours, be quick to make restaurant bookings or buy tickets for live events.
- Map a road trip along a route that stops at several stunning sites for photo-taking, picnics, or hikes. Star the places where you can stay for the night to optimize your daily driving time in a loop from home and back.
- Select a holiday destination that is seasonal but travel in the off-season instead. Examples are a beach area during the winter months or a mountain area in the shoulder seasons. You’ll save money and avoid crowds.
Vacation Cancellation Policy
And don’t forget about reading the fine print of each cancellation policy before clicking the booking button. It is always tempting to book a non-refundable rate for a plane ticket, train fare, hotel stay, or tourist activity to get an extra discount. However if you are not willing to risk losing those vacation dollars, choose the booking option with a clear and fair cancellation policy that covers you when you need it. Often there is a happy medium option which allows you to cancel a few days in advance but not the day before. Of course travel insurance comes in handy, but again read the fine print to ensure it covers the cancellation scenarios that you worry about.
Lesson: With a promise of a refund if a trip gets cancelled, you will be prepared to put your vacation backup plan into action (if it comes to that).
2. Don’t Hoard Your Vacation Days (or don’t stop taking time off)
Who wants to take limited vacation days only to stay at home? It sounds like a waste, but take a step back and recall the actual meaning of vacation (hint: it isn’t only about travel). We all need to take time off from not just work but life as well. However it isn’t always possible or advisable (like during a health emergency) to travel during your next scheduled vacation period. Try to avoid the temptation to keep saving your vacation days for a safer time when the future is still uncertain.
By taking vacation days even if you have no plans to travel, your work-life balance (or work-life-vacation balance – the key extra part of the happiness equation being vacation) will thank you. Taking even one day off every month or two is totally worth it. This is your time to meet up with friends and family, participate in a favorite hobby, or just chill without a care in the world. If you stop to think about what you can do with even one vacation day, you will find endless opportunities to bring a smile to your face. Regular and frequent time off from both work and life is good for health and happiness. Travel is just one rewarding option.
Bonus Tip: Add one vacation day before or after an official company holiday that falls on a Monday to benefit from a four-day weekend.
Vacation Days – Use It or Risk Losing It
Spreading your vacation day usage throughout the year makes it less likely that you’ll fail to use them up before the deadline. By working full-time you are granted (earn) a set number of days off that you can take according to your employment contract (ask HR and check your pay stub). If you keep delaying taking a vacation due to a fear of travel, what happens if that fear continues longer than expected? You don’t want to run out of time to take all of your PTO or come up against a strict roll-over policy. There is no better time than the present, when you need a break from the responsibilities and stress of everyday, to be on vacation.
Lesson: When the future is a bit uncertain, embrace your vacation days for all they are worth now versus later.
3. Staycations are Worthy Vacations (or rediscover your home territory)
2020 was the year that staycations were rediscovered. While the idea of a staycation has been around for a long time, it took a medical emergency to put it back on the vacation menu. There was never anything wrong with taking staycations. I imagine that for many, taking an expensive or exotic trip was another way to impress your friends and co-workers. Upon return (in a normal year) when we were asked where we went on vacation, we really wanted a good answer. Like Hawaii or Paris or a Mediterranean cruise or trekking up to Machu Picchu or a Big-5 safari in Africa or launching into space ( OK maybe not the last one but you get the idea 🙂 )
Well, who cares what everyone else thinks about your choice of vacation destination! A vacation is personal and where you travel solo, with a loved one, or the entire family is entirely your decision. Everyone has their own vacation budget, leisure preferences, and travel risk tolerance. Where you decide to spend your vacation time is always the right answer.
Even if you did want to travel halfway around the world, the events of 2020 and 2021 made this impossible for most of us in our home states and countries. Regardless of whether you choose a staycation or a staycation chose you, make it your #1 goal to get excited about taking time off from both work and life. The list of places you can see and the experiences you can have close to home are always much greater than you think.
As with any vacation start off by doing your research. I like to open up Google Maps and zoom around to remind myself of the cities, towns, parks, scenic areas and attractions within a few hours drive of home. Whatever I find that catches my interest I click “Save” and add to the “Travel Plans” saved list. There are numerous sources of staycation inspiration to get you started:
- Local and regional newspapers (subscribe to the culture and travel sections)
- Browse tourism websites for regions near you (download brochures and maps)
- State or National Parks and Recreation service (plus the historic register)
- Travel bloggers and vloggers (just search Google, Instagram, and YouTube)
- Lists of the top rated hotels and resorts (via travel magazines, hotel loyalty programs, or TripAdvisor)
- Deal and promotional email newsletter with getaway savings on hotels and attractions near you (Groupon, etc…)
Lesson: Where you live is already being promoted as a vacation destination to out-of-towners. Now it’s your turn to play tourist in your home state or region for a staycation you’ll be glad you took.
4. Keep a Bucket List at the Ready (or armchair travel is thrilling too)
A travel bucket list tracks once-in-a-lifetime places that you wish to see or do before you die. It can be in your head or written down in a life journal or spreadsheet. Beyond places it can include extreme adventure, cultural experiences, modes of transport, major events, and global accomplishments. This is the list you can turn to when you are planning a vacation and have the time and money to check off an item on your bucket list. Since this is an aspirational checklist to be accomplished over your lifetime, refer to it every year as you consider vacation possibilities.
The reason to keep your bucket list at the ready in your vacation toolbox is to always be planning a dream trip. You aren’t likely to take a bucket list trip every year, but you can think about taking one. How? Research and plan a bucket list vacation in the same way as with a regular trip. You might call it armchair travel planning, but remember that it comes with many of the same positive benefits without leaving your living room (or home office).
Just pretend that you are taking one of your bucket list trips and follow your usual process for booking a trip, without the actual booking (this is a free vacation!). You can scan maps, watch videos, read guide books, subscribe to destination newsletters, select tour operators and places to stay, and even document what you’ll pack on the trip. This advance research will come in handy later when you actually get the opportunity to put your itinerary into action.
Go ahead and share your travel bucket list with your family and friends to compare goals. You’ll likely add new ancient sites, tourist routes, festivals, cities and countries that you never considered (or even heard of) to your bucket list while inspiring others to pursue their dream trips. Never feel sad that a bucket list vacation is years or even decades in your future. Get excited about the travel research and planning activities to imagine what it will feel like to be there.
Lesson: When you are not willing or able to travel far from home, pretend to book a trip to a bucket list destination to feed your travel dreams.
5. Be Generous During Your Time Off (or be a kind and responsible traveler)
The final lesson about taking our vacations after going through this deadly coronavirus pandemic is about patience and gratefulness. The travel industry had grown to record levels over the past decade as we all got used to how affordable and easy it was to get away. Travel patterns are finally getting back to normal, despite the fact that we are a long way from zero covid. Let’s never take travel for granted again.
Travel is a miracle if you stop to think about it. All the moving parts transport us from point A to point B safely so we experience vacation mindfulness. Take a simple US flight for example, from Phoenix to New Orleans. Going on vacation requires airport transportation, airport flight operations, meteorological monitoring, gate and flight staffing, baggage handlers, security personnel, airline pilots, flight connection crew, taxi drivers, hospitality staff, cleaners (more so due to covid), and loads more people and technology. And that is just for a basic trip with a flight and hotel stay. Now think about a complex itinerary that involves other forms of transportation, tour operators and guides, cruise ships, international destinations, passengers with special needs, etc… And that is if nothing goes wrong. It’s amazing how it all works out successfully most of the time.
That is why we all need to take a moment to appreciate the times when your vacation was a huge success. When we arrive safely to our destination, ready to embark on an adventure, say “Thank You” to all the people that made this time-off possible. It’s human nature to notice the failings, share our problems online, and dwell on the negative no matter how insignificant. So let’s all do our best to thank all the members of the travel industry for doing their job and making our vacations possible. If we can all be just a bit more kind, generous, forgiving, and grateful during our vacation time, we’ll have a happier and healthier society. And vacations of a lifetime!
Note: This post was written and published by Scott in November 2021.
