Love it or loathe it, the word staycation is here to, erm, stay. Used more and more frequently in the last few years, staycation describes a vacation in or near home, or within your own country. One where you take your allotted time off and instead of jetting off to pastures new, you take time to enjoy pastures of old… or the ones you never quite got around to exploring.

The concept has been especially popular since the great financial fiasco, and although the idea is great if you’re suffering from a lack of funds, it’s just as good for those who have never really taken the time to discover what’s going on in their own backyard.

Here are just a few of the advantages of staying close to home on holiday:

Less Stressful

For some people, getting ready to go overseas or on a long-haul trip throws up all kinds of stresses – preparing, packing, sorting out what needs to be attended to while you’re away – but by choosing to holiday at home, no knots find their way to your shoulders, so you’re starting out relaxed. It can only get better.

If you do decide to venture a little further away from your locale, but within your own country, even though you may have to go through packing pains stress levels can still be reduced by making sure your trip is insured. Some people tend to think travel insurance isn’t necessary if you’re staying local or in your own country, but what if there’s a problem with the accommodation you booked, trains or flights are cancelled, or worse still, the company you booked through folds?

No matter where you vacation, travel insurance is usually well worth the extra expense, even if for a peace of mind, allowing you to relax and enjoy your time off.

Less Expensive

Unless you plan to go wild drinking, dancing and dining every night in all the best establishments in town, it’s a sure bet that you’ll be saving some money by staying in and around your home.

Although, don’t get too flippant; it’s all too easy to flash the cash thinking you’d not be spending the same if you’d gone overseas. Don’t be fooled. A budget is just as important for a staycation as any ‘cation.

Less Travel and Fuel Usage

It’s no secret that airplanes aren’t the most fuel efficient way to travel, so cutting out this mode of transport gives you extra brownie points (or greenie points!). Cruise ships aren’t the most eco-friendly vessels, either. But on a staycation – depending on how far away from civilization home is – leaving the car behind could prove refreshing, and taking the train allows you to see the countryside instead of reams of tarmacadam.

Better still, why not discover your neck of the woods by bike or local transport instead. It’s a great way to really get the sense of a place.

Less Consumption and Waste

People tend to change their habits when they’re on vacation. Most people will produce more waste and often forgo recycling, purely because they don’t have their usual bin to hand. Or they might adopt a different attitude, in that they don’t have to really worry about the waste/it’s not their problem, especially if the destination they’re visiting isn’t that hot on recycling themselves.

On a staycation, you don’t have to give up your eco-friendly habits in order to have a good time.

More Interest in the Local Environment

Staying at home for vacation means you’ll likely develop a better appreciation for your local environment. You may discover things you never knew were there, which is always exciting.

Why not visit your local botanical gardens or national park; take a walk through some of the areas you never normally venture into; ride a train to the other side of town, get off at a random stop and go explore.

Put Back into Your Own Community

Sure, you do this all year round, but now they get your holiday weeks, too. By spending your valuable vacation at home, you can help sustain your local businesses and natural habitats throughout the year.

And if you’re looking for something really different to do during your time off, get involved with a local community project, even for a day. You’ll come away feeling better for having given something back. Not a bad way to spend your vacation.

What was your favourite staycation? Share with us in the comments below. Thanks!