While many people like to experience as much as they can on a vacation, traveling from place to place like a whirling dervish, there is an advantage to slowing things down and embracing the beauty of an extended stay. Extending your visit by weeks or even months, gives you more time to relax and avoid the stress of rushing from one place to the next, while immersing yourself in the culture of your travel destination.
Here are seven great ways to embark on an extended stay, no matter where you stop next.
Establish Your Base
If you’re planning on staying for a while, it’s always beneficial to establish a base. This could be a hotel or Airbnb, with each option offering certain benefits depending on your needs. If you prefer to cook for yourself and have more space to roam, a vacation rental property is probably a better fit. However, if you’d prefer to avoid this hassle, pick a hotel that has a restaurant or is located near one. Your base should be centrally located, so you can get around easily, but also think about where you’d like to be. Somewhere a little on the outskirts might provide more quiet accommodations, especially if you’re spending your stay in a big city.
Get Out Into the Community
With an extended stay, you’re going to be there for a while, so you may as well get to know the area. Educate yourself on local happenings. Ask your host or hotel manager for recommendations or directions to events that match your interests. Engaging with the locals gives you the opportunity to meet others who could also offer more insight on where to go and what to do. Who knows, you might even meet a new travel partner.
Working Helps Extend Your Stay
Unless you stumbled across a winning lottery ticket right before you caught your flight, your travel funds will run out eventually. You need to find some way to keep the good times rolling, so getting work can help you travel for as long as you want. Many travelers work online with freelance careers, such as RN travel nurse jobs. You’ll have the benefit of staying in new places, while also helping out in the community and earning a living while you experience new geographies.
Don’t Forget to Get Out and Explore
Every destination has something to explore. For example, during a visit to New York City, you can walk the streets and discover something new around every corner or you can venture farther out and visit the best Connecticut hiking trails. Whatever you prefer, your extended stay lets you see much more than you would if you were just passing through, so take advantage of every opportunity to get out and explore.
Learn The Best Local Places
Staying somewhere for an extended period means living like a local becomes much easier. You won’t know the best bars or cafes immediately, but that doesn’t mean you can’t learn about them, especially if you connect with locals during your stay. This approach can magnify your experience and offer a new perspective that makes your chosen spot feel more like home. Just don’t be surprised if you never want to leave when the time comes.
Tick Off Tourist Attractions
While living like a local offers more authenticity, you also need to see all the tourist attractions. There’s no point in traveling if you avoid acting like a tourist. Visiting attractions expands your horizons, and gives you the chance to help you boost the local economy.
So, dive into the excitement these spots bring. They are a great chance to unwind and maybe even learn something about the local history, too.
Stay Active
It’s easy to fall into a routine during an extended stay, especially if you find work. However, this doesn’t mean you can ignore your health and fitness. Wherever you land, see if you can find a gym membership that offers monthly subscriptions instead of paying for the full year. If you don’t like the gym, local trails and parks are great places to run, while outdoor yoga classes are always available if you know where to look.
Long Stay
You don’t have to stay for a while everywhere you go, but if there’s a town or city that you fall in love with immediately, why not stay a little longer than planned? If you’ve got nowhere to be or no strict timeline, this approach allows you to learn more about your destination and yourself, and it could just become the most important place in the world for you.
