I wouldn’t consider myself a globetrotter in the true sense of the word – I haven’t visited all continents, backpacked for months through South America, or had any out-of-the-ordinary or one-of-a-kind exploratory experiences. Still, I think I’ve gone through my fair share of travelling over the last decade to speak factually and openly about those experiences and what works from a personal perspective.

In my twenties, it started with what my tiny travel budget could afford (Not that that budget grew exponentially over the following years), so there were many weekend getaways planned with my ever-enthusiastic gang of girlfriends to travel to from our hometown of Vancouver. These included destinations such as Mexico, Las Vegas, Seattle, Palm Springs and other short and accessible places that we could fit into our schedules and lifestyles.

A few years later, I spent two years living in London, and multiple European options emerged for spending extended weekends.

I’ve also experienced extended vacations alone and with family and friends during my childhood and beyond, so I can also speak to that aspect.

That said, I’ve concluded that, at this point in my life, shorter vacations may deserve some praise and recognition as a quality travel experience.

A CASE FOR QUICK TRIPS OVER EXTENDED VACATIONS

They serve the purpose of a break from your routine.

At the end of the day, a break from our daily routines is one of the main reasons why many of us take vacations. And it’s for this reason that it only makes that much of a difference if you go away for four days or one month.

You can see more places.

Breaking up your vacation time into smaller chunks lets you see far more destinations than you would if you decided to travel for two weeks or more in one place. Again, this is undoubtedly a matter of personal preference—many people do, in fact, prefer to leave home for many weeks or months at a time, but this is simply a case for the other end of the spectrum.

Far easier to get people to join you.

Convincing friends to join you on a last-minute 4 or 5-day extended weekend trip rather than tasking them with finding the finances, time-off, and enthusiasm for a a few weeks away is much easier and much more appreciated by them.

Lighter on your finances.

I think this one is straightforward. Fewer days equals less money spent on accommodation, meals, sightseeing—basically the whole holiday besides your tickets to get there.

Kills the element of homesickness and eventual boredom.

Something about the days after the one-week mark spent in any one place evokes feelings of slight homesickness and the need to either come home or change locations. It’s heartening to know you don’t have to kill more time or spend more money at your holiday destination if your overall interest levels have dwindled.

Alternative travel options to get there.

Part of the appeal of quick trips is being able to take either a two-to-three-hour direct flight, a road trip, or a scenic train trip to get there. It’s nice to exert a bit more agency over your style of travel.

Many people prefer to avoid the procedural aspect of airports and flights and prefer the self-directed feeling of driving, packing as much as you need, and having the luxury of changing your return date with less hassle and cost incurred.

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