What Kind of Vacation Should I Take

One press picks a kind of trip, with who it suits.

Seaside town weekendSuits people who want sea air, a walk along the front and an ice cream.

Next step Now draw a place to go Draw something to do there

How it works

Time off booked and no plan? Press the button for one of 72 kinds of trip, from a road trip or a city break to a houseboat or a farm stay, each with who it suits.

Read the full guide

A kind of trip, not a place

The destination is the second question. Decide first whether you want to keep moving or stay put, be busy or do nothing, and who is coming.

Check it against your days

Read the line under the pick. If it sounds like someone else, press again. If it fits, count your days: a staycation or a night camping nearby fits a weekend, and a long rail journey wants more time than that.

Traveling with others? Each person presses once, then everyone votes on the picks.
Most kinds work near or far: a road trip can cross your own state or another country.

Questions and answers

What type of vacation should I take?

Start from what you want to bring home: rest, stories, a skill or time with family. Rest points to a beach week or a cabin, stories to a road trip or a rail journey, and a skill to a learning holiday.

What are the different types of vacation?

This list sorts them into eight groups: on the move (road trips, rail journeys, cruises), by the water, outdoors, cities and culture, slow and restful, close to home, with a purpose (volunteering, a language course), and by who is coming.

What is a staycation?

Wikipedia defines it as a recreational break spent at home or within a day trip of it, with no overnight stay elsewhere. In the UK and Ireland the word is also used for a holiday in your own country.

What kinds of vacation are cheap?

The ones that take out the biggest costs. A staycation needs no bed away from home, a home swap trades houses with no money changing hands, and house-sitting trades pet or home care for a place to stay.

All 72 kinds of trip

On the move 15

Backpacking trip Suits light packers on a small budget who plan one day at a time.
Camper van trip Suits people who want their bed and their kitchen to come along.
Canal boat holiday Suits a group that is happy to steer slowly and take turns at the tiller.
Cycling tour Suits steady riders who are happy with a short day’s distance and a big dinner.
Fall foliage trip Suits slow drivers and walkers who plan around the color of the leaves.
Island hopping Suits people who get restless after two days in one place.
Motorcycle tour Suits riders who think the bends in the road are the point.
Ocean cruise Suits people who want many ports and only one unpacking.
Rail journey Suits readers, window-watchers and anyone who would sooner not drive.
River cruise Suits people who like towns and scenery sliding past at a slow pace.
Road trip Suits people who like the drive as much as the place, and who want to stop on a whim.
Sailing holiday Suits people who like to pitch in and do not mind close quarters.
Scenic drive weekend Suits people with two days, a full tank and a good playlist.
Several countries in one trip Suits people with a few weeks free and a long wish list.
Sleeper train trip Suits people who like to fall asleep in one city and wake up in another.

By the water 9

All-inclusive resort Suits people who want to make no decisions after check-in.
Beach week Suits anyone whose whole plan is a book, a towel and the sea.
Fishing trip Suits patient people and early risers.
Houseboat stay Suits families and groups who want the water at the front door.
Kayak or canoe trip Suits paddlers who like to camp where the river takes them.
Lake house week Suits families who want swimming, paddling and no timetable.
Seaside town weekend Suits people who want sea air, a walk along the front and an ice cream.
Snorkeling or diving trip Suits swimmers who would sooner look under the water than lie beside it.
Surf camp Suits beginners who want a lesson every day and are happy to fall off a lot.

Outdoors and wild 17

Cabin in the woods Suits people who want quiet, a stove and a stack of books.
Camping week Suits people who like a fire, a tent and days planned by the weather.
Desert trip Suits people who like wide open space and an early start.
Eco-lodge stay Suits people who want to see a wild place and leave little trace of the visit.
Glamping stay Suits people who want the campfire and also a real bed.
Hut-to-hut hike Suits fit hikers who want mountain days without carrying a tent.
Mountain village stay Suits people who want walks from the door and a view at breakfast.
National park trip Suits families and photographers who want big scenery and marked trails.
Northern lights trip Suits people who will trade warmth and sleep for the chance of a clear sky.
One-night microadventure Suits busy people: one night outdoors close to home, and back in time for work.
Photography trip Suits early risers who plan the day around the light.
Ranch stay Suits riders and would-be riders who want horses in the daily plan.
Safari Suits wildlife watchers who are glad to be up before dawn.
Ski or snowboard trip Suits people who like cold mornings, fast runs and tired legs.
Stargazing trip Suits night owls who will travel far from city lights.
Walking holiday Suits steady walkers who like to earn their dinner.
Wildlife-watching trip Suits patient people with binoculars: birds, whales or bears.

Cities and culture 12

Christmas market trip Suits people who like cold evenings, lights and warm food from a stall.
City break Suits people who like museums, cafes and walking until their feet hurt.
Festival trip Suits people who want one big event with a trip built around it.
Food trip Suits people who plan the day around meals.
Garden tour Suits gardeners who want ideas to take home.
Historic sites trip Suits history readers who want to stand where it happened.
Literary trip Suits readers who want to walk the streets of a favorite book.
Market and antiques trip Suits browsers who travel with a half-empty suitcase.
Museum and gallery trip Suits people who can spend three hours in one building.
Small-town weekend Suits people who want one main street, a diner and nothing urgent.
Sports trip Suits fans who want to see a match or a race in person, then look around the town.
Theme park trip Suits families, and anyone who still likes a roller coaster.

Slow and restful 6

A month in one place Suits remote workers and retirees who can stay long enough to shop like a local.
Couple’s getaway Suits two people who need a weekend on nobody else’s timetable.
Farm stay Suits families who want animals, mud and a hand in the chores.
Retreat Suits people who want quiet days on a set timetable: yoga, writing or silence.
Staycation Suits people who want a rest without the packing: day trips, and your own bed at night.
Villa with friends Suits a group that wants one big kitchen table and no schedule.

Close to home or low cost 4

Home swap Suits people on a budget who are happy living in someone else’s house.
House-sitting trip Suits animal lovers who will trade pet care for a place to stay.
Visit to family or friends Suits anyone who is owed a visit and likes a free guide.
Weekend in the next town over Suits people with two free days and no wish to fly.

With a purpose 4

Family roots trip Suits people who want to see where their family came from.
Language immersion trip Suits learners brave enough to order every meal in a new language.
Learning holiday Suits people who want to come home with a skill: cooking, painting or pottery.
Volunteer trip Suits people who want to give their time to a project while they travel.

By who is coming 5

Friends’ reunion trip Suits old friends who live far apart and need a reason to meet.
Mystery trip Suits people who like surprises: someone else picks, and you find out at the station.
Parent-and-child trip Suits one parent and one child who are owed time together.
Solo trip Suits people who want to set every plan themselves.
Three-generation trip Suits grandparents, parents and children who want one house and separate naps.