5 Reasons to Take a Short Break Instead of a Long Trip

With things looking a bit more positive regarding travel, it’s no surprise that people are looking for ideas of places to go. But with majority of people being limited to a certain number of days off from work, is going on one long trip really worth it? Or is it better to enjoy several short breaks throughout the year?

Obviously, this post is going to say that short breaks are better than a long trip. But really, who wouldn’t love staying in somewhere like one of these affordable castle hotels in Ireland for a nice weekend break? It would be the perfect way to relax and reset after a busy week at work.

With it being the bank holiday weekend here in the UK, this long weekend is a blessing. On a normal week, some people might find that there are some days – mainly on a Monday – where they might lean back in their office chair and daydream about some luxurious beach holiday, sipping Pina coladas and lying down with the sun shining down on their face.

Doesn’t matter how much you love your job, sometimes things can get stressful and it’s easy to want a lengthy break and just turn off that computer. But over the course of a year, is one long trip really worth it? Wouldn’t more frequent, shorter breaks be more effective in giving you the rest you need?

It’s worth thinking about as we give some thought to our overall ’strategy’ for annual leave. What works best for you? 

1. A Short Break is More Relaxing

The perks of a shorter break is that it can help you feel more relaxed since you won’t have to stress out about things like the expenses that can come from booking a long trip, you can be a bit more spontaneous as you can go anytime of the year and often having a long weekend can be exactly how long you need to reset from your busy week at work.

You might decide to stay in the Village Hotel in Portsmouth, or maybe a hotel closer to home for a couple days. Maybe you want to go on a glamping trip and truly have a unique experience! It’s really up to you though!

Since short breaks are easier to take than one long one you’ll find that they are more relaxing. Often with long breaks people can get stressed over the often complicated and expensive planning of a long trip. There are also high expectations that are self-imposed or placed by society to have a flawless vacation.

It can be so tough to have that perfect two week vacation – what happens if the weather is bad, flight delays and other things can get between you and the desired perfect getaway. By taking shorter and more frequent trips, you eliminate the mourning of a long trip and also have something to look forward to sooner rather than later.

2. You Can Make the Most of Your Weekend

The brilliant thing about taking a short break is that you can have a nice long weekend and not have to deal with that Sunday night dread when your weekend goes too quickly. You can make your weekend a long one, either by one or two days, and return to work feeling more refreshed and a little smug that you’ve made the most of your weekend.

Have you always wanted to go to somewhere like Brighton? Well this is what makes a short break the perfect way to enjoy visiting a much loved place – particular when you use this ultimate 24 hour guide to Brighton! You’ll get to go on an adventure, see a place that you’ve always wanted to visit and feel ready and refreshed when you go back to work.

If you’re job is flexible with the notice period you need to give with holiday requests, and you’re okay with a little bit of spontaneity, then if you know that the weather will be perfect then you can go for a short break and enjoy your time off. You could stay near a gorgeous beach, hit up some beer gardens and sit outside in the sunshine or have a brilliant day out in Wales!

You can check out some great last minutes deals as well if you want to make the most of your weekend and getaway for a little while. Find a place you haven’t been before that’s about two or three hours drive away (depending on how comfortable you are driving long distance) and you can have the perfect weekend getaway!

If you are planning on taking a road trip for your next little adventure then make sure to check out these 6 tips here to make your next road trip perfect!

3. You Can Go Any Time of the Year for your Short Break

Going one step further than making the most of your weekend, the brilliant thing with short breaks is that you can go at any time of the year thanks to having that little bit of extra flexibility. You don’t have to stick to the summertime to enjoy a short break in the UK.

If you don’t have kids then you are pretty much free to go at any time of the year. Spring, Autumn, and Winter offer plenty of opportunities for you to explore and make the most of your time, you don’t just have to wait till the Summer months for this to happen.

Of course, people like going in the Summer because it means that there is a higher chance of sunny days, but it also means that things might be more expensive and busier as well. But don’t be put off by the cooler weather, Spring brings the promise of longer days, and Autumn will give you crisp days to wrap up warm and go for a walk in.

Plus you can enjoy Bonfire Night, and the lead up to Christmas during the Winter months, whilst relaxing in front of a cosy fire in a nice holiday cottage or even in the comforts of your own home! The possibility of things that you can do are endless and you can have an amazing time away, even if all you do is go away for a few days and just read in front of a fire.

4. Less Annual Leave is Needed for a Short Break

Of course, going away for two weeks has its perks, but often people can feel tired from this long break and in a way, need a break from their break. Annual leave is precious enough, and often people don’t have enough days to give it up for one long holiday in the Summer – plus people might want days off for appointments etc, so your annual leave isn’t just for holidaying.

You don’t want to end up just using all your annual leave for a two week holiday in summer and then a week or two off for Christmas. Sometimes just being able to use one or two days annual leave to have a long weekend can be the blessing that people need when things get busy at work.

A short break can give you that reset that is so often desired and you don’t even need to worry about whether or not you have enough days to use. Instead you can get a slice of an adventure and an easy escape from the everyday hustle and bustle of life. You never know when you might need to take a break from your everyday life.

5. Explore Somewhere New on your Short Break

A common misconception that people use to have was that in order to relax on your holiday you need to go somewhere far, but now people have realised that staycations are the new vacations. You don’t need to travel far to have the perfect break, in fact, many people can have the most amazing short break that might only be an hour away from their home.

You don’t need to travel far to have new experiences, and you’d be surprised by how many new places there are that are just around the corner. If you always travel several hours when you go away, then you will miss out on some hidden gems that are close to your home.

The best thing though is that you don’t need to travel far to explore somewhere new on your short break, this means you have more time to relax as you won’t have to spend hours driving or sitting on a train/plane. There’s just something about driving a short distance to someplace and being perfectly able to enjoy yourself.

Who doesn’t love the idea of exploring somewhere new that might only be an hour up the road? That short break might be exactly what you need to do to relax and make some new memories!

Of course, if you are planning on diving in Silfra or want to go to somewhere that might be a twelve hour flight then a short break might not be quite the right thing. But then again, you could drive an hour up the road and still have two weeks off to yourself, just enjoying the peace and quiet. At the end of the day, the important thing is doing what you need to do.

What do you think – do you prefer short breaks or long holidays? Let me know in the comments!