Vacation vs. Trip:
What Kind of Traveler Are You?

By: Meredith Miller
Published April 16, 2019

“A vacation is having nothing to do and all day to do it in.” – Robert Orben

Lately, I’ve been getting asked questions that either go, “So, when’s your next vacation?” or, “So, when’s your next trip?” That got me thinking – we go on both – but are they actually the same thing? What is the difference between a trip and a vacation?

To start, we should talk about the fundamental difference between the two.

It’s pretty easy; what sounds relaxing, and what sounds like it may require a little extra energy? It’s all about expectation.

A trip is something that we go on with expectations of having a purpose each day to see something new or be adventurous.

A vacation is all about rejuvenation. Most often, people go on vacations to relax and recover from the stress of their daily lives back home. The goal of vacations is to come home feeling refreshed and renewed.

Growing up, my family has always gone on trips. We would always spend a week or two camping in the Upper Peninsula in Michigan, but even those days were filled with bike rides, kayak trips, boat expeditions, hikes – you name it. Not so much sitting and relaxing; we were always moving.

The expectation of our trip each summer was to see and do new things; little to no time spent sitting around.

We grew up thinking sitting and relaxing on a beach was a nice vacation, but a “boring” trip. In reality, the people who choose to relax and refresh rather than swim in the ocean all day just plan their travels differently and have different expectations.

In conclusion, what kind of traveler are you? Are trips and vacations the same, or are they different?

To figure out what kind of traveler you are, you must ask yourself what your expectations are before you leave:

What do I want to do while I’m gone?
How do I want to feel after I come back home?
What kinds of memories do I want to create for myself?

Decide what kind of experience you want to create for yourself, and go travel! Neither one is better than the other; they are just simply different. It’s always good to change things up, too. Maybe plan a hike one day, then sit by the beach the next.

Vacations focus on self-care, wellness, relaxing, and taking time to refresh.

The most beautiful thing in the world is, of course, the world itself.

In response to those who ask me when I’m going on a “trip” or “vacation” next; we go on both. Most of our trips are for work, but we do take a few vacation days off to enjoy where we are and to get the full experience of traveling to new places.