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Top tips for the perfect solo staycation

  • 29 July 2019
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Top tips for the perfect solo staycation
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Taking a solo staycation the perfect time to unplug and relax, or try out that new thing you keep talking about – here’s our rundown of the best ways to get the most out of your staycation.

Staycations often take place somewhere locally like a hotel, campsite, or holiday apartment - it’s the perfect way to take a break without all the travel and expense of a regular holiday.

So why should you take a solo staycation? There are plenty of reasons:
• Unplug and take a well-earned break.
• Save cash by keeping travel costs down.
• It’s a great opportunity to learn more about where you live.

So with all that in mind, let’s run through or tips for getting the most out of your solo staycation:

1. Treat yourself to a pamper day
Have you been wanting to check out that new spa that opened up down the road, or soothe your aches with a relaxing massage? Now’s your chance.

What about a beauty treatment? There are plenty of apps to help out, like Urban, PRIV, or Zeel which lets you book professional treatments, straight to your home, office or hotel. Hey, it’s your staycation, why should you have to do all the legwork?

2. Get your chef on and cook up a storm
Taking some time out gives you a great opportunity to brush up on those kitchen skills. And there’s no shortage of free recipe apps to help you get inspired. A few worth checking out are BBC Good Food, Tasty, Big Oven and Food Network. You’ll find apps for all of these, whether you’re on Android or iOS.

You can also save time buying the ingredients for your next culinary masterpiece by using an online grocery service like Ocado, Amazon Pantry, Amazon Fresh, and mySupermarket. Most of the main supermarkets have free apps too, so if you’ve got a favourite, they’re likely to offer a delivery (Aldi and Lidl might be the only exceptions).

So now you’ve got no excuse, get that chef’s hat on and learn how to bake that cake (and eat it, of course).

3. Try out some local events
Whatever you’re into, you’ll usually find local events to suit you, or why to try something totally new? Events come in all shapes and sizes from, music and comedy gigs, car shows, art exhibitions, or open-air theatre shows – and you’ll often find plenty which are completely free.

A great way to find out about local events is by using location services (geotagging) in your social media apps like Facebook and Instagram. Geotags let your social media, and even Google, build a profile of where you go and what you like to do, they can then send you alerts about local events that might interest you. It’s a great way to get recommendations for events you might not normally find out about.

If you’re not too keen on sharing your location information, there are plenty of apps to help you find out what’s going on in your area. Some of our faves are Eventbrite, Skiddle, Stubhub, DICE and TodayTix.

4. Be your own movie date
Ok, let’s get this out of the way from the get-go, there’s nothing wrong with going to the cinema on your own and don’t let anyone tell you otherwise! Plenty of people enjoy solo cinema nights - it costs half as much and there won’t be any arguments about which movie you want to watch.

But, if you’re not keen on heading to the cinema alone, why not recreate the experience at home? Get yourself some popcorn, open a bottle of wine and close the curtains. Services like Netflix and Amazon Prime Video mean you’ll have no shortage of movies to get stuck into.

5. Take a class and learn something new
Fancy learning a new language, trying your hand at a life drawing class or buying yourself some cowboy boots and having a go at line dancing? Ok, maybe not the latter, but you’ll often find loads of local classes in all sorts of things, all you have to do is look.

Obby.co.uk is a great place to start if you’re looking for something fun like pottery, dance or jewellery making. If it’s something more practical you’re after, there are plenty of sites that’ll match you up with courses like Skillshare, Coursera and Udemy.

6. Get active
A staycation is a perfect opportunity to get your endorphins flowing with some exercise, so dust off that bike, get your trainers on and get out there. Websites like https://about:blank feature cycling routes in your area uploaded by other users to help you get started.

Get motivated by building your own training plan with apps like Nike Training Club, JEFIT and Freeletics. Or if you fancy something a little more tranquil, find a local Pilates or yoga class using MINDBODY.

7. Unplug completely with some guided meditation
There’s no doubt that meditation can be hugely beneficial. It can help you think more clearly, feel more energised, control anxiety, reduce depression and lots more. But don’t take our word for it, check out what the NHS says about mindfulness and meditation.

Your staycation is the perfect opportunity to give meditation a go and don’t worry if you haven’t got a clue where to start – as always, there are plenty of apps to help out.

Some of our favourites are Headspace, which is perfect for beginners, or The Mindfulness App which is great for helping you stay motivated with progress updates and challenges.

So, whether you’re planning a weekend of relaxation all to yourself, or an activity-packed two-week staycation, we’ve hopefully given you plenty to get inspired about. Got any helpful tips on solo holiday-ing? Share your comment below.

If you’re looking to get the family involved in your next staycation, take a look at our guide to making it a special local retreat.

1 reply

thanks for the information. All the points that you have shared with us are really helpful and it makes the clarification between differences like holiday enjoyment and using staycation. I would like to develop staycation idea and blog at  mu blog post at eduhelphub.com and thanks again for the information. 

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