Traveling is a fun way to relax and experience other cultures. Whether you’re sticking to travel within the United States or venturing out to international locations, it’s possible to have a good time if you plan your trip carefully.

One important thing to remember is that you don’t need to have an activity for every hour of the day. Sometimes, the best times on vacation happen when you aren’t overly busy and trying to rush from one activity to the next. Having downtime may help to ensure that you don’t need a vacation to recover from your vacation.

Pick and choose activities

When money or time are limited, picking your activities carefully can help you enjoy a bit of luxury on your vacation. Check out travel bloggers like Claudette Rickett Schwartz to see what their recommendations are for a specific location. One major, luxury activity can be a focal point of your vacation. If you’re into sharing on social media, it may provide you with amazing photo ops.

Dine like a local

Skip fast food as much as possible on your vacation. In many cases, you can dine like a local without spending much more money. If you have a hotel room with a refrigerator, you could always grab an extra lunch item and have it for dinner while sitting by the pool. Many hotels have microwaves in the rooms or available for public use if you need to reheat the food.

Enjoy nature

Getting out into nature to spend a day lounging by the beach or taking a leisurely hike through a national park can help you to get some exercise in while you’re on vacation. This can also be a very relaxing adventure if you aren’t rushed. You can use your phone to look up plants, animals, or landmarks to help you learn a little more about the area you’re visiting.

Before you head out for your vacation, make sure that you’ve done your research about what others appreciate in the area. If there are activities you want to do or places you want to visit that aren’t high on your priority list, you can sometimes use those to fill in unexpected free time. It’s critical that you remember to be as flexible as possible when you’re on vacation so you don’t get stressed out about trying to rush around on a vacation that should be centered around relaxing and rejuvenating.