What is a Microcation?
Some time last year, my mom asked me if I was aware of the term "microcation" after she watched a morning show featuring a story about the concept becoming popular amongst younger age groups. I decided to eventually take some time to write about microcations because if the word was new to me then surely it would be new to others. The time has come to dive into a deeper understanding of microcations!
What is a Microcation?
A "microcation" is a short trip that can be anywhere from 1 to 4 days. Think of it more as a day trip or a long weekend getaway. By this definition, I primarily take microcations for the vast majority of my trips. That is likely the case for most people when they travel if we're being completely honest. Microcations are great for people who have limited PTO or want to travel on a smaller budget. This sure sounds a lot like what I try to provide insights on here at Kimi's Travel Thoughts based on my own trips that I recap for readers to learn more about. Gen Z just happened to give the concept a dedicated name separate from terms like "trip" or "vacation".
How is a Microcation Different from Other Vacations?
So, what exactly makes a microcation different from other vacations? In addition to the length of time, the key differences are distance and cost. Microcations are usually at least 100 miles away from home, which means it's definitely not a staycation and is mostly likely going to be within your country unless you happen to live along the Mexican or Canadian borders or on another continent where it is easier to travel between countries. If you're truly taking a microcation, you're not traveling more than a few hours by car or a couple of hours by plane.
You also are not spending much money on a microcation. The concept takes what might be one long vacation and breaks it down into a few trips with a budget that reflects this. A good microcation is probably going to cost under let's say $1,200 because you aren't spending as much money on total nights in a hotel or vacation rental, less on food, and, potentially, less on activities. The main goal is to have multiple opportunities throughout the year where you are spending time away from home and work to recharge and have fun without breaking the bank or running out of PTO.
Ideas for Your Own Microcation
Now that you know what a microcation is, I'm going to offer some ideas of how to plan a microcation without overcomplicating things.
Day Trips
If you've been following my blog or if you're new here, I have a dedicated section of my website to day trips. Some of them are within the same calendar day and others occur over the course of 24 hours that may span across two consecutive calendar days. Day trips are great if you only have a limited amount of or no PTO to use and want to go somewhere while spending as little money as possible beyond what a staycation may require. If there is a city or town that you can drive to within a few hours, fly to on a short nonstop flight, or travel to by train, then you likely have a perfect destination for a day trip that would also make for an ideal microcation.
Plan to Take a Microcation Once Per Quarter
The frequency with which you take a microcation will depend no how much money and PTO you have at your disposal. I have been attempting to go 4 straight months without taking a day off from work so I could be available to provide coverage when people on my team are out...and it's been terrible. I threw in a couple of weekend microcations and they weren't exactly restorative because I haven't taken an actual break from work so I just feel exhausted all the time. If you can, I would recommend taking a microcation at least once per quarter. You can even add staycations to the mix if you want to stretch your dollars as much as possible. Every job is a bit different when it comes to how and when you can take time off. If the weekends are all you have to be able to get away for a day or two, then make the most of it!
Plan Based on Preferred Destination Type
One of the best ways to go pick a destination when you may not know where to start is by figuring out what types of destinations you are and are not willing to consider. For example, I don't like sand and I don't like being outside, so a beach destination or a campsite are not going to be preferred destinations for most trips -- especially for a microcation that is meant to be restorative. However, if that these are your preferred types of destinations because they offer a place for you to relax and renew, then you should plan to go there. Remember, this is a microcation so you should be traveling further outside of your home region. This means Galveston along with a host of other beaches are extremely close to Houston, but a trip to Corpus Christi, South Padre Island, or Port Aransas would be more aligned with the definition of a microcation for a Houstonian.
For people who like to be at a resort, maybe there is a casino resort or a beach resort that works well for your travel needs. Having something all-inclusive is convenient and can potentially be more expensive. Other resorts such as Disney World and Dollywood also exist, but the amount you spend on a microcation at these destinations can be more expensive if you're not local (as in a resident of the state). Personally, I love a city trip because I can make the destination the same place for each microcation and have a different experience with each visit due to the volume of options for lodging, food, and activities. I'm lucky that Texas has options for me to travel my car, plane, bus, or train between the big cities in the state, and I live close enough to Austin's airport where I can easily catch short flights to other cities across the country or to Mexico.
Seek Out Inspiration from Travel Bloggers and Vloggers
It's not hard to find travel bloggers like me writing about trips or travel vloggers sharing videos on various platforms of highlights from recent vacations. We're a community of people who try to offer up information and unique insights about places to travel to, activities to experience, and ways to save money or make a trip more luxurious. We also are the people that are constantly taking "microcations" because it's the only way to crank out this much content on a consistent basis. Finding inspiration for your own microcation from people who take these trips all the time makes planning a microcation easier by using more realistic examples. Some people even sell their travel itineraries if you want to go that route.
There are numerous options in this world to serve as sources of inspiration if you want to get a better sense of what you can do as you work to plan a microcation. I hope you found the information and ideas shared in this blog post useful and maybe even helpful if you're attempting make arrangements for your own microcation in the near future!
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