Safe Vacation Ideas for 2020
We all know by now that 2020 is not going to be a normal year. When people are eventually allowed to leave their homes and venture out, there will be a dilemma about what we CAN and WANT to do for our annual vacations.
I have a feeling that most people will want to do something different and interesting but at the same time stay away from crowded airports and typical tourist spots.
I am definitely thinking that way. I’ve already started brainstorming about what we could do for some fun getaways later this year.
I want to share some ideas with you that will hopefully get you motivated for that well-deserved but SAFE vacation in 2020.
Glamping
Have you heard of this? It is the newly termed word for ‘Glamour’ and ‘Camping’. It allows you to camp outdoors but in a more luxurious manner.
When it comes to camping, people either love it or hate it. I’ve always loved camping and enjoyed doing it with my family when I was young. But for those people who aren’t keen on traditional camping, Glamping could be a good alternative.
I tried one of these Glamping trips in June 2019 with my partner. We both absolutely loved it! I mentioned this experience in my blog post about the ‘18 Most Adventurous Things I’ve Done‘.
Glamping sites are becoming more popular. You may be able to find one not so far from where you live. Try doing an internet search for the term ‘glamping’ and the name of the area where you live.
The upside of booking a glamping trip is that you don’t need to invest in camping equipment. The sites normally provide everything you need and may even have an onsite restaurant. The glamping site where we went to in Switzerland provided food delivered to our tent. We had a cheese fondue dinner in the evening and a breakfast basket the next morning. How cool is that? We were able to sit out in nature below our suspended tent and enjoy a romantic meal together.
The downside of glamping could be the cost. Our overnight trip was not cheap (approx. 300 USD per night during high season). Depending on the food options you choose with your package, the price could vary. As I considered this to be a bucket list experience, I splurged on the price. I had no regrets as it was truly amazing.
Hiking Trip
If you’re like me and love to hike, you could think about doing a hiking vacation. There may be mountains or parks near where you live with nice hiking paths.
I am lucky to live next to the Swiss Alps where they have many hiking routes. We have the typical mountain huts (or ‘refuges’ as they call it here in French). These are large houses with multiple rooms, each having bunk beds or mattresses.
One thing you might not like about these huts is that you usually have to sleep with others in the same room. There could be anywhere from six to twenty beds in one room. They provide the duvets and pillows but you may be required or want to bring a sleeping slip and pillowcase.
If you’re a light sleeper, you may have trouble with the sounds of snoring and noises in the shared room. It’s a good idea to bring an eye mask and earplugs.
The advantage of staying in huts is the low cost. There is usually a fee for the bed with the option of adding the evening dinner and the next day’s breakfast (both being very basic but good enough). You could bring your own food, but I personally like the idea of sitting down to a warm cooked meal after hiking all day. The average price we paid for everything was 60 USD per night per person. The price could be less expensive for children.
Be warned that some of these huts don’t have showers or may only have an outhouse (no toilet plumbing). Depending on your hygiene preference and the amount of time that you’ll be staying there, you’ll need to assess if the hut suits your personal needs.
One place that we stayed a few years ago did not have inside toilets. You had to actually walk 20 meters down the hill where there was only a wooden shed and a hole that was positioned on a cliff. No more details needed to explain that!
I’m considering this vacation option to go hiking in the nearby mountains this summer. I love to challenge my physical capabilities while being out in nature.
If you don’t feel comfortable organizing this kind of hiking tour on your own, there are companies that provide walking or hiking tours. I’ve never tried any of these companies but I have heard good things about Backroads.com.
Here is a link to my Facebook album for an overnight hike we did in Val d’Herens, Switzerland in 2017 and another photo album link for a 2018 weekend hike in a nearby area.
Biking Tour
Another way to avoid the crowds this year is to consider doing a biking tour, either organized by yourself or with a touring company. If you choose a touring company, you will normally be with 15 to 30 other people.
We’ve done four different biking trips with the same company, Islandhopping.com. Except for the trip we did in Vietnam, they were all based on sleeping on a medium-sized motorboat and doing bike rides on different islands. We did a bike-boat tour in Croatia two times and in Greece two times. These trips were my favorite type of vacation!
Depending on the location, company, and the program, the cost range could vary. The average we paid for our one-week boat and bike tours was approximately 1,200 USD per person. The price did not include airfare. Included in the tour cost were the boat accommodation (very basic small rooms), all meals, non-alcoholic drinks, and guided bike rides.
Most biking tour companies now offer electric bikes as well as the standard bikes. I’ve had my own electric bike for the last two years. I will never go back to using a normal one. It’s still a good workout but you don’t have to sweat so much on the hills.
You can see more details about these biking trips on my pages for Croatia, Greece, and Vietnam.
The other option for a biking vacation is to plan your own tour and book your accommodations along the route. I am thinking to do this myself this summer if possible.
We live near a country-wide bike route called the ‘Route de Coeur’, meaning the Heart Route. It is comprised of backcountry roads that lead you from town to town. For overnight accommodations, you can find a hotel at the last minute where you decide to stop for the day. The other option would be to plan the itinerary ahead of time for how far you want to bike each day and in which hotels or B&Bs you will stay. I’m already excited just thinking about this kind of trip!
Camping Car Road Trip
This is another inexpensive way to get away from home and see something new while avoiding the crowds. I did this one year by borrowing a friend’s sleeping van and driving to the Italian region of Switzerland. You can also rent these types of camping cars.
If you don’t have a shower/toilet in the camping car, you will need to use the facilities at campsites. There will be a fee for parking your car in a designated campsite but this is not too expensive.
You can buy simple food or use restaurants if you don’t have a method of cooking in the car.
The advantage of this kind of vacation is that you are free to go where you want and set your own schedule each day. If you find a pretty place that you want to explore more, then you can just stay a day or two longer.
Staycation
This is a recent term for people who spend their vacation staying home. I know, I know, you’re probably thinking ‘No Way!’ after being stuck in the house for months due to the Coronavirus quarantine. But this is definitely an option, especially for those who have suffered financial problems during this pandemic. If you have no budget to travel, then this may be the only viable option.
You could make a staycation fun in your own way. One idea is to set up a campsite in your backyard. Amazingly, we saw this scene during our neighborhood walk last week. I think people are so tired of being cooped up in their house or apartment, they are setting up tents in their yard for a change of scenery.
If you have a cooking grill of some sort, that also adds some fun and adventure. Who doesn’t like eating s’mores around a campfire grill, telling ghost stories, and singing Kum-bah-yah? Ok, now I’m sharing too much of my childhood memories.
Other ideas for a staycation are to sign up for some nearby classes where you could learn something new. If you have young children, they could perhaps join a daytime sports camp assuming these places will be open. Maybe you are ready to take that painting or photography class you’ve been putting off for many years.
I did two long weekend trips in 2019 to see some new sights and also practice my photography. One trip was to the Tuscany region of Italy and the other was to the Provence region of southern France. What an amazing time I had taking photos all day and admiring the most beautiful scenery.
There is nothing more satisfying than spending a vacation doing what makes you happy and learning something new at the same time.
I hope I’ve given you some ideas about how to have a safe, relaxing vacation away from the crowds this year. If you have your own good ideas about different vacation options, please comment below and share it with us!
We all need to have some joy this year while feeling safe!
If you are looking for assistance to plan your next trip, I am here for YOU! I love to plan travel itineraries for myself and others. For more details on how I provide this service, please check out my Itinerary Planning page and drop me a quick email at jan@janadventures.com to get started!
MY FAVORITE PRODUCTS… I get asked often which products I use when traveling so I created a page of all my favorite products. You can check it out here
45 Comments
sewer drains
Helpo there! Would you mind if I share your blog with my twitter
group? There’s a lot of people that I think would rdally appreciate your
content.Please llet me know. Thanks!
Jan
Sure, no problem!
ปั้มไลค์
Like!! Thank you for publishing this awesome article.
Jan
Thank you! I’m glad you enjoyed it!
Tara
These are such great ideas! I agree; anything that takes you outside – biking, hiking, glamping – will be the safest form of travel for a while.
Jan
Thanks! I will be doing a 4-day bike trip this weekend across central Switzerland and will write a post about it!
Annette
With the craziness of this summer, your ideas are perfect!! I love to go camping, and we live in Alaska, so this is a perfect staycation for us!!
Jan
Glad you liked my ideas, Annette! I’ve never been to Alaska but hope to visit one day soon! It must be gorgeous there!
Carrie Beaton
Outdoor adventures are definitely the way to go! If you can do them with out having to get a hotel it’s even better!
Jan
Yes! Totally agree!
Angela
We so wanted to do some glamping this year but the places filled up really fast!
Jan
Aww, that’s a shame, but hopefully, you can find some other ideas!
Cindy
I had to giggle when I saw glamping and an outhouse practically in the same sentence! I want to try glamping-it sounds so fun.
Jan
Ha, you’re right but at the least the toilet was a flush kind and no smell at all!
Judean
I love all of these ideas. I didn’t know treehouse accomodations existed! Staying in one of those would be so awesome! I am sure those are available in the US but I am going to research for sure! I am definitely a glamper!
Jan
I’m glad you enjoyed the ideas and let us know if you find a glamping area near you!
Emily
Those pics of the alps were just stunning
Jan
Thank you! Have you been to the Alps?
Myrka
I’m so jealous of the lavender field you went to! I have been wanting to go to one! Also of that fondue! Wish I lived near the Swiss Alps! I’ve never been interested in camping. I might have to do this during the fall in the states for the first time.
Jan
Hope you can get here one day to see Switzerland and the French Provence lavender region!
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Jennifer L Markell
My hubs has 10 days off in July…last year we took a whirlwind trip through AZ and the Grand Canyon…this year, it’s a staycation… 🙁 Thanks for the ideas to make it great tho!
Jan
You are welcome! Enjoy your staycation this year, the same for us as we plan to only do things here in Switzerland. 🙂
Sarah Camp
Yes! It’s the summer of outdoors for sure – and I am ALL about the glamping. I’ll probably just be sticking to staycation and hopefully some hiking this summer – but it’s a great way to explore what’s local to us (for a change!)
Jan
Sounds good! It’s a great way to discover our own backyard, right? 🙂
Barbara
Theses are GREAT ideas! LOVE IT!
Jan
Thanks! I’m glad you liked my post!
Alexis Farmer
I love any of these trips!
Jan
That’s great! Thanks for commenting on my post!
Roselyn Franke
Fun read – I’m definitely into the RV type vehicle for road travel!
Sabrina DeWalt
The biking trips sound like a great time. I may just have to plan one.
Jan
YES, I love those boat and bike trips! Where are you located?
Sabrina DeWalt
I am in Virginia.
Jan
That’s nice, I’ve done a small bit of sightseeing in Virginia and loved it!
Beth
I grew up camping and staying in out-of-the-way camping spots, so lots of your options are not too rustic for me. And that lavender in Provence, wow!
Jan
That’s good to hear! And yes, Provence lavenders are awesome!
Eva Keller
We’ve been doing lots of camping and outdoorsy kind of trips this year. We went to Chaco Culture National Historical Park and Aztec Ruins National Historical Park and we saw maybe 2 other cars the entire time we were there. It was amazing having places like that all to ourselves.
Jan
Thanks for your comment! I will check out these parks for future trips!
Heather
These are some great ideas. I’ve been thinking this is a summer for road trips and I like your idea to borrow a camping van or looking into glamping.
Jan
I’m happy to hear you like my ideas! I’d love to know what you end up doing!
Darla
I’ve been wanting to rent a camper van. That is definitely in consideration for this summer!
Jan
Yes, it may be a good alternative this year! Where do you live and where would you take your camper van?
Fiona
Fantastic ideas Jan – not sure I’d like the outside loo but would most definitely do one of your Islandhopping trips. Campers vans too – always wanted one ! Thanks for a great site, beautiful photos and the ‘personal’ touch which is so important and makes the dream come alive ! Vive les vacances, post-Corona xxxx
Jan
Thanks Fiona! Glad you enjoyed this post and my site! Makes me happy to know you are 👍🏻👍🏻 checking it out! 🙏🏼
Mike A
Great ideas!!