Your Guide to a Frugal, Socially-Distanced Vacation that Actually Feels like Vacation

Because we all need a break from this stressful year, my god, but we need to do it safely. I’m so tired of hearing about other people’s vacations where they throw caution to the wind in the name of “Mental health!” When they do so by risking their physical health. Come on, guys, I get most of us frugal folks don’t have the funds for a socially-distanced vacation on a yacht or private island. If I did, I’d have already built my dream home and would be sheltering there. With that said, there are plenty of options for a frugal – and socially-distanced – vacation that leaves you feeling recharged and refreshed.

I speak from experience. In June my friend and I quarantined for two weeks before taking a long weekend trip up to New Hampshire. We rented a car and we ran around Concord, hiked, and hung out with horses for $115/day total. That included all food, lodging, and the car rental to get up there. It’s also in line with that Millennial Revolution has pinned as frugal travel in expensive countries.

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In July 2019 I had another frugal, socially-distanced vacation in New Hampshire, albeit for non-pandemic-related reasons: I needed a few days to sit in isolation and finish writing the first draft of my first book (!!) According to my Mint budgeting the total cost was $238.45, or roughly $60 a day. My Airbnb host provided so many snacks they constituted their own meals for me, lowering the cost even further.

Those trips, plus others I and my friends have taken, make it clear there’s still lots of choice for a good vacation.

Change the Scenery

Look, normally I’m all for the concept of a staycation. You can live someplace for years until you finally explore/find some local hidden gem. But staycations normally mean your home base is still your home. If you’re at all a person who takes responsibility for their actions, you’ve been spending more time at home than you ever have before. And seeing the same walls you’ve been staring at since March aren’t going to give you as much of a relief.

So instead, my advice is to change the scenery around you, even if you’re not going that far. In my case I’m all about driving an hour or two into New Hampshire as I plan to move there in a few years. Quelle surprise I like going up there for vacations now. Check out what places are accessible within a three-hour drive. From Boston I can reach the White Mountains, the Berkshires, upstate New York, Vermont, and a good chunk of Maine that way. While I’m avoiding the bigger cities, that still gives me an awesome selection for sightseeing, kayaking, camping, or just retreating from this crazy world a bit. Better yet, there are plenty of deals for lodging off the beaten path. Your wallet, and peace of mind, will thank you.

Alternatively, you can do what my friend Purple did and simply book an Airbnb somewhere else in your city. She reports her hosts had enhanced cleaning and sanitizing protocols in place to prevent any contaminants being spread. Plus her monthlong stays, while still in the same city, were still enough of a change to feel renewed. Either way, there are ways to stay elsewhere while not losing it about your room’s yellow wallpaper. 😉

Check Out the More Rural Spots

I was very specific about bolding the previous part on “avoiding the bigger cities”. The more secluded your destination, the lower the chance you’ll come in close contact with someone. That also means the less chance someone will come in close contact with you; the last thing you want to do is become a super spreader and worsen the COVID cases at your destination.

Both New Hampshire vacays meant me staying at houses that did not have immediate neighbors. When I went to restaurant with my friend we kept more than six feet of distance from everyone else. And you know what? It was still a really fun time! We could still people-watch as we ate dinner in downtown Concord. We could still make small talk with the folks behind the counter as we got gelato. And we could still wave to the few people we saw when we were out with horses on the farm. Who says you need to go somewhere urban for a nice time? Don’t sleep on going rural for a bit!

Plus, rural areas are so much more quiet – humans are noisy! And speaking of someone who lives just off of a relatively busy road, that is one massive draw for a frugal, socially-distanced vacation spot.

Choose the Cheapest Modes of Transit

I’m not stepping foot on a plane right now if I can help it, so using my airline points is out. Stick to places you can reach by road. My Vermont trip last October saw me renting via Turo for $35/day. This year I rented via Thrifty Car Rental in Boston which beat Turo’s stuff by a mile.

If you have a car this is easy peasy. If you’re like me and don’t, go with the cheapest. Last year I opted for riding the bus up to NH; for $31 I got a round-trip ticket, making for a smooth, easy, and peaceful ride up to my destination. Highly recommend Concord Coach Lines for all of your New England transit needs. Their rides in 2019 were pretty empty too, much to my surprise!

Test Yourself

My friends “Charlotte” and “Jane” recently went on a trip that made me hella jealous. They’re both big on hiking and decided on the perfect socially-distanced hiking vacation: taking a month off to hike from Boston to the Canadian border. They camped at night, eliminating the need for paid lodging, and had INCREDIBLY gorgeous Instagram posts of their camps and natural surroundings.

Another friend just remembered she has Instagram and is posting all about her cross-country road trip. Everybody with her has masks whenever they emerge from their car and I’m digging their commitment to hitting every landmark between the East Coast and West.

None of these three friends do anything remotely close to all-day hiking or all-day car rides on the regular. Yet all three were thrilled to do it as it still accomplished the main goal of a vacation: a break from regular stressors via a nice experience. Vacations can be incredibly relaxing, but they don’t have to be to be amazing.

Be Selective With Your Meals

Sometimes a vacation isn’t complete until you find a delicious, delicious restaurant that’s worth the price. Other times it’s ordering in that does it; some of my most-loved memories are from spending time with friends as we dug into pizza or Chinese takeout on someone’s couch.

The best price-wise is cooking things yourself, if you so choose. Camping offers the obvious fun times with roasting any number of things on an open fire. If you’re staying somewhere with a kitchen, even better. During college spring break trips my group and I would take turns cooking up dinner. Since it was college we weren’t springing for the gourmet ingredients, but I still cherish the big tubs of spaghetti and make-your-own tacos we’d prepare. (And also introducing everyone to cookie pizza, which is a fun little story for another time.)

But in any case, don’t just throw your money at what’s most convenient. You’re on vacation; you’re not being rushed to make a decision on where you should eat. So take your time and be selective. That’s how you best put “frugal” in the “frugal, socially-distanced vacation”.

Bring More Masks than You Think You Need

Don’t make yourself, or anyone else, sick. I don’t care if you’re in the middle of nowhere and in a county coronavirus still hasn’t touched. Ditto for if no one around you is wearing a mask and gives you shit for being different (in which case, that’s a clear sign you suck at choosing good destinations). Wear masks, and bring more than you’ll likely need. That way there’s no excuse for not wearing them. Sweated through your fabric mask after a grueling hike? No biggie, replace the gross sweaty mask with a fresh one. And any other time you want.

Ta da! Keep these things in mind as you prepare for your frugal and socially-distanced vacation. Whether you end up in a lovely cabin or a charming little town, you’ve got excellent places for recharging your batteries in this cursed year of 2020. Go enjoy your getaway guilt-free and safely; you’ve earned it after months of this nonsense.