Staycations vs. Vacations

Which is better for recharging batteries and relieving stress and anxiety?

Ken Budd

Updated June 18, 2025

An up-close view of travel accessories for a flight

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TSA should stand for “totally stressed and aggravated.” If you’ve ever stood in a 45-minute airport security line, surrounded by cranky travelers, you’ve probably thought: Forget the vacation. I should’ve stayed at home.

But are staycations less stressful than vacations? Consider the pros and cons.

Staycations

The upsides: The stresses of travel don’t exist in your home. There’s no metal detector at your front door, and your easy chair is way roomier than an airline seat in coach. Plus, even the simplest vacation requires research, booking, packing and planning. Managing those details — and figuring out an unfamiliar locale once you arrive — can be exhausting. In YouGov’s 2025 “Booking Burnout” report, 70 percent of survey respondents found at least one part of the booking process to be stressful, with airport transfers topping the list at No. 1.

Then there’s the cost. Money is the second-leading cause of stress for most Americans, according to the American Psychological Association’s 2024 “Stress in America” report, and we spend close to $3,000 per household on summer vacations. By staying home, you can enjoy low-cost activities — the kind you rarely have time for — from reading a novel to exploring local trails or museums.

The downsides: You may sacrifice brain-boosting novelty and excitement. People feel less inhibited on vacation: Fifty-two percent said they had the best sex of their lives on vacation, according to a 2024 survey conducted by Talker Research. Sex increases the flow of nutrient-rich, oxygenated blood to your brain, so vacation sex is good for your mood and your mind.

Plus, leaving home means leaving your comfort zone, and challenging yourself to learn new things and have new experiences is one of the pillars of brain health, says Adam Gazzaley, a neuroscientist at the University of California, San Francisco. So if you opt for a staycation, break your routine. “Maybe stay overnight in a new neighborhood or try a different dish at a familiar restaurant,” suggests travel expert Lisa Niver, author of Brave-ish: One Breakup, Six Continents, and Feeling Fearless After Fifty.

Another risk of staying home? You may overfocus on household projects or struggle to disconnect from work. That’s important to consider, because disengaging from your job is good for your health.

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“I see this with many of my clients: When they take a staycation, they wind up working,” says Rachel Noble, a licensed therapist who runs Noble Practice, a D.C.-based therapy and psychiatry group. “They think, ‘I’m just going to answer a few emails’ — and the next thing you know it’s 3 o’clock in the afternoon. I hear it all the time.”

Vacations

The upsides: Traveling exposes you to new cultures, new people and new activities. You learn about the world and about yourself. Sharing those rich experiences with a partner can build bonds and spice up relationships. “Couples who do more new, interesting, challenging and exciting things together while on vacation…report higher romantic passion and physical intimacy after vacations have ended,” a study published in 2024 in the journal Annals of Tourism Research Empirical Insights found.

Vacations are also good for your heart. In a study of 63 workers published in Psychology & Health in 2020, people who took more vacations were less likely to meet the criteria for metabolic syndrome — a group of conditions, such as high blood pressure, that raise the risk for cardiovascular diseases — than those who took fewer trips. Other studies have linked vacations to better sleep, greater happiness and increased well-being.

The health benefits of travel might slow down the aging process, according to research from Australia’s Edith Cowan University published in 2024 in the Journal of Travel Research. A change in routine can also generate fresh thinking and new ideas. Lin-Manuel Miranda, for example, says he got the idea for his award-winning musical “Hamilton” while vacationing in Mexico.

The downsides: Not every vacation goes well. A happy vacation may reduce stress, but complications — lost luggage, pickpockets, missed flights, stomach bugs — can leave you feeling more tense than relaxed. “Travel-related stress can spark mood changes, depression and anxiety,” the U.S. Centers for Disease Control states. Up to 80 percent of travelers experience post-vacation illnesses (typically viral infections), estimates Ashima Oza, M.D., a primary care physician with Weill Cornell Medicine.

Then there’s the effect on the planet. Tourism accounts for eight percent of the world’s carbon emissions, reports Sustainable Travel International.

Which is best?

There’s no right or wrong choice between a staycation and a vacation. It depends on you: What do you want? What feels right? What will invigorate you — or exhaust you?

“This is a fabulous opportunity to listen to your gut and to trust yourself,” says Noble. “This isn’t about a beautiful brochure or photos you’re seeing on people’s Instagram feeds. It’s about honoring who you are and what you need.”

Whether you hop on a plane or hop on the couch, the important thing is taking time off. Forty-six percent of U.S. workers who receive paid time off use less than they could, a 2023 Pew Research Center survey found. But we need that time to reinvigorate ourselves — physically, spiritually, emotionally and intellectually.

“Whether you go away or stay home, the point is to re-energize your body and your soul,” Noble says. “That’s how we replenish our empty tanks.”