5 REASONS WHY YOU SHOULD STAY AT HOME FOR THE LONG MAY WEEKEND
The long May weekend officially begins in a few days, and for some lucky ones it took off already yesterday, extending their holiday to over a week! For me, the long weekend is one of those periods during which I avoid traveling, although with a small amount of days off, you can rest well...and do a lot of sightseeing. It is true that last year I broke this rule and left for a week to Ireland, but it was due to reasons independent of me and to be honest, I was not disappointed, on the contrary! So if you would like to visit a place where there are not too many tourists during this period and prices are not increasing rapidly, I recommend Ireland. If you are interested, everything about costs, flights, accommodation, etc. you can find HERE.
Coming back to the main topic, this year I didn't plan anything for the May weekend and I intend to spend it at home. I know that for some of you it's one of the few occasions for a longer rest, but maybe this is just an explanation to "save" a little more days off for later, isn't it? In my opinion, it is better to have these two days off less, and take advantage of an attractive trip at the right moment, rather than force yourself to go somewhere just because most people do. There are several reasons for this, which I always try to recall and re-examine if an idea to travel in early May comes to my mind, or if I suddenly find a great cheap flights deal. I also have moments of weakness, but I try not to succumb to such offers before carefully checking all expenses ;) In any case, these several reasons are also a great explanation for the usual blissful home laziness, if that's just what you need ;)
I. PRICES INCREASE FOR THE LONG MAY WEEKEND
Especially in Poland, so it's not a good time to get to visit this country. Virtually every hotel, hostel or guest house raises the price per night for the weekend of May. What's more, more and more often a booking for the whole period of its duration is required, i.e. for about five days, and this can significantly and unnecessarily reduce your budget. Fuel prices, some attractions or even restaurant's menus are also going up in this period! Not everyone, of course, tries to bother as much, but in general you should not expect to be able to save up during the long weekend. On the other hand, traveling abroad is different and to a large extent it depends on whether the holiday is also celebrated in a given country or not. It's easy to check it in the international calendar, for example. A good idea may be holidays in places where the rainy season begins, and thus ends the tourist season. However, you usually have to spend more time on such holidays.
Of course, the price is not always important, but that's not the only reason why it's better to avoid traveling during long May weekend. Another against is:
II. CROWDS OF TOURISTS
Long May weekend is just after the summer holidays, the most popular holiday period in Poland, so no matter where you are, you will not be alone there. Regardless of whether you are going to the mountains, the sea, Masuria or Lubuskie, you are not the only one who want to rest. Currently, a lot of places, even those on the secluded edge of the forest, are popular and more and more people can afford the luxury of traveling. Yes, in grandma's place in Pępowo you will not meet crowds, maybe you will not even notice the car passing, but let's agree that this is more a visit than a trip ;) well, at least for Polish people...
The most besieged places in Poland are: Bieszczady, Karkonosze, Kołobrzeg, Masuria, Tatras, Tricity, Zakopane, etc.
Perhaps the crowds don't dress you out and on the contrary, such a gathering is a great opportunity for you to present a new spring dress? OK, why not, but consider the next "BUT":
III. LACK OF VACANCIES
In the first place, let's think about accommodation. The best ones are certainly already reserved, i.e. either with great quality in relation to the price, or the cheapest, or expensive and comfortable ones. So we are left with these average, poor, ultra expensive, or the worst: cheesy, but expensive ones. Sometimes a good opportunity may come, if someone just resigned, or didn't show up on the spot, so if we want to find something great, let's save it for the last minute. Unfortunately, it is getting harder to get to the most popular spots, sometimes you have to make a reservation even one year in advance! Maybe it is better to pause and visit your dream hotel, for example in the middle of May?
However, accommodation is not everything. If you are going on long May weekend, you have to reckon with admission tickets or a long waiting period in the queue; with inaccessible places in public transport, especially domestic; and with the lack of places in restaurants, pubs, etc. If you are driving a car and your route is on the highway, you can also expect queues at gas stations and at gates (this is what happens in Poland). In my opinion, such situations are too stressful to fully enjoy your well-deserved leisure time...
If you have already booked accommodation, crowds or higher prices are not a nightmare for you, there are two more reasons that discourage you from traveling during long May weekend:
IV. UNCERTAIN WEATHER
You should be informed that there has not been that many sunny and warm long May weekends in Poland for the last few years. I can't remember many, to be honest, at least from the time when I was a child, that is a long time ago ;) Yes, there are beautiful days, but it is about this uncertainty, in Poland in May that makes it difficult, so you need to set yourself both for hot weather and showers snow. In the beginning of May 2011 most of the country froze, for example. On the other hand, last year it was hot and stormy, and in this year's weather forecast it is promised to be somewhere in between. Let's keep our fingers crossed! :)
V. LIMITATIONS IN COMMUNICATION
The first and third of May are national holidays, during which there is limited public, intercity and national transport. It's harder to travel and explore on your own if you don't have a car. In addition, some museums, galleries or cultural facilities can be closed, so check before going on holiday. Most shops and malls will be definitely closed too. Sometimes, unfortunately, it is only on the spot that you can bounce back from the door. Recently, I had such a situation when on Holy Saturday it turned out that the Museum of the Second World War in Gdańsk was closed, although the information was not provided on the website.
WHAT TO DO AT HOME AT THE LONG MAY WEEKEND?
If I managed to persuade you to stay at home, you are wondering what you can do at home now? Here are a few of my suggestions:
book a massage - a moment of pleasure and relaxation will do you good.
meet your friends - maybe they also don't like to travel during long May weekend? It's time to make up for social backlogs.
plan your day of health - on the normal day you probably don't have time to prepare healthy meals, exercise in the morning, and in the evening put on cucumber face masks? A day off work is perfectly suited for that! Or maybe some of the activities will you introduce to your everyday routine?
do sports - especially in the open air, if the weather is good.
do sightseeing locally - perhaps you have never been to a regional museum or an observation tower in the village next door? Time to catch up ...
organize a trip - you regret that you are not going anywhere? Start planning your next trip, vacation, or a dream trip, which is to take place in two years - if you plan your expenses well, no budget will be inaccessible!
read - recently you only read Instagram posts or comments on YouTube? Be careful because you may unconsciously lose your language skills. Get a long-forgotten book in your hands, and if you can't focus on it, it's a sign that you spend too much time in front of the monitor and that you get too easily distracted by it.
clean the nearest area - it can be a forest, a meadow or a sidewalk in front of your apartment. It's not included in your responsibilities? All the better, do something selflessly and gain confidence.
visit an animal shelter - If you like animals, take the dog for a walk or play with the cat.
watch movies - in the cinema, if you have a few pennies, or on the couch, if it's raining outside.
don't do the cleaning - especially at home, unless it really relaxes you (is it even possible???).
You will easily find the right thing to do to relax, but the most important thing is not to plan things for that time, which we usually put off because doing them makes us unhappy. Because of that, you will associate long May weekend with something unpleasant, and not with leisure. Let's take care of ourselves physically and spiritually, because it's really hard to analyze or change our everyday habits while traveling, while we usually behave differently. Of course, let's not treat long weekend trips as a curse or wasted time. Maybe you know the wonderful places you dream about to visit, and the long weekend is a perfect time for you to go there? The point is not to let yourself be categorized or be a prisoner to trends. Please, let me know what are your plans and what do you recommend? Do you agree with my point of view, or do you have a different opinion? I am eagerly waiting for comments :)