It’s a common misconception that you have to plan months ahead for a beach vacation and only take one once a year. Nope! Not true. You can opt for a long weekend getaway to Indian Rocks Beach and Indian Shores, Florida without much notice and without breaking your budget. Have you considered taking a long weekend away or booking a shorter-stay beach vacation? You should! 

Here are some of the most compelling benefits of taking a wonderful weekend escape to the beach—plus tips on how best to do it so you can make the most of your precious time. Be sure to check out the Florida Gulf Coast condo rentals available for shorter stays and long weekend getaways in Indian Rocks Beach and Indian Shores at the end of this article. Your next weekend getaway is not that far away! 

BENEFITS OF WEEKEND GETAWAYS AND SHORTER BEACH VACATION STAYS

Long weekend getaways and mini-vacations are easy to plan.

Smaller trips with fewer days to stay and pay for are just easier to plan than a full vacation. You only need to plan for a few nights’ stay, packing is light, and there will only be a few things you’ll want to plan to do during your time away. You can be more spontaneous and not have to take off a lot of time from work either. See, easy!

You can take more beach getaways more often.

When you break trips down into smaller chunks, you get more opportunities to get away. Yay! Who doesn’t want more vacation breaks anyway? It’s more manageable to travel this way, and you don’t need months of advance planning to do it. This also gives you more things to look forward to in the upcoming weeks and months since there are more getaways to be had.

Long weekends away are an easy way to break routine and still relax.

Let’s face it, this year is a little different from the norm. With flexible schooling and working from home options more prevalent, that means your routine is unique this year, too. Take advantage of these changes and use those more flexible days to getaway. You can break up the daily routine for just a while, and then be back home when you need to be. Relaxation and vacations are key to mental health! 

Short vacations and weekend getaways are budget-friendly ways to travel.

You don’t have to break the bank for a vacation. Shorter getaways and long weekends are perfect for budget-friendlier travel. You’re only committing to a few days’ stay and your Indian Rocks Beach vacation rental offers a kitchen, so you don’t even have to eat out every day if you don’t want to. Since you’ll not be traveling too far, you won’t have the expense of airfare either.

It’s easier to disconnect and destress when it’s only for a few days.

The fact of the matter is that it’s much more manageable and doable to allow yourself time away to fully disconnect from daily stressors—like unplugging from work emails, turning off the news, distancing yourself from the constant barrage of texts and social media outlets, and all the other technologies we interact with on a daily basis—when it’s for a shorter period of time. You won’t feel the constant tug of those things as much from only a few days away from it.

HOW TO MAKE THE MOST OF YOUR LONG WEEKEND OR SHORT STAY BEACH VACAY

Pick somewhere that’s not too far away.

If you’re choosing a long weekend at the beach or a shorter vacation stay, you won’t want to spend too much of your time in transit. Sometimes just driving outside of your immediate town or city is enough to feel like you’re much farther away! Indian Rocks Beach and Indian Shores are not far from the bigger Florida cities of Tampa, Clearwater, and St. Pete but can simultaneously feel worlds away on these quieter, more laid-back shores where there are less people and less distractions. 

Choose accommodations close to the things you want to do. 

If you only have a few days away, then make sure you stay in close enough proximity for the few attractions and things you want to do during that time. Staying in Indian Rocks Beach and Indian Shores puts you close enough to all of the big attractions of the Florida Gulf Coast area, without being too close. It’s perfect! 

Try to disconnect as much as possible during your short time away.

We’ve already mentioned this, but it’s worth reiterating. With so much of our lives tied to technology, it’s really important to take a break from it, too. With virtual schooling and remote working occurring more often lately, this translates into needing even more time to take a break from all the online things. This is especially important for kids, but also for adults! Opt for some hands-on learning and educational experiences, dig deep in the white sugar sand, swim freely in the warm Gulf of Mexico waters, and take a few deep breaths of that fresh salty air. Repeat often and as needed.

FLORIDA GULF COAST VACATION RENTALS THAT OFFER SHORTER STAY OPTIONS