In 2026, guaranteeing a relaxing vacation is surprisingly hard to come by, especially if you want to avoid luxury price tags.
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Travel, as a whole, has become more stressful and expensive than in previous decades. Worse, transportation isn’t the only place where you might face a few headaches. Even if you book a stay at an all-inclusive resort far from the hustle and bustle of your ordinary life, true rejuvenation might be hard to come by.
But I’ve learned a few lessons along the way. Over the last five years, my interest in travel has evolved from cultural excursions and adventurous side quests into more zenned-out territory. Now that I live in a high-traffic tourist hub, my personal vacations are treated like sacred hermitages.
Here’s what I look for (like a hawk) before I finalize my plans. I suggest you focus on these important factors when booking a relaxing vacation.
Important factors when booking a relaxing vacation: noise
The adults-only debate
If I plan on getting actual rest during my vacation, I will go to great lengths to look for properties that are adults-only or are heavily geared toward adults. I’m not one to get angry over a crying child on a plane—I love kids. (I’ve heard they’re the future.)
But if I need to guarantee some quality downtime, I know I won’t get it around a group of frolicking children, even if they’re having the time of their lives.
Does this mean you need to go adults-only every time? No. Many hotels and resorts have adults-only pools and floors, meaning you can guarantee some quiet time even around other families. Some properties also have kids’ clubs, meaning little ones are busy having fun in separate play areas with supervision.
If you’re traveling abroad, I recommend looking into cultural norms when it comes to kids’ playtime, as well. Some destinations don’t mind noisy kids, while in other places, kids tend to be quieter. To paint with very broad strokes, I’ve noticed European children are quieter than North American children.
The risk of cavemen
I’m not only focused on kids when I think about booking relaxing vacations. I do a lot of research into hotel and/or rental reviews to look into noise. It’s what I like to call the ‘caveman factor’. If you’ve lived in an apartment or condo before, you’ve likely encountered this type.
They’re travelers who walk with heavy feet. They speak loudly. They slam doors, drawers, and anything else that shuts.
While you can’t do anything to avoid this type of traveler, you can always comb through hotel and rental reviews to look for noise complaints. Just head to the reviews section, click into the search bar, and type in keywords like ‘noise’, ‘neighbors’, ‘thin walls’, etc. You want to look for hotels and/or rentals that have invested in soundproofing.
Important factors for a relaxing vacation: creature comforts
The food
Last year, my partner and I visited Sicily, where we stayed at a small eco-resort an hour outside of Palermo. The property had a large pool area with sweeping sea views. The rooms had kitchens where we could prepare our own food.
But we didn’t account for how much driving we’d be doing to eat out at restaurants. It’s Sicily – we were in the mood to gorge ourselves on delicious pasta and seafood dishes often.
Don’t forget to consider food options when you’re booking a relaxing vacation. You won’t feel nearly as relaxed if you need to leave the hotel or rental multiple times a day to feed yourself. If you’re going to rely on groceries to handle small meals, then don’t forget to factor in transportation. It shouldn’t be a stressor.
The all-inclusive question
All-inclusive resorts are one-stop shops where you can forget your troubles and truly unwind. The property will have everything you need for a great vacation, from buffets to beaches to water sports.
But if you don’t like the food that comes with your tier, you’re going to be miserable. Eating well is a key component of a relaxing vacation. This also extends to drinks. If you want high-quality food and top-shelf spirits, you need to buck up for a higher tier.
I also recommend being very selective about your all-inclusive resort. You don’t need to spend more to guarantee a relaxing vacation—but you do need to dig into the reviews to make sure other visitors had a rejuvenating experience. Some all-inclusive resorts are geared toward fun and partying, others toward lazy beach days.
5 important factors when booking a relaxing vacation: psychology
Here are my last five tips on how to nail a relaxing vacation. They’re short and sweet.
- The work stress. Americans don’t have many vacation days. We’re also workaholics. It usually takes a few days for us to truly let go and stop checking emails. I recommend being strict with yourself about this—you’ll start relaxing faster if you can let go of work stress.
- The matter of length. This goes hand-in-hand with our workaholicism. We tend to take shorter breaks. But if you really want to relax, take off as much time as possible. For me, it’s a week minimum. I’ll spend those first two days disengaging from my work life.
- The scheduling risk. Stop scheduling your trip like it’s a corporate project. If you want to guarantee a rejuvenating experience, leave your days wide open. You can still plan activities, but don’t make yourself an itinerary.
- The layover gamble. When you have less time to take off for a vacation, you really don’t want to lose a day of your trip due to missing a flight. If you’re flying a long distance to reach your destination, I recommend paying a bit more to skip layovers and the potential disaster of a missed connection.
