What's The Difference Between Traveling And Going On Vacation?

Seasoned travelers are likely familiar with the specific type of exhaustion that occurs after returning home from an extended trip. There's nothing quite like the feeling when you finally walk through your own front door, step into a hot shower, and collapse onto your own bed for a much-needed rest. Even after overcoming the jet lag, some travelers are left feeling exhausted for days once they return home. You may have heard frequent travelers chuckle and say something along the lines of, "There's a big difference between traveling and taking a vacation," and while it sounds rather pretentious — they may have a solid point.

Traveling has some bizarre effects on the human body, especially if you're moving around a lot. When you're constantly hopping on and off planes, trains, and automobiles, you're likely to feel a bit frazzled and worn down. Vacations are often viewed as a time to step away from work and the daily hustle and bustle of regular life, and many consider them to be relaxing experiences. If you've ever taken an extended vacation that focuses on sightseeing in multiple cities, you know that "relaxing" isn't always the best word to describe the experience.

Some travelers believe that traveling for pleasure in any capacity is a vacation, whereas others prefer to separate traveling and vacations as two unique experiences. If you're wondering what exactly the difference is, you're certainly not alone. In fact, people are rather divided on the topic. We sought out the opinions of real travelers to determine exactly where the distinction between going on vacation and traveling lies.

"Seasoned travelers: I'm sure this question has been set for discussion before, but in your personal opinion, what do you think the difference is between traveling and taking a vacation?" This question was posted on the r/travel Reddit forum by a traveler called u/wanderphile. They added a personal anecdote to explain: "I was hiking in the Peruvian Andes a few years back and came back to my hotel after a long journey, exhausted, covered in bug bites and mud, but extremely happy. I then called my parents who said it sounded like I was 'having a good time on [my] vacation.' Hearing this word used was a bit jarring since I didn't consider it a vacation at all." The question caused a heated debate amongst other travelers. "I think the only difference is how pretentious you feel," u/Kananaskis_Country responded. Fair enough, but the person who wrote the original post illustrates a point echoed by many travelers.

As a frequent traveler, I do see some differences between traveling and taking a vacation. If the purpose of my trip is to relax, catch up on reading, and lounge on the beach — that's my idea of a vacation. If my intention is to see and do as much as possible and move around between multiple destinations — that's traveling. When I return home from a particularly eventful trip, I sometimes feel like I need a vacation to decompress. 

Traveling to see a sick loved one, for work, for educational purposes like study abroad opportunities, or to learn a new language are all examples of non-vacation-related travel. You may be traveling to receive special medical attention that isn't accessible at home or traveling to increase your physical fitness. Traveling isn't always for pleasure, and it isn't always relaxing.

The definition of the word "vacation" according to the Cambridge Dictionary is "a time when someone does not go to work or school but is free to do what they want, such as travel or relax." Vacations are sometimes called "holidays" in different regions.

"To be deemed vacation, I think it requires rest and relaxation with time to do absolutely nothing if you want to. You should return home from a vacation refreshed," u/elevenghosts wrote on Reddit. Plenty of other travelers agree that some rest and relaxation is a core component of any vacation. The word "vacation" likely conjures images of lounging by a pool with a cocktail in hand or soaking up the sun on the beach surrounded by palm trees swaying in the breeze. Staying at an incredible all-inclusive resort or a luxurious wellness retreat is more along the lines of what most of us imagine when we consider taking a vacation.

Still, there are plenty of people who think that it is somewhat silly to try to differentiate between traveling and going on vacation. "I can't put my finger on why I find a 'traveling vs vacation' discussion annoying. It seems like a spin off of a 'are you are traveler or a tourist' which mainly is a dumb distinction just meant to make people feel superior over something that really doesn't matter," wrote a Reddit user called u/kittyglitther. "I'm not sure it's the most important of distinctions. Ultimately, if you're taking time to visit another place, whether you're lying on a beach at a resort, taking a city break, hiking, or going interrailing, you're taking some time off to do something you enjoy, so any of them could be considered a 'vacation'," u/Train-ingDay wrote.