How many weeks are you on a trip before you start wanting to go home?
 

I am planning a trip to Europe and wonder if I should plan to stay for over two weeks. My co-workers say after two weeks they want to just come home. Is this normal?<BR>Thanks, I think I want to go longer.

It's a matter of personal preference. I've done longer-length trips and shorter trips. My own preference is shorter, more frequent trips. It's a matter of logistics, trip cost and scheduling. If you like the extended version, then you should go for it.

Hi Nita,<BR> We just did our longest trip ever. We did Spain and Amsterdam for 18 days (20 including travel days) It was only in the last day or two that I really wanted to come home, and that was only because we were in Amsterdam and saw all the dogs. It just made us miss our guys even more. But consider the ticket price. We once went to Paris for 6 nites and we said never again because with the ticket price we just felt it was better to get more for the money time-wise.

It hasn't really happened yet. I went to school in Europe for a year, and flew home only once, a few months after I'd started. When school ended, I took a 2-week vacation in France, and then came back into Italy to catch my flight to America. The day I returned to America, I thought &quot;I am really ready to be back!&quot;. It was a combination of missing people, and certain conveniences of things American, and simply living again in my apartment, by myself.<BR><BR>BC

About 14-16 days for me too, I start to miss my home &amp; our own bed. Not to mention all the chores &amp; bills that are waiting for us when we return = ). The last few days are when you really start to feel homesick. But that first 10 days or so are pure heaven! Like Jim said everyone is different. Have a great vacation!

I have never been on any trip, to anywhere in the world, whether it was one week or three months, where I wanted to go home - go somewhere other than I was, perhaps, but not home. I certainly can't imagine wanting to go home after two weeks unless absoulutely everything were going wrong on the trip.But I agree that it's personal preference. There are members of my family who don't like to be away from home for more than a couple of weeks. Me, I could keep traveling forever.

Since retiring a few years ago, my partner and I travel between 3 and 5 months each summer. We have gone to Europe twice for 5 months each time. As we near the end of the trip, we both look at each other and say &quot;are you ready to go home&quot;, and the other says, &quot;no, are you?&quot; If you do it right, I'm not sure why you'd want to stop traveling. I think I could do it permanently.

Eighteen days is usually the longest we go but only for financial reasons. We must board our pets. But other than that, we would love to find out the answer to the Op's question.

For me, I am somewhat in the mood to be home after 3-4 weeks. I enjoy traveling, but it's just not as comfortable as being at home and after a while, I kind of run out of steam and don't think I am appreciating things as much. Also, I don't usually sleep as well in many hotels as my own bed, you just never know if you haven't been in your hotels before how comfortable they will be. I miss just relaxing and taking it easy, going to the refrigerator for a snack, my own &quot;stuff&quot; (music, books, etc.). Also, I miss my piano as I play almost every day and it's hard for me to be without that for very long. I think it depends on your personality. I also like my job and get tired of just being on vacation after a while. I enjoy it more when I am doing something purposeful on a trip (studying or taking some class) for a long period rather than just playing tourist. I don't think I've taken a vacation longer than two weeks that didn't involve some kind of study.

A year and a half ago I went to Europe for my 40th birthday for 8 weeks. I could have easily stayed another 8.

We like to maximize the use of our FF miles by staying as long as possible when we go to Europe. It just doesn't seem worth it to use those coveted miles for a short trip. Our last trip was for five weeks, and I could have easily stayed five more weeks. On the other hand, my husband was really glad to come home. I'd like to rent out our house to a teacher for the school year and spend three months each in Germany, Italy and France. Now if I could just convince my husband....

I've never been ready to come home. I miss my family, but if they could come to me I'd stay on vacation indefinitely (we're assuming the $$ holds out, of course:))<BR><BR>I remember sitting in the Munich airport on the 28th day of travel, turning to my sister and saying &quot;I talked to the kids last night and now I'm ready to keep going.&quot; She agreed. Too bad we had to board the plane for home anyway!

Well, I've never been fortunate enough to have a 2 week vacation all at once. The most is 7 days and I never want to go back home after that short period.

Six Weeks to really delve into culture. Eight weeks, my own bed starts sounding better all the time!

Nita - I think it depends on the type of trip. If it's a &quot;today is Monday, this must be Paris, tomorrow must be Rome, and Wednesday must be Florence&quot;, then 2 weeks is probably max. Last summer my wife and I spent a month in the Mosel Valley - 3 weeks in a small private cottage in a very small town off the beaten track. Best &quot;VACATION&quot; we ever had. We could have stayed several more months.

For me, it is pure psychology. If I go on a one-week trip, I want to go home around day 6 or 7. If I go on a three week trip, I want to go home around day 20 or 21. And the time I went on a three-month trip, I wanted to go home around day 90!!!!

Sjoerd took the words right from my mouth! No matter how long or short the trip, the last day or two I'm ready for home

Did a four month trip around Latin America and was in tears in Lima airport at the thought of going home - <BR>the world is at its best when you have your life in a backpack and can just go where you want when you want

Sjoerd and Jody were thinking the same as me! When I am on vacation, I am so into it that I don't miss home. But in the last day or two, when you start thinking about having to pack, or checking your travel arrangements, then I think, &quot;I can't wait to see my 2 cats, and sleep in my own bed!&quot;<BR><BR>But, if I had the $$$ and could take the cats with me (they are my babies), I could stay away forever.

If you CAN go for longer than two weeks, then do it! You'll find out how you feel about a longer trip! For myself, I prefer to be gone at least 3 weeks, and longer (lots longer) would be fine.