7 Things To Do When It Rains On Your Vacation

There are lots of things you can control on your vacation. You can control what does and doesn't go into your luggage. You can control how much you spend. And you can have some control over the accommodation you choose.   But there's one thing that you can't control and that is, of course, the weather!   Especially when it rains while you're away, your hopes of a perfect beach vacation could become something of a washout. Sitting on the beach, you will be using your bucket and spade to dig yourself a hidey-hole instead of a castle made out of the sand. Not fun!   Still, you shouldn't let the rain make you feel miserable. If you have chosen to visit a destination where the sun isn't always guaranteed to shine (which is possible if you are traveling in the fall), there are still things you can do to while away your time. Here are just a few ideas.    #1: Have a spa day   If your hotel has a spa, why not make the most of it? After all, you're on vacation, so you should take the time out to relax. Yes, your hike up the mountain may have been canceled because of the terrible weather, but you probably won't care about that when you're pampering yourself in the steam room or sauna. It might be that you can book yourself a massage too, which might also be something you want to do after you have taken a hike. And if there's a sheltered pool at the hotel, you could go for a relaxing swim or simply sit at the poolside with a fancy cocktail. Who knows, it might be that you start praying for more rainy days so you can have more days in relaxation mode!   #2: Take part in a fun indoor activity   No matter where you are in the world, there are bound to be indoor activities you can take part in. You could try an escape room game, visit an aquarium, spend time wandering around interesting museums, or watch a play or a movie at a local theater. Pick up brochures at your hotel for ideas or head online for tourist information guides with ideas of things to do at your travel destination. Yes, you might get wet wandering from A to B, but providing your location hasn't been subjected to a flood, a little rain shouldn't hurt you.    #3: Go shopping   Unless there's a leak in the roof at the local shopping mall, you shouldn't get too wet when you're moving from store to store. And if you're visiting a place that hosts some of the biggest shopping malls in the world, you will be able to spend all day shopping, as there will be plenty of places for you to spend your hard-earned money. Be sure to budget your finances before you go shopping of course, as you don't want to overspend. And remember that the more you buy the more you will have to carry home, so let this be another reason to curb your spending when you're wandering around the mall.    #4: Eat and drink the day away    A rainy day is the perfect opportunity to find out what the local cuisine is like. You could hop from one place to the next (or run if the rain is THAT bad) and sample foods and drinks in all kinds of different venues. Of course, you may think this a bad idea if you're currently watching your weight. But there are bound to be healthy options you can try, and besides, you can also spend time relaxing at each venue without eating everything on the menu, provided you buy a drink or two. For your information, these are supposed to be the 50 best restaurants in the world. Add them to your culinary bucket list if any of them take your fancy.    #5: Stay in your hotel room all day   If you really can't be bothered heading out into the rainy weather, stay put and enjoy your hotel room. As we said earlier, a vacation is the perfect time to relax, so curl up in your pajamas if you want to, and read, watch TV, order room service, and even have an extra hour of sleep if you need it. Of course, if you have kids in tow, you will need to keep them entertained. There may be activities in the hotel that they can take part in so book them in if they're interested. Alternatively, play games together as a family, encourage them to read a book, or try any of these fun activities when you're stuck in the hotel.    #6: Spend time writing postcards   Oh sure, you could stay in touch with friends and family via email or social media, but people do still like to receive postcards. You will give the people you love a little bit of personal joy when they receive something in the mail.  And if the wording is something like  'Having a lovely time but it is very wet,' they will also feel a little less jealous of you! You could even write postcards to yourself, with various vacation memories written on them that you can look back on when you have returned home.   #7: Get wet!   We aren't suggesting you should head outside if the rain is overly heavy but if it's little more than a light drizzle, there is no harm in venturing outside. For starters, you might have the whole city to yourself if people are remaining cooped up indoors. This is one way to stay clear of other tourists! There are also activities you can try when it's raining. While you shouldn't go rock climbing or mountain biking if surfaces are particularly wet and slippy, you could go to a water park or try one of these water sport activities. After all, if you're going to get wet in the rain, you may as well take part in an activity where getting wet is part of the fun!   So, don't let the rain spoil your time away! There is much you can do, including the ideas we have given here, so make a backup plan, just in case the sun does decide to take its own vacation away from your destination.