Whew! Time for a vacation

Now that summer’s almost over, it’s time to start thinking about a vacation.

I mean a real vacation. Not one of those prepackaged, all-inclusive getaways that have to be endured instead of enjoyed. Not to one of those places where a gazillion other tourists are clamoring to see the same sights or standing in line at the same overpriced restaurants every evening.

In short, a perfect vacation.

A pipe dream? To the 121.9 million travelers who went on vacation this summer (that’s from the number-crunchers at the American Automobile Association), probably. The same goes for the 93 million folks who tried to escape somewhere, according to the Travel Industry Association of America.

Most of them may have come back feeling more exhausted when they left.

But the perfect vacation exists. For me, there’s no better place for a getaway than Sanibel Island in October. The Disney crowd is gone and the winter tourists haven’t arrived yet at this small resort on Florida’s west coast. With nothing better to do than collect shells on the beach and eat a grouper sandwich at the Sanibel Grill, I couldn’t be happier.

For Trisha Johnson, the ideal getaway means leaving land altogether. Her best vacation to date is a cruise to Alaska, which she recently took with her husband and two children. “It was the most stress-free and relaxing vacation I have ever been on with the children.

“Yes, Disney is a fun place to go, but you are constantly fighting crowds and standing in line and worrying about making the show on time,” says the Plano, Texas, homemaker. “My husband had no contact with work, so his mind was free.”

Denise Jones, who works for a Seattle telecommunications company, prefers exploring places where few visitors go. “I like itineraries that allow us to just soak up the culture and the local color,” she says. “We’ve done this in Greece, France, England and Mexico. Next year, we plan to go to the Iberian coast.”

Trica Jean-Baptiste, on the other hand, likes to stay in one place. “Every year, my husband, my son and I head south to Seabrook Island, South Carolina. We rent a condominium at The Resort at Seabrook Island, a private resort community with incredible views of the Atlantic Ocean, white sandy beaches, water sports, golf and tennis,” says the Manhattan publicist. “What keeps us coming back year after year is the privacy and expansive beach. At certain times of the day we are guaranteed to be the only family on the beach.”

Do these “perfect” vacations have anything in common? Sure.

- The ideal getaway is brief. More than two-thirds of all vacations lasted less than four days, according to TIA’s National Travel Survey.

- The best vacations are adventures. Half of all adults in the United States, or 98 million people, have taken what’s considered an “adventure trip” in the past five years, according to the same report. But you don’t have to go far for an adventure – you just have to do something that the crowds aren’t.

- The greatest escapes happen during the off-season. The travel association suggests that weekend trips, taken during off-peak times, are good bets for anyone needing a respite. Because they take place when the rest of the world seems to be at work, these excursions are likely to be cheaper, too.

It pains me to hear about vacationers who are burned out by September, because I suspect they’ve either taken a bad trip or none at all. I’m not sure which is worse.

The comforting fact is that it isn’t too late to correct your oversight. Just when I think vacations are a lost cause, I often discover a new destination or I learn something about the art of taking a leave.

Last year, for example, I realized that you don’t have to go very far to have a great vacation when I spent a few quiet weekends in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. In 1994, I traveled to the Florida Keys, liked it so much that I moved there for a year and am writing a book about the experience.

So if you had a rotten vacation this summer, stop worrying. There’s always the rest of the year to get it right.

How to have a perfect vacation

- Plan ahead. Don’t leave details, such as meals and activities, to chance.

- Go with the right people. There are few destinations that appeal to everyone, so why take everyone you know with you?

- Keep it short. One of the hottest vacation trends is to take brief vacations more often instead of one or two long vacations.

- Think outside the box – or brochure, as the case may be. Choose a destination that’s unusual or go to a popular destination during the off-season.

- Leave the laptop and cell phone behind if possible and enjoy your time away from everything.

Christopher Elliott is the author of Scammed: How to Save Your Money and Find Better Service in a World of Schemes, Swindles, and Shady Deals. Critics have called it “eye-opening” and “inspiring” — it’ll “grab your attention and won’t let go.” Order your copy now on Amazon, Barnes & Noble or iTunes.

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