Are gloomy clouds threatening to ruin your vacation with rainy days? You don’t have to let a little rain put a damper on your travels. Here are a few tips to help you make the most of rainy travel days.
Head inside
Local indoor attractions can keep you dry while offering a taste of the city’s culture. Museums and art galleries are a good place to start. You can also head to an indoor shopping district or center to pick up a few souvenirs. If the rain really has you stressed out, you can always book a spa treatment to unwind.
Head outside
If it doesn’t look like the rain is going to let up, grab your umbrella, hooded coat or a poncho and go outside anyway. A little rain doesn’t have to ruin activities like walking on the beach, hiking or even sightseeing. Look on the bright side: You might be getting wet, but isn’t it worth having normally crowded places all to yourself?
Meet other travelers
If you’d rather stay dry, head to your hotel’s lounge area: Chances are, you’ll find other travelers whose plans were also washed out. A new found sense of camaraderie can help you make the best of a rainy day together, whether it’s by playing board games, sharing a drink at the hotel bar or making dinner plans with your new friends.
Dine out
While rain might make you rethink walking around the city, it doesn’t have to stop you from sampling the local flavors. Not only do restaurants and coffee shops offer warm and dry havens from downpours, but they also give you a chance to slow down and eat (or sip) as the locals do. Knock a restaurant or two off of your list of must-try places, or grab your laptop, order the local specialty and get cozy in a neighborhood coffee shop.
Play catch up
If you’ve been meaning to send off a few postcards, upload your travel photos to Facebook or plan the next leg of your itinerary, consider a rainy day the perfect time to catch up on those outstanding travel tasks. You can also use this time to re-pack your bags or start reading that book you brought but haven’t gotten around to reading. If your travels have left you jet lagged, then use your rainy day to catch up on some sleep.
(Main image: Luke Ma)
