Remember when we just took a “vacation”? Or if we were feeling European, we went on “holiday”? These days, those terms seem so quaint, like Old English. The travel industry has created a newfangled language to describe different types of trips. The phrases are a mashup of words or a combination of ideas. A few of the newly coined expressions have slipped into our vernacular, such as “staycation” and “voluntourism.” Several, however, catch in our throat like hair balls.
To help you decode the jargon, we created a glossary of terms currently being kicked around. Some are worthy of adopting, but others should fade away like TomKat and Brangelina.
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Bleisure: adjective [blee-zher]
A hybrid trip that blends business and pleasure, Brooks Brothers suits and board shorts. Bleisure travelers typically tack on vacation days after their meetings wrap up or incorporate activities they can’t put on their expense report, such as surfing lessons and tequila tastings. See also: workcation.
Used in a sentence: “Honey, have you seen my waterproof monitor? I need it for my upcoming bleisure trip to San Diego.”
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Buddymoon: noun [buhd-ee-moon]
When your work wife/husband, siblings, college roommates and the hilarious guy you sat next to on the flight to Cancún join you on your honeymoon. The not-just-for-honeys moon is a natural extension of the destination wedding.
Used in a sentence: Tell your brother he can’t invite his fantasy football pals. It’s our buddymoon, not his.
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Coolcation: noun [kool-kay-shuhn]
In response to record high temperatures and heat waves, planning a vacation in a colder climate where you will more likely shiver than sweat.
Used in a sentence: While their friends overheated in Europe this summer, Rick and Raquel gamely bundled up on their coolcation in Goose Bay, Canada.
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Destination dupes: noun [des-tuh-ney-shuhn doops]
Alternatives to locations that are notoriously overcrowded, overpriced, or overrun with influencers and vloggers. The dupes are more fraternal than identical twins.
Used in a sentence: Fearing the crush of Venice, Jackson stuck a pin in Ljubljana, Slovenia, a destination dupe.
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Divorcation: noun [dih-vawr-kay-shuhn]
A newly single person’s holiday that marks a recent decoupling - the B side to their honeymoon.
Used in a sentence: Right after signing the papers, Betty flew to Cabo for her long-overdue divorcation.
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Dry tripping: verb [drahy trip-ing]
A booze-free vacation, even during peak bacchanalian travel periods. Similar to sober travel.
Used in a sentence: The spring breakers stocked up on margarita mocktail mix for their dry-tripping week in Miami.
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Eduvacation: noun [ej-oo-vey-key-shuhn]
Learning a new subject, language or skill while on holiday, without the stressful pop quizzes and term papers.
Used in a sentence: Stanley was on a fermentation kick, so he booked an eduvacation at a kimchi academy in Seoul.
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Familymoon: noun [fam-uh-lee-moon]
A honeymoon with kids in tow - his, hers or theirs.
Used in a sentence: For their familymoon, the couple booked a connecting suite but didn’t show the children how to unlock the shared door.
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Friendcation:: noun [frend-kay-schun]
A trip with friends that is similar to a bachelor or bachelorette party but without the cringe-y activities.
Used in a sentence: The group of pals allowed pets on their friendcation but no partners.
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Gamping: verb [gamp-ing]
Camping in a garden or backyard instead of a traditional campground or site. Gampers might pay the host a nominal fee or perform a service in exchange for their hospitality, such as mowing the lawn, weeding the flower bed or bringing in their mail. Gamping is the low-maintenance cousin of glamping.
Used in a sentence: The Kelces are away and I have their gate code. Grab the tent and beer cooler and let’s go gamping for the weekend.
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Gig tripping: verb [gig trip-ing]
The next generation of Deadheads: Music fans who drop a ton of cash to travel to concert venues around the world to see their favorite artist perform live.
Used in a sentence: Patty is taking the summer off to gig-trip around Europe during Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour.
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Minimoon: noun [min-ee-moon]
A bite-size honeymoon that is short, sweet and less of a time and financial commitment than the traditional post-nuptials voyage.
Used in a sentence: The newlyweds had 48 hours to decompress on their minimoon in Montreal.
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Procrastipacking: verb [proh-kras-tuh-pak-ing]
Mentally packing for a trip but not actually putting any clothes or toiletries in the suitcase until the clock has nearly run out.
Used in a sentence: Procrastipacking comes with risks, such as overpacking, forgetting valuable items and giving your travel partner the ick.
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Set jetting: verb [set-jet-ing]
Creating an itinerary based on the filming locations of your favorite TV shows or movies, even though the destinations on screen are usually fictional or impostors.
Used in a sentence: “Game of Thrones” devotees set-jetted to Dubrovnik to reenact Cersei’s walk of shame, but fully clothed.
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Solomoon: noun [soh-loh-moon]
When you get hitched and then ditch your new spouse to celebrate your marital status alone or with friends or family members.
Used in a sentence: For his solomoon, Peter called room service and ordered a bottle of bubbly with one glass and a single chocolate-covered strawberry.
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Sleepcation: noun [sleep-kay-shuhn]
A trip in which the primary activity is snoozing. For planning advice, ask your cat.
Used in a sentence: Kara’s sleepcation was a success; she slept through the entire trip.
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Van life: noun [van lahyf]
When your van or RV becomes your home, mode of transportation and meaning of life, at least until the romance of emptying out the holding tanks dies.
Used in a sentence: The Smiths bid their mortgage, houseplants and children adieu, as they set off on their van life.
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Voluntourism: noun [vol-uhn-toor-iz-uhm]
Performing good deeds while traveling, such as walking shelter dogs, picking up beach litter or counting penguins for a citizen science project.
Used in a sentence: Billy earned his halo after signing up for a week of voluntourism opportunities in Hawaii.
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Workcation: noun [werk-kay-shuhn]
See Bleisure
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