What to Do When It Rains On Vacation (7 best moves)
Oscar Wilde said it, but “some things are too important to be taken seriously.” Well, I think vacation – especially a rainy vacation – is one of those things.
So before moving on, you should first let it go. Any sadness or frustration about this particularly gray day has no use for us here.
Release your worries!
Okay.
Unresolved feelings about precipitation sufficiently resolved?
Perfect.
Now, here’s what to do when it rains on vacation.
Let’s get to it!
1. Do Something Creative
Rainy weather is begging for some creativity.
With no sunny distractions or must-do itineraries, you can more easily relax with an artsy project and get into a creative flow.
Actually, regardless of the rain, I’m a huge advocate for having creative travel projects when exploring places unknown.
It boosts your engagement, distracts you from stressful things and gives you a deeper sense of purpose and immersion with wherever you’re vacationing.
So go make something – don’t worry, it doesn’t need to be good or even finished.
Here are some of my favorite creative outlets worth trying:
Photography (rain photography is awesome)
Filming and creating a short vacation video montage
Drawing or painting
Crafts (like making necklaces)
Build a fort (let your inner child have some fun!)
Bake some epic food
Simple graphic design (using tools like Canva)
Play around with AI
Recommended: Creative Travel 101 (travel like an artist)
2. Have A Cafe Day
Rain + coffee or tea = perfection.
Rain + coffee or tea + a vibey cafe = priceless.
So throw yourself into the local cafe scene, as if you’re in some rainy Woody Allen movie. Honestly, this is one of my favorite pastimes while traveling abroad (with or without the rain).
While opting for the familiar Starbucks is fine, earn some extra points if you can find a vibey local spot. Chances are, there will be some pretty epic cafes around you.
Cafe culture is also an opportunity to travel slower and explore more like a local.
So wake up slow, stroll to a nearby coffee bar or tea room and enjoy it.
3. Make It A ‘Guilty Pleasures’ Day
Did somebody say Netflix all day with pizza and ice cream?
Well, let this be your permission slip because this is okay!
Yes it’s important to experience new things and actually explore your destination, yada yada yada, but it’s also important to relax and keep travel stress-free.
Maybe that means binge-watching your favorite shows or playing video games all night. Embracing more “me days” while you travel is an excellent move.
And besides, when it’s raining on vacation, you’re not usually doing the stuff you were going to do anyways.
So this is the perfect opportunity to stay in, relax and do whatever you want.
You can make this your rest day and a time to reboot and recharge.
And isn’t that why we take vacations anyway?
Recommended: How to Have A ‘Guilty Pleasures’ Holiday
4. Go to Indoor Places + Events
Vacations don’t mean doing exclusively outdoor things.
So if it’s raining, this is the perfect time to enjoy some of the indoor stuff that your destination offers.
This tip is a bit obvious, but let it be a simple reminder that it’s okay to enjoy simple, indoorsy things while exploring new cities.
For example, you can:
Go to the movies
Check out the local restaurant scene
Check out some wineries or local pubs
Go shopping
Go to a play or theater performance
Go to a local concert
Explore indoor exhibits and events going on
Enjoy some museums
Take some classes (cooking, art or something culturally immersive if you’re overseas)
Have a spa day
A quick Google search should give you some ideas of what’s going on in your area this week/end.
5. Play Some Games
This one is nostalgic.
Because there’s seriously something so romantic about staying indoors and playing some old school games on a rainy day. It totally brings me back to my own cottage vacations at the beach with my family growing up.
Maybe you can relate.
So with your rainy conundrum, this is the perfect time to create some more nostalgia for the future.
And of course, video games are totally an option here too (especially the vintage ones!).
Setting up shop with some solid tunes, a few card games or charades, an open window and some drinks to boot is a surefire way to forget your rainy woes.
6. Go to Popular Places Anyways (+ enjoy less crowds)
This one is the perfect setup for the last tip (on embracing the rain).
Rather than hiding or wishing it weren’t so, just say f*ck it and go enjoy the best your destination has to offer.
While there are some limits (for example, riding roller coasters), there’s likely still many things you can do – just with an umbrella.
The biggest perk of this mindset is you’ll enjoy way less crowds. We, as human people, don’t like the rain. I don’t know why.
Whatever the case, it’s an opportunity to enjoy otherwise touristy, packed places with a sense of peace.
But the question remains, can you endure some wet weather?
7. Pack Up + Go Home…
Okay, so this one is obviously a joke.
But sometimes absurdity can shrink problems and make you realize they’re a bit trivial. So for this tip, here’s what I really mean: accept the rain – embrace the rain!
Because who wants to let a rainy day on vacation destroy their mood and vibe?
Celebrating the rain and seeing the beauty in it is an awesome way to be (with or without the travel context).
While you can’t control the waves, you can learn to surf.
And don’t worry. you don’t need to become some full-time pluviophile.
But learning to love the rain even a little (literally or metaphorically) is actually a solid mindfulness practice. It’s learning how to see and appreciate both the ups and the downs in life.
This is perfect for self care, happiness and more carefree living.
So stay flexible out there, have some backup plans and learn how to make the best of a rainy day.
As Bob Marley (or Roger Miller) said, “Some people feel the rain, others just get wet.”
Later ✌️
Want More? Okay. Here’s More.
