Here's How To Plan Relaxing Holidays Filled with Joy and Discovery

The key to a relaxing holiday is to plan carefully in advance, and then leave yourself time to breathe when you arrive. Nature, restful sleep and wellness facilities just steps from your room also play their part. Here's a complete guide to holidays that are both memorable and replenishing. 

Slow travel means creating an itinerary that makes room for deep connections to cultures and places, without rushing from one sightseeing spot to another. Try to plan a holiday with an uncluttered schedule, which will leave room to appreciate the place you're in. 

A light schedule provides time to fully unwind during your relaxing holiday, and less movement also contributes to more sustainable tourism. That's why slow travel often involves taking journeys by bicycle to feel more at one with the landscape. There are endless locations for relaxing holidays in Europe that incorporate cycling routes, cultural discoveries and opportunities to uncover charming places off the beaten track.

The concept is closely related to mindful travel. Whereas slow travel is about schedule, mindful travel is about moments. It's about savouring each bite of a local dish at a restaurant or a still-warm pastry outdoors in the morning sunlight. Being present in each individual moment is much more achievable when you don't have to worry about a packed schedule. 

A nature holiday is a sensory experience, where birdsong and rustling leaves fill the air, and the sweet scent of pine trees carries on the breeze. Take in sights of unspoiled coastlines or serene, rolling hills. The Japanese concept of "forest bathing" is now becoming popular worldwide and centres around the idea that tranquil nature has a cleansing effect for the mind, body and soul.

Along with helping you to de-stress, time spent amid nature can also provide exercise during your holiday. Even if you don't plan on an early morning run or a long-distance cycling excursion, a nature walk is enough to produce many of the benefits of exercise, including improving mood and aiding sleep. 

A sense of wellness and relaxation comes from taking care of physical and mental well-being through a holistic approach. The Novotel 360° Wellbeing Experience focuses on important details like signature teas in guest rooms and social hubs, and bedrooms designed to be harmonious retreats. Nestle in 100% cotton bedding with crisp yet soft linens, and enjoy smart pillows that fold double when you're sitting up in bed and unfold when it's time to sleep. Light switches next to the bed mean you can roll over and drift away in your sanctuary without having to get up just before you sleep.

At many Novotel locations, the hotel well-being experience includes spas and saunas, as well as fitness rooms with personal trainers and group classes. Work out or wind down with everything you need to make your hotel stay truly relaxing. To combine spa treatments with replenishing nature and an invigorating coastal setting, book a room at Novotel Resort & Spa Biarritz Anglet on the Basque coast. Here, the Wellness Center has a sauna and treatment booths, and the seasonal outdoor pool is lined with greenery. Play tennis or boules steps from the beach.

For a relaxing holiday in northern France, stay at Novotel Spa Rennes Centre Gare, where a swim in the heated indoor pool is the perfect way to ease into the day. The hammam, massage room and gym make this the perfect base from which to explore Brittany. When you return after a fulfilling day, nutritious cuisine based around seasonal ingredients awaits in the hotel restaurant. Another way in which Novotel supports guest well-being in every way.

Restful sleep is crucial for a relaxing holiday. To aid sleep and create a more replenishing holiday, consider reducing screen time to a minimum – or even cutting it out entirely while you're away. This concept is often referred to as "digital wellness" because reduced screentime is so closely connected to well-being. Less time with devices means more time with friends and family, sharing experiences throughout your trip.

At the very least, avoid screen time for at least two hours before you go to sleep. Engaging with devices could leave you too alert to sleep peacefully, and blue light from screens suppresses melatonin, a hormone that regulates sleep cycles. With device-free evenings and Novotel's unparalleled bedding, you'll wake up rejuvenated when the warm sun signals a new day.

Planning a relaxing holiday requires plenty of advanced preparation to pinpoint and avoid potential stressors. Learn as much as possible about your route and location before you go, from researching airport shuttles and taxi companies, to reading up on national holidays and festivals that might make an area busier than you expect. Building rest days into your itinerary always helps with relaxing too. 

If you're travelling as a family, make sure everyone has something to look forward to during your schedule by researching your location together and choosing a few activities ahead of time. While waking up and making an impromptu plan may lead to fun adventures, it could also lead to a few conflicts of opinion that aren't ideally suited to tranquil holidays. With an agreed itinerary, sunny days and healthy snacks in your backpack, family harmony is much more assured. 

Curating the perfect stress-free getaway will leave you feeling rejuvenated inside and out long after your return home. Where will you spend your relaxing holiday?