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When we have been to Europe (3 times) , I enjoyed it very much but I always felt on high alert for not loosing my passport, wallet ( I did carry it around my neck), and getting into some difficulty that would be complicated to get out of. I am getting so I really don't like to be in crowds and that seemed to be the case over there as well as popular places here in the USA. But I don't want to just sleep when I have paid so much money to get to a destination; but on the other hand , do I have to go to the spa after I return home just to "unwind"?
After this last year, I am really not ready to go hardly anywhere where I am going to have to be required to wear a mask, wait for a table because of "social distancing" rules or places are closed because of "Covid Hours". Sitting in an airport for a couple hours, on a cramped plane, and then getting baggage the whole time with a mask on doesn't sound very appealing at this stage of my life.
I go on vacation to relax, so comfort is key. I'll also go sightseeing as I'd feel foolish to travel to an area and not get to interact with the people and their cultural institutions and settings . . . that's a big reason why I travel to a particular place over another. But food is also very important to me, so I'll be eating my way around town as well.
Note, I didn't vote combination of both as, while I do enjoy and will go sightseeing, I wouldn't call it "heavy."
We're retired yet still very fit and active. We have a pool and live close to the beach so relaxing around a pool or a beach on vacation is a waste of time and money for us. We prefer going to interesting places, like countries in Europe and South America lately, to explore and sightsee. We try to always rent a car and do road trips through the country(ies) whenever feasible. We couldn't do that in Peru as it wasn't recommended and it's a big country so we made do with flights and buses.
It's not relaxing but that's okay. We can relax at home for free. Our next trip will have us flying into Milan then driving through the Dolomites, Slovenia, Croatia and back to Milan for almost 4 weeks. Then back via Barcelona for a few days. It'll be lots of sightseeing, lots of walking through interesting towns and cities, and some hikes in National Parks and other nature areas. We'll be exhausted at the end of each day but it's a nice, satisfying tiredness as we recall all the things we saw and did and go through our photos.
When we lived in a colder climate earlier in our lives, while working intense jobs, our vacations were all about getting a break from the winter & rat race so then it was relaxing by the pool or beach. Can't do that anymore as we find that boring. Each to their own.
Our vacation style varies depending on location. In Cancun, we stayed at an all-inclusive and never left the resort. Just relaxed at the pool with drinks or the beach. Other locations we can be more structured where we want to visit certain sites/locations.
I explore. I rarely stay in the same place more than one night. Well, except for a couple of trips to an event, but I still did a ton of exploring even though I had a "home base".
Doesn't sound very relaxing to me although I would enjoy birding. I haven't had a vacation in 13 years so I want to go some place where I don't have to do anything; like a Club Med situation.
Well, I can’t say making dinner is thrilling. But getting up early is great when you are excited to get out. Also, we just shift our schedule earlier, so we do get a full 7 hours or so.
I prefer visiting familiar places. We go to the beach for 2 weeks every fall and to the mountains 2-3 weeks throughout the year. We never even have to leave our state, though sometimes we do. We aren't interested in international travel. Our vacations are probably boring to most, but I thrive on routine and we always take our dogs. So I start off with my coffee and then a nice long, usually leisurely walk. Home to shower and then we might go grab lunch and see a few of our favorite places, sometimes take the dogs to the dog park (when we're at the beach) or on a mountain hike. Home by late afternoon, a couple of cocktails, dinner and then settle in for the night. We used to live in the mountain area we visit and have friends we get together with, we cook out or go to a local restaurant. If I had a place to fish, I'd be in heaven. LOL
We usually get out early and come back late. We are either exploring a new city on foot or hiking somewhere. We average about 10 miles of walking a day. However, some days are more or less depending on the elevation and terrain. Vacation to me means I get to wear my hiking pack, boots, and hiking clothes. We mostly just eat peanut butter sandwiches, fruit, and granola. For dinner we'll get take-out. And breakfast is the free stuff at the hotel.
Most people say our vacations don't sound like fun. But everyone is different.
I go on vacation to relax, so comfort is key. I'll also go sightseeing as I'd feel foolish to travel to an area and not get to interact with the people and their cultural institutions and settings . . . that's a big reason why I travel to a particular place over another. But food is also very important to me, so I'll be eating my way around town as well.
Note, I didn't vote combination of both as, while I do enjoy and will go sightseeing, I wouldn't call it "heavy."
While I can savor food while traveling by myself, I find myself caring more about that when I am traveling with others or if I'm visiting people I know in the so called or known as exotic locale.
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although I would enjoy birding. I haven't had a vacation in 13 years so I want to go some place where I don't have to do anything; like a Club Med situation.
We mostly just eat peanut butter sandwiches, fruit, and granola. For dinner we'll get take-out. And breakfast is the free stuff at the hotel. 
