Vacationing



Vacationing is an activity for Sims in The Sims: Vacation, The Sims 2: Bon Voyage, The Sims 3: World Adventures, The Sims 3: Island Paradise, and The Sims 4 (in the base game as of Patch 103). A form of vacationing is also seen in The Sims 3: Generations.

Vacations offer Sims the possibility of travelling to new neighborhoods and worlds, without having to move away from their current lot. Vacations are usually booked in beforehand and Sims can stay for a set period of time in various establishments such as hotels, or other forms of rental lots. Vacation worlds offer activities and experiences that wouldn't normally be possible in residential worlds. They can range from exploring new cultures to interacting with unique objects, buying souvenirs or even adventures in secret tombs.

Vacation worlds are generally only available for set periods of time and cannot be lived in, unless external tools such as mods are used. The exception to this is Mt. Komorebi in The Sims 4: Snowy Escape, which functions as both a residential world and a vacation destination.

The Sims: Vacation
Sims can be sent on vacation by clicking on the telephone, and selecting "Call Cab...", then "Go On Vacation". If any family members are not at home, a notice will appear saying that the family cannot go on vacation unless all members are home. Otherwise, the player will be prompted to confirm that they want the family to go on vacation. Clicks "OK" will call the Vacation Island SUV. Wnen it appears, and the family will get in and be charged §500. The SUV will drive away and the Vacation Island screen will appear. Selecting a lot will deliver the family to that lot, and they will be dressed appropriately for that area of the island. There is no limit on how long the family can stay, but they will not be able to sleep unless an adult member checks in at a hotel desk, or rents igloos or tents. Pets travel with the family, but small pets do not.

The family will be able to travel to any lot on the island by using the phone to call for an island shuttle. This service is free, but if the family is going to a different area of the island, it will be up to the player to make sure the Sims dress appropriately. When it's time to leave, have an adult family member check out, then call for a shuttle and select "Go Home".

The home lot of a family on vacation is "frozen" until the family returns. When the family returns, little or no time will have passed on the lot. If the player attempts to bulldoze the lot or evict the family, a message saying that this cannot be done will appear. Once you go on vacation, you can have woohoo with your partner!

The Sims 2: Bon Voyage
Here are a few things to do to have a vacation in Bon Voyage.

Booking a vacation
The telephone or computer is used to book a vacation. The player will be asked when the Sim will leave, who they are taking with them, how long they will stay, and where they are going. Sims may choose to book the vacation immediately or up to a week in advance. The further in advance the vacation is booked, the cheaper the airfare will be. If Sims book the trip for that very moment, they will be charged §500 per Sim. If Sims book the trip for a week in advance, they will be charged §300 per Sim. If the vacation is booked in advance, a shuttle will come to the Sims' house at 9 am on the appointed day and take them to the airport.

The length of the vacation can range from 3 days and 2 nights to 7 days and 6 nights. While this does not affect the cost of the airfare, this might be taken into consideration if the Sims plan to stay in a hotel. Sims may also choose from their list of friends to join them on the trip, so the trip isn't limited to only household members. Each Sim added to the vacation group adds to the total airfare.

The Sims can choose which destination they wish to go to as well as what hotel (or vacation home if they already own one) they would like to stay at upon arrival. It is also possible to choose once the Sims have flown to their destination rather than choosing immediately when booking by selecting "Choose Upon Arrival".

Hotels
A Hotel is a hybrid of a community lot and residential lot. It gives controllable Sims a place to rest and rejuvenate before going off to explore. Hotel costs are separate from the original booking cost.

Players can put hotels in the base neighborhood, and Sims can go to them by choosing to go to a community lot. When a Sim calls a cab or gets in a car, the hotel(s) will appear in the list of possible destinations. Sims can stay indefinitely, and the basics are the same as in the vacation hotels.

Vacation homes
Instead of staying at a hotel, Sims can stay at their own vacation home. Vacation homes can be bought via the phone and the deed is then placed in the buyer's inventory. Vacation homes cannot be lived in and Sims can only stay at one during a vacation.

Exploring
Once the Sims have arrived, they can start exploring their vacation world. They can talk to the tour guide to take a tour, call a cab, or use the interaction "Walk to Lot" to explore the community lots. To go to a secret location, make sure the Sim with the map is the selected Sim.

Ending a vacation
The player can end the Sims' vacation early by using the telephone booth. If this is done a shuttle will come to take them to the airport.

The Sims 3: World Adventures
As in the previous two games mentioned, Sims once again have the choice of partaking in three different forms of vacations. However, in a first for the series, the new vacation destinations are based on real-world locations. Sims are able to vacation in new locations: Shang Simla, Champs Les Sims and Al Simhara. These new locations are the same size as the neighborhoods Sunset Valley and Riverview, and parody the countries of China, France and Egypt respectively. Pets cannot go abroad.

This expansion pack is more focused on adventuring, loot-gathering, and questing. A Sim starts out with zero stars in their passports, and must fulfill quests for the locals to gain more. More stars grant a Sim the right to do more things in the town, such as staying for a longer period of time, or buying property. All Sims otherwise start out in a small hostel.

Sims can collect many different expensive artifacts which they can either sell or display in their homes for moodlet bonuses. Ancient Coins can be collected in tombs and used to buy useful items from the special merchant that resides in the town. There are no "rabbit holes" in vacation towns, but many unique shops that vacationing Sims can enter and move about freely in. Items are bought through a menu brought up by interacting with a Sim manning the cash register.

Tomb exploration is the main focus of vacation towns in World Adventures. Tombs are special locations Sims can freely walk around in, fraught with dangerous traps and a few with deadly mummies. Artifacts are found strewn about the rooms, and Sims can pick them up and take them for themselves. Many tombs have quests attached to them, which will give Sims keys to proceed further or fulfill a short storyline.

The Sims 3: Generations
This form of vacationing is different from the others. It is not a booked vacation, and the Sim(s) involved cannot be controlled or seen. It only happens as an opportunity given to any adult as long as there is at least one teenager in the household and nobody is pregnant within the household. The offer will be for all the adults to go on an all-expenses vacation whilst the teens look after themselves. The adults stop what they are doing moments later and leave in a taxi.

The adults will return after two days if nothing goes wrong, but if the teen throws a party and gets caught by the police, they will return after a few in-game hours after the police have scolded the teen. If the teen performs a prank and is caught by the butler (with Late Night installed), if they skip school, or if they get caught pranking the school and are sent home by the police, the parents will return after the scheduled time and scold the teen as soon as they arrive. The teens will be grounded if the adults return and find the house messy.

The Sims 3: Island Paradise
Sims can stay in a hotel in Isla Paradiso but only if they reside in the world. The hotels themselves are limited when it comes to the suites, with most of them being small and only able to fit two sims at most and only one room at a time can be booked. The rooms can be edited and enlarged though to fit more beds. Otherwise they can stay in the rabbithole suite but they won't be able to be controlled in the suites, however needs are taken care of. Sims can stay at the hotel indefinitely simply by extending their stay provided they have the funds. They are given time off work and school for as long as their stay in the hotel.

The Sims 4
In The Sims 4, vacationing was restricted to specific content packs until the release of Patch 103. As of this patch, Sims are able to vacation in any residential world. However, they are not able to permanently live in destination worlds. A Sim can technically reside within a destination world forever if the player keeps extending the vacation time indefinitely. However, this would require a constant income of money.

Sims can go on vacation with up to seven other Sims only through their phone or computer's "Take a Vacation" function. For some reason, children can also initiate vacations through the computer. At least one rental lot is required in the world so that Sims have a place to stay. Sims can join the vacation at any time and may leave at any time. Sims get the "On Vacation" description instead of the number of days/hours when a Sim goes to work. If a Sim is doing poorly in school, the principal may call in several times during after-school hours. A Sim's job or school performance does not decrease while they're on vacation. Sims who are not part of the household will later leave the vacation lot if they have school/work that falls in the middle of vacation and will not be able to return to vacation once their school/work day is over.

Sims on vacation can still receive calls inviting them to events in the 'main' worlds and accept them. Once those events are over, Sims will not be able to return to the vacation lot automatically and will instead have to make their way home. However, the player can switch control to one of the Sims still on the vacation and have the Sim who attended the event rejoin the vacation. Sims may also get a sad moodlet from being homesick while on vacation.

The Sims 4: Outdoor Retreat
In The Sims 4: Outdoor Retreat, Sims can go camping in Granite Falls and bring friends along with them.

Sims can either stay at the campground, provided they buy a tent from the camping store (a little shed in the woods) or they can stay in lodging. Lodging provides a solid roof, but costs over §100 per night. Each one has facilities like a normal house, along with camping activities in the backyard. Families can stay here for a maximum of 7 days, but can extend their vacation via the phone menu or wait until their original vacation time is about to expire.

Each lodging and the campground have a woods area available for Sims to explore. They may have a barbecue, go hiking, explore the woods, go fishing, set up campfires, and other camping-centered activities. Sims can also tell fairy and adventure tales, and can tell ghost stories after 7pm. Stargazing is also available at night.

Sims who use tents can use communal bathrooms to take care of their bladder and hygiene motives. The communal bathrooms are infested with mosquitoes and bugs, so Sims are more than likely to get an uncomfortable moodlet; they are more likely to receive said moodlet when taking a shower.

When starting a vacation, a park ranger NPC will usually greet the Sims after they have stayed at Granite Falls for at least an hour. The park ranger is mainly there to answer questions Sims may have, much like Vacation Director Kana in The Sims: Vacation. There is also a bear NPC that resembles Claire the Bear in The Sims: Hot Date. Sims will get a tense moodlet when they are near it or communicating with it, due to the fact that Sims find it annoying. The bear will frequently paw through food supplies and may leave a mess behind.

There is also a forest where Sims can explore. As the forest is a sizable distance from the lodging and campground, Sims will need to travel in order to get there. The forest contains a cabin, where Sims can watch for bugs. They can also sample the view from the upstairs balcony.

The Sims 4: Jungle Adventure
In The Sims 4: Jungle Adventure, Sims can take a vacation in Selvadorada, a jungle type world. Similar to The Sims 4: Outdoor Retreat, Sims can stay in a rental house but cannot camp. Selvadorada's lodging is somewhat more luxurious than Granite Falls, with each house having more expensive facilities than the lodging in Granite Falls as well as some having toddler beds, televisions and pools.

Selvadorada also has more community lots than Granite Falls, with a museum and a marketplace as well as a national park, which Sims can explore and find hidden treasures and secret lots such as ancient ruins and pools which Sims can swim in. Sims should be equipped with a machete when exploring as most of the jungle is surrounded by vines and thorns. Sims can use their hands but it is extremely painful to do so and takes much more time than with a machete, with regular breaks needed before continuing. Just like Granite Falls, Sims can stay for up to 7 days but can stay indefinitely if they extend their vacation provided they have the funds.

The Sims 4: Journey To Batuu
In The Sims 4: Journey To Batuu, Sims can either choose to take a vacation to Batuu, or receive a random phone call that will whisk them away for an adventure.

The Sims 4: Snowy Escape
The Sims 4: Snowy Escape features Mt. Komorebi, a residential world with pre-made rental lots. Patch 103 coincides with the release of this pack.