There was a thread kind of like this from March but I didn't want to be a threadcromancer so I'll just start a new one and if you have any new info to add, share!

I LOVE sending my sims on vacation, though too long does get tedious. I find sending them off for a three day/four night stint is enough for them to get a handful of mementos, relax and visit some sites, and have room for more to visit later in life and try to get the rest of the mementos. The first one I did was a man, his wife and then his brother and sister-in-law from another household. Like a double-adult-date-vacation. They went to Twikkii and had a good time.

I built a beach bum beachside camp so poor sims could enjoy Twiiki as well as a bamboo national forest campsite in Takemizu. I kind of want to build an extra entertainment venue on each destination - like a nightclub (especially for the spring-breakers)

I like trying out different combos of sims:
romantic getaway/Honeymoon with 2 sims
family vacation with a full controllable family
family vacation with kids in college that aren't controllable
Young adult spring breakers, post-retirement elder couples
Single Sim vacationing and hitting on the locals

I find that it's a good way to get the aspiration meter up if it's feeling a bit low - filling it up with tours, massages, local greetings, and wants related to the destination.

So this makes me wonder for those who have Bon Voyage and play vacations - do you use all three pre-mades or did you ever make a custom vacation lot?

What is the most mementos a sim in your game has you think?

Have you done all the special lot mementos (Bigfoot, Dragon Legend, Voodoo Doll)?

Did any of your sims buy a vacation home?

Did you ever build more lots on any of the pre-mades?

What's your favorite type of sim combo/dynamic to take on vacation (single, couples, friends, families, elder couples, etc?)

How long do your sims usually go on vacation?

Are there some activities/mementos you block them from getting because it doesn't fit their personality? (for example: 'learn new massage' wouldn't be something a shy sim would partake in, a sim afraid of heights wouldn't go on helicopter or para-sailing tours, etc)

I haven't built a custom vacation hood -- I'm a bit intimidated by creating the secret lots.

The most common type of vacation for my Sims is a honeymoon to Twikkii Island. Vacations are really dead time in my game, since the neighborhood clock isn't advancing, so I need a strong reason to send Sims, such as a final attempt to get a childless couple pregnant or I want an incident of infidelity but I don't want to "taint" the playable pool of Sims or I need a family living in an awkwardly-routing house to learn how to teleport.

My Sims do buy vacation homes if they roll the want. It's a nice way to drain money. Vacation homes are also the only custom structures I have in the BV hoods. I've never bothered to rework the community lots, but I just can't stand the EAxis houses, even for a three-day visit.

Have you done all the special lot mementos (Bigfoot, Dragon Legend, Voodoo Doll)?

If my Sims go to Takemizu, they'll usually complete the dragon legend. (I like the art and wish Sims 2 had a larger library of stories told in this fashion.) They go for the voodoo doll only occasionally, just because I never really use it. The Bigfoot memento isn't just meeting him, is it? It's getting him to move in with your Sims? I think I've gone that far only once when my specific goal was to complete all the vacation mementos.

Are there some activities/mementos you block them from getting because it doesn't fit their personality?

Nothing personality-based, but to save my sanity, I won't let them learn the darned sea shanty.

Do you use all three pre-mades or did you ever make a custom vacation lot?
I always use the pre-made lots. I dont have the patience to build an amazing vacation getaway for my sims

What is the most mementos a sim in your game has you think?
I think in an old neighborhood, I had a girl who ended up getting all of the vacation memories. Her parents took her on vacations as a young girl up until she was an adult. She met Gordon Nott, one of the vacation townies, married him, and they took their kids on many vacations. They had a lovely little collection of souvenirs, and a photo album of each adventure.

Have you done all the special lot mementos (Bigfoot, Dragon Legend, Voodoo Doll)?
Yes, definitely.

Did any of your sims buy a vacation home?
Usually I reserve that for the rich, or the sims who really have a connection to that vacation place. My neighborhood is still fairly young right now, so only the Goths own a vacation home.

Did you ever build more lots on any of the pre-mades?
I haven't, but I'd consider doing more vacation homes if they were looking a little low.

What's your favorite type of sim combo/dynamic to take on vacation (single, couples, friends, families, elder couples, etc?)
Honeymooners for the romance, and families because it's more wondrous then. I like to do family photo albums to show how my families have grown over the years.

How long do your sims usually go on vacation?
I pick all 7 days, and then just leave early when I feel like they've done all I want them to do. Rarely do I use all 7 days.

Are there some activities/mementos you block them from getting because it doesn't fit their personality? (for example: 'learn new massage' wouldn't be something a shy sim would partake in, a sim afraid of heights wouldn't go on helicopter or para-sailing tours, etc)
Ultimately, no. I'll typically pick activities that fit the type of vacation they are going on (couples massages for the honeymooners, and playing on the shipwreck for the children). I'll also choose to not take a sim on one of the events if they are tired/want to stay back at the hotel and relax, but I've not done it on personality.

Do you use all three pre-mades or did you ever make a custom vacation lot?

I use all the pre-made vacation hoods all the time. I do want to add custom ones and I had a look at the two that are mentioned on and off here at MTS, but somewhere along the process of trying to figure out how to install them I got bored and decided to leave it for some other time.

What is the most mementos a sim in your game has you think?

I don't quite understand the question. If you meant how many has a single Sim gotten, then several have gotten all of them. I remember how I struggled to have my Sim find the treasure box when I first got BV. Last Sim to get all kept finding new ones, to the point where I had her give one to each of her kids as a sort of trust fund.

Have you done all the special lot mementos (Bigfoot, Dragon Legend, Voodoo Doll)?

Yes. Countless times.

Did any of your sims buy a vacation home?

Yes, several of them, although mainly in Twikki Island and Three Lakes. I really like taking my Sims on holiday at Twikki Islands. Come to think of it, I really ought to make my own version of it that has more space for beach lots.

Did you ever build more lots on any of the pre-mades?

I've built two beach lots of my own, and I have one by a very kind creator here on MTS who remodeled a lot of hers from Belladonna Cove for me. I also built a cottage in Three Lakes.

What's your favorite type of sim combo/dynamic to take on vacation (single, couples, friends, families, elder couples, etc?)

I like taking families, because I think it's a nice thing to do with your kids. I also sometimes let the kids bring friends. Newly-weds is also fun.

How long do your sims usually go on vacation?

I have a mod that extends the vacation durations to like 40 days. I never actually stay that long, but it doesn't cost more and I prefer to cut the vacation short than have it end earlier than I want. Most Sims stay at most 5 days.

Are there some activities/mementos you block them from getting because it doesn't fit their personality?

No, not at the moment, although that is a rather fun idea. The only "rule" I have is that everyone that will live in a big house has to have teleport. Big house is usually anything with two floors.

Sorry that was worded weird, but yes that was what I meant - how many, if not all mementos does a sim have the most of.

I have seriously got to put more effort into vacations! Thinking about it, none of my sims ever got all the vacation mementos, the only special event thing they achieved was meeting bigfoot and noone has ever bought a vacation home.

I haven't ever tried to make my own neighbourhood, but I made off with far too many of Black Orchid's vacation lots from this site (they're just so pretty).

I usually pick the full time limit for vacations, just so I don't feel rushed. I have been known to go into SimPE and add days if I felt I wanted to stay for longer too.

I must have taken tons of different combos on vacation. Single sims, a group of single sims that lived together, couples, families. One mother and son invited the father (who lived in a different house; the mother was his mistress) on vacation and it was kind of annoying not being able to control the father, but I fixed that eventually by putting a mind control mirror in the hotel. All combos are fun to play around with.

I don't think there's ever been anything I specifically didn't want my sims to learn while on vacation, but it could be an interesting thing to try.

Most recent vacation: I took a single sim to Takemizu. She went on all the tours and got the bad luck chance card with every one. After the final one she was kneeling on the pavement throwing up (the boat had caused seasickness) when she told me it was the best week ever and the vacation was worth every penny. Okay, whatever floats your boat lol.

What is the most mementos a sim in your game has you think?
Not a clue. I don't pay them any mind.

Have you done all the special lot mementos (Bigfoot, Dragon Legend, Voodoo Doll)?
I have yet to do any. So far the only people who've found maps have been people who haven't been on vacation since.

Did any of your sims buy a vacation home?
I'm running out of space for vacation homes as I don't like most of the hotels.

Did you ever build more lots on any of the pre-mades?
I've plunked down a bunch of lot bin houses and empty lots as vacation homes. The empty lots are bought by graduating University students (since I keep so many residences continuously occupied they almost always have money to burn before they leave) as primitive camp sites. I give them something to cook with, some place to store food, and a plumbing hut, and they sleep in tents. Since I'd rather play than build, I haven't messed with making my own community lots, much less an entire new vacation hood, but you have to tweak the lots anyway to fix things like the ladies' room with the urinal and the jewelry stands facing the wrong way, so some of the lots have been tweaked extensively and others, not at all.

What's your favorite type of sim combo/dynamic to take on vacation (single, couples, friends, families, elder couples, etc?)
They all have something to recommend them and I'm a long way from trying all the combinations. I've done honeymoon couples; one honeymoon couple who went with the parents of the groom (they were moving back in with them, and they owned the vacation home); families; extended families; and families with friends. It's a bit frustrating not being able to make guests sleep, but it's a great way to get extended family members to be friends with their grandkids, nieces, nephews, and so on, and for SOs to get to know their prospective in-laws.

How long do your sims usually go on vacation?
So far I've always booked three days. That's about as much simming as of one family as I can take.

Are there some activities/mementos you block them from getting because it doesn't fit their personality? (for example: 'learn new massage' wouldn't be something a shy sim would partake in, a sim afraid of heights wouldn't go on helicopter or para-sailing tours, etc)
Not consciously or systematically. When I have choices I ask myself what that sim would do, so it probably works out that way. I play a very relaxed vacation - what's the point of anything else?

- Do you use all three pre-mades or did you ever make a custom vacation lot?
I love all three and don't feel the need to add any more. :D

- What is the most mementos a sim in your game has you think?
My power couple has gone on all three locations before having kids, and I think they got close to achieving them all.

- Have you done all the special lot mementos (Bigfoot, Dragon Legend, Voodoo Doll)?
Yes, I've done all three. Not always with every sim though. It depends on their wants and how long the vacation is.

Did any of your sims buy a vacation home?
I reserve the homes for the rich sims and everyone else stays in a hotel. I find that they hardly go home. Only to sleep really. :P

- Did you ever build more lots on any of the pre-mades?
I downloaded a couple more lots so sims have the chance to pick out their homes. Two vacation homes aren't enough! Community lots though, I haven't really tried to get. Maybe when I start getting bored of the premade ones. It hasn't happened yet though! Sending my sims to vacation also feels like a vacation for me. I play differently and it's refreshing.

- What's your favorite type of sim combo/dynamic to take on vacation (single, couples, friends, families, elder couples, etc?)
Usually I send couples for their honeymoon or just a romantic getaway. I always try for baby on the final night and see if I can get a honeymoon baby.

I plan on trying different combos soon. I have twins from a very rich family and they'll be graduating college soon. They get their inheritance after they earn their degree and they'll definitely be living large. Lots of traveling and fashion for them!

- How long do your sims usually go on vacation?
I always pick the entire week and if I get bored, I just go home early. I usually go home by the third day.

- Are there some activities/mementos you block them from getting because it doesn't fit their personality?
Hmm, not really. I see vacation as an opportunity to do things sims don't get to normally do. So if they roll a certain vacation want, I try to fulfill it.

I love your ideas, Charmful, especially that nightclub suggestion! I really should play around more with vacations now that you've got me thinking about it. Incidentally, how do you learn the gesture? It's eluded me all this time and I thought it would be so simple!

conversesneaker, to learn the gesture, a Sim needs to be left unattended near a local (someone dressed in a manner befitting the vacation area rather than somone in tourist clothing). Eventually, the local will do the gesture to your Sim, though you may need to cancel attempts by your Sim to distract him/herself. After that, you will find the gesture among the pie menu choices - you'll be able to click on most Sims, go to the "Gestures" submenu and find whichever gesture it is. The first few times, it's likely that your Sim will do it slightly wrong; this will show in the animation but will count towards learning the gesture just the same as if the Sim had done the action correctly.

Do the gesture to locals a few times (five generally does the trick) and your Sim will be deemed to have mastered it and get both memory and memento. The same principle applies to all 3 of the learnable gestures.

Note that a Sim who's already learned the gesture (by the game's definition) will be capable of spreading knowledge of that gesture in the same way as a local, and to some extent will do so autonomously. This is helpful because other Sims you take on holiday can learn from that Sim... ...but you are apt to get a gesture epidemic.

Returning to Charmful's questions:

Do you use all three pre-mades or did you ever make a custom vacation lot?

I take the three pre-mades and extensively remodel them. They also get renamed. The type of remodelling depends on which areas I feel the neighbourhood story needs next, and sometimes they get changed around. At the moment, there's an exclusive beach resort called Throne-O'-Sims and a Far Eastern-based local that in my game's supposed to be an elven city called Telanén. Eventually there will also be a mountain holiday site created but the storyline isn't at a point where I feel it would be helpful right now.

Throne-O'-Sims needed lots of remodelling; there is only one hotel carried over from the pre-made. If it hadn't been for the bother of introducing the secret lot, I'd probably have started that one from scratch. Most of Takemizu Village fit with the Télanen theme just fine, though spots for holiday homes have been introduced and some minor tweaking of commercial lots has happened.

What is the most mementos a sim in your game has you think?

At the moment, thirteen - this would be Chlo Shbiku (sp?), who has done everything that can be done on a single Far Eastern holiday. In a previous version of the game I may have had a Sim with fifteen, but most of my Sims only do one holiday in their entire lives, which places a natural restriction on the memento collections possible.

Have you done all the special lot mementos (Bigfoot, Dragon Legend, Voodoo Doll)?

I've done the Dragon Legend three times. Bigfoot has been visited but never befriended, and the Voodoo Doll's never been attempted. That's something I'd like to change, but no Sim has yet felt the inclination to visit the Witch Doctor, so it may take some prodding...

Did any of your sims buy a vacation home?

A few Sims have bought vacation homes. Paradoxically, I've yet to have one visit it!

Did you ever build more lots on any of the pre-mades?

A pre-made with no extra lots feels incomplete to me. Luxury beaches and nice hotels for Throne-O'-Sims, parks and a commerce centre for Télanen. (Télanen's holiday home spaces are just that; blank pieces of ground that a Sim can buy and create their own dream home on if and when they visit their purchased land).

What's your favorite type of sim combo/dynamic to take on vacation (single, couples, friends, families, elder couples, etc?)

My favourite combination is groups of friends. Families can be a lot of fun as well, especially if the family is low in social status and thus hasn't had much access to expensive entertainments. Single Sims are great - until they try to do 3 days of holiday on their last $25 (Jenny-Jersey Smith, I'm looking at you...)

How long do your sims usually go on vacation?

For as long as they are likely to be able to afford, given who's coming with them. So they do the full range of holidays from 3 days to an entire week. If they run out of money, they go home early. Otherwise... ...if they're that bored or boring on holiday, they can skill (using mods) till the plane home shows up!

Are there some activities/mementos you block them from getting because it doesn't fit their personality?

I don't block things on personality, but occasionally I block things on plausibilty. Jenny-Jersey Smith won't be getting all her tours until she learns to manage her holiday money better, for example.

The locals only ever greet my sims - no gestures! I'll take some sims on another vacation and see if I can get it this time...

I had a couple fill their mementos suitcase completely once, so haven't felt the need to complete everything for any other family.

I found the best way to befriend Bigfoot is to get the voodoo doll first (two different vacations, obviously) and then I liked having Bigfoot live with the family so much--he is an AWESOME babysitter--that almost all my neighborhoods have at least one Bigfoot now. One very kid-oriented family named two of their children after him--Saskia and Quatch. Right now I have a Bigfoot living with the Newsomes--he is a lifesaver for those poor kids! Plus, if he has a job, he'll bring interesting things home from work.

The only thing I don't like about having my Sims learn the various vacation skills like gestures and Tai Chi is that they want to do them ALL THE TIME. Although it is pretty funny when the whole family starts slap-dancing.

My 'I forbid you to turn on the stereo unless I say you can' hack was a sanity saver when all my sims wanted to do was dance until they got stinky and collapsed.

Like the other sub-hoods, if I use a pre-built I rebuild EVERYTHING. I've made Japanese and beach vacation hoods, including the secret lots. I always make my own buyable lots, especially for beach and mountain lots. I've managed to learn tele-porting only a few times; and deliberately had a clueless sim try to fix appliances and start a fire...

I just ram them with all the activities seen in the vacation momentos just for the sake of it....

I also build my own vacation location and tried to build a 7-8 story resort only to crash the game trying to stay in it....

If you get really impatient, you can cheat. Use 'boolprop testingcheatsenabled true' to make the local selectable, and instruct him to hangLoose or bow or chestPound. Make him unselectable again as soon as your sim has learnt the greeting, else something glitchy begins: a taxi arrives to take away the used local.

I use only the pre-made vaca lots--I think the 3 spots offer a lot of variety of things to do.

most of my sims gather around 15 or so mementos---but that is if they go to multiple destinations in their lifetime--I have never had one gather all per veraction spot.

I have had some sims purchase a vacation home--but use it more as a vacation rental. I pre decorate the homes so the purchase price is for a furnished house. sims purchase before going on their trip and sell upon arriving back home. since most of my sims usually never go to same vacation spot twice in their lifetime--don't feel the need for them to keep it. I try to decide if the person or family would be the type to rent a house on vacation---enjoys more privacy/ cook romantic meals for two--or would prefer a hotel venue---like to meet new people/dine out.

some but not all have done the special lot mementos---no one has done big foot yet---one or two the voodoo doll, more have done the dragon legend.

I have built only a few more lots on some of the vacation destinations. Far east now has a kareoke bar/night club added and a museum of fine art. to visit. Tropical has a vacation lot that has a camping on the beach theme. small shed for cooking and bathroom needs---outside shower with rock wall for privacy--grill for cooking--tent for sleeping under the stars. Very romantic for getting engaged --proposal on the beach --just too perfect. Mountain has an outdoor ice skating rink with a hot chocolate cafe.

I mostly do honeymoons / romantic couple getaways (both young and old). I have done a few family vacations with both younger and teens. all have been great fun. tried the invite friends once--but didn't like that they were not controllable---found it a bit difficult to manage. never took a single sim on vaca by himself yet---might try that next.

they stay for only 3 days--past that start to run out of things to do for most--and if their wasn't enough time--great excuse to return there later.

I don't block any activities --I think of the sims that are on vacation and what they would like to do---lay on the beach more--or go shopping? I do have the mod that stop autonomous vacation gestures in the home neighborhood. they learn them on vaca and do them their--but I needed them to stop once they got back home. It seemed like it was taking over their lives---couples would wait to do the "hang loose" or chest pound for their spouse--never mind a nice kiss or a how was your day---no --it was I need to do the "shaka" so you can stand there and be confused at by bizarre behavior. Hula and slap dance don't seem to bug me --I just cancel if I need them do something else.