The problem, at least for me, is that the stereotypical Euro-American vacation is anything but "a period of relaxation and leisure". Say you're a Frenchman taking off the month of August: you jam your family in the car and head off to the Mediterranian coast, along with half the country, to pack yourselves on a beach and try to believe you're having fun. Or an American who fits the kids in the SUV, and heads off to Yellowstone, hoping to get a glimpse of Old Faithfull over the heads of 40,000 people and their kids...