I’m an American working a 9-5 job. I know you don’t have enough vacation days off to travel. Instead of saying quit your job to travel, this post is about how to travel more with a job. Working 9-5 often means dreaming of vacation days, but this is how to travel more often by maximizing your vacation days out of the office. Keep reading to see how I managed to swing visiting 12 countries in 12 months with a full-time job.
Traveling is not always about traveling for days…but it’s about going to where you’ve dreamed of visiting, no matter how long you have. Keep reading for easy steps to travel more with a full time job!
Contents
- 1 1. Pick Your Dream Destination.
- 2 2. Write down all Public Holidays & Total up your vacation days.
- 3 3. Have you ever done a weekend getaway?
- 4 4. Le Long Weekend
- 5 5. Creativity
- 6 6. Do you get to go on work trips OR does a family member travel for work?
- 7 6. Negotiate your work contract
- 8 Note on Flying On Major Holidays
- 9 Pro Tip: Stay Focused and Don’t Go Crazy!
- 10 Any tips for traveling with more a full-time job?
1. Pick Your Dream Destination.
There are SO many places that I want to go to, however prioritizing them is important. Although I definitely keep an eye on some of them with the hopes that the price will drop by $1,000, I know it’s unlikely for a while.
Focusing on places that you often seen flight deals pop up for is a good strategy for nailing a good flight deal–and ticking off your bucket list. Try to minimize long layovers unless you treat it as an opportunity to explore a new country (hello Iceland!)
I recommend making a list (or a joint one with your family!) about where to make a priority for the upcoming year. It can be simply a list on your refrigerator or a Pinterest board. (Pinterest can be a great resource for travel/tips inspiration no matter your niche.)
2. Write down all Public Holidays & Total up your vacation days.
Figure out when you’re off for public holidays and how many days you have off. Often these amazing flash deals (aka Secret Flying) involve taking massive number of days off in the middle of a random month (sure it’s cheap, but come on!) and honestly, even I don’t have that many days.
However, I definitely recommend tweaking your Facebook settings, so you see budget flight deals by liking Secret Flying then pressing “See First” under the tab where it says “Liked.” Sometimes you’ll find a steal–and even if you can’t use the dates they recommend, you might find inspiration OR an amazing deal on the dates mentioned. I found an amazing deal to Slovenia this way!
I am a huge fan of Google Calendar, which allows you to create “new calendars” where you can create a special one to keep track of your days. This allows me to know WHEN I have time off–and when I can’t take a vacation (due to an important unchangeable work thing or personal event).
If you click “My calendars”, create new calendar. Name it whatever you want although makes sure the square with vacation days is colored in. Then, make a new appointment on each of your days off. Remember: WEEKENDS ARE DAYS OFF.
3. Have you ever done a weekend getaway?
I’m currently based in The Netherlands where weekend getaways are much easier than in the US, but the short weekend trip is possible. This means leaving directly FROM work on Friday and flying back by by Sunday night. This way, you need ZERO days to explore a new place. (My coworkers think I’m ALWAYS traveling for this reason.)
Similarly, I like to see how far I can go in five hours by plane, train, or car. Inspiration is the hardest part as it’s easy to think I’ve done X, Y, Z…and there’s nothing else to do.
My weekend/day trip inspiration is often gathered from a mix of Atlas Obscura (a website that catalogs the weird, wonderful, and historical!), blogs by locals about charming things in the area, pretty Pinterest pins, hiking guides, and local guides to the area. Although what’s close might be so familiar, it’s often worth looking into places that you’ve heard about–but you’ve put off. It might surprise you.
4. Le Long Weekend
Vacation days are what I live for, so I only take off days that are tied around weekends and/or public holidays to maximize my time off. By “sewing together ” public holidays with weekends to take off the day bridging it with the weekend PLUS +/- 1 day before and after, I get a five/six day vacations with only two vacation days used. (This is how I snuck over to Kosovo!)
5. Creativity
Be flexible with your dates. I always fly the nights before a major holiday or even my day off, so I wake up in a new country or I’m en route to my destination by the time work starts. I recommend checking prices for one of the following combinations: Thursday/Friday, Friday/Monday, OR Monday/Tuesday.
Travel can be exhausting, but if you book flights during your off day OR the day after, you lose out on a full day of vacationing when you could already be there. Sure, it seems a bit stressful, but it will be worth it when you’ve arrived smoothly at your destination. It’s science: Vacations boost your health, including stress levels, for a MONTH after you get back, so 1 hour of stress = lasting benefits.
If you’re not going that far, it might be worth looking into flying back the morning that you need to return to work. I know it sounds crazy, but I did a long weekend flying from Amsterdam to the US with taking a half-day off and arriving at 7am before heading to work in the afternoon. This isn’t for everyone, but it allowed me to see my family over a long weekend without losing two vacation days to being “in transit” or recovering from jetlag.
6. Do you get to go on work trips OR does a family member travel for work?
Not all of us can do this, but if you get to travel for work, consider adding on time at the beginning OR the end to travel after asking your manager to get a later flight back. You can minimize your days off by using the weekend to explore. You might need to use 1-2 days to tie it to the weekend, but in my case, my employer actually encouraged me to stay after a conference when I was able to prove that I could save them 200 euros in the flight cost by staying the weekend after the conference.
As the partner of an academic, I know firsthand that while you’re attending a conference, you’re usually not sightseeing too much, After a conference that my partner attended in Israel, we visited Jordan. If you can bring your family or partner along (they’ll need to pay their way, but you’ll save on your own expenses), they might be able to enjoy a free hotel room while sightseeing on their own daytime. You can travel afterwards together, but it’s a great excuse to travel!
6. Negotiate your work contract
When you start with a full-time job, negotiate your holiday days as part of your employment offer. (This tip might be more applicable to experienced professionals who have more job experience and are in a position to leverage their job offer prior to accepting.) I gained five extra days this way. There is no harm in asking and you’d be surprised what they’d come back with. – Tip from Travel & Lifestyle Diaries
Note on Flying On Major Holidays
If you work full time, you’ll know that (almost) EVERYONE travels on certain dates. Know that sometimes your dates will not be cheap no matter what you do and even if they are, you’ll pay a lot during that period whether in flights OR hotels/hostels.
This is especially true if:
A) There is a major public holiday [e.g. New Years Eve] where everyone takes off the same days (e.g. Christmas Day & flies back New Year’s Day).
B) You’re flying to a remote airport with very limited planes.
C) Very limited accommodation where you’re heading.
If you want to book over a MAJOR US holiday, book early and/or shift your dates just a bit to beat the rush. I found an amazing deal over a major US holiday for my parents going from New York to Morrocco. Direct. For $600 Roundtrip. It’s way higher now, but booking in advance can work well if you’re planning on traveling over a major holiday.
On Finding a Good Price: Check the price on Skyscanner to see what is a good fare for your trip direct to your destination for any random two dates in the next few months (usually 3-4 months ahead) and compare it your holiday weekend way in advance.
Typically booking two months ahead is best—but it is possible to get good deals closer to your dates. However, when you get too close to the dates, it can be difficult, so I love using Hopper/Google Flights to let me know if they expect the price to go UP.
Pro Tip: Stay Focused and Don’t Go Crazy!
A lot of people I know tend to go crazy trying to do AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE when they finally get an international flight. I know you don’t get much time off and you want to maximize it, but there is something to be said for slowing down during your trip and trying to explore a region as best as possible. If you do 1-2 days in each country (if you’re Eurotripping), you get a small taste of a culture and you’ll wish you had more time to explore it. If you try to focus on 1-2 places, you’ll learn so much more about the culture, even if it’s a few days.
I love how this post is so encouraging! 🙂 i wish i’ve known these tips when i was working in Bogota, maybe i’d used more of those long weekends better than just sleeping and recovering from the exhausting load of work… :))
Yeah, I’ve had jobs like that too and I know a lot of people who definitely feel this way after work. It’s hard balancing the two and definitely depends on the job, but I hope this encourages more people. Thank you for reading.
I work full time, I travel and I am doing my post grad. I manage to travel because I prioritise, know my bank holidays and do weekend getaways. Being in Europe makes it easier but I know people in the states who travel as much as me not abroad as travel isn’t just going abroad
I completely agree. It’s really tough working and studying full time. I definitely did the same although it’s tough with a full plate. I definitely agree about it being easier in Europe, however the US is SO big that it’s easy to feel like you’re in a new place just by going a few hours away. Thank you for reading.
I work full time but I am fully remote (not tied to going to an office). As long as I have a decent internet connection, I can work from there.
I always try to take the bulk of my paid off days for a big trip (wedding anniversary). And yes, I pick and choose the bank holidays I want to take off. I never travel for holidays, though. And the weekend trips are heaven 🙂
Hmm, that sounds nice although I actually like going into the office. The sense of routine is a bit nice and I feel like I concentrate well at work (but maybe that’s just me). My partner and I also do a yearly anniversary trip as well as a birthday trip. Definitely agree about the weekend trips!
Yes! This is my life! It’s so difficult trying to prioritise when all you want to do is take off and see everywhere!! I really like reading this and will definitely take some of your advice!! #ftb
It’s easy to say that you need to quit it all to travel, but I think having the money as well as stability to travel without compromising is something that is often taken for granted. It takes a bit of slowing down to plan carefully, but it is so worth it. Can’t wait to read about your travels!
Great post! I know I should take more advantage of the weekends, but sometimes I just can’t motivate myself.. especially now it’s so cold outside :p
On a side note: Hamburg can be reached from Amsterdam within 6 hours, ever been here? 😀
Thanks so much for reading Brigitte! It might be cold, but you can catch a flight somewhere warm. 😉 That’s how I think about it. (Alternatively, see the Northern lights!)
I haven’t spent enough time in Germany and I’ve heard great things about hamburg. Maybe another time!
Awesome tips Karen! SO jealous that it is relatively painless to travel within Europe, but you’re so right about planing ahead and making the most of 3 day weekends. Can’t believe you did a US trip without taking too much time off either!
It’s true, I have it easy being in Europe at the moment, but I know how tough it is traveling from the US. But yeah, planning ahead has HUGE advantages and I hope it inspires more people. I mean, it was rough…but I planned super carefully, including going in at 8am just so I could leave just to catch my flight around lunch before returning to work the same day I flew. I was a bit miserable towards the end of the day, but I was surprised how GOOD I felt. Forcing yourself on the right time-zone does wonders although it was so worth going to the US to see family (even if it was a 4 day trip!)
Great article! I am now in this position for the first time because after I got back from one and a half years on the road (and before that I went to uni), I now have a full time job. Thinking about vacation days and when I can take time off work has never been a part of my travel planning, but it’s so encouraging to see that others do it – and I’ll be able to do it, too. Thanks for that!
Thanks so much natalie! I hope your transition goes well and planning your vacation days carefully really means you can do so much more with your days off. I’m looking forward to following your trips!
I really needed this this weekend as I start a new full time job on Monday and am secretly feeling quite depressed about giving up my flexibility!!! But these are all really great reminders of how I used to make it work before I gave up the last one 2 years ago, and apparently you can buy extra holiday from my new company so that’s an option too! And the good news is that there will be a fair bit of UK travel in the job. So all is not completely lost! Will definitely be using some of your tips and making the most of my time off.
Hi Amanda, I’m so glad I could help! Working full-time is not about giving up flexibility, but more GAINING in terms of stability (and money). It’s easy to see the downsides, but a good job helps a lot. Being able to buy vacation is great although I haven’t done that myself since it’s not common enough at my company. The UK travel will be great and it’s amazing how varied it is–with so little time traveled! I’m looking forward to following your travels.
This is such sound advice for those that do hold the 9-5 grind. I met so many Australians and New Zealanders who have a full month off towards traveling, and as an American I just feel it’s impossible at times to go as far or long because of the standard 2 weeks (if that!). Love these tips and will definitely share with my friends who feel like they never have enough time!
Hi Emily,
Thanks so much for reading. I know a lot of Europeans who also have a month and I felt the same way about it. It seems insane to be able to travel with only a week (which is what a few of my friends have), but it is possible if you can plan well. I hope this inspires more people to travel without feeling constrained or disappointed!
This is such a great post! We use a lot of these already for my boyfriend’s job like stacking days off with vacation days. My job gives me off all summer so I am lucky, and just have to figure out when he’s available!
Very encouraging post for those who work full time! I work full time and I am constantly dreaming of my next trip away, I love weekends away but I also save all my holiday to use in one go to take a bigger trip once a year! 🙂
I’m all about the short weekend get-a-way. It is amazing how much you can do in smaller cities with less major tourist attractions but are still nice. I never though about exploring Liverpool but I had the time of my life in only 1.5 days there. Excellent tips here, I love them.
These are great tips, Karen. We are in a similar situation, since we have to plan all our trips around the school holidays. We don’t try to travel every singe day of every vacation and weekends are out if the question most of the time, but it’s always a challenge to find good deals when traveling at peak times. So we use many similar strategies as you do. We find that booking as long in advance as possible takes away lots of stress and guarantees the best choice and prices.
Incredibly useful post! Thanks for sharing. I didn’t know about sky scanner -will have to check it out! Iceland & St. John V.I. are my dream destinations-would have to head to the Caribbean to thaw out after Iceland though! lLove your website!
Great tips Karen, especially negotiating your work contract. We’re very lucky in Australia that all full time employees get 4 week vacation leave, though a lot of Government jobs now you can “buy” more leave – your salary comes down a bit and you can take additional weeks. Starting to become quite the trend it seems!
You have some great tips here. My biggest problem is that I can only travel in school holidays because I have school-going kids – and that is not cheap. My other problem is that South Africa is too far for weekend trips in other continents so I can only do local weekend getaways.
You’ve pointed out some really great tips, especially in choosing destinations. I also try to avoid destinations with really long layovers because it could take up a lot of days off of your vacation time. In the end, it is all about being open to try new things rather than being insistent on where you want to go.
Thanks so much for reading Abigail! I totally agree about being flexible. I guess for me, my bucket list is so long that I’m happy to go anywhere, which works in my favor. I don’t mind long layovers if I can explore, but most of the time, leaving the airport is too difficult!
Great post! This is exactly how I do it. My friends and colleagues are shocked how much I get to travel in one year (11 countries in 2016 in parallel to full-time job). They think I only travel the whole time, however it is about the efficiency.
Absolutely agree with you! I’m just another fellow 9-to-5-full-time-job travel addict. Travelling is possible, one just needs to be creative. The long weekends are my favourite.