We all wish we could quit our jobs and travel the world, don’t we? But for most of us, that’s not the best choice with our financial and familial responsibilities. So how do we make the most of our paid time off when we do take it.
Plan trips around company holidays. Travel can be more expensive around the high summer holidays of Memorial Day, Independence Day and Labor Day, but other times of the year like Martin Luther King, Jr. Day can offer an extra day of vacation without the premium flight/hotel bookings. Plus, does your company usually offer early release the day before holidays? Consider taking advantage of that discreetly too.
Can you perform your job remotely? Perhaps there is work you can do while you’re sitting at the airport or even on the plane. Aircraft wifi may be worth the cost if you can get a few hours of work done while you travel. Then you won’t need to take that day as PTO. Of course you should always run all of this by your manager to make sure you are meeting expectations about your work while you are away from your desk. They’ll be able to guide you through what is appropriate at your particular office and what isn’t.
Plan to leave immediately after work. This works well for travel times less than four or five hours. Pack your bags the evening before and throw the morning toiletries in before you leave for the office. If you can get the flight or long drive out of the way between 5 p.m. and 10 p.m., you’ll get to wake up in your destination and start exploring immediately instead of wasting the morning traveling and then the evening recouping from your travel.
Nap in the middle of the day (yes, like toddlers). Be a narcoleptic weirdo like me. Get up early and hit the sights by 7 or 8 a.m. Do your thing and then when you’re tired, come back to your Airbnb and take a nap. Then freshen up and head out for the evening. You’ll find that allowing yourself to take a break in the middle of the day helps you get up earlier and stay out later, giving you significantly more hours than if you started your day about 10 a.m. and ended it right after dinner. Now, I know not everyone is so lucky to be able to fall asleep in the middle of broad daylight within five minutes like me, but that downtime in the afternoon can still give you a refresh to keep dancing long into the night so you don’t have to leave the local concert before the encore. Plus you may even beat the heat of the day if you’re traveling somewhere warm.
Sleep before and after your trip. Try not to stay up late packing or cleaning your home before you leave. Make sure you leave for your trip well rested. It’ll improve your mood and make the whole thing a more positive experience. I think it’s okay to lose a little sleep to add in a few extra activities while you’re away. You can catch up when you return home and there aren’t as many new and exciting sights to see.
Everyone’s idea of what travel is supposed to be is a little bit different so take all this with a grain of salt when tackling your own trip plans.