What if I told you that even with just 10 days of vacation time you could take vacations totaling 36 days? It just takes a little bit of advanced planning.
Method to the travel madness
I know the way I do things sounds a little neurotic to even my closest friends, but it’s also how I travel so frequently. At the end of each year I make a new Google Doc that lists out every single day of the upcoming year. Then I bold the weekends so it’s easy to skim. From there, I mark which days my company has holidays. I pay particular attention to the holidays that back up to a weekend, like Martin Luther King, Jr. Day is always a Monday.
Then I start plugging in my destinations based on season, distance, number of days needed there, etc.
Traveling on major holidays like Memorial Day and Labor Day can be more expensive and crowded, but it may be worth it if you’re limited with the paid time off you earn from your employer.
Long weekends every month
If you took advantage of MLKJ, President’s Day, Memorial Day, Fourth of July, Labor Day, Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years, you could take a three or four day trip every month of the year and still have a few days left over.
These long weekends can be just as refreshing as a week-long holiday except you can pack lighter, and there is less prep and planning to be away from the office or your home. You still get the pre-travel jitters and your friends still enjoy hearing about your plans and seeing photos when you get back. You just get to go to 12 times as many destinations.
Sometimes waiting for one big vacation feels great, and sometimes, I just want to peace out now.
Where is good for a long weekend?
Maybe this isn’t your annual game plan since it’s harder to get to some far-flung bucket list locales. But for off years when you want to save a little money for that boat cruise around Croatia or the over-water bungalow in Bali, this might be the perfect way to explore your own country.
In non-COVID times, I employ this method about every other year. We try not to take big international trips more than every 18 months or so. But between big trips, we’re still exploring. My coworkers have even gotten so used to my monthly travel that they often ask where I’m heading next.
Depending on where you live, you have lots of options for where to choose for your weekend adventures. For long weekends, I like to choose places no more than a five-hour drive or a three-hour flight. Any longer than that and I can’t arrive in my destination after work on the day I leave. If I have to spend half of Saturday traveling, then I really only have Sunday to enjoy because Monday I have to travel home. But if I can leave Friday after work, I can enjoy all of Saturday and Sunday before heading home Monday.
You may be surprised how many interesting places are within a short drive from your home. It just takes a little research. I have a short list of my own interests that I always research in addition to the typical restaurants and bars: markets, bookstores, libraries, speakeasies, museums, concert venues, comedy, art galleries/exhibits, parks, and board game parlors. There are always going to be unique things in that destination like the Bourbon Trail in Kentucky, whale watching in California, and a Salem witch tour in Massachusetts, but I also find unique versions of things I already love.
If you love a place, feel free to return, but I easily get bored so I love exploring new places. It’s almost always worth the risk of it being just okay. And even if it’s not the most thrilling place, now you know. And you’ll be glad you spent just a long weekend there instead of your whole year’s PTO.
Travel for work?
If you are lucky enough to travel for work, consider tacking on a day or two at the end of your trip. You may have time in the evenings to explore wherever you are, and your transportation to and from that location is taken care of.
If you can schedule your work thing on a Monday, book your flight to that destination on Friday night so you can enjoy the weekend. Your employer will only pay for the hotel the nights you are actually supposed to be there, but it’s still worth it. The same thing works for Friday meetings as well.
And if you can’t rearrange your schedule, ask your manager if you can work remote the other days. For example if you have a Tuesday meeting somewhere, fly in (on the company dollar) on Friday night, explore Saturday and Sunday, work remote Monday and you’re all prepped for your Tuesday meeting. Plus you didn’t have to take time off to travel Monday so you’re actually more productive for your team.
Even stealing away to visit a museum while you slam a sandwich over lunch can make your work trip feel more enjoyable.
There are lots of strategies to get the most out of your limited PTO. You know where to find me if you want help.