{"id":24171,"date":"2019-08-30T13:57:52","date_gmt":"2019-08-30T12:57:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.tourradar.com\/days-to-come\/?p=24171"},"modified":"2019-08-30T13:57:53","modified_gmt":"2019-08-30T12:57:53","slug":"how-to-use-vacation-days","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.tourradar.com\/days-to-come\/how-to-use-vacation-days\/","title":{"rendered":"10 Ways to Maximise Your Vacation Days and Travel More With a 9-to-5 Job"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

\u201cI quit my job to travel the world!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How many times have you read a version of this story online? Sure, it\u2019s an exciting narrative, but it just isn\u2019t realistic for most people. Plus, it perpetuates the idea that you have to ditch your 9-to-5, sell all your belongings, and live on the road full-time to see the world. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Spoiler alert: you don\u2019t have to set off on a year-long backpacking trip or start working as a digital nomad to travel frequently! Yes, finding time to gallivant around the globe can be challenging when you have a \u201cregular\u201d job and a measly two weeks of vacation, but it\u2019s definitely doable \u2014 especially when you start getting strategic about how and when you use your paid time off.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019re keen to maximise your vacation days, we\u2019ve got 10 tips to help you hack your paid time off and travel more while holding down a day job.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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It’s still possible to make your travel dreams come true with limited vacation time | \u00a9 Cristofer Jeschke\/Unsplash<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

1. Plan vacations around holidays<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Okay, so this one may seem obvious, but it\u2019s easily one of the best ways to maximise your vacation days without eating into your PTO. Most holidays fall on Fridays or Mondays in North America, which means you only need to use four paid days to get a full week off. You can make the most of those holidays that happen to fall mid-week, too; just book off the two days immediately following the holiday for a five-day break. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now, this strategy does come with one caveat: travelling around major holidays like Thanksgiving or Christmas can be a nightmare when it comes to crowds, queues, and skyrocketing flight prices. If you\u2019re willing to travel ON the holiday itself, however, you can score a great airfare deal and preserve your sanity in the process. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

2. Fit two weekends in during your time off <\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

If you plan it right, it\u2019s totally possible to take a nine-day holiday and only use five paid vacation days \u2014 just make sure two weekends fall during your time off! For example, if you book a trip from Saturday to the following Sunday, you\u2019ll get nine consecutive days worth of travel \u2014 four of which fall on the weekend. And, if there happens to be a holiday during that time, you can take a nine-day trip using only four paid days off. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Be sure to leverage existing holiday weekends when planning your travels for the year | \u00a9 Link Hoang\/Unsplash<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

3. Stay (somewhat) close to home<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

We get it: you want to travel to all the far-flung destinations of your dreams when you have time off. But, in some cases (read: when you can only take a week off) spending a full day travelling to your destination \u2014 and then recovering from the awful jetlag afterwards \u2014 isn\u2019t the best way to maximise that week-long holiday. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you live in New York and you\u2019re dying to visit the palm-fringed islands of the South Pacific, why not consider dreamy islands that are just as exotic but also a little closer to home, like Panama<\/a>\u2019s San Blas Islands or Isla Holbox in Mexico<\/a> instead? Live in Australia and want to take a ski holiday in North America? New Zealand<\/a>\u2019s South Island is a great \u2014 and easily accessible \u2014 alternative. <\/p>\n\n\n

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See Also: <\/em>How to Enjoy a Vacation: 6 Ways to Make the Most of Your Holidays <\/a><\/strong><\/p>\r\n

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4. Perfect the art of the long weekend trip<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Leveraging long weekends is crucial when you\u2019re working with limited vacation time. When you tack a day or two onto a weekend, you\u2019ve got yourself a three or four-day trip \u2014 and although it may seem not seem like much, you can see and do a lot in that timeframe. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Destinations within driving distance are always a safe bet for a long weekend getaway, but don\u2019t be afraid to head a bit further afield as well. Travel search engines like Kayak feature a flight duration filter, so you can narrow down your options to cities that are only a short flight away.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Even a short break is hugely beneficial to your wellbeing and mental health | \u00a9 David Lezcano\/Unsplash<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

5. Turn a business trip into a mini getaway (or tag along on someone else\u2019s)<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Already travel for work? A business trip is a great excuse to plan a short-but-sweet vacation at the same time. Add an extra day to the beginning or end of your trip, or see if you can extend your trip into the weekend and spend Saturday and Sunday exploring the sights. Even an extra day or two means you can plan your own adventure and get more out of your time away. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Don\u2019t have the opportunity to travel for work? Chances are you know someone who does! Whether it\u2019s your partner, a friend, or your second cousin, ask if they could use some company on their business trip and see if you can tag along. You\u2019ll have to stay busy while they\u2019re at their conference or event, but you can also crash at their hotel for free and make a fun trip of it. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

6. Choose your flight times wisely <\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

I think we can all agree that red-eye flights aren\u2019t fun, but if you learn to love them, you can squeeze even more out of every last vacation day. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

When you\u2019re booking your trip, opt for an overnight flight after your last day of work before your vacation officially starts. This way, you\u2019ll arrive at your holiday destination on the morning of your first full day off (without wasting half a day in transit). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The bottom line? If you\u2019re willing to suffer through (or if you can actually manage to catch some z\u2019s on) a red-eye flight, you\u2019ll be able to fall asleep in your departure city and wake up in your vacation spot \u2014 so don\u2019t overlook those late-night departure times when searching for flight options!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Book a red-eye flight to cut down on transit time and make the most of shorter trips | \u00a9 s-o-c-i-a-l-c-u-t\/Unsplash<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n
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See Also: <\/em>10 Pre-Vacation Tips to Check Off Before You Travel<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\r\n

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7. Don\u2019t try to pack too much in  <\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Less is more when it comes to maximising your weekend getaways and ten-day holidays. You won\u2019t be able to see and do all the things<\/em>, and trying to cram too much in is a surefire way to feel overwhelmed by your itinerary and even more exhausted than when you left. Stick to one or two places and schedule in enough time to actually relax, sleep in, and do absolutely nothing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

8. Spread your vacation days throughout the year <\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

There\u2019s nothing wrong with splitting your vacation time into two longer holiday stints, but if you want to feel like you\u2019re travelling more, it\u2019s best to spread your PTO between multiple mini vacations throughout the year. The upside of taking several short holidays is that you\u2019ll always have something to look forward to!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Remember to carve out time in your itinerary to relax and do nothing | \u00a9 Nick Karvounis\/Unsplash<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

9. Make the most of every minute when you\u2019re travelling <\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Time is precious when you\u2019re travelling \u2014 especially when vacation days are scarce. To ensure you\u2019re making the most of every minute while you\u2019re away, keep these tips in mind when you\u2019re in vacation-planning mode: <\/p>\n\n\n\n