Getting to travel the world is a luxury that not everyone can do. To be in a different country each week or month is another level that few often reach. There are those who can plan it by saving up, selling everything and living more simple. Then there are some who are already in the financial position to do so without having to worry about working. Having a fully remote job to work from anywhere is another way to live the traveling dream.
For those of us like myself who work a 9-5 office job and have limited vacations days to use, traveling the world nonstop just isn’t an option. But that doesn’t have to put a damper on your love for wanderlust. I’m here to help give tips on how to maximize those vacation days and still travel often while working an onsite office job.
Traveling during holidays may be more busy and expensive, but there’s ways around that. You can typically gain a day or even more by planning a trip around a holiday. Instead of leaving during the peak travel, leave a few days before the busiest days occur. For instance if you choose to go during July 4th, book your flight for the tail end of June to beat the crowds.
If your company offers personal days in addition to vacation, use these days for smaller trips. Go on a road trip around your city and take a long weekend. Or fly to a city and spend a few days there. It would definitely be nice to spend a full week or more in Iceland, but it can certainly be done in 4-5 days as well. This will allow you to still see new places without using up a lot of vacation time.
If you’re going somewhere far and would like some extra days there offer to work from home a few of those days. If your job allows for it you can work from super early in the morning to the afternoon and still have some time afterwards to explore.
Do you hope to add another trip, but don’t have enough days? If your company allows it see if you can deduct or borrow from the following year. This can allow you to go to more places a certain year if you plan to travel less the year after. Alternatively you can also carry over days if you don’t use them all, and throw in an extra trip with those.
Another approach to gaining a few extra days could be comp days. If your boss allows it you can offer to work some extra hours to get a few comp days. This can help extend a shorter trip or even allow for a few extra long weekend trips.
Flying out late at night can help save you vacation time by being able to still work that day. For instance a 10 day trip can only use up 6 days by flying out on a Thursday night and returning on a Sunday. This can be even maximized more if it’s over a holiday.
It’s definitely a struggle having a desire to travel the world with an onsite office job. We hope these tips on how to travel the world with limited vacation may help you to make use of the time you have. Eventually if your field allows it you may want to consider a fully remote job or starting your own business to allow a work from anywhere situation. Either way we definitely feel your pain. Having limited time to travel allows us to really appreciate and not take for granted the places we get to see. We are lucky and thankful to be able to travel and explore beyond our home!
Do you find ways to still travel with an office job? We’d love to hear more!
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This is encouraging to see. Most of the travel blog posts I see are from extroverts who've left the capitalist narrative behind to become a full-time traveler, but for people who've already sunk money and years into school and a career that they actually like, full-time travel isn't an option. I'd love to travel the world, and I get a few weeks of paid vacation per year, but the challenges are that a) my wife doesn't get any paid vacation; b) I like going back to the East Coast every couple of years to see family (which is technically travelling, but not to new places), and c) living in Canada means that all the exotic destinations are far away. This might seem like I'm complaining...which is true...but as I said, it's encouraging to see that there are other in a comparable boat!
Hi Andrew! Thanks for your comment. I'm glad that it was inspiring to you to read. We definitely aim to relate to those who can't travel full-time for various reasons, but still want to fulfill their love to see the world. It's definitely not easy when vacation time is limited, but we do our best to make the most of it, which is exactly the boat we are in too. Hope you figure out a way to see more of the world someday!