You’re not alone if you’ve ever found yourself scrolling through social media and seeing your friends and family’s vacation highlights, wondering how they fit in all that travel time. Here’s the secret: they’ve mastered the art of how to travel with a full-time job. And guess what? You can, too!
Over the past eight years, I’ve navigated the demands of my full-time corporate HR job while still finding opportunities to explore this incredible planet.
And before you jump to conclusions, no—I haven’t taken extended leaves of absence from work to jet-set around the globe, nor have I ever felt the need to quit my job to satisfy my wanderlust.
The beauty of it all? You don’t have to choose between your career and your travel dreams. It’s entirely possible to have both! Here are 14 practical tips for how to travel with a full-time job.
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14 practical tips for how to travel with a full-time job
1. Mindset is Everything
Let’s be honest: many of us have been conditioned to believe that we must either quit our jobs or wait until retirement to see the world.
I find both of these notions silly. Instead, let’s shift our mindset to prioritize living a fulfilling life. Remember, we work to live, not live to work. So, go ahead and indulge in your travel experiences while you can!
2. Plan Your Time Off in Advance
If you have specific travel dates, planning your adventures early allows you to take advantage of low airfare and guaranteed bookings. To track flights and search for hotel deals, I swear by Hopper, an app designed to predict when flight and hotel prices fluctuate, similar to Google Flights.
On the work front, you’re proactively scheduling and communicating your time off to avoid last-minute clashes with work commitments and coordinate coverage.
3. Create a Travel Fund
If you’re looking to travel more, you’ll need to prioritize your goals. Consider opening a separate bank account from your daily expenses. This way, you have a dedicated account to save for future adventures. I opted to open a high-yield savings account to house my travel savings.
I’m not a financial advisor, and I encourage you to research which banking options are best for your needs.
4. Work Remote
If you are one of the lucky ones working remotely or a digital nomad, you can take advantage of getting your work done while exploring a new city or country. I worked remotely in Mexico for two weeks, and the best part was that I didn’t need to use a single vacation day or miss a deadline.
5. Maximize Holidays
Planning your vacation around public holidays is another way to add extra days to your travel itinerary. Most holidays in the U.S. fall on a Monday, and if you’re looking to maximize your time off, you can take off Thursday after work and return on Tuesday, giving you three full days and only using 2 PTO days.
Related Article: How to Maximize Your Vacation Days in 2024
6. Combine Business with Pleasure
If you’re traveling for work, you can extend your stay by a few extra days before or after your business trip. This way, you save money by traveling on your company’s dime, allowing you to explore new destinations you might not have considered.
7. Be Flexible
While planning is crucial, remaining flexible with your travel dates is another valuable way to maximize travel opportunities alongside your full-time job.
If your schedule allows, you can capitalize on traveling during the middle of the week when it’s less crowded or visit popular destinations like Malta during the off-season.
Also, be open to chasing the deal instead of the destination. You’d be surprised what deals pop up to places that aren’t on your bucket list.
8. Hybrid Work Schedule
Many of us transitioned to remote work during the pandemic, but as COVID-19 vaccines became available, employers mandated a return to office, often with hybrid work schedules. This arrangement typically requires employees to be, on average, in the office three days a week.
The beauty of this hybrid schedule lies in its flexibility. Going into the office a few days a week allows you to capitalize on the opportunity to travel.
For example, if you go into the office on Monday and Tuesday, on Tuesday night, catch a flight to London and work from there for the remainder of the week or into the next. This works for people living on the U.S.’s east coast, but you get the idea!
9. Optimize Your PTO
Unfortunately, in the U.S., most people receive a measly 15 days of PTO (paid time off) per year, which doesn’t compare to our European friends who receive up to 5 weeks of vacation time.
You can optimize your limited vacation time by carefully planning your time off and leveraging company holidays, personal days, and even sick days.
10. Explore Your Own Backyard
Staycations are often overlooked, but they offer a fantastic opportunity to discover local hidden gems, try out restaurants on your city bucket list, or visit neighboring states. Plus, exploring your backyard can make you the perfect host when family and friends come to town!
11. Start Early or Leave Late
While catching early morning flights may not be the most enjoyable experience, there’s an undeniable thrill in arriving at your destination just a few hours later, ready to dive into adventure. The early start gives you the entire day to explore, unwind, or soak up your new surroundings.
Similarly, opting for later flights, especially when heading to Europe, can be advantageous. With night flights, you can save on accommodation costs and wake up hours later in a new country!
Plus, both early morning and late evening flights often offer cheaper airfares and a decreased likelihood of delays, ensuring a smooth and enjoyable travel experience from start to finish.
12. Negotiate More Time Off
If you are in the final stages of negotiating your salary package for a new job and the offered vacation package doesn’t meet your expectations, don’t hesitate to negotiate for more time off. Many companies are open to accommodate reasonable requests, especially if you bring valuable skills and experience to the organization.
After all, if you’re leaving incentives behind from your previous employer, it’s worth exploring the possibility of securing more PTO that better aligns with your lifestyle.
13. Take a Sabbatical
Many of us are caught up in the relentless cycle of work, leaving little time for personal pursuits or meaningful connections with friends and family. If you’re experiencing burnout, it’s essential to prioritize your well-being. One avenue to consider is requesting a leave of absence or a sabbatical.
While only a few U.S. companies offer sabbaticals, typically after several years of service, it can be a valuable opportunity to recharge and refocus. Sabbaticals are typically 3 -12 months, where you get paid either the entire time or part-time away from work.
Sabbaticals are great because you can temporarily step away from work demands, hand off responsibilities to colleagues, and dedicate time to rest, rejuvenation, and personal growth.
Whether fulfilling a lifelong dream of living in Bali or embarking on an extended journey through the Caribbean, sabbaticals offer the freedom to pursue experiences that nourish the soul.
14. Buy Additional Vacation Time
Employers increasingly recognize the importance of fostering a healthy work-life balance, yet the standard allotted vacation time may not always satisfy the wanderlust or adventurous professional.
To bridge this gap, it’s worth exploring whether your company offers the option to purchase additional vacation time.
This arrangement allows you to buy an extra week or two of vacation for the year, with the cost spread out through small deductions from your paycheck over the year.
Be sure to check your company’s vacation policy to confirm this option—it could be just the ticket to fueling your wanderlust while maintaining a balanced professional life.
Conclusion – Lady Chin’s Two Cents
I firmly believe that you can travel with a full-time job. You can have the best of both worlds if you want and shouldn’t have to feel guilty about that.
Don’t let our overworking culture in the U.S. shame you into thinking that taking time off to travel makes you an uncommitted employee.
We all deserve to take time to do what we love, and if filling your wanderlust cup makes you a more engaged employee, then I say, do what makes you happy and see the world now.
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