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Ashley a.k.a girlwithherviews at the hoover dam overlooking the water from a tourist viewpoint
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How To Travel With A Full Time Job

Travel planning with a full time job can feel impossible, I know the feeling because I’ve been there. It can be challenging, but it is definitely possible. Below are some of the strategies I use in order to stretch my limited vacation days.

Stretch Your Vacation Days 

Most people get a limited amount of vacation days a year. If you want to fit in multiple vacations a year, it’s important to make those days count. Use national holidays wisely, almost all of my trips are planned around a national holiday, you can usually get at least one or two extra free days depending on how those holidays fall. 

Explore Your Hometown

Your dream may be to go to a destination on the other side of the earth. Sometimes that may not be realistic. You don’t need to go to a trendy travel destination to have a great time or a great adventure. Explore your back yard, in The Bahamas we are blessed to have so many easily accessible islands. Each island has a different vibe and personality, play tourist in your own country!

Related : A Weekend Camping In Andros

Add Extra Days to A Business Trip

If you are lucky enough to travel for work you should make the most of it. Make the most of business trips by adding an extra day or two. If you can’t add on extra days use your downtime to schedule a tour, try out a new restaurant or check out a museum. 

Ashley a.k.a girlwithherviews in maryland during wintertime. Wearing a black trench coat and a tan burberry scarf and her signature transparent glasses

Red-Eye Flights 

A red eye flight can save you an extra day of vacation. Leave the office and head straight to the airport. Depending on the duration of your flight you can arrive on the day your vacation is supposed to start and hit the ground ready to go. 

Get a Side Hustle

Find a way to make extra income. If you don’t have a skill that you think is side hustle worthy, take a free online course and learn something new. This can supplement your bank account if your budget is an issue. 

Travel Deals are Your Friend

I am always on the hunt for a good deal, sign up for newsletters and travel sites to keep an eye on prices. You can also use fare tracking tools like Skyscanner and Hopper to watch for price drops. 

Related : 10 Things I Learned About Dubai

Take Shorter Trips More Often

With limited travel days, multiple major trips a year can be unrealistic. When I say major trip; I mean something that is a week or longer or requires a long haul flight to get there. Go on one or two major trips a year and leave a couple days for when you might NEED to take a break. 

Change Your Mindset

If travel is something you really want to do, you have to prioritize it. This may mean making your coffee at home instead of buying Starbucks or not buying a pair of shoes that you want but don’t really need. It does not matter if you have a tight budget, you can make it work with discipline and planning. We all make excuses for why we can’t do the things that we desire. If you truly desire to travel you will find a way. Our minds are a powerful thing.  

Don’t Wait For Others – Go Solo!

Trying to plan a trip with other people who also have jobs can pose a challenge with scheduling.  Your free time is limited, waiting around for someone to commit to a trip with you can prohibit your planning. Solo travel is scary for some people and I understand it may not be an easy decision for you. If you are scared to travel solo, try a destination you are familiar and comfortable with for your first solo trip. 

Related : Should you plan every moment of your trip? Or go with the flow?

I hope these tips can help you make the most of your vacation days. Combining these tips will ensure that you are getting the most value out of your vacation days. With a bit of strategic planning you can find the time to travel multiple times throughout the year. If you have any, I would love to hear your tips or hacks in the comments!

15 Comments

  • Margie

    You’re right. It is not easy to make time to travel when you work full time. Your suggestions make sense, but always tough to find the right time.

  • Josy A

    Great tips Ashley!

    We do the same thing since we moved to Canada – plan our vacations around National holidays to make the most of our days off. It makes such a difference doesn’t it. We also started taking an extra day either end of the weekend for mini holidays. 😀

  • Shafinah

    Loving the ‘Change Your Mindset’ bit! Social media makes travelling look so ‘free and easy’ these days it’s unhealthy what it makes us believe. The reality is that many of us still have to make micro-decisions every day to help fill that travel piggy bank faster, so I’m glad you mentioned it! 💖

  • Anja

    Hi! These are great tips. I work full time too and have a self-employed part time job. My additional advice would be having extra money in the bank and financial security will make it so much easier to ask for different hours or in general working hours that might suit your travel plans. I worked crazy hours last spring when the pandemic first his which resulted in a nice week off in summer when travel restrictions were eased in Europe.

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