Wondering how to travel with a full-time job and limited vacation days? We both work full time, get 15 days off, and still want to see as much of the world as we can. We also happen to be workaholics, so actually switching off takes a little more effort than booking a flight. We have collective been to 24 countries and majority of them together.
Our approach is pretty simple: we try to take one big vacation a year, explore somewhere new, and plan around the weekends so we can make the most of our time away. And if the route takes us anywhere near Dubai, there’s a good chance we’ll try to fit in a stop. We love it too much!
We’re still figuring out the balance, but a few habits have helped us enjoy our trips without spending the whole time thinking about what’s happening back at work. Here’s what works for us.
How We Plan Travel With a Full-Time Job
With limited days off, we usually focus on one bigger trip and try to go somewhere we haven’t been before. Having that trip to look forward to gives us a reason to make time for travel, even when work is busy.
Our usual plan is to take one full workweek off and include the weekends on either side. Five vacation days can give us up to nine calendar days away from work, although flights and travel time take up part of that. It doesn’t mean nine full days exploring a destination, but it does give us more room than a quick weekend trip.
We also try to be realistic about where we’re going. We’re the kind of people who will try to fit Hong Kong and Thailand into a short vacation window. Is that ambitious? Definitely. But if we’re planning Japan, we’d want two weeks. Some trips deserve more time, and we’d rather plan for that than squeeze every destination into the same schedule.
Our seven days in Thailand itinerary gives you an idea of how much we like to explore once we get somewhere. It also shows how weather, travel days, and changing plans can affect even a carefully planned trip.
We Like Exploring, With a Little Time to Do Nothing
Our travel style is mostly about getting out and seeing new places. We want to walk around, explore different neighborhoods, see interesting architecture, and find somewhere good to eat.
But we also like having a day to just relax, especially if sitting at a beach is an option. After a few busy days of exploring, doing very little can feel pretty amazing.
That mix matters to us. We don’t want to travel all that way and spend the entire trip in the hotel, but we also don’t want every hour to feel like another appointment. A slower day gives us a chance to enjoy where we are without constantly thinking about the next stop.
Dubai Is the Place We Keep Going Back To
As much as we like going somewhere new, Dubai is our exception. If we’re passing through or traveling somewhere that makes a stop practical, we like to see whether we can spend some time there.
Our visits look a little different now. We’re usually looking for new food places and cool coffee shops rather than trying to repeat every major attraction. Finding a café with an interesting interior, having a good meal, and wandering around is enough to make us happy.
We’ve collected a lot of those favorites in our Dubai food and café guide, including places like La Nena Home & Coffee and Koncrete, where the design is part of the reason we enjoy going.
Returning somewhere familiar also means we don’t always feel the pressure to see everything. We can try something new, revisit a favorite, and let the day be a little slower.
Preparing at Work Before We Travel
Honestly, the lead-up to leaving can be busy. We try to get as much accomplished at work as we can before we go, because we know we’ll enjoy the trip more if we aren’t worrying about unfinished things the whole time.
For us, a big part of being able to disconnect happens before we ever get to the airport. Getting ahead where we can makes it easier to feel comfortable stepping away.
Of course, our responsibilities don’t disappear just because we’re on vacation. Something unexpected may still come up. But there’s a difference between dealing with a one-off issue and mentally staying at work for the entire trip.
We Mute Email Notifications and Trust Our Team
One of the most helpful things we do is mute work email notifications. It’s hard to enjoy a beach, a temple, or even a good cup of coffee when your phone keeps reminding you about work.
Even if we don’t reply, seeing an email can pull our attention straight back into whatever is happening at the office. Muting those notifications gives us a better chance to be present.
If something really needs our attention, it usually comes through as a text. We’re lucky to have a great team who respects our time away and doesn’t bother us unnecessarily. That trust makes a huge difference.
This arrangement depends on the responsibilities of your job and the people you work with. For us, knowing that someone can reach us if needed makes it easier to leave the constant email updates alone.
A Different Time Zone Helps Us Switch Off
We actually prefer traveling somewhere in a different time zone. There’s something helpful about being on a completely different schedule from our normal workday.
When we’re out exploring, eating dinner, or getting ready for bed at a different time than everyone back home, work feels a little farther away. It helps us get out of our usual routine and focus on the trip.
Of course, a time difference doesn’t make us unreachable. But combined with muted notifications and a team we trust, it helps us think less about work and more about where we are.
We Try to Leave a Buffer Day Before Monday
As tempting as it is to use every last hour of a vacation, we try to come home on Saturday or early Sunday. Having some time before the workweek starts is worth it to us.
That buffer gives us a chance to settle back in and prepare for the week instead of going straight from the airport into work mode. After a long flight and a time change, we’re usually glad we left ourselves that space.
When you travel with a full-time job, it’s easy to focus only on how to get the most time at the destination. We try to think about the return, too. Coming home is part of the trip, and a little breathing room makes the transition easier.
What Works for Us
Making time to travel with a full-time job takes planning. We like our work, and we like traveling. Making room for both means being deliberate about when we go, getting things done before we leave, and letting ourselves step away once we’re there.
Usually, that looks like one big trip, weekends on either side, plenty of exploring, and hopefully a day at the beach. Add a Dubai stop, some good food, and a few interesting coffee shops, and we’re pretty happy.
We’ll probably always be a little ambitious with our itineraries. But we’re also learning that enjoying time away means giving ourselves permission to slow down, mute the emails, and trust that work can carry on while we’re gone.
