Travel Smarter, Not Harder: How to Travel More While Working Full-Time

My dream job is to one day be a full-time travel writer.  Until I can make that happen, I travel as much as I can within my work-related and financial constraints.  One of the most common misconceptions about travel is that it’s unattainable if you work full-time.  Whether you think it’s too expensive or you don’t have enough time off work,  these misconceptions couldn’t be further from the truth.  I combine several of the techniques below and have gotten smarter about how I use my vacation days with my work schedule.  These tips work for me so I hope they will work for you too.

1. Combine vacation days with long or holiday weekends.

Combining your vacation days with long or holiday weekends is a great way to extend your trip without actually taking additional time off.  Just beware that these weekends tend to be high travel times for everyone.  It may be worth it to stay an extra day so you avoid the rush.

2. Extend work trips.

If you’re already out of town for work, why not extend your trip on your own dime?  While it may not be a place at the top of your bucket list, your costs will be severely minimized and you’ll most likely get to explore a place you’ve never been before.  Tip: Invite a friend and if they can take off during the workweek, they can minimize their own costs by staying with you and explore the destination while you’re working.

3. Work remotely.

If your job offers telework, you can work during the day and when work’s over, you can explore whatever city/state/country you’re in.  Just make sure you’re working during work hours!

4. Prioritize and make plans.

Verify your allotted time off for the year, and see exactly how much time you’re working with.  Look at the year’s calendar and start making plans. Whether you take a weeklong trip or lots of weekend trips, learn to make your time off a priority.  It’ll give you something to look forward to throughout the year and your travel plans will be one less thing for you to worry about as life happens.

5. Stop making excuses.

Everyone is able to travel.  You just have to figure out whether you prefer long trips or weekend trips, what your budget is, if you’re traveling alone or with friends, etc. There are so many variables, but the only place to start is at the beginning.  Start planning!

5 Skills You Need To Be A Good Traveler

Everyone has different traveling styles and preferences.  But whether you like to budget travel, travel in the lap of luxury or somewhere in between, there are travel skills that everyone needs and can benefit from having.

1. BARGAINING

Bargaining is of the best travel skills to have, but can make people the most uncomfortable.  Some people love to haggle and get the seller down to their lowest possible price.  Bargaining makes other people so uncomfortable that they accept the first price given.  I personally believe the best bargaining method is somewhere in between.  While I don’t accept the first price given, I don’t go to the lowest possible price either. Why?  I never want the seller to feel like they’re giving their product away without making any profit.  It’s only fair.  They have to make a living too.

2. ABILITY TO ADAPT

You never know what can happen on trips; from having a bad hotel to being in a room full of people who don’t speak the same language as you. But that’s the beauty of travel.  It’s always full of unexpected ups and downs.  Being able to adapt to change is what being a good traveler is all about.

3. DON’T BE IGNORANT

When I say don’t be ignorant, I just mean be aware of where you’re going and the customs and traditions associated with that destination.  For example, since I’m heading to Abu Dhabi and Dubai, I’m going to be sure to bring plenty of scarves and long skirts so I’m appropriately dressed at all times.  We don’t want any international incidents!

4. HAVING AN OPEN MIND

“Wherever you go, go with all your heart.” – Confucius

I believe having an open mind is one of the most important, if not THE most important skill for a traveler to have.  What’s the point in traveling if you’re going to stay in your comfort zone?  Comfort zones are for suckers.

5.  BEING ABLE TO DISCERN

While being openminded is important, don’t be naive.  Never let people take advantage of you and always use common sense.  And if common sense isn’t common to you (see what I did there?), trust your instincts.  If it doesn’t feel right, it probably isn’t.  Your instincts will never steer you wrong.

These travel skills are universal and if you don’t have them, you should begin working on developing them to become a good traveler.  I’d love to hear what skills you think are important for travelers to have below.  Let me know!