The majority of workers only have a small number of paid holidays each year – especially in the US. This can make it challenging to travel, especially if you’re hoping to jet off for more than a couple of weeks at a time. However, there are some smart ways to travel more if you have a full-time job. Let’s take a look at three of them below.
1. Work remotely if you can
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Depending on the culture of the company you work for, as well as the nature of your job, it may be possible to work remotely. Artists, writers, photographers and more often have the option of working from home, so it’s possible you could work from absolutely anywhere as long as there’s a WiFi connection. If you’re heading on a trip overseas, you could work from the airport on the day you travel or even your hotel once you’ve arrived if you can be flexible with your hours. This will give you the chance to sightsee and explore throughout the day, and work a little at night.
If you’re hoping to take a longer trip, you may even be able to take a sabbatical. A growing number of companies are offering employees the chance to take extended periods of leave, so if you’re lucky enough to have a sabbatical as part of your contract, make sure you give your manager and colleagues plenty of notice so they can prepare for your absence. Also, if you work as a photographer, for example, you will be able to capture some great photographs while you’re away – so your employer could benefit in this way too.
2. Utilize bank holidays or compress your week
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If you work Monday to Friday, you could consider utilizing bank holidays to take more short trips over the weekend. You could even use just one or two days of your holiday allowance to make the trip slightly longer. Although hotels and flights can be more expensive during peak times, it’s worth it for the extra days away.
The other alternative is compressing your workweek – so doing the hours you’d usually do in five days over four days instead. Again, this is great for weekends where there’s already a bank holiday – you will get the Monday off already, so compressing your working hours into four days the week before will give you the Friday off too. Although it may be only four days away, you will be able to tick another city off your list.
3. Extend your business travel
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Business travel isn’t always that interesting – if you’re heading abroad for a work trip, you’ll often have very little time between landing at the airport, traveling to the conference center and heading back to your hotel room to get some shut-eye. However, if your boss is happy for you to book a couple of days off at the start or end of the trip, you could spend an extra few days exploring your destination (as well as saving money on flights). This is a great option if you’re happy to wander around on your own and you’re in a city or country you’ve never been to before.
A lot of companies also offer time off in lieu (TOIL) if a business trip requires weekend travel, so see if you can use this to make the most of your stay. Although you’ll have to pick up the expenses of any extra days yourself, it’s likely you’ll have hotel points or flyer miles to use if you travel for work frequently – so don’t forget to use them!
According to recent figures, 30% of workers say they would even accept lower salaries in exchange for more business trips. Traveling for work is a growing trend, so don’t be afraid to ask your current employer (or any future employer) if there are any similar opportunities available for you.
Are you interested in working and traveling? Then you should grab a copy of my #1 bestselling travel book, Global Career: How to Work Anywhere and Travel Forever.