Why you have more time to travel than you think
Time. It always seems to move too fast (and, every year, it just seems to get faster). The time seems to be moving too quickly (and every year it seems faster). Money is another issue that I have discussed here. Even if they are not nomadic people, I have found that most office workers (especially Americans) would like to travel more. They feel they don’t.
They’re wrong.
Here is why. Let’s say that you work 50 week a year, and receive two weeks of vacation. (Not American? You probably get more vacation time if you’re not American. If you add up all your weekends and vacation days, the total number of travel days is 110 per year (104 weekend days + 10 days from your 2-week vacation). This is a long time to travel. We can even add more days with three-day holidays and weekends. You can accomplish a lot in that time, even if it’s not continuous. This is close to four full months of travel per year. With four months, the world is your oyster. With that much time, the world is your oyster. What do you plan to do with all that free time? Priorities are everything. There are obligations in our daily lives that take time, but if we really want something then we will find a solution. You can say the same thing when you don’t think you have time to go to gym.
Because the gym isn’t a priority for me (though it probably should be).
Because the gym just isn’t a priority for me (though it probably should be).
Moreover, most people associate “travel” with a long-term, big, expensive trip and thus discount all the short-term methods of travel. People think of a long-term trip, such as a cruise or a multi-month vacation when they say “I want travel”. It’s an expensive trip to a distant land. The travel industry is telling us that we must travel long distances because people spend more money on big trips. We internalize this concept and don’t consider any other options.
If you hear it enough, you will believe it. It used to. It’s why Jessica is never going to Ireland and Bob will always be a hater.
However, if COVID has taught us anything it’s that there are TONS of things to see and do close to home. As we have seen, even if you do not have the luxury of months to travel, you can still travel 110 days per year. You can travel more if you make it your priority. What do you do then? What are some smaller trips that you can take and still make a huge impact? Here are some ideas for trips that you can take when you only have a limited amount of time:
1. Spend a weekend somewhere.
Spend the weekend away. It’s not much time but two days are enough to visit a nearby city, town or national park. I used to spend quite a bit of time in New York City. Weekends away from there would include trips to Atlantic City and Fire Island, as well as the Hamptons, Berkshires and Washington DC. And that’s just a few hours drive away! Try to take more weekends away. This can help you break up your daily routine and curb your wanderlust until your next big vacation. Even a few days away is better than none at all!
2. Choose a nearby destination. Avoid traveling halfway around the globe and wasting time to get there. Consider going somewhere nearby. Living in Miami and Fiji are too far away? Go to Central America. In Sydney, Los Angeles and New Zealand are too far away? Stop halfway in Hawaii, New Zealand or a Pacific Island nation.
In Europe? You’re good to go! 90% of Europe is within a 3-hour flight. Stay close to your destination and you will have more time for what you want. The best deals on flights are often found for destinations near you. Be flexible. Anywhere you’ve never been before is worth a visit. When you travel, the less you take, the better.
3. Local tourists are not enough
I think that people don’t visit their city as often as they should. How often do visit museums, discover new places in your town or the main attractions of your city. I know New Yorkers that have never visited the Met. Bostonians have never walked along the Freedom Trail. Amsterdammers have never explored the red-light area. I love playing tourist in my own city because it helps me learn and understand where I come from. It’s fun to be a tourist in your own city. You learn more about your home and yourself. Travel is all about learning and seeing new things, and you can do that right in your backyard. It’s important to stay away from your home if you want it to feel more like a holiday. It will be tempting to get up and run errands and then “run short of time” if you stay in your home. Maximize time
Don’t try to do everything. You will run around too much. Many people email me asking to see the half of Europe within two weeks, or to cover all of South America within a month. When you try to fit everything into your schedule, you can easily become overwhelmed by the itinerary. You see all the destinations and get overwhelmed. Realizing that you don’t have enough time to visit them, you give up. And wait until “you” do. I understand that you have limited vacation time and would like to see as much as possible, but do not! By limiting yourself to one or two locations, you can save a lot of money and time! You will never see everything. Even though I have an open schedule, I can’t still see everything. I gave up trying years ago. Less is more when it comes to travel. Quality over quantity.
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You may not have the time to travel for months, but it doesn’t mean that you can’t. You don’t have to be a nomadic nomad to travel the world. It’s not a good excuse to tell yourself that you don’t have the time. You can travel more effectively if you learn how to do it. You probably don’t think about how you can spend this time other than the usual “two-week holiday.” You will have to do errands and attend to other things. Travel is about exploration, and that exploration can happen anywhere for any length of time. It’s your A to Z planning guide that the BBC called the “bible for budget travelers.”
Click here to learn more and start reading it today!
Book Your Trip: Logistical Tips and Tricks
Book Your Flight
Find a cheap flight by using Skyscanner. It’s your A to Z planning guide that the BBC called the “bible for budget travelers.”
Click here to learn more and start reading it today!
Book Your Trip: Logistical Tips and Tricks
Book Your Flight
Find a cheap flight by using Skyscanner. Skyscanner is my favorite search engine, because it searches all websites and airlines in the world.
Book Your Accommodation
You can book your hostel with Hostelworld. Booking.com is the best option if you don’t want to stay in a hostel. It consistently offers the lowest rates for hotels and guesthouses.
Don’t Forget Travel Insurance
Travel insurance will protect you against illness, injury, theft, and cancellations. This is comprehensive coverage in the event of an accident. My favorite companies that offer the best service and value are:
Want to Travel for Free?
Travel credit cards allow you to earn points that can be redeemed for free flights and accommodation — all without any extra spending. Want to Travel for Free
Travel Credit Cards allow you to earn rewards that can be used to redeem for free flights or accommodation. Discover Cars offers affordable international car rentals. They’ll find you the cheapest and best rental car for your trip, no matter where you are going! Ready to book your trip?
Check out the resource page to find out which companies are best to use for travel. Here are all the companies I use to travel. You can’t go far wrong with them. They are top-of-the-line and the best you can get.
