How to Travel More With a Full-Time Job: PTO Hacks, Holiday Stacking & Smart Planning

One of the most common questions I get as someone who is constantly planning and going on her next trip is:

“How do you travel so much with a full-time job?”

Usually, there’s an assumption baked into that question. People imagine there must be some kind of loophole: unlimited PTO, a fully remote job where I work from a beach, or a career that magically allows constant travel. Nope!

But I’ll tell you what I have done:

• I’ve worked full-time for most of my adult life.
• I’ve had demanding roles with packed calendars and five days a week in the office.
• I’ve have limited PTO (hello, 15 days a year).

And yet, year after year, remote or in-person, I’ve managed to travel consistently, including international trips, ski weekends, long weekends away, and spontaneous getaways because to me, travel is one of my priorities in life, and you better believe I will find a way to make it happen!

If there’s one thing I will always spend my hard-earned money on, it’s travel! I have a HARD time turning down a trip.

The secret isn’t having more time off.

It’s learning how to be strategic, intentional, and realistic with the time you already have.

Yes, stacking PTO with holidays is the biggest game changer, but it’s far from the only one. If you want to travel more with a full-time job, here’s exactly how to make it happen.

Also, Hi there! My name is Sydney and welcome to my blog, The Après Society! I cover a variety of travel and skiing related topics, as these are my passions in life, and I am so excited and fulfilled to be writing about them. I hope this blog makes your life just a little bit better either with travel hacks, outfit inspiration, or just pure entertainment.

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1. Master the PTO + Holiday Stacking Strategy

Let’s start with the foundation, because nothing unlocks more travel faster than this!

Holidays are already built-in days off. When you add just a few PTO days before or after them, you can dramatically extend your time away without burning through your vacation balance.

Think about it this way:

• 3 PTO days + a holiday weekend = 7–9 days of travel
• 4 PTO days + a Monday holiday = a full international trip
• Strategic year-end PTO = up to two weeks off

This is how people travel “a lot” without actually having more PTO than anyone else.

The biggest mistake most people make is choosing destinations first and then trying to squeeze PTO around them. That usually leads to frustration, last-minute requests, or abandoning the trip altogether.

Instead, flip the process.

Start with:

• Your company holiday calendar
• Long weekends already built into the year
• Where holidays fall mid-week

Then plan trips around those opportunities.

For example:

• Memorial Day and Labor Day are perfect for longer international trips
• Thanksgiving can become a full week abroad with just 2–3 PTO days
• Christmas and New Year’s can be stretched into 10–14 days off with minimal PTO usage

This one shift alone can double the amount you travel in a year. Here’s a FREE tool to help you calculate which days to take off to maximize your PTO.

2. Prioritize Long Weekends Over “Big” Vacations

Another mindset shift that changed everything for me: Stop waiting for one or two massive trips a year. Long weekends are wildly underrated!

Three- and four-day trips:

• Are easier to get approved
• Require less planning
• Feel less disruptive to work
• Add up quickly over the year

Four long weekends can easily equal the same amount of travel time as one big vacation, but with far less stress.

Some of my favorite trips have been:

• Thursday–Sunday city breaks
• Friday–Monday ski weekends
• Quick beach or desert escapes
• Spontaneous road trips

These trips don’t require elaborate itineraries or weeks of PTO, but they still provide a true mental reset.

Travel doesn’t have to mean two weeks abroad to be meaningful. In fact, shorter, more frequent trips often feel more sustainable when you’re working full-time.

3. Choose Destinations Based on Flight Time, Not Just Desire

Flight time matters more than people realize when you want to travel more with full-time job.

A destination that’s a 2–4 hour flight away opens the door to:

• Weekend trips
• Minimal PTO usage
• Less recovery time
• Easier returns to work

Meanwhile, long-haul destinations are best saved for:

• PTO + holiday stacks
• Slower work periods
• Times when jet lag won’t impact your performance

This doesn’t mean giving up bucket-list travel. It just means matching the right trip to the right window.

Sometimes the smartest travel decision isn’t the most exciting one: it’s the one that fits seamlessly into your life.

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4. Use Flights Strategically to Maximize Time Off

A few smart flight habits can quietly add extra vacation time without using additional PTO:

• Fly overnight after work
• Take late-night departures
• Return early morning before work
• Use red-eyes for domestic trips

If you leave on a Thursday night and return Monday morning, you’ve effectively gained two full travel days without using extra PTO. If you can’t do Monday morning, I try to opt for the latest flight on Sunday evening if available to maximize my time.

Yes, it can be tiring, but for the right trip, it’s absolutely worth it.

This is especially useful for:

• Ski weekends
• Short international trips
• Visiting friends or family

You don’t need to do this every time, but knowing when it makes sense gives you far more flexibility.

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5. Be Intentional About Your Work Calendar To Travel More

One underrated travel skill? Knowing your work rhythms.

Every job has:

• Slower seasons
• Predictable busy periods
• Weeks with fewer meetings

Once you identify those patterns, you can plan travel around them.

For example:

• Avoid travel during quarterly deadlines
• Schedule trips during historically quiet months
• Plan longer trips when leadership is out of office

This makes it easier to:

• Get PTO approved
• Travel with less stress
• Fully disconnect without guilt

Traveling during quieter work periods feels less disruptive, for you and for your team.

6. Learn to Ask for PTO Confidently (and Early)

If asking for time off stresses you out, you’re not alone, but this is where planning ahead pays off!

A few rules I swear by:

• Ask early (months ahead if possible)
• Show how your work will be covered
• Avoid apologizing for using PTO
• Be clear about start and end dates

PTO is part of your compensation, not a favor.

When you approach time off confidently and professionally, it signals that you value both your work and your personal time.

And here’s the truth: people who take PTO regularly are often more productive, more engaged, and less burned out.

Unlimited PTO can be a bit trickier as you are not entitled to it and it is based on a discretionary basis, so my recommendation here is to definitely ask for days off as soon as possible.

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7. Build Travel Into Your Annual Planning

Instead of treating travel as something you “squeeze in,” plan it at the start of the year, if you can.

Every January (or whenever your PTO resets), do this:

• Review your PTO balance
• Mark holidays on your calendar
• Choose 2–4 priority trips
• Leave buffer PTO for flexibility

When travel is already planned, it becomes non-negotiable, not something you cancel because work gets busy.

This also helps financially. When you plan ahead, you can:

• Book flights at better prices
• Lock in accommodations early
• Avoid last-minute stress

Intentional planning turns travel into a lifestyle instead of a once-a-year event.

8. Take Advantage of Work-from-Anywhere Flexibility (If You Have It)

Even if you’re not fully remote, many roles offer:

• Occasional remote days
• Flexible Fridays
• Hybrid schedules

Using just one or two remote days while traveling can:

• Extend trips
• Reduce PTO usage
• Make longer travel possible

A long weekend plus one remote workday can suddenly feel like a full vacation. I am the QUEEN of the travel Thursday, work remotely Friday trips.

Even answering emails from a cozy café or mountain lodge feels better than being in the office, and sometimes that’s all you need.

9. Redefine What “Travel” Looks Like

Finally, one of the most important mindset shifts of all:

Travel doesn’t have to be constant, extravagant, or Instagram-perfect to count.

A weekend getaway.
A nearby city.
A ski trip.
A road trip.
A quiet beach town.

All of it counts! It’s the experiences.

When you let go of the idea that travel must be huge to be meaningful, you open the door to doing it far more often.

Some of my favorite trips weren’t glamorous; they were simply breaks from routine. And that’s the real magic of travel.

BONUS: 7 Common Mistakes That Keep People From Traveling More (Even With PTO)

If you technically have PTO but still feel like you never travel, it’s usually not because of money, time, or your job.

It’s because of a few very common (and very fixable) mistakes.

I’ve made almost all of these at some point, and once I stopped, my travel frequency changed dramatically.

1. Waiting for the “Perfect” Time to Travel

This is the biggest trap of all.

People wait for:

• The perfect workload
• The perfect amount of PTO saved
• The perfect destination
• The perfect season
• The perfect time in their career

And before they know it, another year has passed without going anywhere.

The reality? There is never a perfect time to travel when you work full-time. There will always be deadlines, meetings, and responsibilities waiting for you when you get back.

The people who travel consistently aren’t waiting for life to slow down, they’re choosing to go anyway. Once you accept that travel will always require a bit of juggling, it becomes much easier to actually book the trip.

I have to say, I have never regretting going a trip! This is why I prioritize travel in my life. I love spending time with people, making deeper connections with friends and family, and experiencing the world!

2. Saving PTO “Just in Case” and Never Using It

This one is incredibly common, especially among high performers.

People hoard PTO for:

• Emergencies
• Hypothetical future trips
• “Something better later”

And then… they end the year burned out with unused days or rushed, last-minute plans.

While it’s smart to keep a small buffer, PTO isn’t meant to sit untouched all year. It’s meant to be used intentionally to rest, reset, and enjoy your life.

Using PTO regularly actually makes you better at your job: more focused, more energized, and less resentful of your schedule.

If you’ve ever thought, I’ll take time off when things calm down, this is your sign: they rarely do.

3. Thinking Travel Has to Be Long or Expensive to Be Worth It

A lot of people don’t travel because they believe it needs to look a certain way.

Two weeks abroad.
A perfectly planned itinerary.
A big budget.

But that mindset keeps travel feeling inaccessible.

Some of the most refreshing trips I’ve taken were:

• Three-night getaways
• Nearby cities
• Last-minute bookings
• Simple trips with minimal planning

When you redefine travel as any intentional break from routine, it suddenly becomes far easier to fit into a full-time schedule.

Not every trip needs to be a bucket-list experience to be meaningful.

4. Planning Too Late and Creating Unnecessary Stress

Last-minute travel planning almost always leads to:

• Higher flight prices
• Limited accommodation options
• PTO conflicts
• More work stress

Then travel starts to feel overwhelming instead of exciting.

People often assume planning early is restrictive, but it’s actually the opposite. When you plan ahead:

• PTO approval is easier
• Work coverage is simpler
• Prices are better
• You have something to look forward to

Even rough planning such as just blocking dates on your calendar, makes a huge difference.

Travel feels far more achievable when it’s already penciled in.

5. Overpacking Trips and Coming Home Exhausted

Another underrated reason people don’t travel more?

They come back completely drained.

Overstuffed itineraries, early mornings, packed schedules, and constant movement can turn travel into something that feels like work — especially when you return straight to your job.

When every trip feels exhausting, it’s natural to hesitate before booking the next one.

Slower travel:

• Fewer activities
• Built-in downtime
• Real rest

…makes travel sustainable alongside a full-time job.

Not every moment needs to be optimized. Sometimes the most restorative part of a trip is doing less.

6. Believing Travel Requires a Lifestyle Overhaul

One of the most limiting beliefs I see is this idea that you need:

• A different job
• Unlimited PTO
• A remote role
• A major life change

…to travel consistently.

While those things can help, they’re not requirements.

Most people who travel frequently didn’t wait for a perfect setup. They learned how to work within the structure they already had.

Once you stop seeing travel as something reserved for a different version of your life, it becomes something you can build into the one you’re living now.

7. Not Treating Travel as a Priority

This one is subtle, but powerful.

If travel is always the thing you cancel when work gets busy, it will always feel out of reach.

People make time for what they prioritize:

• Fitness
• Family
• Career goals

Travel deserves a spot on that list too.

When you plan trips first, instead of waiting to see what time is left, you stop negotiating with yourself about whether you “deserve” to go.

You do.

Final Thoughts: You Don’t Need a New Job to Travel More

Getting to travel more with a full-time job isn’t about escaping your life. It’s about designing it better.

By:

• Stacking PTO with holidays
• Prioritizing long weekends
• Traveling smarter, not farther
• Planning intentionally

You can see more of the world without quitting your job, burning out, or waiting for “someday.” Once you start traveling this way, it changes how you see time, work, and what’s actually possible.

And the best part?

You can start with your very next PTO request!

For more travel tips, destination guides, and realistic advice for traveling while working full-time, head over to my blog page and start planning your next trip today ✈️