Tips for travelling while working full time
One of my most asked questions is how I travel so much with my full-time job. It was a question even before I had my daughter; and I know that this comes from the need to escape but being held back by a job. I will share my tips for travelling while working full time, from my point of view. Hopefully I can dispel the myth that one can only be a traveller if they are travelling full time.
I am a firm believer of organising your life in the best way possible at every stage of it. There is no waiting around for that big thing to happen before living your best life. My motto is to work with what you currently have. Travel has always been a fun thing that Mr E and I enjoy together and for us, it remains that. Keyword: FUN. We choose to travel with our 9-5 as a form of escapism since we have quite intense professional careers.
Tips for travelling while working full time: “the tiny print”
I am aware that this post will be most useful to those who work in Europe thanks to our holiday allowances. The UK, for example, we get anything from around 22 to 30 days depending on different factors. This is not to say that there aren’t professionals who don’t get less than 22 days off per year. However, majority of people in professional work aka “9-5” in the UK will get at least 22 days off work. Then add the Bank Holidays to that and you get reasonable time off. I have put “9-5” in quotes because we know it is not really a 9am to 5pm job lol. It’s more like 8am – 7pm but let’s leave that conversation for another day haha!
I am also aware that one needs money to travel. My reality will be different from the next person, considering I have been in professional employment for over 15 years. This has allowed me amass experience and as an expert in my field, I can afford to travel.
Now we have done all the disclaimers, let’s get into my 10 tips for travelling while working full time.
1. Make Travel your priority
Anything you prioritise will be at the forefront of everything you do. Travel has always been my priority. Sometimes, other things are a bit more important but Mr E & I always go back to making travel a big part of our lives.
This means that any time off we have for the year, we are thinking of where to go. We have a separate bank account where we save money specifically for travel. Our families know to check with us if there are big family plans because we might have booked a trip already. Basically, our free time revolves around relaxing at home or travelling.
My Personal Story: I will also advice to take every advantage you can. For me, that meant travelling during my maternity leave once I had healed and we felt ready. Prior to my maternity leave, my dream was to spend it travelling with my new baby. So I started to save some money to be able to achieve this dream. Thankfully, I received 6 months full pay from my company and 3 months statutory pay. Once I was no longer receiving my full pay, I spent from my “maternity savings”
2. Start from the beginning
What I mean is to start your job search knowing you would like to travel when you can. Knowing that you have to start from job search is one of the tips for travelling while working full time.
In my interviews, I always mentioned travel as something I loved doing outside work. I never failed to slip it in that travel is my thing and I love exploring new destinations.
When I interviewed for my current employer, my interviewer and I started talking about places we had been and comparing notes. Travel is always great conversation so talk about it from interview stage.
I’m now the go-to for travel tips and it makes everything easy. I don’t have to tiptoe around something I really love as I made it known from the beginning.
So, let your boss know you like to travel. Talk about the fun places you have been and where you’d like to go. Be interested in people’s travel stories. All these help to create an environment where you can be your authentic self.
3. Holiday Allowance
What are the holiday allowances your company is providing? Once you have secured the job and it is time to talk about benefits, find out what your company offers. Are there any additional days you can add to your holiday? Some companies give you your birthday off; others allow some personal days off. Mine gives 3 personal days off in a year where you technically need to be available on short notice; however, it is for you to use as you wish.
Does your company allow you to buy holidays? Some will allow you to buy 5 – 10 days each year to add to your usual holiday allowance. It is worth checking your company’s policy and taking advantage of this. I have not bought holidays yet but I plan to, possibly next year so that I have extra days to take off.
4. Take your holiday
You would be shocked at how many people just don’t use their holiday allowances for one reason or the other. Don’t be that person. One of the tips for travelling while working full time is as simple as actually taking the holiday.
You don’t have to be travelling out of the country for it to be a holiday. Take the day off and get the train to the next city and enjoy what it has to offer. Travel does not have to be Maldives and Thailand. If you are in the UK, it can be Cambridge and York too. We have a false sense of travel only being travel if it means getting on a flight which is wrong. Seeing the world starts from seeing your home so make sure you use your holiday allowance.
5. Travel around Bank Holidays and weekends
Before the new year approaches, google the number of “bank” or “public” holidays for the approaching year. In the UK, we typically have 8 each year and that helps with planning ahead. The tip is to book around these dates. Sometimes, you are lucky and a weekend falls in between so you get more time to enjoy with less time booked off.
Let’s work an example:
Over Easter, we have Good Friday and Easter Monday off. These 2 days + the Saturday and Sunday in between already give you 4 days off. I always use them even without adding on extra days for European city trips. To the Maldives, we added on the Tuesday – Friday after Easter Monday so it gave us 10 days off (when you add the next weekend in too). However, it was only 4 days off work. Let’s break it down: Good Friday + Saturday + Sunday + Easter Monday + Tuesday to Friday + Saturday and Sunday. That gives you 11 days to travel.
You also have a bumper around Christmas where 25th and 26th December are usually Bank holidays in the UK. Throw in a weekend and then the 1st of January, the next year; on a good year, that could be 10 days off with only 3 used holiday allowance.
Disclaimer: Travelling around bank holidays can be more expensive. However, it is the price you have to pay. You can play around with dates and see what is cheapest so you can still save some money.
6. Seek Remote Work experiences & Jobs that allows you travel
Some of my friends looked for jobs where they can work remotely as well. This one is very popular for professionals who love to travel and don’t mind sharing their travel time with work.
Personally, I love to be switched off when I travel so I never explored this. However, if you are one who loves to travel and does not mind working on the go, this is perfect. Some jobs also allow for travel on the assignment which means that you can be sent to different locations to work. That way, you work during the day and explore in the evenings. If lucky, you can condense your hours while away and have some more time to explore.
7. Flexible shifts
Talking about condensing hours, this is one of the tips for travelling while working full time. You might be able to work flexible shifts either temporarily or permanently. This is where you ask to work 8 – 7 for example on Monday – Thursday so that you have the Friday off.
A lot of companies don’t allow it but I know a few people who took advantage of this so they could travel more. My friend had the last Wednesday to Friday off every month because she condensed hours throughout the month. This gave her extra days off each year. I find that this works even better if you want to explore locations that are nearby.
Another thing to consider is a sabbatical leave. Those of us who have worked in the same company for several years might be eligible for a sabbatical. I have friends who go on sabbatical the months before their kids go to big school to bond with them. Some used their leave to travel the world. Who says you must be fresh out of university to travel the world? There is the security blanket knowing your job is there when you come back.
To Note: A sabbatical leave is usually unpaid so this is one you might need to save for to achieve.
8. Destinations that fit your budget
We have established that you need money to travel. The reality is that not everyone will afford to go to the Maldives and Bora Bora. So you need to be realistic with yourself and look at what you can afford with your salary. Is it weekend trips to the next city? Travel nearer home and you could be saving a lot.
I am very big on exploring where you live. Thankfully, for us, it is England where we have been so lucky to travel extensively. If you are not allowed too much time off, consider nearby easy trips to the next city.
You can also be a budget traveller. Even the Maldives can be done on a tight budget with research. I think this is where one needs to be flexible, open minded and smart. Budget airlines, budget hotels, couch surfing, staying with friends etc are some ideas for strict budgets.
I use Booking to compare hotel prices and Skyscanner to compare flight prices. For activities, GetYourGuide and Viator are my first clicks.
9. Organisation is key
This is so important because you can have all the tools but without planning, nothing will move. Once you become intentional about seeing the world, a plan is necessary. Yes, you can have the spontaneous trips here and there. However, for most of it, you need to plan, and sometimes in advance.
What my current plan looks like:
I usually think of our potential trips by November/December of the previous year. I start every year with checking the number of holidays I am carrying over from the previous year. Then check what number of bank holidays we have in the current year. That gives me an idea of potential time off.
Mr E and I discuss his allowance for the year and potential places he wants to go. Although I am the main planner, I take his ideas into consideration as well. Thankfully, it’s not a lot to move around since we mostly travel together and enjoy the same type of travel. Mr E and I work; our toddler is still at nursery, so it’s just both of us who have to get the dates right.
I’m sure there will be another layer to this once our toddler starts “big school” since I don’t want to be pulling her out of school. But until then, we shall maximise all the possibilities to make travel possible for our family. Budget, other priorities, number of potential trips and even where we might go are discussed. You cannot plan Maldives for example on a whim (well, unless you’re rich lol) so these things are planned ahead.
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10. Be great at your job
I will always sneak some career advice where I can lol! Your job should be as important as anything else that means something to you. For you to have the extras to travel like bonuses etc, your quality of work should not be in doubt. I find that my time off is always approved because my work won’t suffer in my absence. Find cover if you have a deadline you will not meet due to your trip. Escalate things to your manager if there is a potential breach. Just organise your work as close to perfect as possible so that travel won’t be the reason you are slacking.
Tips for travelling while working full time: Social Media vs The Reality of Travel
The way social media is set up means that it looks like everyone is travelling every time. Especially around summer, I scroll my feed and it is summer in Europe galore. While I can confirm that I have friends who travel full time, they are in the minority of the population. There has also been a recent boom of travel lovers resigning from their 9-5s to travel full time. I can totally see the appeal. On paper, you are living the dream travelling the world and even earning from it. However, this has never really been something that interests me.
There are people like me who have worked really hard to build a career they love. Some don’t have the same opportunities that others in the travel industry are afforded. Others are just not at the point in their lives to be able to travel full time. Then there is the category who enjoy travel on the side and don’t want it to be their main job. I am somewhere between loving my career and having travel as a side thing I enjoy.
The Luxury of Travel
It is also important to acknowledge the cost of living crisis especially since coming out of a pandemic. Even though life has resumed, there is no doubt that things are more difficult. There is also the fact that once you have a child and/or mortgage, life could get even more expensive. This is where I will mention that Travel is a luxury. Whether you are doing it on the strictest budget or in the most lavish way, it is a luxury.
My personal take on travelling full time vs working a 9-5
People have asked if I see myself being a full time traveller especially since I have a travel blog. I’ll be honest, I don’t think so at this point in my life. While I genuinely love to travel, I feel like I enjoy it more because it is not something I have to do to make money. Maybe it is lovely to earn from what you love, but someone once told me something that has always stuck with me. “You don’t have to monetise everything that you love. Sometimes, it is just it…a hobby”
The social media luck...
Thanks to travelling and sharing it on social media, I have been privileged to work with brands in advertising. Since I am so busy with mum life and 9-5; I am highly selective with who I work with. If I was travelling full time, I might have had to accept any and every job since it pays the bill.
At some point in my career, I’d love to take a sabbatical for a few months and maybe travel more. I spent a lot of my maternity leave travelling and absolutely loved the freedom. All that, knowing that I had the comfort of a full-time job to come back to. I also don’t do well with uncertainty; so I don’t think I can have a job where my income is determined by algorithms or how I look etc.
Tips for travelling while working full time
For now, travel will remain my escapism. As I grow in my new life as a mum, I hope I always find the wonder of wandering; not because I have to but because I genuinely want to. Thankful that I also have a career which I have poured so much into and love as well.
You can do both and I am proof of that.
Bisous, Bugo x
2 Comments
Tiese
Bugo, your tips are so practical! also as someone who has traveled with a 9-5 for 6+ years, this post felt like an affirmation. It’s totally possible to do both, and thrive!
Folakemi
Hi Bugo,
This was such a great post to read! This past year was the first time that I maximised my bank holidays for travel both domestically and internationally, and I felt like I had a surplus for annual leave.