{"id":15849,"date":"2025-04-21T08:30:55","date_gmt":"2025-04-21T12:30:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.nomadicmatt.com\/?p=15849"},"modified":"2025-04-21T11:39:59","modified_gmt":"2025-04-21T15:39:59","slug":"find-time-to-travel","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.nomadicmatt.com\/travel-blogs\/find-time-to-travel\/","title":{"rendered":"Cubicle Nation: You Have More Travel Time Than You Think"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Nomadic<\/p>\n

Time. There just never seems to be enough of it. It always seems to move too fast (and, every year, it seems to just move faster).<\/p>\n

Time is something people always tell me they don\u2019t have enough of and is one of the main reasons why they don\u2019t travel as much as they would like. (Money is also an issue, which I’ve talked about here<\/a>.)<\/p>\n

While there are more digital nomads<\/a> and remote workers now that COVID has changed the concept of the office, not everyone is able to work remotely these days.<\/p>\n

But, even if they don’t want to be nomadic, most people I know with office jobs (specifically Americans) want to travel more than they do. They just feel like they don\u2019t have the time.<\/p>\n

They are wrong.<\/p>\n

Here’s why. <\/p>\n

Let\u2019s say you work 50 weeks a year and get two\u00a0weeks of vacation. (Not American? Then you probably get a lot more and that’s wonderful.) Counting your vacation time and every weekend brings the total number of days per year you can travel to 110 (104 weekend days plus the 10 days in your two-week vacation). That\u2019s a lot of time to travel. Throw in three-day weekends and holidays, and we can add even more days to our total. It may not be all continuous, but you can do a lot with that much time.<\/p>\n

Let\u2019s think about that for a second: 110+ days of free time per year. That\u2019s close to four\u00a0months<\/em> of potential travel time per year! Four\u00a0months! The world is your oyster with that much time.<\/p>\n

When looking at it this way, our busy schedule becomes a lot more open. What are you doing with that time? <\/p>\n

Everything is about priorities. Yes, there are certain obligations we have in our day-to-day lives that take up time but if you really want something, you find a way to make it happen. It\u2019s like when I say I don\u2019t have the time to go to the gym. I have plenty<\/em> of time to go to the gym; I\u2019m just spending that time elsewhere. <\/p>\n

Because the gym just isn’t a priority for me (though it probably should be).<\/p>\n

Moreover, most people associate “travel” with a long-term, big, expensive trip and thus discount all the short-term methods of travel. When people think \u201cI want to travel\u201d they envision a two-week vacation, a cruise, or some long, multi-month journey<\/a>. It\u2019s a big trip to a faraway land.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s not really their fault. It\u2019s just how the travel industry tells us we need to travel because long and big trips mean people will spend more money. We internalize that concept and never consider other options. <\/p>\n

And if you hear something enough, you believe it. I used to. It\u2019s why Jessica is never going to Ireland<\/a> and Bob will always be a hater<\/a>.<\/p>\n

However, if COVID has taught us anything it’s that there are TONS of things to see and do close to home. Even when you don’t have months to travel, as we’ve seen, you still have 110 days of potential travel per year. If you make it a priority, you can certainly travel more. <\/p>\n

But what do you do? What kind of trips can you take on a smaller time scale that still have a big impact? Here are some trip ideas to help you plan to travel when you have limited time: <\/p>\n

1. Take a weekend getaway<\/h3>\n

Spend a weekend away somewhere. Two days isn\u2019t a lot of time, but it\u2019s still enough to explore a city, town, or camp in a national park close to you. I used to spend a lot of time in New York City<\/a>. From there, weekends away would include trips to Atlantic City, Fire Island, the Hamptons, the Berkshires, Boston<\/a>, Philadelphia<\/a>, and Washington DC<\/a> \u2014\u00a0and those are just the ones a few hours away! <\/p>\n

Try to incorporate more weekend trips away. It can help break up your routine and keep your wanderlust in check until your next big trip. Even a couple of days somewhere are better than no days anywhere!<\/p>\n

2. Go somewhere close<\/h3>\n

Only have a week? Don\u2019t travel halfway around the world, wasting tons of time getting to your destination. Go somewhere a short distance away. <\/p>\n

Living in Miami and Fiji<\/a> is too far? Head to Central America! <\/p>\n

In Sydney and Los Angeles is too far? Go halfway and stop in Hawaii, visit New Zealand<\/a>, or pop over to a Pacific island nation! <\/p>\n

In Europe? Well, 90% of the continent is a three-hour flight away so you’re set! <\/p>\n

Stay close and you\u2019ll need less time to do what you want. Additionally, the best flight deals you can find are often for destinations close to you. So be flexible. <\/p>\n

Anywhere you haven’t been is a good place to visit. <\/p>\n

And, when you travel, less is always more.<\/p>\n

3. Be a local tourist<\/h3>\n

I don\u2019t think people are tourists in their own city often enough. How often do you visit the museums, explore new areas in your town, or visit the major attractions of your city? I know New Yorkers who have never been to the Met<\/a>, Bostonians who have never walked the Freedom Trail<\/a>, and Amsterdammers who have never wandered through the red-light district. <\/p>\n

Take the weekend, move out of the house and into a cheap place to stay, and be a tourist. I love playing tourist in my own city because it helps you learn and understand where you come from.<\/p>\n

There’s so much around you that you probably don’t take advantage of when you’re busy leading your regular life that, when you stop and look for a second, you can find plenty of exciting activities to fill your time. <\/p>\n

After all, travel is about seeing and learning about new things – and that can take place right in your own backyard! <\/p>\n

Important: If you are going to do this, stay somewhere that’s not your house so it feels more like a vacation. Otherwise, it will be too tempting to wake up, run some errands, and then \u201crun out of time.\u201d For this to really work, you need to break your routine \u2014 and not staying in your house is important to do that.<\/em><\/p>\n

4. Maximize your time<\/h3>\n

Don\u2019t try to see everything under the sun. You’ll run around too much. I field a lot of emails from people who want to see half of Europe<\/a> in two weeks or want to conquer all of South America in a month. <\/p>\n

When you think that is how you have to travel and try to cram everything in, it’s easy to get burdened by your itinerary. You look at all those destinations, get overwhelmed, realize there is not enough time, give up, and hold off until you do “have” the time. <\/p>\n

I get that you don\u2019t have a lot of vacation and want to see a lot, but don\u2019t! Sticking to just one or two places suddenly opens up a lot of time and opportunity! You’ll never be able to see it all. Even with my open schedule, I still can’t see everything I want. I stopped trying long ago. In travel, less is more. Quality over quantity.<\/p>\n

****<\/center><\/p>\n

You may not have months to travel, but that doesn\u2019t mean you can\u2019t travel at all. There are a plethora of ways to get out and travel the world on a budget<\/a> without having to be a nomad like me. Telling yourself you don\u2019t have time is just an excuse. <\/p>\n

You do have the time and you can learn the skills to travel better<\/a>. The problem is you probably aren\u2019t thinking of how to spend that time beyond the typical \u201ctwo-week vacation.\u201d<\/p>\n

So the next time you think \u201cI don\u2019t have the time,\u201d think of all the places nearby you could explore. Yes, you’ll have errands to run and things that require your attention. But by using your time productively, prioritizing travel, and thinking outside the box, you’ll find you do<\/em> have time to explore the world. <\/p>\n

Travel is about exploration, and that exploration can happen anywhere for any length of time.
\n 
\n

How to Travel the World on $75 a Day<\/span><\/h3>
\"How<\/div>

My New York Times<\/em> best-selling book to travel will teach you how to master the art of travel so that you\u2019ll get off save money, always find deals, and have a deeper travel experience. It\u2019s your A to Z planning guide that the BBC called the \u201cbible for budget travelers.\u201d<\/p>\n

Click here to learn more and start reading it today!<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/p>\n

\n

Book Your Trip: Logistical Tips and Tricks<\/h4>\n

Book Your Flight<\/strong>
\nFind a cheap flight by using Skyscanner<\/a>. It’s my favorite search engine because it searches websites and airlines around the globe so you always know no stone is being left unturned. <\/p>\n

Book Your Accommodation<\/strong>
\nYou can book your hostel with Hostelworld<\/a>. If you want to stay somewhere other than a hostel, use Booking.com<\/a> as it consistently returns the cheapest rates for guesthouses and hotels. <\/p>\n

Don’t Forget Travel Insurance<\/strong>
\nTravel insurance will protect you against illness, injury, theft, and cancellations. It’s comprehensive protection in case anything goes wrong. I never go on a trip without it as I’ve had to use it many times in the past. My favorite companies that offer the best service and value are:<\/p>\n