This is the post we have always wanted to write about. An answer to the most common question we are daily facing with followers, friends and families. It is one of the main discussion with our colleagues. How to travel with a full time job?
A full list of things that we usually do, and it allow us to travel more, even if we have a full time career in London. Tips and suggestion on how to gain more days in your annual leave allowance. We are not jet full-time travellers, but we hope to travel more one day. In 2018 we have managed to travel to 13 countries in 12 months.
It was amazing to travel in such great places. Spending time away from the daily routine was a way to keep us motivated. So why you should leave your career if you can maximize your holiday allowance with some smart tricks. Check our tips on how to travel with a full-time job.
Yes, it is the main conversation topic in a classic dinner out with our friends. Everything will start with a question about, which was your last trip? or, where are you going next?
I think the reason why you are reading this post now, is because you love to travel. How many times happened to talk with your friends and moaning that you don’t have that much time or money to travel as you wish?
Also, I will bet everything, once in the life you have said “I want a job that I can travel” or looking for tips here and there on how to find time to travel.
Everyone will go away from 9 – 5, escape from a cubicle routine, tube or car, commuters, queue, chaos and pick time. Take a few days of vacation is never enough, everybody needs another holidays after the vacation, isn’t it?
Amazing tips on how to travel with a full time job
The best way to travel more is to dislocate your job or convince your boss you can produce more and better if you are in a comfortable place while working. The other way to be always travelling is to find a job to travel the World, or travel and work remotely.
We are a couple and this makes our way to travel cheaper. Sometimes we have got good bargains and a couple can split the costs of the accommodation, travel and even the food. But with any easy way there are counter parts, one of that is to try to fit each other holidays with the allowance of work, and colleagues requests. Also if you are in a higher position, you should manage the allowance some ways out of significant periods for the business.
On that we are working with months in advance, finding the perfect Travel Inspiration, looking at other travel bloggers and searching for the latest bargains. It is good and common to apply a few days extra to the regular public holidays.
This is Malaga – An amazing city in the South of Spain, in Andalusia. Grab your flight! – How to travel with a full time job
Keep an open mind about the destination
It is true not all destinations are worth to be. This mindset can be because you have just heard funny or bad stories from a friend, read this was the ugly destination to travel on. Sometimes it is true, but other times, you can have a completely different experience respect your friends.
It is happening to us a lot. When we are talking about our upcoming trips or destination we might visit in the future, for some obvious of the people are really happy and enthusiastic. For some other destinations, it is starting the disclosure about it.
Be open-minded is not for everyone, we know. It will take time to be used to an unusual destination. Once you open your mind to a new culture, way to live the life, new dishes and recipes. Once you start to respect each other, you will find yourself completely changed.
So, at this point, you are ready to find a hidden gem wherever you want and travel to. We will assure you, this is the best chance. As you know we love to share the flat with Spanish people, they are really close to our culture, and we find them more similar to our way to enjoy the life.
Put in the pot we speak Spanish as well and are always ready to improve it. So, we were planning our Andalusia Road trip, going across southern Spain, touching base in Malaga, Cadiz, Sevilla and Granada. While in between Malaga and Cadiz, there is Gibraltar. It is a piece of land where is not Spain but is a completely independent country, with its flag and government, under the influence of the United Kingdom.
At this point, our Spanish friends were talking really bad about Gibraltar, just because it is not belonging to Spain, but UK. We were thinking a bit on why we should travel to Gibraltar. But we made it, it is easy to visit and will get 1 more flat to our challenge 12 countries in 12 months. Was even funny, because we have never passed together, walking a border.
We discovered an amazing place, going up to the rock, and be in contact with a wild colony of apes. Check how to spend one day in Gibraltar.
So all of that is just for say never judge a destination by bed chatter. Always try, the bad things can happen is just you won’t be back anymore in that place, but is still a holiday and free time.
Travel on public holiday
This best part of how to travel with a full time job. We were working both in the catering, before landing in the corporate field. As you know, work during the public holiday is part of the accomplishment to work in catering, restaurants and bar. When everyone is happy and enjoying the free time, you are serving and taking decisions that make all smooth.
As soon we have joined the corporate, we start to plan our trip during the public holidays, taking a calendar at the beginning of the year and plan in advance.
It was one of the stressful things, but we have developed a plan. Thanks to the alert, you will have a pop up every time the price of your flight will change. That’s great because instead to plan ahead and pay more for a trip, you can bet on it and take it when the price is low.
Our advice is to be open-minded about the destination, so you can get a bargain when it comes. Do you know sometimes you can be lucky and hotels or flights companies need to fill vacant seats Be ready to pack your luggage.
Sometimes is hard to understand how to travel with a full time job, but it is an adventure as well. Pack in record time and be ready for the next achievement. With this life-style we have made 13 Countries in 12 months in 2018, with the challenge been set for 12 Countries.
Weekend Break – or 48 hours trip
A weekend break is what you need to relax the mind and the body. Take 48 hours out of the routine and the chaos of a big city could be the best medicine for us. We use to do that, even if it not involves to take a flight, but even just a bus or train for a destination close could be really useful.
Working both in the Corporate in London, we have all the weekend free. Our days off are starting every Friday from 5 pm. Some company allows you to take a half day off, that is meaning, you can start early in the morning and finish around 12 or 1 pm.
If you plan to go for a weekend break, and you are allowed by your boss to take a half day off, you are able to catch your flight in the afternoon. Spend at list the evening in the place, if the destination is not that far.
We have done it a lot. Basically, the Weekend Break is where everything about this blog and mindset is started. It wasn’t a weekend break, but it was a 48 hours trip, a London city escape. I planned another secret trip for Alessia’s birthday. We were going away from London, exploring Copenhagen. The return was planned for the day after, spending just one night in one of the most expensive cities in Europe.
The flight was in the early morning, the return in the late evening.
We don’t suggest the weekend break for who love the relax, sometimes, those are stressful because of the commuters. But those are absolutely adrenaline, also because, even if short, when you are back your friends are really curious to ask how it was.
Make travel your priority – Save money for travel
This can sound obvious, but not for everyone. All of us want to travel as much as possible, but not everyone is ready to sacrifice a dinner out or a drink on Friday. Not everybody wants to cook instead to call the delivery for a meal. All want a posh restaurant, instead of regular fast food.
If you want something, you need to gain it. If you have a modest income, you need to choose on your priorities. For us, the priority is to avoid all we don’t need, and travel as much has the best experience and build up something in the next few years.
There are a lot of ways to save money for travel, like, open a saving account with your bank. Start to save from your monthly or weekly income regularly is the advice we will give to you. You will be used to arrange 10 bucks, or 20 each month. Save a good amount that permits you to arrange a flight, the accommodation or the commuters.
Try to find the cheapest way to go to work, it could be good for your health and your wallet.
Go to off the beaten path destinations
Accept flight bargain to an unknown city
This is the best part of this post, I believe. As I use to say, Accept the unknown as part of the adventure, and you will find the best hidden gems. It is true, not all the bargain are just an unknown, boring and pointless places. Some of it is really hidden gems, some of it are a bargain just because somebody is trying to push the tourism there, or because the flight company is trying to push this destination link.
Thanks to the bargains we have met Nice, in France for just 5£ each way. You have understood very well, we have been for a few days in Cote Azur for just 10£ each way. It is a great Bargain, right?
We love trips on a budget. Everyone loves it! We love also pass out vacation days in For the same price of Nice, we took a flight to Bremen in Germany, for a 48 hours trip. We use to keep an eye on a few apps and sites. I will give you some useful information. Even Italy is easy to find as Cheap bargain, especially if you are flying to Rome, the cheapest airport is Ciampino, where Ryanair arrive. If you are going to the north, in Milan, Malpensa is the cheapest, but the Airport of Bergamo is not that far from the city centre of Milan, and it is really cheap.
Check out Holiday Pirates, they just send an alarm when something is coming up, they also can send you a direct message on Whatsapp and messenger if you allow the access.
As always, even if you have will travel with full-time careers, you need to bear in your mind, be flexible is the first low for grab bargains. If you are not flexible, make space in your agenda, and plan it in advance, you can still grab your next flight for 10 bucks or less.
That’s how we wan the challenge 12 countries in 12 months. This was the 2018 travel challenge, where we did at the end of the year 13 countries, more than we expected. But this is another post.
If you spot a bargain, please send us an email asap. We are happy to grab it as well!
