As we are now in a brand new year many of us are likely to start thinking about planning trips throughout the year. Balancing your love for travelling with a full time job is a skill that can take years to master, even the most seasoned traveller can struggle to plan their year efficiently whilst getting the best deals.

Quick Tips For Travelling With a Full Time Job

Maximise Your Annual Leave

If you’re in the UK and work full time you are likely to start with around 25 days paid holiday, depending on who you work for will depend on whether you also get Bank Holidays in addition.

Booking annual leave alongside Bank Holidays is one of the best ways to maximise the time you have for travelling.

If you’re planning a weekend break, try heading to your destination on the Friday evening so that you don’t have to travel on the Saturday and can make the most of your short break.

Take Day Trips and Weekend Breaks

Travel doesn’t have to be about flying to far-flung destinations. Make the most of the country you live in.

Make a list of all of the villages, towns and cities that you would like to visit, then set yourself the challenge of visiting as many as possible.

If you live in a city, take a look at the local buses that run and make a note of some of the areas serviced, pick one a month and discover some nice areas for days out.

Budget

Every month I save some money to fund my travel addiction, but I also make a conscious effort to take day trips that don’t require any spending. I’ll grab a bag with my camera and a packed lunch and I’ll head out to explore.

To help you save money for your travels, do your research – look out for deals on flights and accommodation, look for the free things to do in your destination and explore as much as you can on foot.

Be Flexible

It really depends on your job as to how flexible you can be. There are some workplaces that require you to book annual leave at least three months advance which means spontaneous trips are almost impossible.

If you have children (or work with them) you’ll probably be restricted to only booking the school holidays, this also means that you’ll have to plan when you travel.

Restrictions mean that you just need to be more thoughtful in your planning. Write down your travel priorities at the beginning of the year, if there is one trip you are desperate to take then concentrate on that, save your money, research the best time to go, then book the time off. Do this as early in the year as possible. The more you set in stone the more likely you are to actually follow through with your plans.

Rethink Your Destination

I only started travelling around four years ago so there’s a part of me that wants to visit the popular tourist destinations, because I haven’t been to them before. However, I am definitely starting to look at the less popular locations.

So instead of Rome head to Genoa, instead of Madrid try Bilbao, just because a city attracts millions of visitors every year doesn’t mean that it’s the only place to go.

Another way to be flexible regarding where you travel is to let your budget dictate your destination. If you are adamant that you want to travel in May then look at the best deals available, go somewhere more affordable rather than the area that appears in the Top 10 Places to Visit lists.

What are your tips for travelling with a full time job?

Let me know in the comments.