How do you maximise travel while working 9 to 5? You want to live a life of travel, but you need to balance it with holding down a day job. How can you strike a balance and spend enough time travelling ? How do you take every opportunity to leave everyday life behind and venture to new places, see new things, try new food and discover new cultures? Can you have the true travel experience and hold down a job? Read on for some great hints and tips on how to travel smart, enjoy great adventures and work 9-5!
Make your hard earned cash go further!
Work hard, play hard is a great motto. Travel isn’t just about travelling around the globe, it is also about discovering your country, your county and your local towns. It is opening your eyes to places and things, which inspire you and set you up for the next week at work!
If holidays are a priority, then you can travel while working 9 to 5! Make it a financial priority. Take a look at your budget and see what you can afford to spend per month/year on travel. With a bit of research and bargain hunting, you will be surprised by the number of adventures you can have in just 1 year!
Spread Payments
When booking a trip, look into the various methods of paying. Mix and match your payment options to make sure that all the money isn’t going out in one month. Travel agents often offer pay per month holidays.
Don’t assume package or all-inclusive holidays limit your travel. Base yourself at the hotel, maximise daytrips and get to know the area. Often there is the option to take an overnight trip somewhere else in the country.
Booking in advance gives you the best deal (particularly if you are tied to school holidays). You will find that the cost of a package holiday in low or even shoulder season is much cheaper
An alternative way to spread payments is to use a credit card with an interest free deal. This again allows you to manage your own payment schedule. Be careful to pay off the minimum payment each month, otherwise you will probably lose the deal.
The Best Money Saving Travel Hacks
The best money saving travel hacks include using points, benefits and customer loyalty schemes. These can greatly reduce prices. Many companies and professions have some kind of discount scheme. Make sure you check these before booking, but be careful as these often exclude other discounts on offer and may not be as good as you think they are. Check benefits on health insurance as ours gives us a 20% discount on Expedia hotels.
Tesco points can be used among other things on Le shuttle, railcards, Virgin Atlantic flying club and a number of accommodation options. Nectar points (remember you can collect extra of these with a Sainsburys or Nectar credit card) can be used to book Eurostar, hotels or be converted to Avios points. Avios is my own personal favourite airline points scheme as they can be collected with a number of airlines, certain credit cards and through the nectar scheme, so they can build up quite quickly. Be sure to check whichever points scheme you are part of, as there are often great deals on flights if you book early enough.
Hidden Costs
Don’t forget those hidden costs. How are you getting to and from the airport, how are you travelling around when you get there? Remember, the cheapest flight isn’t always the cheapest holiday, be sure to check out the living costs of your destination.
If you are going on a longer European break or a northern Europe weekend, depending on your location in the UK driving the whole journey may be a better option. Don’t forget to include tolls and ULEZ zone costs in your budget if you do this. For more tips on your next European trip see For more tips on your next European trip see here.
Spend time researching your options
Booking a trip independently is the ultimate dream for some and a complete nightmare for others. It is certainly the cheapest way to travel in high season. With the wealth of tools available on the internet, planning can be an enjoyable part of the whole travel experience. (See this post on top 10 travel apps). It is fun to investigate all your options, make your own choices and find places to visit you hadn’t originally thought about.
Use Skyscanner
Use Skyscanner to find cheap flights. I tend to book directly with the airline once I have found the flights, as it is more flexible and to me it is a safer option. Again, I have found the earlier you book the better – many recommend between 6 and 9 months, so keep an eye on the prices. The more flexible you are on your dates and travel time the better. Do not miss airline special deals particularly in September and/or January.
Another option is to choose your destination for a break based on the cheapest flights. We have done this on a number of occasions, visited places we may not have chosen, but had the most wonderful time. Kosice in Slovakia was our best example of this!
Also, remember that annual travel insurance usually works out cheaper than individual trip insurance if you are taking multiple trips in a year.
Book in Advance
Although it is nice to go with the flow and see what the holiday holds, there are occasions where booking in advance may save you time as well as money. Excursions, entries to popular attractions and theme parks all sell out at peak times. Many of these also offer a discount for booking in advance. Don’t forget to check online for discount codes before you book! For trip ideas for destinations world wide and booking them at reasonable prices use Get Your Guide.
When visiting a city, look out for free guided walking tours. At the end you pay what you can afford. They often give suggested prices and in our experience the tours have been well worth it. These again are best booked in advance
Finding Accommodation
Book direct with hotels for great prices, but be sure to check Booking.com, Expedia and other similar websites as they often have discounts or customer loyalty schemes to make things cheaper. Many accommodation options don’t require full payment until a few days before arrival. Tripadvisor is your best friend if you are looking for honest reviews on accommodation. One word of warning, remember to read the reviews in the context of the price you are paying!
Car Hire
We have always booked our hire car through rentalcars.com as they offer discounts as well as their own extra protection insurance package. In case of accident or damage you do have to pay the rental company excess yourself and then claim back from them, but if you have a credit card with the headroom, this is a much cheaper option than the protection insurance from the rental company.
Create a realistic schedule
The right schedule is your schedule! Take into account your available vacation days, work schedule, and any other commitments. Being a teacher, means being stuck to school holidays, with maybe the odd weekend in between. Bargains are still possible, mainly by booking early, particularly when the school holidays do not align across the country.
How Many Days do you want to Travel per Year?
The number of days holiday do you have to use is a good starting point. How do you wish to distribute them throughout the year? Remember to be realistic about the time it takes to travel to your destination and incorporate it in your planning.
We decide on our main holidays first to the places we really want to visit and then see what time and money we have left to maximise our adventures. Looking for deals, bargains and cheap flights can lead you to destinations you have never though about before.
What Type of Holiday do you want?
Only you can answer this question but answering it will help you find the perfect destination. Remember to think outside your norm and try something new now and again. I never though I would enjoy a cycling holiday but I really did!
Be prepared to try something new. We dismissed a cruise for years thinking we would be bored, but it was so enjoyable and the thrill of waking up in a new destination the next morning was amazing. At first look a cruise seems expensive, but when you break down the cost it really isn’t that bad. If you can travel outside of School Holidays then you can grab som great bargains.
Identify must-visit destinations and activities based on your interests.
We often book the holiday without knowing exactly what we wish to do there and sometimes even when we get there we are looking for ideas. On other occasions we plan an itinerary for most days (allowing some flexibility), or for some we just have a list of must-see destinations and fit them to the day once we are there. The main thing is with limited time for travel, make the most of what you have.
A quick aside, if a popular attraction is on your must-see list, in a busy season then it is worth booking it well in advance to avoid disappointment.
Maximise weekends and bank holidays
When you want to maximise travel while working 9 to 5 the most important thing is to make your 25 days stretch further by using bank holidays and weekends to the full! For a fortnights holiday or weekend, travel Friday night and return Sunday evening! Use to the 2 bank holidays at Easter, giving 10 days holiday for 4 days annual leave. May half term is another holiday saver with the bank holiday on the Monday, who wouldn’t take time to go away over/after Christmas and New Years where 3 days off work gives you a good length break!
Don’t worry about the Weather
‘There is no such thing as bad weather, just the wrong clothing’. Weather is never guaranteed and it is about enjoying time away wherever you are. With limited travel time and being fixed to school holidays, it is impossible to visit everywhere at the ‘right’ time. Be optimistic there is always something to do even if you have top change your plan.
Rainy days can be a pain but with the right clothing and mindset, you can always find something to do and it beats being in the air at home!
When people refer to wet season, particularly in the far east, it often equates to a few hours a day and often means cheaper prices and less busy attractions.
We were always told don’t visit Florida at the end of July or into August as it will be too hot and humid. We did as it was the only time we could have a longer holiday – it was amazing! Go at the right pace, take the right clothing, research your destination and you will be able to make the best out of any destination, anytime, any place, any weather!
Cultivate a Travel Mindset
Travel is what you make it and even a day trip out can be the refreshing break you need. If it is your dream to travel, make the most of what you can do within the limits of your job, lifestyle and budget.
Utilise what you have around you and be on the outlook for that trip which grasps your imagination as well as fitting into your budget and timescale. Research the on the web, follow the right people on Instagram and Tiktok for great ideas. Use TripAdvisor and YouTube to get opinions of others and find out what to do. Many locations have Facebook groups full of people with ideas and tips.
Take advice that make sense to you, dismiss what doesn’t and live the travel dream. You may not want to or be able to travel full time, but you can dream from your work desk, research from your armchair and then go on to use what time you have to go on your next adventure!
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