11 ways to travel-more without quitting your job.

Ways to Travel More Without Quitting Your Job

Take Advantage of Weekends

If you leave town on a Friday night and arrive back on Sunday night or early Monday morning, you have more than enough time for a fun and action-packed city break. Keep your eye on Groupon, which offers great hotel or holiday deals in major cities. I still use it these days to book quick trips around Spain with Alberto (who now has an office job) and our baby. You don't have to go far to explore somewhere new - as I learned last year on our glamping trips around Spain.

Use Festive Holidays for Trips

If you aren't especially religious, festive holidays like Christmas or Easter are a great time to travel. This is also a great excuse to miss Thanksgiving with your extended family! You'll be making the most of your vacation days and spending the festive season somewhere special. For instance, you could be having a white Christmas in Lapland visiting Santa Claus' home and going on reindeer rides. Or you could celebrate Carnival in Rio de Janeiro, where the celebrations are the biggest, loudest and most colorful!

ALWAYS Use Your Vacation Days

Americans in particular are notorious for leaving vacation days unused. After all, a recent survey from Harris Interactive found that Americans only use 51% of their eligible paid vacation time each year. One of the reasons people don't use their vacation days is to prepare for an unexpected event. If you're one of those waiting for a rainy day, check your company's policies first. Most allow for bereavement time and days off for emergencies.

Add Vacation Days to Long Weekends and Holidays

If you plan around holidays, you can really maximize your travel potential. Adding only four vacation days to a three-day-weekend gives you NINE days off from work (including the previous weekend). That is more than enough time to explore an exciting new country and cover at least two or three different areas in one trip. If you live in Europe, there are lots to explore a short flight away. These include lesser-known areas like Bosnia, Romania and Macedonia. I personally love these places and they are easily accessible from most parts of Europe.