How do you find time for travel?

[Mooseketeer]

Yep , I think Europe is ahead in that respect. Even Japan offers paid vacation to workers.
My partner gets 32 days plus the national holidays ( I think 12 days for him as he works for the government) plus 2 days flexi-leave a month if he works over his mandated working hours.

He chose a job which pays a lot less in the public sector so we would have more time for holidays and travelling. What's the point of earning more money if you can't spend it ?

Carpe Diem and all that. We may be dead tomorrow so living is for today.

[ChunkyMonkey]

Unfortunately, you'll have to work over 15 years at a company so that you can earn at least 4 weeks of vacation, then use it creatively. Combine it with holidays so that you can stretch it. It can be done, but the American culture seems hostile to long vacations. I think you need at least 2 weeks in order to wind down.

[chrismpv]

It depends where you live. I live in New England so flights to Europe are not so long. I went to Paris from Montreal and the flight was 6 1/2 hours. It could have been similar flying to the west coast. I've done many 2-3 night trip to Europe in the past. Now, I need 1 to 2 week.

[El Rhino]

At this point I pretty much only get vacation time around Christmas and the 4th of July, when the plant shuts down and it's mandatory that I use vacation time during this period. There's been a couple of times where I've had a few days to schedule vacation (which if done right on my schedule could equal a little less than two weeks). Next year I'll have enough time in where I'll pretty much have about a 7-10 day block in addition to the mandatory vacation.

Christmas is hard to travel around for leisure and everything is crowded during the 4th of July. I'm solving that problem this year by going to a place where July is the low point of tourism (Argentina), making it (hopefully) easier to get the things done at the prices I want to pay.

I guess you just have to think outside the box and try to utilize any time you do get. If you sit around waiting for a 100% perfect time period to travel, usually you'll only do just that. You may have to cut something short.