Tips for Traveling the World Part-Time as a Working Professional

The Misconception about Travel.

Why is there a misconception that World Travel is only for full time travellers and digital nomads while the rest of us can only travel once in a year for summer vacation?
Absolutely not!!! I want to see the world, in fact, I want to visit all the countries in the world within a few years whilst I keep and grow my career and other great projects I am working on, because I love and enjoy them as much as I do travel.

Travel does not have to be full time to be fulfilling, we only need to know the right strategies and methods to accomplishing our world travel goals.

I am a part-time traveller and have visited 25 countries within a short time, with a lot of them on repeat visits, and have over the years mastered the art of part-time travel.

People often ask me how it is possible that I will be able to actualise my dream of visiting all the countries in the world whilst married and work in corporate business and it seemed to them it is a far fetched dream but trust me, it is not that difficult to achieve world travel with the right strategy and determination, you can satisfy your wanderlust without compromising a job you love.

Here are Practical Tips I recommend for Part-Time World Travel

Make the Most of Layovers and Stopover Programs

Every national carrier has layovers and/or stopovers in their hub, often the capital city. What do you see in this — an opportunity or a hassle?

Layovers can be a golden travel opportunity. When traveling for work or leisure, choose flights with longer layovers in cities you want to explore at no extra cost. You can even pick specific carriers to visit cities that catch your fancy.

For example, if you’re flying to London but want to visit Paris, consider flying with Air France, schedule a long layover in Paris, explore the city, and then continue your journey. It’s a cost-effective way to see new places.

And if you prefer to stay for a few days, then consider airlines that offer stopover programs, ranging from 1 to 14days, allowing you to stop and stay in their country for several nights, at no extra flight cost. This is a great way to cover more than one country on a single trip.

Benefits of layover/stopover:

• No Extra flight cost
• You are not taking an extra time off work
• Your checked-in bags are securely stored by the airline until your final destination
• Your carry-on bags can be securely stored at Airport Storage
• You get to explore a new city or country with minimal hassle

I often do this on my trips, especially to cities I have not been to and where I’m not yet ready to spend more vacation time, just like I recently visited Nairobi on a Kenya Airways flight to Cape Town. My main interest was South Africa but I got to see some part of Kenya too.

Related Post – Itinerary for 8hrs layover in Nairobi

Use Weekends and Business Trips Efficiently

The next time you have a trip for a specific purpose which could be business or leisure, plan to arrive one or two days early or stay the weekend to explore the city or country. If your work starts on a Monday, travel on Friday evening and spend the weekend exploring before work begins or stay the weekend after to do this. Sometimes, you may even be able to explore the neighbouring city or country on a day return trip, especially in continents like Europe where there is easy navigation by train and budget flights.

Related Post – Countries you can visit together in Europe

Use the ‘Explore Everywhere’ Option 

Exploration is the father of invention. Don’t limit yourself to a single destination or the idea of a ‘typical vacation.’ Let adventure guide you whenever you can take a few days off or need a break. You can explore the world without breaking the bank by using the ‘Explore Everywhere’ option available on Skyscanner and google flight.

We plan to explore the world anyway, so let this search option guide you on where to visit anytime you can spare a weekend or a few days to visit a new destination. It is a great tools for exploring and planning your trips.

Here’s how to use the ‘Explore Everywhere’ option on Skyscanner:

1️⃣ Open Skyscanner (https://www.skyscanner.com) on your web browser or mobile app.

2️⃣ In the search box, enter your departure city or airport in the “From” field.

3️⃣ For the “To” field, instead of entering a specific destination, select “Explore Everywhere.”

This will allow Skyscanner to search for the best flight deals to various destinations around the world.

4️⃣ Choose flexible dates to find the cheapest travel options. You can select “Whole Month” or even “Cheapest Month” to maximise savings.

5️⃣ Browse through the results and find the destination that fits your travel plans.

Book your flight and get ready to explore a new place you might not have considered before!

Some of my best travel experiences have been spontaneous and, often, the least expensive. You really never know what awaits you—just go for it and cherish the memories. They are golden to a healthy and fulfilling life.

Give it a try? You might be surprised at where your next adventure takes you.

Quarterly Travel Scheduling

Instead of using all your 20 PTO/leave days at once, why not schedule that into 4 trips in the year?

Let’s do the travel math;

You can even take one cruise in the year or road trips that covers up to 5 countries within a week. The possibilities are endless once you become open minded.

Balancing a career with wanderlust is all about strategy. Don’t wait for retirement, start exploring the world now!