Take Regular Vacations

I like this idea very much! And it's true that I had a lovely, restorative vacation of only 6 nights in September to Norway. And I agree that the prep and anticipation was significant in my enjoyment..around about end July I got quite depressed that I wasn't having any ",vacation " time off in the summer -- once I decided on my trip, I perked right up !!

This assumes that you are still working. We are retired and can relax at home.

We travel to see history, art, scenic places and other cultures. This is restorative in itself.

How did they define the benefits that peaked at the eight day mark? No one knows. Is that when you start ordering a radler in Germany instead of the previous seven days of beer? Maybe no more apperol spritzers with your meal in Italy? Maybe pass on the Cathedral or the ruins since that is all you have been doing for the last seven days. That’s when you need a down day.
And of course if you are on a vacation and you are still working and that vacation is a crammed itinerary like seen on here so often, then perhaps the benefits lessen due to burnout.
I do believe that any vacation is better than none and that one week is better than nothing.

This assumes that you are still working. We are retired and can relax
at home.

We travel to see history, art, scenic places and other cultures. This
is restorative in itself.

......

And of course if you are on a vacation and you are still working and
that vacation is a crammed itinerary like seen on here so often, then
perhaps the benefits lessen due to burnout.

8 days seems about right to me. I'll be retired starting in August, or perhaps better defined as kinda sorta working when I feel like it, and I can already see needing a vacation from my retirement. Doing nothing stresses me out and unless I pack my vacation itinerary to the brim I'm ready to go home in 10-14 days. I'm curious how my Fall trip will go. For the first time that I can remember I'll be away for 3 weeks in a row; can I maintain a pace like I do over a 2 week trip? Will I want to? Will my wife want to go home so she can relax?...hmmmm, 8 days seems right.

This is perhaps confirmation bias, but we like to take roughly week-long vacations 2-4 times per year, with long weekends and other short breaks to concerts and sporting events. I've found this provides us something to look forward to that isn't months away. There is always something within a few weeks or so.

We've enjoyed our 2-week long vacations, but felt the two 3-week vacations were better--enough time to better pace our adventures and to totally put the cares of work behind. Perhaps 2 weeks will seem more refreshing when retirement living is the everyday.

Wow, they checked the middle aged men, but not the middle aged women? Rather typical, as if a vacation for us is the same. It isn't.

I loved having 7 weeks off this past year to walk through Spain, and 6 weeks the year before. Having zero responsibility for anything but myself, was fantastic.

But that doesn't mean we always use our vacation time. In fact, nearly half of U.S. workers take less time off than their job allows, leaving an average of 9.5 days of paid time off (PTO) on the table.

Just yesterday in a meeting my boss was imploring everyone to use their vacation time this year (it doesn't roll over in our company). Apparently many people in my department lost unused vacation days last year. I have no idea why anyone would do this. Presumably they think on their deathbed they'll be thankful they worked a few extra days.

Because of work, and for many years our dogs, we can never take anything more than a week a couple times a year, and most of the time it is just a one-nighter somewhere or a long weekend. (I have never liked any of the jobs I have ever had, so any time away from work has been a relief). My husband and I have been together 27 years and the longest trip we have ever taken was 9 days (Australia). We have Vietnam coming up in April (for a wedding) and that will be an 8-day. I frankly can't wait for retirement so I can take longer trips (or at least have more say in when we go).

Just yesterday in a meeting my boss was imploring everyone to use their vacation time this year (it doesn't roll over in our company). Apparently many people in my department lost unused vacation days last year.

Mary, it's that Puritan (or Protestant) work ethic that is drilled into Americans. You're lazy if you take too long a vacation and God forbid that you don't work while you are traveling. That's how it was at my firm. The others partners and I could take whatever time of we wanted, but most rarely took more than a week or so each year. I was the exception (and ironically the only female partner).

For the first time that I can remember I'll be away for 3 weeks in a row; can I maintain a pace like I do over a 2 week trip? Will I want to?

Allan, I'll bet you can--and will. I did it after I retired - I went from 2 jam-filled weeks to 3 and 4 weeks, and now I'm up to 5 1/2 weeks. But I have found that when I take longer vacations, I tend to add in small breaks every week or so--more so than when I was traveling for shorter periods of time. It just seems to come naturally.

I am forced to take 4 weeks off between June and September, not necessarily in one go but usually in two. This leaves 3-4 weeks for the rest of the year. Poor me 😛. With this in mind, I find 2 weeks to be the sweet spot. 1 week does works quite well for domestic trips with short travel time, or for winter holidays.

"...work ethic drilled into Americans." How true.

Re: a short vacation, say one week vs. a 6-7 week vacation if the vacation is to be spent in Europe, my choice is no doubt the longer vacation that of a 6-7 week trip. Doing that Europe vacation trip in the summer just would not feel exactly right if it were limited to one week.

Still, that one full week is better than the alternative, ie nothing at all, depending on how desperate I feel getting back to Paris or Berlin.

I've also been among the workers to stay late because you didn't want to be the first one to leave at the end of the day, as that sent the message to the boss that you were a slacker. This was particularly true for me in the Air Force. Either you were a hard-charger or a slacker. There wasn't much in-between.

But personally I'd rather take periodic vacations so it's never too long before the next one. I found it rather depressing to take a longer trip and upon returning realizing I had nearly a year until my next extended time off.

Plus, yeah, we have animals at home and I feel a little guilty leaving them behind for weeks at a time.

If I’m spending the money for an overseas trip, I’m staying longer than a week most of the time. Since retirement we’ve extended our longer overseas trips to about 24 days. We still do a one week trip to London for my wife’s birthday every year.

I've found that short trips work for my husband and myself. Regarding not using all my vacation, with all of the layoffs and employers reducing staff as much as possible with many jobs not having any backups in place, to take a long vacation would result in 1. a long list of items that once you return will require evenings and weekends to catch up or 2. be on the list for the next round for layoffs. Not everyone is lucky enough to have an employer that is supportive and it's not that easy to quit and find an employer that is.

I don't know anyone who doesn't wish to use all of their vacation time, but for myself and others that I speak with, it's felt that we can't without negative repercussions. Just because an employer gives you vacation, doesn't mean you can actually use it without a cost.

Personally I really love my job, it's a big part of who I am and there is something extremely enjoyable and artistic about firing up my forge, then heating and hammering metal into shape. And in the last few years there's the addition of shooting and editing video. I love to be able to create and I am lucky to work here.

There in no stress or dread and I have never needed to escape my work. Bicycling into work was had its benefit and gave me contemplative morning and when I wanted to get away for a few days, hiking on the AT here in Virginia was always restorative. I don't get to cycle or hike anymore and I don't know yet how I will replace that.

Seniority and longevity at work has me where I am maintaining a maximum leave carry over every year and therefore a maddening volume of leave accumulated as use-it-or-lose-it. At work we've never had negative pressure and never had an issue getting time off. One of my co-workers recently did a pilgrimage on the Camino de Santiago.

Living in the U.S. Working full time, with retirement not yet in sight. I currently have three weeks (15 days) of paid vacation per year. I also get the week between Christmas and New Year's, when the company is closed, but I choose not to travel then, because a) I'd rather spend that time with my family and b) I'd rather not be traveling at a very busy time of year. So at the beginning of the calendar year I have to decide how to apportion my limited number of days off.

This year I'm claiming 9 of my 15 days for a return trip to Scotland. I had 6 days there last year and wished I'd had more. I've scheduled my remaining 6 days of vacation time in 1- and 2-day increments, placed strategically in those longish stretches that include no national holidays that produce 3- or 4-day weekends--well, except for the stretch between now and May, when I'll just be toughing it out and dreaming of Scotland.

I also get my birthday off. This year it's a Tuesday, and I plan to combine it with a personal day to create a 4-day weekend, which I might use to take a short local trip or maybe a couple of day trips.

Interesting viewpoints. I have taken several trips (retired) for 10-11 weeks. The secret that works for me is to take a few days after about 16-17 days and plan a rest stop for 2-3 days. Usually at a lake, on a mountain, etc. and just veg. Take a walk everyday, find some food, find a park, a bench or a balcony and kick back and rest. Have some adult beverages and maybe people watch. Never have been bored or really peaked by following this plan. Timing is everything. I actually do take the day off before flying home to just rest, relax and get ready to spend that long travel day home.

For me to travel all the way to Europe for two weeks is just too short. However, that is my style and I am not limited on time except that silly Schenegen rule. Good post.

Yep, that is why we have the EU Working Time Directive in Europe:

Requirements of the Working Time Directive: 11 hours continuous rest in
every 24 hour period. minimum 20 minute break when shift exceeds 6
hours. minimum 24 hour rest in every 7 days or minimum 48 hour rest in
every 14 days. minimum 4 weeks paid annual leave.

Everywhere I ever worked had a requirement to take a minimum of a two week break every year and use up all your holidays from the previous year by the end of march in the following.