People Travel So Much
- Intro on the growing number of people who take multiple trips per year
- Statistics on travel trends showing more frequent trips are being taken
- Anecdotal examples of “travel influencers” who seem to always be jetting off somewhere
Having the Means for Frequent Travel
- High-paying careers that allow flexibility and money for trips
- Remote/digital nomad jobs that allow working from anywhere
- Passive income streams like rental properties, investments, businesses
- Travel rewards credit cards and frequent flyer miles
- Budget travel tips for flying and staying cheaper
Maximizing Time Off for Travel
- Taking unpaid time off or career breaks
- Self-employment that allows setting your schedule
- Working multiple part-time jobs with flexibility
- Working during vacation hours at a travel-friendly company
Packing Itineraries Full of Activities
- Suggestions for seeing multiple places in one trip
- Weekend trips and long weekends for mini-breaks
- Touring multiple countries or regions on one trip
- Utilizing travel hacks to visit more destinations per trip
Making Travel a Priority Lifestyle
- Examples of those who travel most of the year
- Monetizing travel experiences as bloggers or influencers
- Traveling as a couple or family to explore together
- Maintaining remote work to have location independence
- Tips for long-term and long-distance travel planning
The Rise of Frequent Travelers
Travel has become much more accessible in recent years. More people are taking extended and frequent trips than ever before. According to the US Travel Association, over 100 million American travelers took personal trips in 2021^1. This continues the trend of more people taking multiple leisure trips per year.
Several factors have contributed to the upswing in frequent travel. Higher incomes and career flexibility allow more options for time off. Meanwhile, remote work opportunities are untethering people from traditional office schedules. Digital nomads in particular can work from anywhere with a laptop. Travel rewards programs also make frequent flying more affordable. With the right plan, regular trips can become much more achievable financially.
Having the Means for Frequent Travel
High-paying Careers
Frequent travelers have high-paying jobs in fields like technology, finance, or business. These careers often provide generous paid time off benefits. Some employers are also increasingly open to remote and flexible arrangements. This allows workers to take trips throughout the year without disrupting their careers.
Self-employment and Remote Jobs
| Employment Type | Advantages for Travel |
| Self-employed | Set your schedule and take trips as you please |
| Digital Nomad | Live and work from anywhere with an Internet connection |
| Remote Consultant | Take contracts globally without relocating |
Being self-employed or working remotely provides almost unlimited schedule flexibility. Digital nomads in particular can spend months at a time traveling between destinations while still maintaining active work/life. This “location independence” has allowed remote work to become a lifestyle for frequent flyers.
Passive Income Sources
Frequent travelers supplement their active income with rental properties, investment income, online courses, or small businesses. These steady revenue streams continue accruing while on the road. Popular passive vehicles include short-term rental properties (e.g. Airbnb), peer-to-peer lending (e.g. Fundraise), and online membership communities or courses. Even a few hundred dollars per month in passive income can help subsidize regular trips.
Travel Credit Cards
Using travel credit cards strategically is another key way frequent flyers save on flights and accommodations. Sign-up bonuses alone can cover entire trips when redeemed properly. But the real potential comes from earning substantial rewards on normal spending. With the right card mix, miles, and points add up incredibly fast to fund future travels. Combined with other strategies, credit cards make frequent flying achievable for many.
Maximizing Time Off for Travel
Maximizing the time available for travel is key for frequent flyers looking to take extended trips throughout the year. While conventional full-time jobs provide limited vacation time, more flexible work arrangements allow for sabbaticals, career breaks, or part-time schedules. These make it possible to take months-long adventures without disrupting one’s career.
Alternatively, maintaining a portfolio of multiple part-time or contract jobs provides opportunities to strategically take on work seasonally. This leaves large gaps for international excursions. Regardless of the approach, structuring work life creatively to optimize time off is essential for those who wish to experience distinct destinations around the globe regularly.
Flexible Work Arrangements
An increasing number of companies offer flexible schedules, job sharing, or reduced hours. This allows employees to take extended trips and still maintain employment. Options like working half-time, four-day weeks, or ten months per year and then taking two months off are ideal for traveling extensively. Some popular arrangements include:
- Sabbaticals – Unpaid leave of 1-12 months
- Career breaks – Temporary shifts to part-time, contract, or freelance work
- Phased retirement – Gradual transition to fewer hours over several years
- Unpaid/paid time off – Simply taking an allotted vacation in large blocks
Taking advantage of flexible workplace policies is a major enabler of frequent travel for many. It provides the necessary time to enjoy multi-week and international trips.
Multiple Jobs
Maintaining a portfolio of part-time or contract work instead of a single full-time role provides enormous flexibility. Income can be earned year-round while arranging schedules to allow for prolonged trips. Popular strategies include:
- Teaching classes or private lessons on a semester schedule
- Consulting, freelancing, or project-based work taken seasonally
- Seasonal or temporary jobs during the off-season
- Remote part-time work that doesn’t interfere with trips
With careful planning, multiple income streams can be earned while still reserving large blocks for exploration and adventures. The tradeoff is less stability than full-time careers, but ideal for a travel-focused lifestyle.
Packing Itineraries Full of Activities
Spending weeks or months abroad requires maximizing each destination through efficient planning. Frequent travelers especially focus on seeing as much as possible within time and budget constraints. Some key tactics include:
Multi-Country Itineraries
Designing itineraries that take in two, three, or more countries at once through well-located hubs. For example, traveling overland through Southeast Asia hitting multiple nations in a single extended trip.
Long Weekends Away
Taking Friday through Monday trips within driving or short flight distance of home. This allows sampling multiple places near home on limited time off.
Activity-packed Schedules
Loading each travel day with back-to-back bookings like tours, classes, and day trips to fully experience locations without idle time in destinations.
Alternating Domestic/International
Mixing some international adventures with regional domestic trips booked on points/miles to maintain a frequent travel rhythm without constant long-haul flights.
With careful pre-trip planning and maxing out every travel moment, frequent flyers can experience far more than the average tourist within duration constraints. It requires optimization but unlocks more discovery potential per trip taken.
Making Travel a Priority Lifestyle
For some, extensive travel becomes about more than frequent trips – it defines their whole lifestyle and raison d’être. Whether full-time or seasonally, total commitment allows traveling most of the year:
- Digital Nomads – Live and work internationally while traveling semi-permanently
- Travel Influencers – Monetize travel blog/videos and sponsorships into six-figure careers
- Remote Entrepreneurs – Run location-independent businesses from anywhere
- Extended Sabbaticals – Take 1-2 year breaks for extended adventures
- Remote Year/Travel Hacking – Participate in organized remote work/travel events
Living a travel-focused life requires more planning, flexibility, and adaptation. But for those truly passionate about exploration and cultural immersion, it provides constant self-growth, memories, and fulfillment. Technology continues lowering location barriers for maintaining everyday life while on the road. As a result, travel is transforming into a viable long-term lifestyle for many.
Conclusion
Frequent and extensive travel has various means of financial support and options for allocating personal/work time. With careful planning and optimization, enjoying multiple trips domestically or abroad each year has become achievable for a broad audience.
Whether for career, passion, or lifestyle reasons, exploring this wide and wonderful world is a motivator for many seeking experiences over possessions. With the right mindset and strategies, even extensive travel dreams can become sustainable realities.
