How many vacations do you take a year?
 

Just curious how many vacations do you take a year? I've already been on vacation in February to Hawaii, but have the vacation itch to go somewhere else. I love traveling!!

At least two. I get 6 weeks paid vacation time per year, that equals two 2 week vacations and occassional days off. We usually travel for spring break, then when school gets out, then I go off with my Mom every two years in the Fall. Mom and I will be on the OBX in Oct. Did 2 weeks to the Black Hills next month. Planning a road trip thru Canada, and to San Francisco. Leaving for business trip to St Louis tommorrow.

OOoopps Black Hills was LAST month.

We take two to three ski weeks, a theater weekend in NYC and one 10-17 day vacation in the summer or fall. As much as I enjoy the weekend visits to parents and grown children, I don't really count those as vacations.

This is a sure thing in our household: one week in Florida for spring break, no matter what, and one week wherever? during the summer.

The rest depends on how crafy I am at hoodwinking my husband and kids.

I go on vacation whenever I can afford it. I've noticed when I go somewhere I can't wait to plan the next vacation and start looking when I get home. I think traveling gives you the itch to travel more and more. Went to Sanibel in March and Key West in June.

We take 3 or 4 different vacations a year now. DH gets about 6 weeks a year. We already did one week in Feb. camping, two weeks to visit grandbaby, we have two weeks planned in August to Grand Canyon and Utah, and will probably do a Oct. trip for a week.

Just so you know my DH has been on the same job for 31 years. First year we were married he only had one week, second year we only had two weeks, and it wasn't until about 10 years later that he earned 4 weeks. So even if you don't have this much vacation time now, it might come later.

Utahtea

We usually do 2 longer trips, a week to visit family, and 3-4 shorter/long weekend type trips.

We take a couple trips to Vegas and one extrememly good one somewhere else.

Depends on what you view as a vacation. If you include weekend trips to visit out-of-state family/friends, we are gone at least one weekend a month (leave Friday night or first thing Saturday morning and return Sunday late afternoon or evening).

This year (completed + planned):
January - weekend in Charlotte, NC and extended weekend (3 days+) in Mississippi
February - weekend in Jacksonville, FL
March - weekend in Dallas/Fort Worth
April - weekend near CT casinos
May - Memorial Day weekend in Charlotte, NC
June - weekend in Chincoteague Island, VA
July - weekend in Chicago
August - labor day weekend in White Mountains, New Hampshire
October - two weeks in Hawaii

A lot :D

I usually take one major vacation per year and then a couple minor trips. Going back three years, this is what I have done:

2000:

14 night honeymoon to Mediterranean. 3 nights in Istanbul, followed by 8 night cruise on Orient Lines Crown Odyssey, followed by 3 nights in Rome.

4 night trip to Chicago (my wife's hometown until she was 21 and came to Los Angeles and met Price Charming...errr, I mean me).

2001:

15 night tour of China. 5 nights each in Beijing, Shanghai and Hong Kong.

4 night trip to Chicago.

2002:

16 night trip to South Africa and Zimbabwe. Half the time I was on safari and half the time we were in Cape Town, my favorite city in the world.

3 night trip to Guadalajara, Mexico. I had a great time there with some family friends when I was 16 years old and wanted to return. This trip didn't really pan out very well other than staying in a very beautiful hotel, the Quinta Real (thank you Conde Nast Traveler, you haven't let me down yet!).

15 night trip to Chile, including Vina Del Mar, Santiago, San Pedro De Atacama and Torres Del Paine National Park. Although there were some very beautiful places that we saw, the accomodations, even at the best places, was not that great and the food was horrible. Honestly, we would have probably had a lot more fun if we were in better physical shape and would have taken advantage of the numerous activities possible in Atacama and Torres Del Paine.

2003:

2 night trip to San Francisco Ritz Carlton.

15 night trip to South Africa and Zambia including two nights in Johannesburg, five nights in South Luangwa, five nights in Cape Town and three nights in the Sabi Sand Reserve.

Remaining trips for the year include:

Two night trip to Las Vegas, against my will to attend a wedding. Las Vegas is the last place in the world I would go for a holiday, but I don't have much of a choice on this one.

Labor Day weekend four night trip, most likely, to Hawaii (The Big Island) at the Mauna something or other Hotel and Bungalows, regarded by some as the second best hotel on the island after the Four Seasons.

Four night trip to NYC to run the NYC Marathon, staying at the Plaza Athenee on the Upper East Side.

Hopeful trips for 2004:

5 night trip to Paris for my 33rd birthday and to run the Paris Marathon.

15 night trip to Italy and Sicily.

3-4 night trip somewhere within 4 hours flying distance from L.A. (Vancouver, Cabo San Lucas, Chicago, Scottsdale AZ or wherever there may be an interesting marathon).

I LOVE to travel and would travel for ten weeks a year if not for this little thing known as "work." ;)

Hi Janny,

As many as possible. Travel is my passion -I'm now planning a 3 week holiday in Turkey & after that at least a month to escape the winter possibly 2,& one of these days want to get back to parts of africa.
You only go around once!

At least 10, including mixed business/pleasure trips.
(9 weeks vacation and company ownership helps a lot).

MILEKING: You have piqued my curiosity. What in the world could you have wanted to do in Mexico or South America that you "would have enjoyed more if we were in better physical shape" and then are fit enough to run the NYC Marathon and one in Paris to boot. Details please? I cannot imagine.

Wow.... I'm jealous!!! I wish I could afford to travel as much as you all do.
I'm married and don't have any kids, but still it can be costly traveling. I'm glad to hear most of you LOVE traveling as much as I do. I thought I was crazy bugging DH for another vacation. I LOVE traveling too. I receive 4 weeks vacation time a year.
I'm sooo ready to book another vacation
for this fall!!!
Rocco, your a world traveler. You must be rich. I'm the same age as you- 33 and you've been everywhere!! Good for you!!! Keep up the traveling....

ARKANSASNURSE, I think you have me confused with Rocco. He's the one doing the marathons.

Generally:

2 international vacations a year (at least a week each)

2 4-day weekend vacations to see parents in Florida and Ohio

12 other weekend trips within the US, maybe 4 of them requiring flights

6 business trips, usually to California or Denver or DC

DH has 4 weeks vacation a year and I have 52 so... 4 weeks, sometimes all in one lump if we're going far away (like Asia or Australia), sometimes 2-3 weeks at a time (like Europe), and the occasion one weeker (Hawaii/Mexico/Carribean). Plus about six weekends/year around the states, usually back to Cali (where I lived 33 years) or Lost Wages or where ever that years "girls weekend" is. Oh, and this year in Sept. we're going to Indy for F1...(go Mercedes-McLaren!) :-)

Janny,

I don't know whether I should be considered "rich" or not, but I am a smart consumer when it comes to travel.

Also, while at home, I am a real homebody and don't go out and blow money at ritzy places in my hometown Los Angeles. I probably get over to West L.A. as often as I get over to another continent! :)

ArkansasNurse,

Doing a marathon is really not that big of a deal. You must be in reasonably good shape but if you are a 5 hour marathon finisher like I am (5:39 L.A. Marathon in March 2002, 5:07 Rock N Roll San Diego Marathon in June 2002 and 5:18 Vina Del Mar, Chile, Marathon in December 2002), but that hardly qualifies a person to go trekking in Patagonia, especially if travelling with a less active spouse...a chain is only as strong as its weakest link.

Chile and my wife & I were just not a good match. We are just not the outdoorsy, camping types and it is that type of person that will really appreciate Chile.

The short answer~not enough! The long answer 1 big one 10 days at least. We were in Italy for 3 weeks in 2002. This year it is Vancouver BC,Seattle and Whidbey Island for 10 days. Come SPring I think we're trying for two weeks in Mexico probably Merida and the ruins. In between a 4 day jaunt to Portland(Oregon) and numerous weekends in the California wine country. The trp to Italy was my first official 3 week vacation..such relaxation!

As many as we can afford and fit into our schedules. Absolutely love to travel! Preparation is part of the excitement - return home from one trip and start planning the next.

Just returned from #6 for this year, and 2 more to go (that I know of). Find it quite fortunate that I am able to do this, sometimes with husband, sometimes with kid(s), sometimes with friends. We have friends that believe it preferable to take 1-2 long trips each year (10+ days) but I am just like heartburn3 and Mileking. Each trip makes me crave another - it's a sickness!! And our trips range from a long weekend visiting our daughter at college to 10-12 days somewhere warm in the wintertime. Most of them require flying to our destination but road trips are nice too.

I've heard far too many stories of folks who waited to travel "when they retired" and then poor health or other reasons kept them from doing so.

Different things for all people though, and I certainly appreciate all the advice I've received on this board over the last few years.

Heard on the news this a.m. that travel is still down and I actually believe some of that, as our flights yesterday weren't full. The flight to Vancouver was only because it was full of cruise passengers. Cruising seems quite healthy.

I'm surprised travel is still down. Seems like people I know are traveling again. I'm ready for another vacation!!!
We should all count our blessings to be able to travel often.

Janny, not everyone here is all that well-heeled, although a lot of the frequent posters probably are. And as MileKing said, it depends on what you consider a vacation. If you'd asked how many trips do you take a year, the answer would obviously be very different.

We take a fair number of trips each year but very few pure vacations. Our son lives on the other coast, my mother lives almost 1000 miles away, we each have many siblings, I stay in close touch with a number of cousins, we each travel a fair amount to professional meetings and, fortunately, I'm married to someone who gets an occasional paid-for junket to Europe that I can hitch a ride on.

So we tack on our own time to these various trips and call it "Honeymoon part 273" (sorry to sound a little sappy, but...). I use Fodors extensively for resources to help save money, find the great places to stay and eat, etc. for all these trips.

As for how many trips are exclusively for vacation? Maybe one longer one and one long weekend per year, but more some years (significant anniversaries), less others (if schedules don't work or if we have pre-emptive family emergencies, which seems more and more often lately).

One way to break down others' answers might be to think of different life situations: First, single vs. married; then pre-marriage; marriage/no children; marriage/children; post-marriage dating; marriage or post-marriage empty nest; then maybe grandchildren/elderhostel! If you are a travel junkie, like most of us here, you fit each situation into a lifestyle that includes travel.

As a single mom of two for years, a vacation of any length was pure luxury. There was one when my kids were small (in 1986!) when I took them to Hawaii - it was great and I even took the 16 year old babysitter with us! Other than that and frequent visits to my ex (their father) who lived in Maui for a few years, the biggest vacation we took was from L.A. to Las Vegas in the dead of summer when the rates were cheaper.

I just returned from the first vacation of my new life - as a single woman. My kids are now on their own and mom had a blast! I spent two weeks in Hawaii - all alone except for the company of the same boyfriend I'd had back in 1986 - we spent the last two weeks re-kindling that love affair. Now that I've been home about a week I'm well into planning the next vacation - to Hawaii again, of course, this time in March. Now that I'm on my own and don't have to pay three or four times for everything from plane tickets to food to souvenirs I will be traveling far more than I ever have before. The fact that a handsome man who loves me lives across an ocean from me definetly has an impact on my future vacation plans!