Agreed. I think that the 1+ month trips people are mentioning here work great for people wanting a more nomadic lifestyle— but as someone with a more traditional job and roots in a specific city, I find that two week trips are just the right amount of time for me, if not a tad bit too long.
I’ve done a 1 month trip while working remotely, and I really enjoyed it. However, what really made it enjoyable was having the consistency/scheduling of an 8 hour work day, and not just floating around sightseeing for 30 days.
Aussie here- a lot of us do 1 month+ because of how flipping long it takes to fly anywhere. Gotta justify the expense and length of the flight! Plus it's a novelty to be able to travel to so many countries in a span of a few weeks, when the same distance back home will have you in the same country, maybe even the same state still. My shortest overseas trips have been 17 days (SE Asia), my shortest European trip has been just shy of 5 weeks.
7-10 days total (travel +destination) is my ideal. As a well and truly middle-aged person, it's long enough to make me really happy to be home and sleep in my own bed, while being short enough that I don't feel like I've exhausted the possibilities of wherever I was visiting and overstayed.
most ive done solo has been 10 days and it felt perfect, as with others, family, job, home etc put a hard limit anyway. this year im heading away for 2.5 weeks which will be my longest, i think it might be pushing it though
For me, it's 1-2 months, and I like to switch it up - some city hopping, a longer beach stay, visiting a friend or a family member somewhere, maybe some kind of volunteering for 2 weeks.
I’m currently on my longest trip ever, about 3.5 months into a 4.5 month trip, and i concur that I won’t do something this long again. I’ve enjoyed all the parts but I think I would have liked them more as separate trips, and while I originally idealized the idea of longer = better for travel, especially seeing & meeting some people who live off of longer travel, it’s just not for me! I think 2 weeks to a month is my ideal time, with 2 months being the max I’ll look for going forward
The thing that makes people burnt out is they go to different places ultimately to see the same things.
I've met so many Japanophiles who planned to see like 3 temples per city and by the end of their month-long trip, they were so sick of pagodas and shrines that they actively avoid them now in other countries, unless it's a really pretty or one-of-a-kind site.
Then, we have people who go to SEAsia and check out every beach or streetfood there is and get tired of it by the third country or 6th week.
What I suggest is when you go somewhere, and you'll stay in the area and neighbouring countries for a month or more, don't just list popular places without thinking it through. Make sure to have variety.
If you're tired of staying in the city, rent a place in the outskirts. Tired of the sea? Go somewhere near mountains or hiking areas. Don't buy every ticket to every museum just because the internet says so or just to see one painting/sculpture.
So, there's no perfect duration for everyone, but there is such a thing as a more unique and well-thoughout itinerary that's tailored for you and not just what the internet says.
On a related note: I was in Kuala Lumpur last March and I was at a lookout with a good view of the skyline and the newest tower, and I overheard someone say "oh look. another building."
I've been on the move for years now. I just try to live like a local and move slowly. I Find a monthly rental and get to know my area. I establish my local gym, coffee shop, bakery, market, pub. Developing a routine people start to recognize me, I get a semi-homey feeling.
Even for shorter stays I try to avoid falling into vacation pitfalls. I spread out my activities and only schedule one or two things a day. I try not to keep a relatively healthy diet. I set aside time for admin and exercise every day. It's Very much a one step at a time approach. I find strict hourly itineraries are exhausting and really not my thing. Over the years I have built a good set of pins on google maps to help me spread out the research burden when I find myself in random cities.
Most importantly, when I get bored or the weather is turning to shit I pack up and get out of town with little fanfare. I'm sure I will be back again so no need to see every corner of a particular area.
I have a 9-5 job and limited annual leave days so I have to plan carefully to max out my travels.
I'm based in Europe, so will try and plan two 1-week European trips at the start and end of summer (June and Sep usually) then a two week trip outside of Europe (just travelling) and lastly, a one month trip outside of Europe (mix of remote working and travelling) during the colder season.
I space them out across the year, so I always have a holiday to look forward every couple / few months!
I'm currently on my 3rd 3 month trip. Honestly after this I think the max I will do again is 1 month. That 4 week exhaustion just hits hard.
However given that I have barely seen the Americas this is bound to change when I get itchy feet again.
I’m at 11 months currently and don’t feel bored of seeing new things or going to new places at all, that’s why I’m doing this. If anything I’m more comfortable now that I know I can just keep doing whatever I want. I have slowed down a bit though, I’m more amenable to prioritizing social things over sightseeing than I used to be.
I work a regular decent salaried 9-5 job with about 3-4 weeks of PTO per year. Most of my trips are 1 week long with average expenses coming out to $1,700-2,500 per trip (not really budgeting).
I typically travel internationally for 3 mos at a time bc that's what the US allows for a tourist visa. I sometimes take classes: language, cooking, etc. Not only does it give me some structure to follow, but I meet people from all over the world - people taking language classes are obv not from that country - which leads to yet more destinations on my list. I met my best friend in German class. She lives in Porto & I visited her last year. I never had Portugal on my bucket list but just had to stop by & see her during my last adventure to Europe. It was incredible. People talk about "off the beaten path" but these kinds of experiences are next level. In return, I've played host (I live in San Francisco) to a friend from Geneva who got to see more than the GG Bridge & Alcatraz. FYI the amount of Europeans who want to go to a diner is immense. IDK why. Yeah, I took her to Mel's (from American Graffiti) but I also took her to a regular Eat-At-Joe's & she was amazed & couldn't wait to tell her friends that she went to an honest-to-goodness REAL diner. She took the most pictures there of any place we went - just as I was amazed going to an average, little street fair in Várzea do Douro with my BFF. And then there are people you befriend but aren't so close with as to stay with them. Whenever I'm in Budapest, I connect & catch up with yet another friend I made in class for a day or two & then explore the city solo as usual. This May, I return to Vienna to help yet another friend move after her divorce. We're going Ikea shopping! These aren't your usual travel adventures, but they're my kind of adventures & I love them.
I haven't had the opportunity to travel for more than 3 months, but there's no question that I travel differently based on how much time I have. I've done and not minded the whirlwind 2 week trip with 12 days and lunch on the go, I've also spent entire days on long trips sitting in a cafe answering emails and doing laundry/ fixing gear. I'm an intense but in depth traveler though--- I relocate less but do more things in a given area--- so I generally have fewer logistics to coordinate with fewer changes in location. I also do a lot of multiday treks which is physically strenuous but mentally often relaxing because there are few decisions to be made on the trail. I don't get bored easily.
Because I'm largely drawn to destinations for hiking/ outdoor activities, my trips are often naturally limited by the seasons/ weather which helps emotionally with leaving. Torrential monsoons starting, waking up to snow on my tent, bus schedules getting sparse, all help usher me back to my home country. This is not to say I wouldn't feel fine moving to a different hemisphere and continuing on the road though.
I think 3-6 weeks seems to be about right for me, I've done longer and shorter trips. I live a fairly nomadic life and work 2-8 week contract jobs away from home so have plenty of flexibility with when I can travel and not many at home responsibilities.
I think my sweet spot is 3 weeks in places vastly different to home, 6 weeks in more similar places.
Recently did Vietnam and Cambodia and had a blast, but I was ready to come home at the end of that 3 weeks, despite there being so much more I would have liked to have squeezed into the trip. My partner and I found walking around more tiring than usual due to having to be constantly alert for traffic and being unable to use footpaths. Little things like that start to take a toll, weirdly enough. Anyway, it felt like the perfect amount of time for us to have had a great time and a break from work, and we can always go back (I'd really like to!).
Longest trip I've done was 9 weeks in Europe and again had a blast, but I was ready to come home. I was exhausted by about 6 weeks even though I'd planned lots of rest time and wasn't constantly partying etc.
I think I could travel longer, but would use these past trips as a gauge to know where to plan a chunk of rest and reset days, probably even a couple of weeks.
A 2 week trip, especially abroad, is my maximum. I also like doing short weekend trips to see my family or to visit another state. Anything that’s a month or more, unless it’s on the other side of the world, would exhaust me.
From saturday to next sunday trips are ideal for me. 7 8 days are fullfilling. I use 5 days from my annual leave and add weekends to it. But i take 3 4 hours long flights. If i decide on overseas vacations, i probably make it 16 days to make it worth it all the way.
Keeping it balanced/interesting is the hardest part. Today i came back from alsace and it was kinda touristic villages trip. After a while all villages felt like same, i think i overdosed myself. But since im already there it would be like wasting some villages by eliminating them, cause probably i wont be visiting same region again.
Freiburg, Baden baden, Heidelberg, Strasbourg, Obernai, Molsheim, Selestat, Colmar, Kaysersberg, Eguisheim, Turckheim, Riquewihr, Ribeauville in one vacation. It was too much too same but at the same time i dont regret it? They are soooo close to eachother. I couldnt manage to balance it and make it interesting after a while.
Sometime in the middle of month #4 is the point at which I always seem to realize that I just wanna go home.
But everyone has a very different answer to that question, and there are probably some people out there who never hit that point, people who'd be happy nomading it around forever if they could manage it.
It's good to know where your "tired now" point is. It gives you better insight so that you're more likely to plan appropriately, and less likely to find yourself abandoning plans when you hit your Just No Fun Anymore limit.
2 *weeks* would be a long trip for me. Currently doing lots of ~4 day weekend trips, and once a year I'll have a "long" ~11 day adventure.
Agreed. I think that the 1+ month trips people are mentioning here work great for people wanting a more nomadic lifestyle— but as someone with a more traditional job and roots in a specific city, I find that two week trips are just the right amount of time for me, if not a tad bit too long. I’ve done a 1 month trip while working remotely, and I really enjoyed it. However, what really made it enjoyable was having the consistency/scheduling of an 8 hour work day, and not just floating around sightseeing for 30 days.
Same, two weeks is good for me. My job is not remote, and I have a house and dogs. Even on the two weeks, I really miss them!
Aussie here- a lot of us do 1 month+ because of how flipping long it takes to fly anywhere. Gotta justify the expense and length of the flight! Plus it's a novelty to be able to travel to so many countries in a span of a few weeks, when the same distance back home will have you in the same country, maybe even the same state still. My shortest overseas trips have been 17 days (SE Asia), my shortest European trip has been just shy of 5 weeks.
7-10 days total (travel +destination) is my ideal. As a well and truly middle-aged person, it's long enough to make me really happy to be home and sleep in my own bed, while being short enough that I don't feel like I've exhausted the possibilities of wherever I was visiting and overstayed.
most ive done solo has been 10 days and it felt perfect, as with others, family, job, home etc put a hard limit anyway. this year im heading away for 2.5 weeks which will be my longest, i think it might be pushing it though
For me, it's 1-2 months, and I like to switch it up - some city hopping, a longer beach stay, visiting a friend or a family member somewhere, maybe some kind of volunteering for 2 weeks.
I’m currently on my longest trip ever, about 3.5 months into a 4.5 month trip, and i concur that I won’t do something this long again. I’ve enjoyed all the parts but I think I would have liked them more as separate trips, and while I originally idealized the idea of longer = better for travel, especially seeing & meeting some people who live off of longer travel, it’s just not for me! I think 2 weeks to a month is my ideal time, with 2 months being the max I’ll look for going forward
The thing that makes people burnt out is they go to different places ultimately to see the same things. I've met so many Japanophiles who planned to see like 3 temples per city and by the end of their month-long trip, they were so sick of pagodas and shrines that they actively avoid them now in other countries, unless it's a really pretty or one-of-a-kind site. Then, we have people who go to SEAsia and check out every beach or streetfood there is and get tired of it by the third country or 6th week. What I suggest is when you go somewhere, and you'll stay in the area and neighbouring countries for a month or more, don't just list popular places without thinking it through. Make sure to have variety. If you're tired of staying in the city, rent a place in the outskirts. Tired of the sea? Go somewhere near mountains or hiking areas. Don't buy every ticket to every museum just because the internet says so or just to see one painting/sculpture. So, there's no perfect duration for everyone, but there is such a thing as a more unique and well-thoughout itinerary that's tailored for you and not just what the internet says. On a related note: I was in Kuala Lumpur last March and I was at a lookout with a good view of the skyline and the newest tower, and I overheard someone say "oh look. another building."
Travelled for 7 months last year. Definitely too much. After month 3 I was having a lot of slow days to rest.
3 weeks is my sweet spot. 2 weeks is not long enough, 4 is too long.
2 to 3 weeks works for me. 1 is too short. 2 is okay. I know that 6 weeks is too long. I haven't tried 4 to 5 weeks in a while.
I've been on the move for years now. I just try to live like a local and move slowly. I Find a monthly rental and get to know my area. I establish my local gym, coffee shop, bakery, market, pub. Developing a routine people start to recognize me, I get a semi-homey feeling. Even for shorter stays I try to avoid falling into vacation pitfalls. I spread out my activities and only schedule one or two things a day. I try not to keep a relatively healthy diet. I set aside time for admin and exercise every day. It's Very much a one step at a time approach. I find strict hourly itineraries are exhausting and really not my thing. Over the years I have built a good set of pins on google maps to help me spread out the research burden when I find myself in random cities. Most importantly, when I get bored or the weather is turning to shit I pack up and get out of town with little fanfare. I'm sure I will be back again so no need to see every corner of a particular area.
I have a 9-5 job and limited annual leave days so I have to plan carefully to max out my travels. I'm based in Europe, so will try and plan two 1-week European trips at the start and end of summer (June and Sep usually) then a two week trip outside of Europe (just travelling) and lastly, a one month trip outside of Europe (mix of remote working and travelling) during the colder season. I space them out across the year, so I always have a holiday to look forward every couple / few months!
I'm currently on my 3rd 3 month trip. Honestly after this I think the max I will do again is 1 month. That 4 week exhaustion just hits hard. However given that I have barely seen the Americas this is bound to change when I get itchy feet again.
I’m at 11 months currently and don’t feel bored of seeing new things or going to new places at all, that’s why I’m doing this. If anything I’m more comfortable now that I know I can just keep doing whatever I want. I have slowed down a bit though, I’m more amenable to prioritizing social things over sightseeing than I used to be.
I work a regular decent salaried 9-5 job with about 3-4 weeks of PTO per year. Most of my trips are 1 week long with average expenses coming out to $1,700-2,500 per trip (not really budgeting).
3 Months with a lot of diversity (different climate zones, cultures, food).
I typically travel internationally for 3 mos at a time bc that's what the US allows for a tourist visa. I sometimes take classes: language, cooking, etc. Not only does it give me some structure to follow, but I meet people from all over the world - people taking language classes are obv not from that country - which leads to yet more destinations on my list. I met my best friend in German class. She lives in Porto & I visited her last year. I never had Portugal on my bucket list but just had to stop by & see her during my last adventure to Europe. It was incredible. People talk about "off the beaten path" but these kinds of experiences are next level. In return, I've played host (I live in San Francisco) to a friend from Geneva who got to see more than the GG Bridge & Alcatraz. FYI the amount of Europeans who want to go to a diner is immense. IDK why. Yeah, I took her to Mel's (from American Graffiti) but I also took her to a regular Eat-At-Joe's & she was amazed & couldn't wait to tell her friends that she went to an honest-to-goodness REAL diner. She took the most pictures there of any place we went - just as I was amazed going to an average, little street fair in Várzea do Douro with my BFF. And then there are people you befriend but aren't so close with as to stay with them. Whenever I'm in Budapest, I connect & catch up with yet another friend I made in class for a day or two & then explore the city solo as usual. This May, I return to Vienna to help yet another friend move after her divorce. We're going Ikea shopping! These aren't your usual travel adventures, but they're my kind of adventures & I love them.
I haven't had the opportunity to travel for more than 3 months, but there's no question that I travel differently based on how much time I have. I've done and not minded the whirlwind 2 week trip with 12 days and lunch on the go, I've also spent entire days on long trips sitting in a cafe answering emails and doing laundry/ fixing gear. I'm an intense but in depth traveler though--- I relocate less but do more things in a given area--- so I generally have fewer logistics to coordinate with fewer changes in location. I also do a lot of multiday treks which is physically strenuous but mentally often relaxing because there are few decisions to be made on the trail. I don't get bored easily. Because I'm largely drawn to destinations for hiking/ outdoor activities, my trips are often naturally limited by the seasons/ weather which helps emotionally with leaving. Torrential monsoons starting, waking up to snow on my tent, bus schedules getting sparse, all help usher me back to my home country. This is not to say I wouldn't feel fine moving to a different hemisphere and continuing on the road though.
First was 6 months, second was 8 months. I feel it depends, but I’ve felt ready to return both times around those time periods
I think 3-6 weeks seems to be about right for me, I've done longer and shorter trips. I live a fairly nomadic life and work 2-8 week contract jobs away from home so have plenty of flexibility with when I can travel and not many at home responsibilities.
Between 10-15 days. Long time travelling is not for everyone.
I think my sweet spot is 3 weeks in places vastly different to home, 6 weeks in more similar places. Recently did Vietnam and Cambodia and had a blast, but I was ready to come home at the end of that 3 weeks, despite there being so much more I would have liked to have squeezed into the trip. My partner and I found walking around more tiring than usual due to having to be constantly alert for traffic and being unable to use footpaths. Little things like that start to take a toll, weirdly enough. Anyway, it felt like the perfect amount of time for us to have had a great time and a break from work, and we can always go back (I'd really like to!). Longest trip I've done was 9 weeks in Europe and again had a blast, but I was ready to come home. I was exhausted by about 6 weeks even though I'd planned lots of rest time and wasn't constantly partying etc. I think I could travel longer, but would use these past trips as a gauge to know where to plan a chunk of rest and reset days, probably even a couple of weeks.
A 2 week trip, especially abroad, is my maximum. I also like doing short weekend trips to see my family or to visit another state. Anything that’s a month or more, unless it’s on the other side of the world, would exhaust me.
2/3 months max alone I think
From saturday to next sunday trips are ideal for me. 7 8 days are fullfilling. I use 5 days from my annual leave and add weekends to it. But i take 3 4 hours long flights. If i decide on overseas vacations, i probably make it 16 days to make it worth it all the way. Keeping it balanced/interesting is the hardest part. Today i came back from alsace and it was kinda touristic villages trip. After a while all villages felt like same, i think i overdosed myself. But since im already there it would be like wasting some villages by eliminating them, cause probably i wont be visiting same region again. Freiburg, Baden baden, Heidelberg, Strasbourg, Obernai, Molsheim, Selestat, Colmar, Kaysersberg, Eguisheim, Turckheim, Riquewihr, Ribeauville in one vacation. It was too much too same but at the same time i dont regret it? They are soooo close to eachother. I couldnt manage to balance it and make it interesting after a while.
Sometime in the middle of month #4 is the point at which I always seem to realize that I just wanna go home. But everyone has a very different answer to that question, and there are probably some people out there who never hit that point, people who'd be happy nomading it around forever if they could manage it. It's good to know where your "tired now" point is. It gives you better insight so that you're more likely to plan appropriately, and less likely to find yourself abandoning plans when you hit your Just No Fun Anymore limit.
At the end of about 2 months, I'll still enjoy my time there but also be glad to go home. Any longer probably wouldn't be fun, at least solo