How to Maximize Vacation Days in 2024 - maxed out PTO (2024)

We are here to help take the stress out of planning your paid time off (PTO) for next year and to help you maximize vacation days in 2024. While we love spontaneous adventures, making the most of your vacation days sometimes requires a bit of planning ahead. So, lets look ahead to next year (2024). Read on for your guide how to maximizing vacation days for 2024. With a new bank of vacation days burning a hole in your pocket, it is time for some adventure.

Know your PTO

If you are in corporate America (like us), you may have very limited paid time off / vacation days provided to you by your employer. In general, it seems as if most companies provide, at a baseline, 10 days of vacation time, 2 personal days, and then additional sick time. If you’re lucky, some companies will provide a bit more. BUT for the purpose of this article, we are going to breakdown how to turn 12 days of PTO (your vacation and personal days) into 40 days of vacation time.

Remember maintaining your work-life balance is very closely tied to the utilization of your employer provided paid time off (PTO). So, making sure this time is well used is very important to your well being as well.

Federal holidays and weekends

One great thing (of many) about working in a corporate career is that you will likely be provided many federal holidays off from work. Utilizing your weekends and these company provided holidays can help make your limited PTO vacation days go a long way.

Below, we are going to break down a handful of options of how to maximize vacation days in 2024. Keep in mind, you can mix these options around in order to accomplish the types of vacations that you want to take and the federal holidays that your company offers.

How to Maximize Vacation Days in 2024 - maxed out PTO (1)

First Quarter 2024 (January / February / March)

Start off 2024 strong by getting a vacation day on the books.

New Year’s Day is a great day to refresh after the holiday season. Luckily, this day is usually a provided federal holiday by most corporations. Right off the bat, you have a three day weekend and 0 PTO days used (yes, we are aware that only 1 of these days is in 2024).

  • 0 days of PTO used

Mid-January is Martin Luther King, Jr Day – Monday the 15th. If your company provides this day off, then this is a great time to turn a 3 day weekend into a 4 day vacation by taking the Friday before or the Tuesday after as a vacation day.

  • 1 day of PTO used

President’s Day falls on February 19th this year and many companies will provide this as a day off to their employees. Follow the same guide as for MLK Day and turn this into a 4 day getaway.

  • 1 day of PTO used

Only want to take 1 vacation at the beginning of the year? Skip MLK Day and take a 5 day ski-trip over President’s Day. You can leave on Thursday night after work, ski for 4 days and then return home late on Tuesday night.

  • 2 PTO days used
  • Travel Inspiration: 3 Day Travel Guide to Switzerland

President’s Day is the last federal holiday until May, so, we highly recommend using this holiday!

Second Quarter (April / May / June)

Memorial Day is one of our favorite holidays to use to maximize our vacation days. Falling on May 27th, this is a great way to kick off your summer with a long or a short trip. Take a quick trip to the beach by taking Friday or Tuesday off. Leave Thursday night and spend 3.5 days on the beach before heading back home on the evening of Memorial Day.

  • 4 PTO days used
  • Travel Inspiration: 10-Night Greek Island Hop Itinerary

Or, this is a fantastic time to go on a long trip. May is shoulder season in Europe so hop on a plane late on Friday the 24th and arrive in Europe on the 25th. Enjoy an incredible 9 day vacation before heading back home on Sunday June 2nd. You get over a week of bucket list adventure time while only taking 4 days of PTO!

Third Quarter (July / August / September)

The 4th of July (Independence Day) falls on a Thursday in 2024. Take Friday off from work and spend the holiday on a beach.

  • 1 PTO day used
  • Travel Inspiration: Saint Martin / Sint Maarten

Labor Day will be on Monday, September 2nd in 2024. This is a great holiday to round out your summer. You could take 1 day of vacation or you could just enjoy a 3 day weekend.

  • 1 PTO day used
  • Travel Inspiration: Bahamas on a Budget

Remember, you can still have a fantastic holiday even without taking a vacation day. Want to make add another vacation day to your 4th of July trip but still need a beach getaway over Labor Day? Hop on a flight late on Friday, enjoy the beach all day Saturday and Sunday, have a lazy breakfast and maybe some shopping on Monday morning before heading back home. A wonderful getaway and ZERO days of paid time off taken.

Fourth Quarter (October / November / December)

It’s the holiday season for 2024 and time for family and friends.

Most companies will provide you with the Thursday and Friday of Thanksgiving week off from work as company holidays. This is our favorite company holiday to utilize for travel. While there are a handful of ways to slice this holiday up, we will dive into two separate options for taking this time off.

If you are able to find flights that fit within your budget, the best way to use this holiday would be to leave late on Friday (the 22nd – before Thanksgiving) and return on the Sunday following Thanksgiving. This will give you a whopping 9 days / 8 nights of vacation days while only taking 3 days of PTO vacation days.

Finding flight deals to work for the aforementioned travel dates can be tricky, so we usually utilize the following backup plan. Leave on Thanksgiving Day, in the morning, and return late on the Wednesday after Thanksgiving. This will give you a wonderful 7 days / 6 night trip while only taking 3 days off from work. If you are willing to brave the craziness, you could even leave on the evening before Thanksgiving Day. While Wednesday is one of the biggest travel days of the year, Thanksgiving morning is usually pretty “chill” on the airport front.

  • 3 PTO days used
  • Travel Inspiration: Thanksgiving in Grand Cayman

Want to get in the Christmas spirit early? Since most companies provide Christmas Eve and Christmas Day as company holidays AND Christmas falls on Wednesday in 2024, you can start celebrating the holiday early using Monday as PTO. Take this day off and you will be able to have 5 days of uninterrupted holiday cheer with your loved ones.

  • 1 PTO day used
How to Maximize Vacation Days in 2024 - maxed out PTO (2)

PTO and holiday possibilities

These are just some examples of how you can maximize vacation days in 2024. Obviously you can rearrange and piece your 2024 paid time off together to achieve your travel goals. BUT the biggest key is planning ahead. If you plan ahead you have a great chance of finding fantastic prices for airfare and accommodations. AND you’ll always have something to look forward too throughout the year!

  • New Year’s Day: 3 days of vacation (technically 1 day in 2024) / 0 PTO days used
  • Martin Luther King, Jr. Day: 4 days of vacation / 1 PTO day used
  • President’s Day: 4 days of vacation / 1 PTO day used
  • Memorial Day: 9 days of vacation / 4 PTO days used
  • Independence Day: 4 days of vacation / 1 PTO day used
  • Labor Day: 4 days of vacation / 1 PTO day used
  • Thanksgiving: 9 days of vacation / 3 days of PTO used
  • Christmas: 5 days of vacation / 1 PTO day used
  • Total Vacation Days: 40 days of vacation / 12 PTO vacation days used

Holiday travel planning & calendar

Make sure you download our 2024 calendar that is perfect for PTO travel planning.

For details on how to successfully travel over the holidays, make sure you check out our Guide to Taking Advantage of Holidays for Travel.

Book it

Remember, in order to travel over holidays, you need to plan ahead. Since these holidays are federal (and many companies observe them), flights and accommodations can get pricey if you wait to the last minute. Make sure you consider the following when you are looking into how to maximize vacation days in 2024.

  • Plan out your PTO strategically: download our calendar!
  • Book travel early: especially for major holiday travel.
  • Consider a travel rewards credit card: travel more for less!
  • Make memories with your people: traveling is a fantastic gift for both you and your loved ones.

We hope you use this guide to maximize your vacation days in 2024.

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