If you’re as travel obsessed as the Condé Nast Traveler staff, the first thing you do when the company holiday calendar lands in your inbox is immediately plot out all of your upcoming trips for the next year. In 2026, I’m personally determined to maximize my vacation days so that I always have a getaway to look forward to, without letting any precious PTO go to waste.
This is where a little planning can go a long way, especially if you’re planning a lengthy bucket-list trip, like a snow leopard safari in northern India or hiking Japan’s ancient pilgrimage trails.
According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average American gets 15 days of vacation after five years of working at a private company. That may not seem like much when compared to our European counterparts, but by being strategic about which dates you request, you can stretch that to up to 45 days—nearly 7 weeks—of vacation.
Below, I’ve outlined a few easy ways to hack the holiday calendar for yourself. It’s a common trick: by linking your personal time off with US federal holidays and weekends, you can get more overall time out of the office and out in the world.
Since every office schedule is a bit different, these suggestions are geared toward people who get all US federal holidays off. I’ve chosen the following schedule to maximize PTO while providing windows for both long and short trips, but you can always redistribute days from the longer breaks and tack them onto a holiday of your choice. It’s your time, so do with it as you will—and when you’re ready to plan, know that we’ve got you covered on hotel, restaurant, and cruise recommendations for wherever you’re headed.
Here’s how to maximize your vacation days in 2026. Plus, our picks for where you should spend them.
The Best Places to Go in 2026
For quiet coastal paradises, contemporary design cities, and new ways to travel far, far away.
Three long holiday weekends (nine days of vacation)
In 2026, Christmas Day, Juneteenth, and July 3rd (an officially observed holiday since July 4 is on a Saturday) all fall on Fridays, meaning they create three automatic long weekends, adding nine vacation days to the total count. If you prefer planning trips around any of those three dates instead of the below, cut PTO from any of the longer breaks and take off Thursday or Monday around one of the Friday federal holidays instead.
Take off January 2 (four days of vacation)
Start the new year off right by taking off Friday, January 2, and creating a long, four-day weekend. Whether you want to spend some time getting a jump start on your New Year’s resolution, plan to relax and recoup after the holiday season at home, or take a romantic weekend trip somewhere special, taking off the second day of the year ensures you’ll have a nice, long break before getting started on all of your 2026 work goals. Personally, the Condé Nast Traveler team will be spending our first OOO of 2026 in London, Mexico City, Manila, and New York.
Take off January 20-23 (nine days of vacation)
January can be one of the gloomiest months of the year, thanks to its shorter days, colder weather, and the lull that comes from knowing the holiday season is firmly in the rearview mirror. To make the most of it, take off January 20-23, the week following Martin Luther King Jr. Day (Monday, January 19), and head somewhere new for nine whole days of vacation. Our recs? Defrost from the winter chill and head to warmer climes, say in Mexico’s Riviera Nayarit, or bundle up for a snow-topped trip to Norway or Salt Lake City, Utah—all of which are included on our list of the best places to go in January.
Take off February 17-20 (nine days of vacation)
Presidents’ Day falls on Monday, February 16, this year, so if you you count the preceding weekend and take off February 17-20, you can enjoy a long, 9-day vacation for just 4 days of PTO. That’s enough time for a long-haul trip across the globe, like Hong Kong (one of our Best Places to Go in Asia in 2026), or to unplug in Costa Rica on a leisurely surf trip in the sun. Prefer to lean into the cold weather? Venture to Big Sky, Montana, or Switzerland to enjoy ski season. (For more inspiration, see our full list of the best places to go in February.)
Take off May 26-27 (five days of vacation)
Extend your Memorial Day weekend with just two PTO days. For some, the Friday before Memorial Day is a half-day, which means you’ll actually get five and a half days off. This year, Memorial Day falls on Monday, May 25, so taking off the following Tuesday and Wednesday means extending your weekend by double time. This is the perfect time for a quick trip to your hometown or a relaxing staycation—especially since many US destinations can get crowded, and prices rise, right as peak summer travel season kicks off.
Take off November 23-25 and 27 (nine days of vacation)
This year, Thanksgiving lands on Thursday, November 26, so if you take November 23-25 and November 27 off, you’ll be able to luxuriate in a nine-day vacation for the price of four PTO days. (If you get Black Friday off—or are just looking to extend your vacation—take off the following Monday, November 30 instead.) While this is a great time to soak up some R&R with family, maybe you’ll choose to take time for yourself in Chiang Mai, Thailand, or the Seychelles, two of our best places to go in November. Better yet? Convince the family to go with you.
Alternative: Take off December 23-24 instead of May 26-27 (five days of vacation)
An alternative option to traveling over Memorial Day is to save those two PTO days you’d use in May and use them on December 23 and 24. Either way, two days of PTO turn into five days of vacation. That’s the perfect amount of time for snuggling up with a good book in a quiet wintry cabin, or for a short ski trip to Banff before the end of the year. For those who have company-wide closures between December 25 and January 1, you’ll be able to secure 12 days of vacation for just two PTO days. If you’re lucky enough to have that much uninterrupted time off, we recommend using those two weeks to book that once-in-a-lifetime bucket list trip, like an Antarctica expedition cruise. The Cotswolds, England, and Frankfurt, Germany, are also great winter options thanks to their excellent Christmas markets—and are sure to be filled with festive holiday-season charm. If you’re looking for something a bit warmer, consider Malaysia or Belize. (All five destinations are some of our picks for the best places to go in December.)
