How to maximize your PTO (and your money) with cashback and deals

Your work schedule may already include a lot of three-day weekends in a row, but it’s so hard to actually enjoy a vacation in such a short period of time. Whether you want to relax on the beach, go on a big adventure, or get a real taste of a new city (or two), here’s how to do it. make Take more time to rest.

It may sound like magic, but you can group your vacation around long weekends and piggyback on federal holidays to give yourself a little more room for your next adventure. Even if you don’t have much paid vacation. Some people call this PTO hacking or PTO-maxxing, but in reality, with some smart planning and a keen eye, you realize that you can stretch just 2 days of PTO into 5 or 6 days of vacation, or 9 days of PTO into a whopping 17 days of vacation!

Is it better? While PTO-maxxing can give you a little extra time, spring Savecation events can help you find a little extra money to save on your next vacation. Now through March 9, enjoy exclusive RMN discounts and enhanced cashback opportunities when you book hotels, flights, cruises, rental cars, tours and more from top travel providers like Priceline, Expedia, Hotels.com, VRBO and Viator.

How to Hack PTO for Long Vacations

Maximizing your paid time off allows you to take longer breaks so you can really enjoy your days away from work and come back refreshed and with plenty of travel stories to tell. (And it’s so much better than spending your random Monday off doing laundry!)

So how does it work? Let’s take Labor Day as an example. Your job already gives you Monday, September 7th for a nice three-day weekend. However, if you get a little PTO before or after your PTO, you can take advantage of your vacation time to free up more time from the workforce. Extended weekend from Tuesday to Friday (September 8-11) other I have a total of 9 consecutive days off on weekends and only 4 days of PTO.

It’s a good idea to submit your PTO request as soon as possible, as your co-workers may be thinking the same thing. Additionally, these travel dates will likely become popular as more people jump on the PTO-maxxing trend, so it’s a good idea to book your flights, hotels, and tours early. good night, right now Get in early, especially since the RMN Spring Savecation deals don’t last long!

To help, we’ve done the math, crunched the numbers, and found the best travel deals to maximize both your savings and PTO in 2026. Read on to get inspired for your next trip!

17 days of June and July

When to go: From June 19th to July 5th

Public holidays: June 1 and Independence Day

Number of PTO days required: 9-day PTO (June 22-26 and June 29-July 2)

This is a hidden gem of the year, stretching just 9 days of PTO into 17 days! It connects two uniquely American holidays, making it a great time to vacation abroad where you’ll see fewer crowds than later in the summer season.

Extended legs offer great opportunities to travel to places as far afield as Japan or New Zealand, allowing you to better recover from the jet lag of ultra-long-haul flights. However, June is the rainy season in Japan and winter in New Zealand. Instead, we suggest taking long stretches and cruising the Mediterranean and surrounding seas. Explore dream destinations such as Italy’s Amalfi Coast, Greece’s islands of Santorini and Crete, the French Riviera, and Barcelona, ​​Spain. This area tends to be most visited by tourists around July, so you can get in just before the crowds get too big.

Where to stay: There are a number of excellent cruises around the Mediterranean, making it easy to fit your sailing dates into longer trips on land. For example, this 7-night Mediterranean and Aegean cruise departs from Rome and stops in Santorini and Salerno, while this 7-night Italian, Spanish, and French Riviera cruise departs from Barcelona with stops in Nice and Naples. Depending on your departure point, you can begin your European vacation at places like the Radisson Collection Hotel, Roma Antica (pictured above), just steps from Piazza Venezia in central Rome, or the Sercotel Hotel Rosellon in Barcelona, ​​in the shadow of the beautiful Sagrada Familia Cathedral.

What to do: The options are truly endless as you can create a European holiday to suit your personal tastes. But highlights throughout this extensive coastal region include a paella cooking class with a market visit, tapas & sangria in Barcelona, ​​a small group Capri Blue Grotto boat tour from Sorrento, a sunset wine adventure with tastings and tapas in Santorini, and a walking tour of Old Nice and Castle Hill on the French Riviera.

9th of september

When to go: From September 5th to 13th

Public holidays: Labor Day

Number of PTO days to spend: 4 days PTO (September 8-11)

Most people jump at the chance to stretch Memorial Day weekend into a longer break, and if you’re itching to start summer as quickly as possible, it makes perfect sense. But if you can make it through Labor Day weekend, you can enjoy some major travel benefits. The kids are back in school at this point and everyone else has already declared summer dead as we head into PSL season, but in most places the weather is still summery. This means you can still enjoy a great beach holiday with smaller crowds, and even get cheaper prices once peak season begins.

The only obstacle? The storm could hit the Caribbean, eastern Mexico, and the southeastern United States in the middle of hurricane season.

Instead, head to sunny San Diego, where September is perfect for a perfect visit. The weather is still warm, but not sweltering. Average high temperatures are in the mid 70s. In fact, September tends to be warmer in San Diego than June or July! Plus, the sea is still a nice temperature for swimming and the summer crowds are starting to disperse.

Where to stay: Hotel Indigo San Diego – Gaslamp Quarter (pictured above) is located in the heart of the city’s entertainment hub, within walking distance of shops, museums, restaurants and nightlife. You’re also a 5-minute walk from Petco Park, where you can catch exciting late season Padres baseball games. It’s also a short drive from local beaches and is easily accessible by public transport to other parts of the city. It’s the perfect place to explore all that the city and coastline have to offer.

What to do: Perhaps the most famous destination in the country, the San Diego Zoo should be on your shortlist. However, a whale watching cruise is also a must as September is still prime time to spot the huge blue whales migrating through the area. This small group San Diego scenic tour back on land will visit all of the city’s highlights, from historic Old Town San Diego to the summit of Mount Soledad. For a true taste of the city, embark on the San Diego Gaslamp Food Tour and San Diego’s Taste of Little Italy.

5th of november

When to go: Anytime the calendar allows, including November 7-11

Public holidays: Election Day, Veterans Day, or Thanksgiving

Number of PTO days to spend: 2 PTO days

You may have several options to extend your November weekends around common (but not always required) holidays, such as Election Day, Veterans Day, and the day after Thanksgiving. However, this is a total wildcard, so check your company schedule. Your mileage may vary!

If you’re able to afford a vacation home these days, it’s the perfect time to enjoy outdoor adventures in the Southwest. Utah is an especially great place to enjoy cool hiking weather, fewer crowds, and national parks to explore. The “Mighty Five” (Zion, Bryce Canyon, Capitol Reef, Canyonlands, and Arches) are scattered across the southern region of the state. is It opens on Thanksgiving, if that’s the timeline you’re looking at. Admission to the national park is also free on Veterans Day, November 11th.

Where to stay: while you can’t enough In just five days, you can see the “Mighty Five” national parks (though technically you can also do a road trip) and enjoy Arches and Canyonlands all from your home base in Moab. Keep it simple in a “tiny house” cabin at Arches Hut (pictured above), just minutes from the entrance to the iconic Arches National Park. Cabins are clean, comfortable, and convenient, and feature Wi-Fi, air conditioning, flat-screen TVs, and kitchenettes so you can easily “rough it” in style.

What to do: You can rent a car and explore the area at your own leisure, or book a local tour for a more in-depth experience. Adventurous seekers can take a scenic off-road guided tour of the Moab backcountry, experience cliff-to-bluff thrills on the Moab Rope Swing, or forge the Colorado River on a rafting and Canyonlands 4X4 combo tour. If you want to enjoy the exquisite, naturally sculpted landscape from a different angle, you can instead see it from above on a Canyonlands and Arches Combo National Park air tour.

Find more ways to save on your next vacation with RMN’s Spring Savecation event.

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