When work wears you down, why not take a vacation? The only problem is that there can be too many options to choose from. Taking and planning a vacation depends on several things, the most important of which is your budget. If you only have $500 saved up, a luxurious cruise down the Danube river would not be your best solution. The other factors coming into play include how many days you can take off from work and what kind of vacation you prefer (how far you’re willing to travel, land or sea, etc.)

To maximize your vacation time, use weekends and already-planned holidays that are built into your work calendar. For example, go somewhere over Thanksgiving or the Fourth of July, particularly if the holiday falls on a Thursday, Friday or Monday. Just by taking five days off, you get nine if you factor in the four weekend days. If you are planning to stay in the United States, you will need less time than if you are flying to Europe or Asia. For further locations, factor in at least two days for travel.

Also decide whether you will be driving, taking a plane, or cruising during your vacation. All of these can determine what kind of experience you will have. It is also important to know what to pack for your vacations. People always tend to overpack, so if you are going for about five days, you will only need two pairs of shoes, one pair of pants, and a combination of tops. For vacations in climates much different than yours, check and monitor the weather so you will not be over or under-dressed. And before you leave, make a checklist of everything you need to do so that on vacation, you’ll actually be on vacation instead of a million miles away, worrying…