Like most travelers, I’m determined to maximize my vacation days in 2025. The key to making the most of your paid time off—whether you’re hoping to plan lengthy bucket-list trips or are looking to ramp up your weekend getaways—is being strategic about which days you request vacation. It’s a common hack: To smartly link your PTO with holidays and office closures, which allows for more overall time out of office. Effectively, you get more vacation from the same number of vacation days.
According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average number of paid vacation days for employees after one year in the private industry is 11 days (or 13 days in state and local government); it jumps to 15 days after five years. If you plot those 15 days right around a few holidays (whether they’re federal holidays, or just offered by your employer), they can start to multiply.
According to our calculations, those who have all federal holidays off can turn their 15 days of PTO into 48 days of vacation. With the help of summer Fridays and additional company-wide closures, some lucky few will be able to turn those 15 PTO days into as many as 61 days of work-free time. (Note that the final number of vacation days includes all federal holidays whether or not you take additional PTO days off around each one.)
Below, we outline a few easy ways to hack the holiday calendar for yourself. One caveat: Every office schedule is a bit different, so our suggestions are based on those that have all federal holidays off. To truly maximize your vacation days in 2025, the best option is to plan around federal holidays and tack on a few additional PTO days to your already existing company-wide days off.
We’ve chosen the following schedule to maximize PTO while also providing the opportunity for both long and short trips. If you prefer weekend getaways, feel free to rearrange by cutting down PTO on some of the longer vacations and taking off Friday or Monday around a different federal holiday instead. Or, do the reverse. It’s your time, so do with it as you will—and when you’re ready to plan, you know we’ve got you covered on tips for wherever you’re headed.
Here’s how to maximize your 2025 vacation days—and the best places to visit when you do so.
Take off February 18-21 (nine days of vacation)
Presidents’ Day falls on Monday, February 17, this year, so if you take off February 18-21, you can enjoy a long, nine-day vacation for just four days of PTO. February is the perfect time to head to one of your bucket-list destinations, like Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, (one of our Best Places to Go in Asia in 2025) or Costa Rica for a warm-weather escape. Prefer to lean into the cold weather? Venture to Telluride, Colorado, or Switzerland to enjoy ski season.
(For more trip ideas, check out our guide to the best places to go in February.)
Take off June 20th and 23rd (five days of vacation)
Juneteenth is a Thursday in 2025, so if you take off the following Friday and Monday you can enjoy a five-day vacation for just two PTO days. If your company offers summer Fridays, you’ll just use one-and-a-half PTO days. For longer trips, take off the 16-18 as well so your five PTO days can extend to 10 days of vacation (and with summer Fridays, you can also take off June 13 for the same number of PTO since both the 13 and 20 would only count as half days). This is the perfect time to take a roadtrip with family or friends. (The best places to travel in June, which include Yosemite and Croatia, are primed for this type of getaway.)
Take off May 23 or July 7 or August 29 (four days of vacation)
To hit all 15 days off, choose between extending your Memorial Day weekend, Independence Day weekend, or Labor Day weekend with one PTO day. For some, the Friday before Memorial Day is a half-day, which means you’ll only have to take half-day of PTO to get a four-day weekend. Take the Monday following July 4 off to get a similarly beneficial deal, or the Friday before Labor Day for the final hurrah of summer. If you get summer Fridays, the one before Labor Day is likely the last of the year—and it means you’ll only have to take half a day off. 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 around these holidays.
Take off November 28 (four days of vacation)
This year, Thanksgiving lands on November 27, so if you take the 28 off you’ll be able to luxuriate in a four-day weekend for the price of one PTO day. If you get Black Friday off—or are just looking to extend your vacation—take off November 26 too. While this is a great time to soak up some R&R with family, maybe you’ll choose to take time for yourself in Panama or Oaxaca, Mexico, two of our best places to go in December, where a medium-length trip like this won’t feel too rushed or dragged out. Better yet? Convince the family to relocate with you this year.
Take off December 22-24, 26, and 29-31 (13 days of vacation)
Make this year’s Christmas one you won’t forget, by taking off the week before and after Christmas Day. Seven days of PTO turn into 13 days of vacation (including New Year’s Day). Plus, if you dip into your 2026 PTO and take off Jan 2 and 3, your vacation can be extended to 17 days. What can’t you do with two and a half weeks off? We recommend taking all of that time to go on a once-in-a-lifetime bucket list trip, like Antarctica, where you can marvel at the complete darkness of the polar night, spot wildlife, and take in the awe-inspiring landscape. Paris and Austria are also great options, and are sure to be filled with festive, holiday-season charm. If you’re looking for something a bit warmer, consider Santiago, Chile, or Belize. (All five locations are ones we consider among the best places to go in December.)
For those that have company-wide closures between December 25 and January 1, you’ll be able to save even more PTO than you thought, securing 17 days of vacation for just 4 PTO days.
Here’s to a 2025 in which you can vacation more than ever.
