Percent Travel

[deanwebb]

In your experience, what % travel has been easy to manage, even a bit fun?

At what level does travel become harder to manage and much, much less fun?

What % travel do you consider intolerable?

Discuss.

[that1guy15]

Right now I travel about once every 6-8 weeks, about once a quarter to corporate and sprinkle as many conferences or training trips in as I can. Usually I am gone for a full week. With a family I think its a good balance and travel is still a vacation from my weekly grind.

I feel once a month would be OK but a little too much for me (assuming being gone the full work week or more). Anything more than that and its gonna be a big deal to my wife and family. If I was single then I could see me traveling more and being fine with it.

[deanwebb]

I was just talking with a sales guy who bemoans how often high travel can burn out his brightest SEs and that he gets left with guys that put up with the 50%+ travel because they're oblivious to the stress it's putting them under.

I like the idea of travel when it's to an exotic destination. I don't get so excited, though, if it's to Keokuk, Iowa. Sure, I'd like to see a new place... but... Iowa?

As far as other aspects go, yay me getting to fly business class and rack up air miles and hotel points on the company dime. But, I can do the same thing on vacations and with credit cards attached to loyalty programs.

Travel too much, and all those points and miles won't become vacations. They'll become preferential boarding, terminal club entries, room upgrades, things like that... because travel too much and your vacation becomes a time when you stay home.

Now, I do know one guy that does 100% travel for his work. Whenever he comes off the road, he stays with his parents for a few days and then he's off again. He's very very single and pretty much resolved to never finding fulfillment in life through a family of his own, so he puts himself into his work, which is organizing a global extracurricular study program and competition.

[dlots]

I got off a 6 month period where I was doing ~50% travel, that was just to much.  I wouldn't have minded if I was single, but now that I am married I don't see me doing that again.

[icecream-guy]

no travel here, I'd hazard a guess at 10-25% travel being comfortable, that's like 4-10 hours a week,  1/2 day to a day at alternative work site.

[Nerm]

For me and my family I would say more than 25% would start to get problematic. If I was single I would probably prefer a 50% or more travel average. I think another side of travel is more often but shorter trips or fewer trips but extended stays.

[Otanx]

I enjoy travel, but hate flying. Mainly because at 6'4" 390lbs I just don't fit on airplanes. Seeing new places is cool. Getting there sucks. My current job has gone from 25-33% down to near zero travel as we get remote/OOB management setup correctly. I really only travel for training now. My brother did 100% travel for three years. He didn't mind it, but he is a life long bachelor.

-Otanx

[icecream-guy]

My brother did 100% travel for three years. He didn't mind it, but he is a life long bachelor.

-Otanx

a buddy of mine did that 100% travel thing, saved enough frequent flyer point to take his So to Hawaii first class very cheap. moved on soon after getting back from vaca.

[Nerm]

I enjoy travel, but hate flying. Mainly because at 6'4" 390lbs I just don't fit on airplanes.

-Otanx

Damn and I thought I had it rough. I am only 6'1" 290lbs and sometimes have trouble fitting myself lol.

[deanwebb]

No picnic at my 6'4" 240-lb frame on a plane. I love bulkhead seating, buses, trains, the front row in an auditorium, ANYTHING with legroom!

[dlots]

My travel was nice cause I could do it by train.

6'3 320lb

[that1guy15]

Im 5'9 with a 28" inseam on my pants. Im lucky if my feet touch the floor on the plane

[deanwebb]

Im 5'9 with a 28" inseam on my pants. Im lucky if my feet touch the floor on the plane

Here, let me help you fill up that seat, please scoot over after lifting up the armrest...

[SofaKing]

Im 5'9 with a 28" inseam on my pants. Im lucky if my feet touch the floor on the plane

Here, let me help you fill up that seat, please scoot over after lifting up the armrest...

[that1guy15]

Im 5'9 with a 28" inseam on my pants. Im lucky if my feet touch the floor on the plane

Here, let me help you fill up that seat, please scoot over after lifting up the armrest...

Im still a bigger dude with pretty broad shoulders. So my torso is usually pretty cramped.