2 weeks vacation isn't enough... but are longer getaways possible?


Hi from Anthony and Jodie! We are the Learners and Makers. Traveling the world full time since 2022, we empower families and people with mobility disabilities to travel confidently, their way.

Last month, we celebrated four years of full-time family travel. If we’ve learned anything about long-term, slow travel, it’s that the slower you go, the better the journey.

A slow pace has sustained our travels, our family bond, and our personal satisfaction. In fact, our slow pace has been integral to spending as much time traveling as we do.

After all, the stereotype of travel is bustling from one city, one country to another, always on flights and trains and buses.

To which we say, after a revision to increase politeness, forget that.

All that fast travel? Staying a night or two in a place then leaving? It’s exhausting. And expensive. Nothing drains your budget faster than changing destinations constantly. That fast pace burns out travelers.

It doesn’t have to be that way.

Here’s the thing we’ve learned:

As US passport holders, many countries allow stays of at least 30 days.

(That’s not just for US passport holders, either. These things change country to country, and we can only speak with authority from our own experience here).

30 days. 60 days. 90 days. Heck, even six months and more.

When you understand your trip not as a week or two-week vacation but as a month, or even a season, you start thinking about your travels very differently.

You find breathing room. You find space to recharge. To repeat. To go deeper into a place or experience you find meaningful.

But it all starts with understanding that your travels don’t have to be short and fast.

Here’s how.


​Longest visa-free stays with a US passport​

When you stop restricting yourself to a week or two, the world opens up


SPONSORED

Using phone data abroad:
Why we don't worry about it

Whether you love or hate your mobile network, you don’t have to use their (probably overpriced) international data plan the next time you go abroad.

Wherever we’re abroad, we keep our USA carrier for voice and text, but we don’t use their international data plan.

For example, our 2026 travels have included Japan, Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, and Poland. In each country, whether using Google Maps while navigating, or ordering a rideshare, Airalo eSIMs keep us connected with excellent data at an excellent price.

From Europe to Asia to beyond, wherever your summer adventures take you abroad, you can find an Airalo eSIM for your data, instead of your carrier’s plan.

You can even get your Airalo eSIM in advance, and activate it when you’re ready!

PLUS, Airalo's given us 2 special coupon codes that can save you more on your eSIM:

New to Airalo? Use code NEWTOAIRALO15 for 15% off.

Used Airalo before? Use code AIRALOESIM10 for 10% off.

​Get your affordable international data today:​
​

Thank you for using our links! Using our links supports our work, keeps us traveling, and helps us put together advice and stories for you.​
​

​

More

Research current visa requirements and destinations: Travel.State.gov

Stay up to 30 days: Thailand

Stay up to 90 days: Japan

Stay up to 180 days: Mexico


Thanks for reading! See you next time, and happy travels

Anthony & Jodie

P.S. Before you go, check off your trip to-do list here

✔︎ Stays Booking | VRBO | Expedia | Airbnb | Agoda | More

✔︎ Tours, activities & more Find experiences​

✔︎ Services & gear for your trips All our fave travel resources​

What travel questions or ideas are on your mind? Hit reply and let us know!

Learners and Makers

Cozy, family, nomad, and mobility travel tips, twice a month

Read more from Learners and Makers
Great spots for family and accessible visits!

Hi from Anthony and Jodie! We are the Learners and Makers. Here is our latest email sharing tips, deals & news about cozy, family & mobility travel. We lived in Oregon for over 15 years. Early in our relationship, one of our first trips away was a weekend in Pacific City. Family or friends visiting? A jaunt to the Coast was on the itinerary. When Connor and Aster each were babies, big moments in their lives included getting their toes dipped in the Atlantic Ocean at South Carolina, and in the...

One-way cruising turns transportation into a vacation experience of a lifetime

Hi from Anthony and Jodie! We are the Learners and Makers. Traveling the world full time since 2022, we empower families and people with mobility disabilities to travel confidently, their way. Right about this time, two years ago in 2024, we were in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. Fortunately, we weren't treading water. We were on a cruise ship. But that cruise wasn't some round-trip loop-da-loop like you often get for, say, a trip to Alaska, or around the Caribbean. Instead, we'd flown into...

Plus more ways we get the most out of travel (and our family budget)

Hi from Anthony and Jodie! We are the Learners and Makers. Traveling the world full time since 2022, we empower families and the mobility disability community to travel confidently, their way. Traveling the world as a family of four, we often seek out vacation rentals instead of hotel rooms. Since we aren't just sightseeing but living regular life, albeit in different countries, staying in rentals gives us more space. Plus, we typically can find stays in regular, everyday neighborhoods. That...