Europe gets more vacations than the U.S. Here are some reasons why. : Planet Money (2024)

FAQs

Why does Europe get more vacations? ›

Meanwhile, workers in many countries around the world, particularly in Europe, are known to take vacations for months at a time. For many, that's thanks to the European Union Working Time Directive, which passed in the early 1990s, and requires at least 20 working days of paid vacation in all EU countries.

What countries have the most vacation days? In general, European countries (like France, Spain, and the United Kingdom) offer the most paid time off. Almost all countries in Europe offer some type of paid holiday leave.

Compared with Americans, people in many European nations are more likely to have traveled to five or more other countries. For instance, 88% of Swedes have done so. However, international travel is much less common in many middle-income nations.

Living in Europe can be less expensive than living in the U.S. and can offer a high quality of living. Before making a decision to move to a European country, however, it's important to see how your income fares against the costs you may incur.

Iran ranks first in the list of nations with the most paid leave days, with a total of 52, according to a new report. SEO agency ClickSlice analysed the number of paid vacation days across 197 nations, particularly their minimum paid vacation days and paid public holidays.

In general, wages in the United States tend to be higher than those in Europe, particularly for skilled and high-paying jobs. Part of the reason for this is that the cost of living in the U.S. is usually higher than in Europe. This means that workers need to make more money to keep their standard of living the same.

They feel bad about having co-workers take on additional work (43 percent). They think taking more time off might hurt their chances for career advancement (19 percent). They think they might risk losing their job (16 percent). Their manager discourages taking time off (12 percent).

Others (43 percent) feel bad that coworkers have to take on their work for them when they're out of the office, while 19 percent said that if they take too much time off it might prevent them from rising in the ranks; even worse, 16 percent were worried they would lose their job if they took more time off.

Typically, US employers will allocate 10 days of paid vacation time per year to each employee, increasing the number of days provided based on the amount of time an employee stays with their company.

Europe makes it incredibly easy to travel around the continent on a budget. Trains, buses, and budget airlines can get you from one city to another — even one country to another — at a fraction of the cost you'd pay for travel in the United States. Depending on the type of trip, it may also be worth renting a vehicle.

Which nationality takes the most trips? ›

Europe is Rich in Art and Culture

Europe is one of the finest lands to explore art and culture. Famous destinations such as Italy is known for having more art pieces per square metre than any other country in the world, wheras destinations such as Musee du Louvre comprises more thn 35000 pieces of art for display!

Of the world's top 20 safest countries, 14 are in Europe. And 29 European countries are in the world's top 50. Almost all countries in Europe are safer for students than the United States of America. Europe is generally considered the safest region in the world.

Taxes are higher and wages are lower, compared to the United States. There is a longstanding, raging debate about economic comparisons between the two areas: “American salaries are much higher and taxes are lower!" “Yeah, but Europeans don't have to pay for things like healthcare!”

Europe's wealth of attractions is its biggest draw: the birthplace of democracy in Athens, the Renaissance art in Florence, the graceful canals of Venice, the Napoleonic splendor of Paris, the impressive attractions of Moorish palaces in Andalucia.

Unlike some other parts of the world, Europeans value their work-life balance and prioritize their well-deserved breaks. Now, let's get down to the numbers. European countries typically offer anywhere from 20 to 30 paid vacation days per year, and some even go above and beyond that.

Based on data from reporting destinations, foreign arrivals (+7.2%) and overnights (+6.5%) in the first quarter of the year surpassed 2019 figures. This continues the upward trend observed in 2023, which recorded foreign arrivals 1.2% below 2019 levels, and nights just 0.2% below.

Finding gold and glory, as well as spreading Christianity (God), were the three primary reasons for European exploration and colonization.