How many vacation days do Americans get compared to Europe?

While the average American is lucky to get 11 vacation days from their employer each year, workers in the European Union are guaranteed at least 20 working days of paid vacation due to the European Union Working Time Directive, which passed in the early 1990s.



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Don't discount July and August. In much of Europe (especially Italy and France), cities are partially shut down in July and August, when local urbanites take their beach breaks. You'll hear that these are terrible times to travel, but it's really no big deal.

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Why do Europeans take off August en masse? The idea that summer is for play, not work, seems hard to shake for many Europeans. The habit is especially ingrained in old manufacturing sectors. During and after the industrial revolution, entire factories in northern England would decamp to the same beachside resorts.

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In some European countries like France, Italy, and Spain — where paid vacation is a legal right — it's common for workers to take a full month off of work during the summer.

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