Beyond Angola

The common holidays, or “felles” as we say here in Norway, are wrapping up. Kids are heading back to school, offices are filling back up, and everyone’s summer tans are starting to fade. And honestly, this is exactly the moment I start getting excited, because this is usually when I decide to take mine.

Let me explain, because I know it sounds backwards.

The Norwegian holiday math

In Norway you are entitled to five weeks of holiday a year, and most people split it the same way. One week during Easter, three weeks in the summer, and the last week tucked into the Christmas period. It is a solid system and most people follow it almost to the letter, all clustered around the same few weeks.

This year I kept the same structure everyone else uses, one week at Easter and one week at Christmas, but I flipped the summer part. Instead of taking my three weeks in June or July like most of the country, I took one week in August and two weeks in September.

Here is exactly why I do this every year, and why I think more people should consider it.

No kids, no school calendar

I do not have children, which means I am not tied to a school holiday schedule the way so many families are. That alone gives me a freedom a lot of people do not get to use, so I take full advantage of it. Why compete with every family in the country for the same two weeks when I do not have to?

The office turns into a ghost town

There is something almost magical about being in the office during peak Norwegian summer. Half the building is empty. Meetings are quiet. Slack is silent. It genuinely feels like a ghost town, and honestly, I love it. Fewer people around means fewer interruptions and a much calmer work rhythm, so working through the peak summer weeks does not feel like a sacrifice at all.

Best of both worlds, weather-wise

I live in the south of Norway, which means our summers are genuinely good. Long days, sun that barely sets, and a city full of life and outdoor activities. So while everyone else is flying out in June and July, I am at home soaking up my own city’s summer after work and on weekends.

Then, right when the sun starts disappearing at home and the days get shorter, that is when I pack my bags and chase the sun somewhere else. I basically get two summers instead of one, my own city’s summer first, and then a second one abroad once ours starts fading.

Fewer crowds, less chaos

Anyone who has traveled during the common holiday weeks in Europe knows exactly what I am talking about. Packed airports, long security lines, screaming kids on planes, and every tourist attraction feeling more like a human traffic jam than a relaxing experience. Traveling in late August and September means almost none of that. Calmer airports, shorter lines, and destinations that actually feel enjoyable instead of overcrowded.

It is also just cheaper

This one is simple. Flights and hotels drop significantly once the common holiday period ends and the family crowds head home. Traveling slightly later almost always means better deals on flights, accommodation, and travel packages, so my money goes further and I get to enjoy more for less.

The satisfaction of leaving when everyone else is coming back

And honestly, there is something deeply satisfying about packing your bags right as everyone else is unpacking theirs. While friends and coworkers are posting their “back to reality” posts and dragging themselves back to routine, I am heading to the airport with a suitcase and zero rush to get anywhere. It sounds petty, but it genuinely never gets old.

The takeaway

Norway’s holiday system gives you five weeks to use however you want, and I think a lot of us default to using them the same way everyone else does simply because that is the norm. But if your life does not require you to follow a school calendar, shifting your summer holiday later can mean calmer travel, better prices, more sun overall, and a much more peaceful office in between.

So if the common holidays just ended and you are already dreaming about your next trip, do not feel like you missed the window. Sometimes the best time to travel is exactly when everyone else just got back.