How Much Notice to Give Clients Before Your Vacation
Give clients 60 days of notice for a vacation of two weeks or more, 30 days for a week, and a 7 day reminder in every case, and pair each message with an offer that keeps them training while you are away. Early notice lets clients plan, lets you place make up sessions and prevents the cancellations that surprise announcements cause. Nothing about the schedule has to be complicated if you commit to a fixed timeline. Release any hours you booked in your rented room once the dates are final.
The timeline at a glance
| When | What to send | What it should include |
|---|---|---|
| 60 days | The heads up | Dates away, the first session after you return and an invitation to ask questions |
| 30 days | The plan | Make up options, a home or cover plan and any billing note |
| 7 days | The reminder | The last session date, the home plan and your return date |
| Day before | A one line note | “See you next week” or the first session back |
For a trip of a week or less, merge the first two messages and send them 30 days out.
Message one: the heads up
Keep it short and warm. State the dates, the reason if you like and the date you return.
“I will be away from June 10 to June 24 and back in the studio on June 25. I will send options for your sessions by the end of next month. Let me know if you want to talk about it sooner.”
Do not apologize. A clear plan is a professional courtesy.
Message two: the plan
At 30 days, give each client a choice, as you would for a school break or holiday, such as in planning around school breaks. Offer one or more of these:
- Move sessions earlier, by adding a session before you leave.
- Make them up later, within a defined window.
- A home plan, written for the weeks you are away.
- A cover coach, if the client agrees and you trust the substitute.
- A pause, with the package extended by the days you were away.
Offer only what you can deliver. A home plan you actually write beats a promise to message them.
Message three: the reminder
A week before, send the last session date, the home plan if you promised one and the first session after your return. Confirm any billing change. Clients appreciate seeing the whole plan in one message.
Decide the money rules in advance
Put this in your agreement so a vacation is not a negotiation:
- Whether your time off pauses the package.
- How many weeks of time off you reserve each year.
- How you handle prepaid sessions that fall in the away weeks.
- What notice you will give, which is the timeline above.
Each coach sets their own terms. A rule that is written and consistent is easier on everyone.
Use the away weeks well
Away time is a good moment to plan for what follows. Many coaches schedule a round of year end reviews before a long break, and the holiday schedule plan shows how to bundle several closures into one yearly announcement. Pair your announcement with a client check in a few days after you return.
What not to do
Do not announce a vacation the week before, do not cancel sessions without a make up option and do not ask clients to find their own solution. Do not promise to reply to messages if you do not intend to, and do not leave clients unsure when you return.
When time off is unplanned
For illness or an emergency, tell clients as soon as you can, offer a make up and keep the message short. Your timeline is for the planned trips, and the same courtesy applies when you cannot follow it.
Fitness professionals can use FlexWerk’s first free hour through the get started page to test a booking before an announced block of time off.
Related questions
Is 30 days enough for a short trip?
For a trip of a week or less, 30 days is usually plenty, and a 7 day reminder closes the loop. For two weeks or more, start at 60 days.
Should I charge clients while I am away?
That depends on your agreement. Many coaches pause billing for time off and extend packages by the same number of days, but each coach sets their own terms.
Can another trainer cover for me?
Only with the client's agreement and a warm handoff. Share only what the client permits and brief the substitute on the plan.