Im a Brit that used to get 30 days paid plus public holidays who is now working in the US at a tech company that has no vacation policy. I love my job and work long hours and often some weekends. I have a family and love to travel, but I much prefer the environment that I work in today. I am very ambitious and want the company that I am working for to do well and I want to do well. I am prepared to put a number of years hard work in with little or no vacation as there will hopefully be a much bigger upside at the end of it. If you want 20-30 days holiday a year that you take, then consider what opportunities you are missing. I think FullContact's 15 days paid PAID policy is excellent and strikes a good balance, but Europe has gone too far. I believe the Mediterranean countries are going to get left behind in turns of development and could end up looking like 3rd world countries in 50 years from now unless the work ethic/culture changes significantly.