HERE'S THE TRUTH about vacations: What you do to get away from it all doesn't matter all that much, as long as you get away. And you don't have to go very far or blow a lot of cash. Holing up at home and shutting off the phone for a week counts, too.

We used to be better at leisure. Back in 1970, Americans actually worked fewer hours than the French. But over the intervening decades, while the French traded gains in productivity for more time off, Americans traded their free time for more work in order to buy more stuff. European labor unions protected jobs by conceding shorter workweeks and more vacation, whereas American corporations simply downsized, firing hordes of employees and placing their work upon the shoulders of those who were left. Today, America has the largest economy of any country in the world, but mostly because we work more hours and take fewer vacations. The fact is, when you look at productivity (output per hour of work), the holiday-loving French are more efficient than us.

"Our society is so obsessively work-driven, just publicly admitting you even take vacation is tough," says Mike Wallenfels, 43, president of outdoor-gear company Mountain Hardwear and a reformed workaholic who recently returned from a weeklong trip to the Sierra with his family. "The turning point for me came a couple years ago when I finally took a week off to go mountaineering," he explains. "I couldn't be reached by any means . . . and when I came back, the world was still turning."

According to Wallenfels, the secret to breaking away is simple: "First, train somebody to cover for you while you're away. Second, check the schedules of your colleagues and take vacation when they're not. Third, black out vacation days on your calendar at least six months in advance, then work everything else around them."

Wallenfels's suggestions are echoed by journalist Joe Robinson in his 2003 book Work to Live: The Guide to Getting a Life. When I call—wouldn't you know it—his phone machine says he's on vacation for two weeks. Nonetheless, by distilling a few of his ideas and adding some of my own, I arrive at this essential eight-point Vacation Declaration:

1. Take every single day you're given. 2. Go big. Plan vacations of at least one full week. 3. Cut out clean. Put out-of-office messages on your voice mail and e-mail. 4. Leave your gadgets at home; never check in to the office while away. 5. Take a break from all news. 6. Forget a raise—ask for more paid vacation time instead. 7. Vote for politicians who support a federal vacation law. 8. Really vacate: Ban all work talk on vacation.