World travel is a liberating experience. Sure, you can see the world, one country at a time, perhaps one or two countries a year. But spending a week in a location is very different from essentially living there, taking everything in, really getting used to the culture and seeing all the sites. Of course, there’s a reason that most people see the world through vacations. It’s because world travel is hard – especially if you’re already settled in your home country. You need to either save enough to head away for a long period without working, or you need to find work that you can do on the go or undertake in different countries. The benefits though? Outstanding! You gain an experience that most don’t have and you may find a whole host of places you love. Plus, the memories will be astounding. Now, if you decide to head away for a full year of travel, here are a few ways to prepare!
Saving
First, you’re going to have to save. Even if you’re working while away, it’s still a good idea to have enough tucked away in a savings account to be able to fly back home if you need, and provide yourself with alternative accommodation if the one you’ve booked isn’t up to standard or deal with a whole host of other situations that may face you. This means working extra hard before you go away. Maybe you’ll take on overtime, maybe you’ll take on another part-time job, maybe you’ll freelance on the side. Remember, if you’re selling a lot of your belongings from home, the money from this can go into your savings too.
Upping and Leaving
Speaking of selling your old belongings, you are going to have to determine what you’re doing with the bulk of the stuff you have at home. Chances are, you have furniture, appliances and a whole host of items that you cannot take with you on your venture. You have two options – storage or selling. You can find out more about packing for long term storage and browse different storage providers to find the best long-term deals. Alternatively, you can sell your items and decide to rebuy items when you do eventually return.
Choosing Destinations
If you’re travelling for a year, you have a lot of time on your hands and will be able to see a host of places. Most people do things one of two ways. They either choose one country and do what they can to explore it for as long as possible, or they skip between multiple countries, travelling across the globe one step at a time. When choosing destinations it’s important to consider a whole host of factors that will determine whether you can make the trip and whether it will be enjoyable. Consider visas. Some countries have a limit on how long you can stay and you may need to apply for a visa well in advance. Safety. Some countries are fine to visit, some may have travel restrictions due to safety. Vaccinations. Some countries require a host of vaccinations for you to enter. Seasons. Different countries go through different seasons, so you may find that you need to travel at certain times of year to get the most from them.
Hopefully, some of the information above will help you to plan the perfect getaway. They’re just starter steps, but they should help to get the ball rolling.
