Things To Consider When Travelling Long Term
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It’s a dream for a lot of people to be able to travel long term or at least for a while. So if you do manage to find the time and allow yourself the trip of a lifetime, there are a fair few things for you to think about. However, if you’re a little bit worried or lost about some of what you should be considering, here’s a few to get you started.
HOW LONG?
Now you may not know the answer to this question. As some people decide to travel indefinitely, and come back when they get the calling to return home. If you’re someone who is at the planning stage though, you need to think about how long you are going to be travelling for. It will help you to figure out certain aspects of your trip such as your budget, some accommodations, where you’re planning on visiting and how you’re going to be getting around.
If you are looking at travelling for a longer period of time then you may need to think about your plans at home too. By this we mean that you should be considering things such as if you’re leaving a home empty, the need to store furniture, maybe you have a pet that will need a temporary home or possibly a family member that needs care whatever it is you should try and tick these off before going and before setting a duration.
ACCOMMODATION
Do you know where you’re going to be staying on your travels? Maybe you have been scouting out all the local campsites and hostels to try and save money in your budget, or perhaps you are considering hiring a motorhome for your journey which will, in turn, put a roof over your head. If you are planning on staying a little bit longer in certain places such as Singapore it may be worth doing some research and googling things like single room rental Singapore to see what your local options are.
If you have a plan in place with your accommodation it’s a good idea to let people back home know where you are staying just as a safety precaution and for communication purposes. There are some fantastic resources online with regards to finding accommodation abroad so it could be an idea to share the links for any bookings and write down how long you are staying in each one with someone you trust at home.
YOUR BUDGET
Now if you are travelling long term you may have alternative sources of funds. However, if you are travelling long term you may need to save before going so that you haven’t got to worry so much. You will want to have a budget for each location you visit and take thing such as local living costs into consideration. You will probably find if you want to stay somewhere like central New York compared to a little town in Greece, it will cost you a lot more for basic necessities; your accommodation, food and travel.
It’s also a good idea to have a rough guide to how much your travel is going to cost so have a look into plane tickets, train tickets and coach tickets. Another thing to consider is having a back up for any unexpected costs. No one likes to think that things won’t run smoothly but the longer you travel for the more likely that there may be a slip up two. Maybe the hostel doesn’t have your booking, you lose your camera or passport whatever it may be it’s worth having some contingency money put to one side.
YOUR ROUTE
If you’re not staying in one place for your long term travelling and are planning on hopping from place to place, it’s definitely a good idea to plan some sort of route. By doing this you can inform people at home of your expected destinations for safety and you can figure out your budget a little better. Not everyone wants to have an exact plan but looking into routes and researching things such as connecting trains between country borders can help you when you are going freestyle. A little knowledge never hurt anyone.
It may be worth investing in a few handheld maps and guides or sourcing some information to store on a tablet or mobile. It could save you a lot of time on your trip and you can spend more time enjoying the things you went to discover.
WORK
If you are planning on going travelling for a really long time or indefinitely, then sourcing work for your trip may be a necessary requirement. There are 100’s of jobs that you can now do remotely such as travel agents, freelancing and web developing so why not have a look into some of the opportunities out there?
You may just find that job that allows you to travel for longer. If you know you’re going to be staying in one place for a while it may be possible to work there while you are travelling, may sure that you check all the requirements first especially when it comes to things like a visa as a travel visa won’t always allow you to work. You will need to look into a working visa to do this.
KEEPING IN TOUCH
This is something that a lot of people will miss from their list or they may be intending on going missing for while and in that case, this won’t apply. However, keeping in touch with family and friends is most definitely something to be considering when travelling long term as it can make all the difference when you are feeling homesick. After all, when leaving to travel you are leaving behind your support network. So if you’ve had a bad day you can’t just meet up with the bestie for a cuppa or glass of wine, you will need to be picking up the phone or arranging a skype chat and to do this successfully you will need to ensure you speak on a regular basis. A nice little touch could be to send postcards to your important people from each destination you are lucky to visit.
Do you have anything else that should be considered as a long term traveller? Please share them in the comments section below.
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