Sometimes a simple two week holiday just won’t cut it. If you’ve been contemplating travel plans which extend longer than you’re used to – maybe a month, a few months or even a year – then there are many different things you need to consider to make sure you’re prepared, and that it’s the right choice for you.
Your Accommodation
The longer you travel for, the more troublesome your accommodation may get. If your long-term travel plans include travelling from place to place in various locations, then you need to research and compare accommodation options in all your planned destinations and make sure that they aren’t fully booked when you come to need them.
Alternatively, if your trip away will see you in one place for a long duration such as a year or more, and you would like a home hub to go to, you can always consider short or long term rental properties like property in Estepona to ensure that you always have a place to call home, even when you’re travelling.
Your Finances
Long term travel is very difficult to budget in advance, because you don’t know which spontaneous needs may arise, and there is always an increased risk of things not going to plan. This means you need an even bigger emergency fund than you would usually have.
It’s much wiser to figure your base budget before you begin planning. There is no point planning for a year spent in a new country if you cannot afford a year. Start with what you can afford, and you can always extend your travel plans as you go along, such as deciding to apply for a working visa to take on seasonal work or even get a full-time job to tide you over and allow you to travel for longer.
Your Commitments Back Home
Bidding farewell to family and friends for a two week vacation is nothing; you say goodbye, send a few snaps while you’re over there, and see them again when you get home. However, being away from your family and friends for several months, a year or even longer takes its toll. You won’t know how homesick you will get until you’re out there travelling, so it’s hard to prepare for.
All you can do is arrange everything in the best way before you leave for maximum comfort. Make sure you have decided a way in advance that you can easily speak to everyone, such as through video-calling or email.
You may also need to make a decision on your job. For long travel plans, you may have decided to hand in your notice, which means you won’t have a job when you return home, so you need to plan for that. Certain jobs may permit you to have a few months off work, but usually the maximum is 4 weeks.
Perhaps you have an accommodating boss who you can speak to about your plans and who can make allowances for you.
If you have any other commitments, such as pets, then make sure they are looked after while you are away – or even take them with you!