How To Plan Long Term Travel (With Tips That Actually Help)

Historically, there has been a clear distinction between travel and “normal” life. But with the rise of the internet and the explosion of online jobs and work that can be done remotely, that line has been blurred in many areas. Nowadays, many people travel for long periods of time – some save for the trip, some find odd jobs around the world, others go to a specific place and get a “regular” job for a year, and still others can just enjoy life as a digital nomad .

For the purposes of this article, long-term travel is international travel of six months or more. This article assumes that you want to be a traveler rather than a typical tourist. After the pandemic came the Great Retirement, with many people quitting their long-awaited jobs and trying to pursue their lifelong dreams.

This is how you decide whether long-term travel is right for you

Most people need a home and get homesick easily when away from home for a long period of time. But there are some who can travel over a long period of time and enjoy every bit of it.

Deciding whether long-term travel is the right choice or not is a personal choice. Long-term travel means leaving your pets behind and finding someone to sort of adopt them. It means leaving family and friends behind – and important events (weddings, birthdays, etc.) are likely to be missed.

Long-term travel is a great way to break the sometimes relentless wheel of life. Most of the time, life goes with the Abitur and direct studies at the university. After graduation, most begin their careers and spend the next 20 years climbing the corporate ladder while taking on responsibilities that tie one more to a specific place (like marriage, children, mortgage, pets, etc.).

Long-term travel means being free from all of that. If you want to see the world and break the bike (or at least put it on hold for a while), maybe a long-term trip is the right decision.

See also: What you should know about international travel advice

Tips for getting started with long-term travel

Long-term trips require a little planning (but most can be planned along the way). Here are some tips:

• Banks: Many sure, the bank has low international fees and will be notified that you are travelling
• Budgeting: Decide whether to use savings or work while traveling
• livelihood: Every country has a different cost of living
• Passport: Make sure the passport is valid for the whole time (plus 6 months)

Traveling isn’t as difficult or scary as many people think. People all over the world make their living just like everyone else.

It is important not to overthink anything. Make some basic plans and make sure you have enough money to travel, but don’t over-plan (or over-pack). The most important thing is to decide on a trip. Then the most important thing is to buy a plane ticket – anywhere and anywhere. The rest will follow from there.

See also: Is It Actually Better to Travel the World Alone?

Where to live in the world

Both of the following statements are true: It’s a small world and the world is a big place.

The world is a big place because it’s almost impossible to see the whole world in a normal life, with around 250 countries to discover (including countries like Greenland). If a traveler spends just one week in each country, it would take about five years of continuous travel to see them all.

The world is a small place too – it’s possible to fly from almost any major city to any other major city in less than 36 hours. There are flights to almost every destination in the world for under $1,000. In a way, that means few places on earth are more than 36 hours and $1,000 away.

That means travelers can’t see the whole world, but they can be almost anywhere whenever they want.

With an American (or other Western) passport, you can easily live in many countries around the world without having to worry about visas. Just drop by and stay 3 months in Europe or 3 months in Korea or Malaysia.

One of the key factors in deciding where to go is budget. Eg it will be much cheaper to stay in Thailand than in Germany. Where to live in the world depends on what you want – the tropical beaches and exotic food of Thailand? The ancient cities of Europe? The untapped wonders of Africa?