how to long term travel

How To Prepare For Long-Term Travel: Step-by-Step Guide

• August 21, 2023
• Last updated: August 21, 2023
• Digital nomad

Home » Travel Blog » How To Prepare For Long-Term Travel: Step-by-Step Guide

What is long-term travel? The truth is, long-term travel can mean different things to different people.

No matter the span of time you choose, at its core, long-term travel is an incredible way to experience cultural immersion, as well as a period of personal reflection and transformation.

For some, long-term travel can involve trading in a traditional lifestyle for adventure and exploration, while for others it is merely a vacation approached differently. Whether it is six months, a year, or indefinitely long, you will be able to gain firsthand experience with foreign cultures, see sights you would otherwise not find the time to explore and tap into the magical feeling of being found in the expansive world around them.

Preparation for long-term travel is a key step to making the most of your experience. And before you even begin thinking about what to pack , we have some big-picture ticket items to cover. Let’s jump in!

Having the right mindset when preparing for long-term travel is essential. Before hitting the road, it’s important to think through what kind of journey you’re envisioning.

Are you headed out for a spontaneous adventure? Have you decided to take a sabbatical year to learn new skills and expand your horizons? An extended wellness retreat ? Do you intend to continue with your current dreams and goals, potentially taking your job online as you go? Or are you looking for opportunities to volunteer?

Give serious thought to all these possibilities so that, when the time comes, you’re able to hit the ground running. With the right attitude and mindset, you are sure to have an incredible experience that will stay with you forever!

2. PASSPORT

Traveling with a valid and up-to-date passport should be considered essential for any traveler, particularly for someone embarking on a long-term trip.

Start with checking your passport’s exploration date. Many countries require the passport to be valid for at least six months from the date of entry. Depending on how long you plan on traveling, you may need to renew your passport before you hit the road.

Not only should you make sure that your passport has not expired, but it should also have enough blank pages for entry stamps and visas. Some countries will deny access if a person’s passport doesn’t have enough usable pages.

To fully enjoy long-term travel, it is important to make sure that you are not hindered by visa requirements.

Before your journey, it is important to check the visa requirements of each country you plan to visit. Do this well in advance of your trip (I’d recommend six months before) because the visa application process can be time-consuming, and you don’t want to be scrambling at the last minute.

Depending on the desired duration of stay, there are a variety of visas available including working visas, travel visas, and even digital nomad visas in some countries, if you plan to work remotely while abroad.

Again, each country will have its own rules and regulations, so check your country’s embassy website for an idea of how to get started.

Check out some useful posts:

• Remote Digital Nomad Jobs: The 5 Best Sites to Find Them
• Best Destinations for Digital Nomads
• 5 Common Digital Nomad Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

4. BANK CARD

When traveling long-term, most people opt to bring at least two debit cards: one primary and one backup. I recommend this approach, too.

Before taking off, make sure that your bank is aware of where you are traveling so that they will not block your card when you are trying to withdraw money internationally. This applies to both credit and debit cards.

Companies like Wise and Revolut are ideal especially if you plan on frequently traveling abroad. They come with minimal or no transaction fees or foreign exchange fees. However, always be sure to read the fine print before signing up with these companies because various conditions and fees may apply depending on your particular needs.

5. SIM CARD

Preparing a sim card for a long-term travel trip can be somewhat cumbersome and may require advanced preparation. The best option is to purchase a local sim with data. This is usually the lowest-cost option, as well. Research local providers in the country you are traveling to or ask in online forums or Facebook groups for recommendations.

But even if you are planning on buying a local sim, still bring your regular sim card with you, especially if that phone number is connected to your bank account or other important services. In case you need to authorize something or receive a confirmation code on your regular number, you can always switch out the sim card for a couple of hours.

6. HEALTH & TRAVEL INSURANCE (Plus Check-Ups)

Health insurance should be at the top of the list when it comes to planning for a long-term journey. Especially if extended activities such as trekking or high-adrenaline sports are involved.

Health insurance will provide financial protection in case of unexpected medical emergencies or illnesses that may occur during your trip. Without insurance, medical expenses incurred abroad can be costly. Your insurance typically covers the cost of medical treatment, hospitalization, prescription drugs, ambulance services, and other medical expenses. If you are bringing expensive photography gear and computers, consider investing in travel insurance to cover your valuables in case of theft or damage.

Last but not least, I recommend getting a checkup from both your primary care physician and dentist before leaving on the trip. You’ll feel more confident beginning your travels with a clean bill of health.

Get more inspiration:

• Travel Medical Insurance for Digital Nomads: Why You REALLY Need It

Digital Nomad Packing List: The Ultimate Guide to Traveling Light

• Teach English online: How to Find the Best Fit for You

7. INTERNATIONAL DRIVING LICENSE

If you plan on renting a car during your trip, you may need to get an international driving license. You can sometimes get away with using your domestic license but double-check the legal requirements of your destination country.

In some countries, the law requires you to have an International Driving Permit (IDP) in addition to your domestic license. The fees for the IDP vary depending on where you live, but generally speaking, it is quite affordable and easy to obtain.

8. TAXES & FREELANCE REGISTRATION

For those planning to work while traveling, you may need to do some preparations around taxes and other legal work-related documents.

If you pay taxes in the country of your residence, make sure you are registered as a freelancer and get your tax number OR that your employer will pay taxes and deduct it from your wage if you intend to continue with your job online. 

If you’re not sure what the best course of action is, consult with your accountant. I recommend looking for an accountant who specializes in working with nomads or expats. They’ll be most knowledgeable about how to set you up for success.

9. POWER OF ATTORNEY

When you are away from home for an extended period of time, there may be important decisions that need to be made in your absence. Without a power of attorney, it can be difficult to ensure that these decisions will be made in the way you would like them to. And you defenitely don’t want someone making decisions on your behalf without your permission or knowledge.

A power of attorney is a legal document that gives another person authority to make certain decisions and act on your behalf while you are away. This could include managing finances, signing documents, or making medical decisions if needed. I know – even in 2023, there are places where you can’t get away with an electronic signature and require a physical one!

Having a power of attorney ensures that any necessary actions can still take place even when you’re not present.

10. YOUR STUFF & HOUSE/APARTMENT

Before departing for a long trip, you’ll need to decide what to do with your stuff and how to handle your house or apartment.

If you own a house, you may want to rent it out or have someone, like a housesitter, manage and maintain it while you’re away. It’s also important to make sure that all your bills are taken care of and automated so you don’t have any surprises when you return.

If you’re renting a place, it may make more sense to give up your lease and move your belongings into storage. This can be a great way to save some money. Alternatively, if you’re looking for a fresh start, you can do a big garage sale for most of your belongings and reduce your possessions to what you can fit in a suitcase.

You should also consider shipping your existing vehicles to your destination as it will help save you money over renting cars or buying a new one. 

If you have pets, you’ll need to make plans for their care and well-being while you are away. Consider hiring a pet sitter or asking a friend or relative to take your pet in while you travel.

11. LANGUAGE & CULTURE

To truly elevate and make the most of your travel experience it can be fun to learn a little bit about the language and culture of the destination you are going to.

Learning the basics of the local language can open doors to authentic experiences while traveling.  Start learning French , for instance, if you’re headed to Paris. Use language apps, practice with locals, and embrace mistakes. A simple “Bonjour” can lead to meaningful connections, making your journey unforgettable.

Learning just 15 basic phrases in the language of the country you are traveling to is a great place to start. You’ll be surprised how much locals will appreciate the effort you show. It also demonstrates an important level of respect and openness to the culture and people. Doing some extra research on the local ‘do’s and don’ts’ can also spare you from some embarrassing situations related to local taboos and culture.

Knowing basic information about regional history or famous classics may even break the ice in making local friends or finding subtle insider tips from locals. Language and culture really bring travelers closer to a place, so take some time to learn those prior to your next venture – you won’t regret it!

Starting your long-term travel in Asia?

• Bangkok Tips: How to Survive Your First Time In the Capital of Thailand
• Thailand Travel Guide
• The Best Things to Do in Chiang Mai (Update 2023)
• Where to go in Vietnam: Must-See Places for Your Vietnam Itinerary
• Things to Do in Taipei, Taiwan: Tips on Attractions, Food and Best Hotels

BONUS: MAKE COPIES OF ALL IMPORTANT DOCUMENTS

This is an often-overlooked aspect of preparing for a long trip, but it’s essential.

Before you leave, make copies of all your important documents, such as your passport, IDs, flight ticket, health & travel insurance, driving license, tax number document, visas, and any other important paperwork you may have.

Not being lazy about this and making both digital and paper copies has paid off for me more than once while traveling! Store the digital copies in a secure online cloud storage and the physical copies in a travel document organizer. This way, you will always have easy access to the key details and documents on hand if needed.

Wrapping Up

Traveling long-term can be a daunting prospect, but with the right preparation and research, it doesn’t have to be. From getting your finances sorted out to making copies of important documents and learning some local language basics – these tips should help make your travel planning easier.

So don’t let anything hold you back! Go explore new places, meet interesting people and create unforgettable memories on your month–,  year–, or full-on digital nomad adventure!

• Published: August 21, 2023

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Long Term Travel Planning: How to budget, book and explore

Long term travel planning is a very daunting task at the beginning of the process. The goal of this post is to take that daunting task of how to plan long term travel and break it into smaller and much more manageable pieces! We will address the tough questions that come up when planning long term travel.

There are tons of logistics that go into long term travel planning beyond deciding when and where. It is important to remember that you will also make mistakes and that is ok! Even though we consider ourselves “expert travelers” at this point, we still make mistakes. Travel is a continued learning experience!

If you read about how to quit your job and travel , it explains how we went through this process prior to backpacking the world for six months.

Determine your long term travel style

Depending on your travel experience at this moment, you may not know the answer to this exactly. Your travel style has a lot to do with your personality type and your level of comfort with discomfort. Your travel style will determine how you plan your overall trip and also your daily agendas. There is big picture planning and daily planning to consider.

Here is the difference between big picture and daily itinerary planning: When we went on our first backpacking trip, we knew exactly what days we would be in which cities for the entire six months. This was more cost effective and ultimately saved us tons of money because we booked transportation and housing in advance. However, this was not our approach within our daily itinerary. We love to wander around cities without a strict tourist to-do list. If we find ourselves enjoying an activity, no big deal if we extend that and miss out on something else. Worst case, we just have to come back another time! We simply knew where and when we would be in a city and we would go with the flow from there.

On the contrary, not everyone wants to be held back by even a big picture itinerary. We knew backpackers who simply bought a flight to Asia and figured out their itinerary one day at a time. In some countries, this is totally possible.

Ask yourself the question: How comfortable are you with discomfort?

If you land in a city and do not know where you are staying, will you be comfortable potentially sleeping in the airport if all hostels are sold out? If yes, great! If not, it is a good idea to plan your long term travel to an extent.

How much of your big picture itinerary do you need to plan?

There is absolutely no right or wrong answer to this question. For big picture itinerary planning, here are some examples of different long term travel planning styles.

Each day planned out: Experience everything you can in the time that you have.

This was our approach on our original six month backpacking trip around the world. We knew we had six months without jobs to travel, so we opted to see as much as we possibly could during that time. We moved to a new city every 2-3 days. This was exhausting but we loved it! We will probably never travel like this again, but it was exactly what we wanted at the time. Now that we work remotely and have been to so many different cities, we know exactly which cities we want to go back to and stay for a longer period.

Nothing planned out: The total go with the flow mentality

This is a classic backpacker travel style. We have so much respect for travelers who can do this and feel comfortable. These travelers buy a one way flight somewhere and just figure it out as they go. In destinations like Southeast Asia, you can totally get away with this. There are usually plenty of beds available in community hostels and flights between cities are affordable. As you meet other travelers, you can simply hop in on their plans and potentially check out a city that you didn’t even know existed! The cons to this approach are that housing and flights will be much more expensive. This can eat up more of your daily budget and potentially cut your time short if you did not plan in advance.

A mix of both: The ebb and flow itinerary

This is somewhere in between the two listed above. Most travelers fall into this category but it is not an easy thing to balance. If you go with this approach, we recommend planning at least the first 2-3 weeks of your long term travel itinerary. This way you can get your footing and figure out your next steps once you are in a new region of the world! The cons to this approach are the same as listed above. Housing and transportation will be more expensive. Another thing to consider with this approach is travel planning will take away from your current travel experience. You will need to take time in whatever destination you are in to plan your next move. This is totally not a deal breaker, just one more thing to consider!

Determining your travel style will greatly assist in the rest of your long term travel planning. You will know how detailed you need to be in the next steps! As for next steps, determining your travel budget and destinations go hand in hand with each other when planning long term travel. Depending on your destinations, your daily spend will be more or less. Also depending on the destination, you could spend one month or four months traveling on the same budget!

Again, we are aware this is a daunting task. Do a little bit at a time and before you know it, you will be ready for long term travel!

Determine your long term travel budget

Creating a travel budget is absolutely necessary, especially when it comes to long term travel planning. Similar to your travel style, your budget is partially determined by your level of comfort with discomfort. We had plenty of extra savings on our trip in case of emergency and as backup for when we returned without guarantee of jobs. Not everyone needs this level of comfort though! There are always ways to make money while traveling if you really find yourself in a pickle.

There are also so many ways to travel on a budget without sacrificing your experience. Even if we do not always travel on such a tight budget as our six month trip around the world, we will always use the majority of those principles. They just make sense!

Learn how to travel on a budget.

A few questions to answer while determining your budget:.

• Will you be working while traveling long term?
• What recurring expenses will you still have to pay while traveling? (ie. rent, car or student loan payments)
• What will your financial situation look like when you return from long term travel?

Our budget planning specific post goes into more detail, but here are the four steps to build your long term travel budget:

• Determine flight and transportation costs
• Determine housing costs
• Plan your daily spend
• Plan the costs for excursions and activities

Determine your long term travel destinations

While you are also determining your travel budget, you can also start to determine your destinations. The world is a big place and there is so much to experience. We still have a huge bucket list even after traveling full time for six months! Here is a breakdown of steps to figure out where in the world you want to travel long term.

Write out your bucket list

Where are your dream destinations? Once you write out that list, group things on that list that are in a similar region together. Is it possible to tackle them within the same time frame? For example, two things on our bucket list were to see the Great Wall of China and play with elephants in Thailand. It was actually a reasonably priced flight from China to Thailand, so we started our trip with that!

Once you know which bucket list items you want to check off, what else is there to do in that region? Vietnam was not on our radar when we first started planning and it turned out to be one of our favorite countries in the world. Research other things you want to do while slowly but surely tackling that bucket list.

Plan around the climates

This factor often gets overlooked when long term travel planning. You do not want to visit certain areas of the world during some seasons. For example, you can visit Asia during the rainy season (May – October), but be prepared for consistent heavy rains. If you want to backpack Europe when the weather is warm, then do not plan your trip from December – February. This may seem simple, but is important to consider when planning your long term travel route.

Use code JLJ10 for 10% off all eSIM purchases.

Consider your budget

Some countries are simply cheaper than others. If you are stretching your budget over a long period of time, it may not be worth checking destinations off of the bucket list in really expensive countries. We wanted to go to Switzerland but it simply did not make sense with how expensive it was for even just one night. We will go back when we are not on such a small daily budget!

South America and Southeast Asia are regions where you can really extend your budget. You can spend 4 months in those regions on a $4,000 – $5,000 total budget. There are also cheaper countries in Europe to explore like Hungary, Poland, Czech Republic and Croatia that are affordable backpacking destinations! We spent more time in these areas when we were on a stricter budget.

Remember your travel style

This is a good time to go back to the first thing we talked about. How much do you want to have planned? There is absolutely no wrong way to go about this! The more planning you do ahead of time, the less planning you will have to do while actually traveling.

Travel is messy! Things will go wrong no matter how much you plan. But the less you plan, the more contingency you should have with your budget for unexpected expenses and pricier housing and transportation costs.

Our favorite long term travel planning resources

Google flights.

There are tons of second hand websites for tracking flights and prices but honestly Google Flights is our favorite. You can gauge how much flights should cost and compare different airlines.

This is the best place to start researching housing in each city. Trivago will show you options for any budget and different types of housing. We also find more people leave reviews on housing they find here compared to other housing sites.

Hostel World

Most hostels will also appear on Trivago but it is a good idea to check Hostelworld as well to see budget housing options. Sometimes pricing will differ and be cheaper here compared to other sites!

This is the best website when researching and booking different transportation options between cities. It will show all options from plane, train, car, ferry and bus! When balling on a budget, it is important to know which option is cheaper. Sometimes that overnight bus is worth the savings!

Plan out necessary long term travel details

Once you know where and when you are going, it is time to work out the details!

Book the essential activities

Are there any major activities that you need to book in advance? If you know when you will be in a city with one of your bucket list items, book it now! You never know when activities will fill up, especially if you are visiting during the high tourist season. You do not want to find yourself missing out on an activity because you put off reserving your spot.

Know your neighborhoods

It is important to know where to stay in each new city. We always research the best backpacker neighborhoods in each city because then we know there will be fellow travelers staying in that area and it is most likely budget friendly. Consider your priorities when booking housing and see if you can find options in that area before committing to housing in a new city.

Housing priorities to consider:

• Distance to bars and restaurants
• Distance to public transportation
• Distance to airport or train station

Research, research, research

Travel blogs, Pinterest, and asking friends are all ways to learn more about specific destinations. You will be surprised how many friends are willing to send over restaurants, bars and must do recommendations!

Save recommendations in Google Maps

This is one of our favorite travel planning hacks and will save you time on last minute research when you arrive in a new city. It is very simple:

• Locate the recommendation on Google Maps
• Save the recommendation to a new list if you do not already have a list created for that city
• Write a note about that recommendation that will remind you of the specialty or reason you are saving it (for example, “best sandwich shop” in Florence).

Now when you go to your Google Maps later, you will have an entire list of places to try!

Now that you are well on your way to figuring out your itinerary and long term travel plan, it is time to prepare for long term travel. You need to make sure you are prepared from what to pack to making sure your passport is not expired. Read here everything you need to prepare for long term travel.

Additional Resources:

Learn how to pack light for long term travel! Here are 50 things to know before traveling to Southeast Asia. Backpacking Essentials: Here are 10 Items that every backpack needs.

We hope this post provides clarity on how to plan long term travel! Let us know in the comments if there are any key factors missing. Happy traveling!

Hi friends! Welcome to The Jet Lag Journey.

This is an online destination that tackles difficult travel questions in order to make worldwide travel practical and accessible. Happy exploring!

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

Planning a long-term trip? This is how you can plan well for the journey.

Quick Links

Why a long-term travel deciding if you are ready to embark on a long-term journey, tips for getting started on a long-term trip, where to stay on a long-term travel.

Planning long-term travel seems like a daunting task, and visitors are not always sure exactly where to draw the line when the usual short-term vacation changes everything and last many months or even a year. Regardless of how long one takes to experience new places, planning is key because tourists will need to know a lot about their priority destinations. Long-term travel is more than just how many days or months one spends on a trip. Vacationers' mindsets also matter as well as lots of preparations before beginning the journey. This is how to plan long-term travel, along with tips that actually help.

Related: 15 Helpful Tips To Make Long-Term Travel Easy For Everyone (5 That Sabotage It)

The internet has brought so many things right at the touch of our fingertips, giving us exceptional freedom to choose from plenty of options. Traveling has gone through digital changes, and now the new generation of nomads and independent tourists have an incredible opportunity to not only make money online but also travel the world. We are seeing many people doing this full-time, and there is an increase in the number of long-term vacationers. But why long-term travel? How do you know when you are ready to adopt this lifestyle? Is it sustainable? Let’s find out.

Does Realism Match Your Optimism?

Traveling can be exciting and fun, but at the same time, it can be challenging and exhausting. Long-term traveling needs someone to be optimistic, but an equal amount of realism is even better because it involves a lot. Vacationers find it difficult to accept one fact: that every day isn't going to be as fun and exciting. People are always enticed by Instagram's breathtaking photos of destinations. But understanding that every day isn't going to be beautiful is important when planning a long-term trip.

Leaving the comforts of one’s home to tour new places and interact with different cultures means letting go of the usual lifestyle and starting a new one. Behind every stunning Instagram picture is long period of planning and preparation. Things like the possibility of losing luggage, missing a train, or spending more than planned - are important to think about when preparing for this kind of lifestyle. Understanding that long-term travel has downsides and having the optimism to overcome those challenges will help vacationers decide if they are ready for the journey.

Have You Set Aside Enough Money?

Money matters a lot when it comes to long-term travel, as it is the major factor that determines most of the travel aspects, like transport means, accommodation, and meals. The number of months or weeks to spend on a long-term journey depends on the money allocated for the same. Money will also help travelers decide the countries they can visit because exploring some places can be expensive.

But enough money doesn't have to be a six-digit saving. Traveling doesn't have to be expensive, even if it’s a long-term trip, and it largely depends on the kind of travel one is planning. Plus, there are several budget options for accommodation, transport, and attractions. There are also tips to cut costs when visiting a destination. This allows travelers to spend less and make money on their long-term trips. If one is feeling comfortable with the amount of money they've set aside for a long-term journey, then they are ready to get started.

How Do You Handle The Fear Of Missing A Long-Term Travel Opportunity?

A lot of fears come with long-term travel planning – fear of leaving loved ones, losing a career, visiting certain countries, the fact that things might not go as planned, and having to get back home only after a short while. But the fear of failing on this long-term journey has to be greater than all these other fears. One is ready to embark on a long-term trip when they feel it's a must to make the travel work, and they wouldn’t be satisfied if it doesn’t.

After deciding about readiness to embark on long-term travel, some tips for getting started should make the planning and the trip easy. Here are some to keep in mind:

Get Educated On The Priority Destinations

First of all, it is important to list the places one would like to visit and then set priorities. Travelers should then conduct some thorough research and educate themselves about the countries they'd wish to visit. And this is beyond just learning a few words like saying 'hello' or 'thank you in a local language. It is important to have some ideas about the country's culture and traditions, history, politics, and tourism status. This will smoothen the trip and make it easier to interact with the locals upon one's arrival at the destination.

Get an idea of itineraries , public transportation means, visas, and their costs, backpacking prices , and things to experience in those destinations. There are a lot of online resources to use – travel blogs and social media (perhaps join a Facebook group!).

Know Which Countries To Avoid If Traveling On A Budget

Some countries are extremely expensive than others. It is not advisable to group destinations as a continent or a region to decide which countries to visit. Remember, some regions can be less expensive to visit, but the countries within them vary widely in price. For instance, getting accommodation in Singapore can cost three times more than in Hanoi, and the countries are both in Southeast Asia. Countries like Canada, Australia, Japan, New Zealand, and the USA can be pretty expensive, making them unsuitable for a long-term budget trip.

Related: 5 Expensive Destinations Done On A Budget (And 5 Destinations That Are Outright Steals)

Consider Reviews When Searching For Accommodation Options

Reading other travelers’ reviews on sites like TripAdvisor is important. The type of search engine to use in research depends on which type of accommodation and country one is opting for. Travelers looking to stay in hostels should use hostelworld.com, but Airbnb is also a good resource. Couchsurfing is a crucial site for vacationers looking to embark on long-term budget travel. Booking.com is the best search engine for travelers planning to travel to North America.

Have Long-Term Travel Insurance Ready

To get started on a long-term journey, ensure long-term travel insurance is ready. The last thing one would want to experience is getting caught up in medical charges. When researching insurance companies, it is important to keep activities like high-altitude hiking and skiing into consideration so that all needs are covered.

Pack Everything You’ll Need, But Not Too Much

While travelers should have all the essentials, they must also pack light for long-term travel. Some things to pack include:

• Lightweight raincoats
• Long-term travel backpacks
• Portable charger
• A water bottle (a filter type is preferable)
• Sun protection items, like a hat and sunscreen
• Shirts (long-sleeved and short-sleeved), pants, jeans, leggings, underwear, and a hoodie

Where one is going to stay is something crucial to consider when planning long-term travel. For vacationers who've never traveled long-term, wrapping their heads around which type of accommodation to opt for can be challenging. Consider these factors when deciding where to stay:

• Are you traveling solo or with family or friends?
• Would you mind sharing kitchens or rooms with other travelers if traveling solo?
• How much privacy do you need?
• Are you on a tight budget?

Answers to these questions will determine whether one will stay in a hostel, a hotel, or a vacation home.

Long-term travel has upsides and downsides – and understanding them is the best way to prepare and plan well for the journey.

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The Secret to Long Term Traveling

Serendipitous adventure, carefree nights with newfound friends in foreign lands, delicious foods for bargain prices, and the luxury of time to enjoy it all.

Welcome to the world of long-term travel .

When it comes to this kind of travel, I get a lot of emails asking for my “secret.”

How do you travel so often and for so long? How did you quit your job and escape the grind? You must have a trust fund to afford all that, right?

I’ve written about how I manage to travel in the past ( over and over again), but people still wonder if I am holding something back.

What am I leaving out? What, they ask, is my secret to escaping the cubicle and being a nomad? Did I win the lottery? Do my parents pay for everything?

There must be something that makes me so special.

Well, here it is! The big secret to traveling long-term is…

Absolutely nothing!

There is no special secret.

Vagabonds, nomads, and long-term travelers are nothing special. We have no superpowers or secret Swiss bank accounts. We don’t have a money tree or the ability to teleport everywhere.

Of course, privilege will inevitably play its part , but we’re not unique or doing anything special. This kind of travel has been done for decades, by people from all parts of the world, with a variety of backgrounds.

Long-term travelers are just like you.

When I first discovered long-term travel, I thought the backpackers I had met in Chiang Mai had found some secret to life I didn’t know existed.

But once I got on the road myself, I saw that there was no secret. I wasn’t unique or special. Millions of people every year did this. Even people with virtually no money were making it work.

I had left home thinking I was going on an exciting adventure few people go on — then I went to Khao San Road and hung out in Amsterdam during the summer. In those places, I met travelers young and old doing exactly the same thing as me — and none of them were trust fund babies.

These travelers just did what they wanted — a revolutionary idea for me at the time. But now, after years of travel, I realize that it’s not so revolutionary. If people really want something, they do it. If you want a big-screen TV or a new computer, you find a way to make it happen. If you really want to eat sushi for dinner, you are going to have sushi for dinner.

If you really want to travel, you will do that, too .

Because, just like you find a way to pay for that TV or your new car, these travelers simply arranged their life so that they could afford to travel .

The only thing these people had that I didn’t have before was the desire to do what they wanted to do, free from the expectations of society, just because they enjoyed it.

They simply said, “I want to travel” and then worked to make it happen.

They saved more, they took second jobs, they stayed home instead of going out to eat or drink, they found work overseas. They did whatever it took.

As the saying goes, where there’s a will, there’s a way.

It is that simple.

People ask me about whether I worry about bills, retirement, and my future. To be honest, not really.

When you travel long-term, all those things disappear. You have no bills because you have no home. You just spend what you spend from day to day (which is usually less than $50 a day ).

My mother told me I should start saving more for my retirement so I could…wait for it…travel more.

Then she stopped herself and said, “Well, I guess you do that already, so never mind!”

I’m a big believer in the idea that we shouldn’t work our lives away and that we should take short breaks to pursue our passions . Why should I spend my best years in an office, saving money for an age I may not even see, or if I do see it, might be too sick to enjoy?

Yeah, we long-term travelers save a bit for a rainy day, but we don’t worry about the future. We enjoy now . Take care of your present, and your future works itself out. When I stop traveling, I’ll figure out what is next.

So, when you ask travelers how they do it, they aren’t lying when they say there is no secret. We simply made a conscious decision to do it and, after that, just worked toward our goal, saving money and making plans just like what you would do for any other goal or venture in your life.

That’s the secret. So, know that you know it, go start making your travel dreams come true!  

Book Your Trip: Logistical Tips and Tricks

Book Your Flight Find a cheap flight by using Skyscanner . It’s my favorite search engine because it searches websites and airlines around the globe so you always know no stone is being left unturned.

Book Your Accommodation You can book your hostel with Hostelworld . If you want to stay somewhere other than a hostel, use Booking.com as it consistently returns the cheapest rates for guesthouses and hotels.

Don’t Forget Travel Insurance Travel insurance will protect you against illness, injury, theft, and cancellations. It’s comprehensive protection in case anything goes wrong. I never go on a trip without it as I’ve had to use it many times in the past. My favorite companies that offer the best service and value are:

• SafetyWing (best for everyone)
• Insure My Trip (for those 70 and over)
• Medjet (for additional evacuation coverage)

Want to Travel for Free? Travel credit cards allow you to earn points that can be redeemed for free flights and accommodation — all without any extra spending. Check out my guide to picking the right card and my current favorites to get started and see the latest best deals.

Need Help Finding Activities for Your Trip? Get Your Guide is a huge online marketplace where you can find cool walking tours, fun excursions, skip-the-line tickets, private guides, and more.

Ready to Book Your Trip? Check out my resource page for the best companies to use when you travel. I list all the ones I use when I travel. They are the best in class and you can’t go wrong using them on your trip.

Got a comment on this article? Join the conversation on Facebook , Instagram , or Twitter and share your thoughts!

Disclosure: Please note that some of the links above may be affiliate links, and at no additional cost to you, I earn a commission if you make a purchase. I recommend only products and companies I use and the income goes to keeping the site community supported and ad free.

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16 Things to Prepare for a Long trip – International Travel Checklist

What are the things to prepare for traveling long-term? What do you need to keep in mind and how can you be prepared for anything when you’re going on a long-term trip? Here’s an international travel checklist with an overview of what you need to prepare and know before going on a long-term adventure.

I still remember that feeling of excitement when I was preparing for my first solo long-term trip.

I was going to travel for a year to Australia and New Zealand. I had little travel experience and not really a clue what I was doing. I felt nervous and anxious about leaving my family, friends, and home but also thrilled for the adventure ahead.

When you’re about to go on a long-term trip, there are a lot of things to take care off. And while you’re preparing for that adventure into the unknown, you might also go through a variety of emotions for the upcoming trip.

You might feel overwhelmed at times by all the things you need to do at home (storing your belongings, arranging a postal address, saying goodbye to your loved ones), nervous about the trip ahead (am I really ready for this??) and hopefully also very excited for this new adventure.

I can fully relate to these feelings as I’ve been through it myself many times.

I’ve been living a nomad life for 10 years now. Every time I’m about to leave my home base and set out on a new adventure, I have to prepare myself physically and mentally for the next chapter of my journey.

Reading Tip: Why I decided to leave the grind and become a nomad

Throughout the years I’ve learned a lot through trial and error. Realizing you can’t enter a country because your passport is going to expire within 6 months or having your credit card blocked because you forgot to tell your bank you’re traveling to a new destination isn’t fun…

To avoid making the same mistakes, I’ve started making an international travel checklist for myself with all the things to prepare before traveling to my next destination(s).

I’m also sharing some useful tips and resources so you’re prepared for anything while traveling long-term!

Disclaimer: This posts might contain affiliate links, meaning that if you make a purchase through these links, I may earn an affiliate commission. Thank you for helping to support this website!

TABLE OF CONTENTS

International Travel Checklist – Essential documents to prepare before traveling

1. get a passport with enough visa pages.

Depending on how many countries you’re going to visit, make sure you have enough visa pages available in your passport.

Some countries request having a blank page for either an entry stamp or a visa. If you don’t have any blank pages left, you might be refused entry.

Upon applying for a new passport, check how many pages the standard passport of your country of residency has. If you’re planning on traveling a lot, you should consider requesting a 52-page passport.

Most countries also require your passport to have six months of remaining validity . As you never know how your trip will go, just always make sure your passport is valid for 6 months beyond your planned trip.

If you’re already traveling and you notice that you’re running out of visa pages or passport validity, you should be able to renew your passport in your embassy or consulate abroad.

Just keep in mind that it will take longer to receive a new passport when you apply for one abroad than it would in your home country.

2. Check the visa requirements of your destination(s)

Never forget to check the visa requirements of your destination(s) before you leave on your trip. Some countries offer a visa upon arrival, other countries require you to apply for a visa in advance.

Nowadays most countries have an e-visa portal through which you can apply for a visa online. However, there are still countries that only issue visas at their embassies.

For a few countries, such as China, you have to apply in person in your country of residency. Keep this in mind if you’re f.eg. planning an overland trip from Europe to Asia !

A great resource for checking the visa requirements for each country and how to apply is iVisa . This service also offers assistance if the application process turns out to be a bit complicated.

Another tip is to always keep track of the time you have on your visa . This might seem obvious but is often overlooked.

I once miscalculated the days on my 30-day visa for Bali. Upon departure at the airport, an immigration officer kept questioning me for more than an hour why I had overstayed my visa.

I wasn’t even aware of it until I realized I had miscalculated with one day… I had to pay a fine and was able to catch my flight to Malaysia just on time.

So don’t make the same mistake as me and also, don’t leave on the last day of your visa in case your flight is delayed or gets canceled… You don’t want to be stuck at the airport like Tom Hanks in The Terminal. I’ll tell you later on in this article what to do in case of flight cancellation.

3. Get an international driver’s license

You might initially not have plans to rent a car and drive yourself but if you go on a long-term trip, it’s always good to be prepared for anything. You never know that you suddenly feel like going on a road trip or that you have to drive in an emergency situation.

When I was hitchhiking from Ireland to Central Asia, I had no intention of driving myself but it gave me peace of mind knowing that I could if something would happen.

Not all countries require an international driver’s license but it’s good to have one in case you run into any issues.

4. Get proof of vaccination if required

Depending on where you’re going, you might need to get certain vaccinations. You can check here to see if your destination requires any mandatory vaccinations.

When I traveled to Africa many years ago, I had to get vaccinated for yellow fever or I wasn’t allowed to enter certain countries. I also got vaccinated for Hepatitis A & B, typhoid, diphtheria and tetanus. I’m telling you, I’m prepared for anything…

Nowadays it will also be important to check if you need proof of a COVID-19 vaccination or a negative PCR test result upon arrival at your destination.

5. Get an international debit or credit card, a travel card and cash

I always travel with 2 cards: an international debit card supported by Visa and a travel card. It’s good to have a backup in case one of the cards gets lost or stolen. That’s why you should never put your cards together in your wallet or handbag but instead keep them in separate places.

Most countries have ATMs nowadays but you need to check beforehand if you’re better of with a card supported by Visa or MasterCard . In countries like Kyrgyzstan, most ATMs only accept Visa cards.

Don’t forget to notify your bank that you’ll be using your card abroad. You don’t want them to block your debit or credit card when you need to withdraw money from an ATM abroad.

I also have a travel card from Wise (formerly known as TransferWise). You can easily open an account online and apply for a debit card that you can use worldwide to withdraw money at a very low fee (1.75%).

Some countries don’t have well-functioning ATMs yet, like Uzbekistan , so it’s also very useful to bring some emergency cash. US Dollars are accepted worldwide and usually have one of the best exchange rates.

And last but not least, carry local currency with you in case you go to a shop or restaurant that doesn’t accept credit cards.

Tip: Most airports have ATMs nowadays but charge a larger fee than ATMs in cities. The rates to exchange money at the airports are also usually higher. Only withdraw or exchange enough money to get from the airport to your hotel or hostel and get some local currency once you’re in the city.

6. Make copies of your travel documents

Once you have all of the above documents in order, make paper copies of them. It’s handy to have paper copies of your passport, driver’s license, etc. in case you lose your original ones or if they get stolen. That’s why you should store the copies in a separate bag than where you keep the original ones.

Tip: If you travel in countries that are known for bribing officials, never hand over your original documents. Give them a paper copy instead and say that you left the original ones in your hotel room.

Fortunately, I’ve never been in such a situation but I’ve heard horror stories of travelers in which the officials would only return their passports after they paid a huge bribe…

I also always have a scanned copy of my documents on my phone and on an online account that I can access on any device.

Things to prepare in case of unexpected circumstances

7. get long-term medical travel insurance.

Chances are that nothing will happen when you’re on the road but look at what 2020 has taught us…

From catching a weird virus to motorcycle accidents, lost luggage at the airport, pickpocketing, breaking your leg while  skiing , or falling during a horse trek , bad luck can strike you at the most unexpected moment.

Having medical travel insurance will be a blessing when you have to go to the hospital as you don’t want to spend your entire travel budget on medical costs.

For advice on what to do in case of flight cancellation and delay, read the section below.

Reading Tip: One of the Best Medical Travel Insurances for Nomads – SafetyWing Review

8. Know what to do in case of flight cancelation or flight problems

It can always happen that your flight gets delayed or canceled. Especially nowadays, due to the current situation, many airlines cancel flights last-minute.

Like many other travelers, I’ve had this happening to me in 2020. That’s when I found out about Flightright .

Flightright is a great platform to help you get to know your rights in case your flight is delayed or canceled, and they also offer assistance with flight problems caused by corona.

What to do if my flight is canceled? I firstly contact my airline to see if I can get a replacement flight or a refund. On top of that, I also check if I’m entitled to flight cancellation compensation.

To know how much compensation I can get for my canceled flight, I use Flightright’s free compensation calculator . They offer great advice to know your rights as a passenger and what you should do to claim your compensation.

If the airline refuses to pay, Flightright also has a team of travel law experts that offer legal services to enforce your claim.

So in case you’d encounter any problems with your flight (delays, cancellations, strikes, overbooking,…), definitely check out Flightright’s platform as they tell you in detail what you’re rights are and what to do!

9. Know who to contact in case of emergency

Keep the contact information of your local embassy on your phone or write it down and keep it close in case you encounter problems with local authorities.

I once had trouble with some police officers in Kyrgyzstan who were claiming I needed proof of registration to travel in the country. That wasn’t true as these regulations had changed in the last year.

These police officers were just trying to get a bribe out of me. I kept my calm but when they started using threats like having me arrested, I took out my phone and told them I was going to call my embassy. They immediately left me alone.

It’s also not a bad idea to register with your local embassy . You can email them or give them a quick call as soon as you’re at your destination.

If there would be an unforeseen problem in the country, your government will know that you’re there and will help you get to safety.

I’d also recommend installing the TripWhistle app on your phone. This app maps your location, allows you to text or send your GPS coordinates to someone, and provides you with the emergency numbers for the police, the fire department, and medical services in nearly 200 countries.

10. Keep a list of emergency contact info and stay connected with your home

As I often travel alone, I always carry a list with the contact details of my mother and sister in the form of a small card. I keep one in my wallet and one in my backpack.

I do this in case something would happen to me so medical professionals know who to contact.

If you have allergies, I would also write them down on a card. In case you need treatment and you can’t answer questions, the doctors at least will know what you’re allergic to.

I know that the list above seems a bit gloomy. I’m a very positive person and the chances that something happens on the road are very slim. It’s just always better to be safe than sorry and to be prepared for anything!

Now let’s move on to fun things to prepare for your upcoming adventure!

More Useful things to prepare for travel

11. essential travel items.

I’ll soon make a post of what I carry in my backpack as a long-term traveler. But no matter your destination and how long you go traveling, these are the items you should always pack:

• small first-aid kit including bandaids, antibacterial ointment, paracetamol, medicine for stomach illness,…
• hand sanitizer and toilet paper
• small flashlight
• portable charger
• universal travel adapter
• reusable water bottle with a filter so you can safely drink tap water wherever you are
• pen and paper : very useful to take notes, fill in papers at customs,…
• protein bars or snacks : if you want to be prepared for anything, make sure to have some food with you!
• thread and needle travel kit : very handy when there’s a rip in your bag or clothing

Read: What’s in My Camera Bag – Essential Gea r for Travel Photographers

12. Useful travel apps

It’s crazy to think that when I started traveling in 2011, smartphones and travel apps didn’t exist yet.

I used to find my way around places by using a foldable paper map, find accommodation by reading suggestions from a guide book or knocking on doors,… So much has changed in the last decade!!

I might sometimes feel nostalgic about those good old-school travel days but some travel apps have made things a lot easier.

Here are the travel apps I find most useful and are worldwide accessible:

• Google Maps or any GPS app to find your way around places. I also download maps for offline use.
• Google Translate : this app translates into 103 languages, has access to nearly 60 languages for offline use, offers camera translation in 37 languages (handy to read signs or menus) and has two-way instant speech translation available in 32 languages
• XE Currency Converter : this app quickly provides up-to-day currency rates and you can also use it offline.
• GlobeTips : this app advises you how to tip appropriately in more than 200 countries. It also offers a tip calculator.
• Booking.com : there are many apps that help you find (last-minute) accommodation. I always use the booking.com app to find good deals that suit my budget.

13. Book first night accommodation

I’m an adventurous traveler and like spontaneous travel but I always book my first night’s accommodation in a new country in advance.

I’m usually tired after a flight or a long day of overland travel and it puts my mind at ease knowing that I have a place to relax for at least one night upon arrival.

It gives me the time to arrive, to adjust to my new environment, to explore the area, and prepare for the next steps of my journey.

Reading Tip: The Ultimate Guide to Finding Cheap and Free Accommodation around the World

14. Research your destination

I always do some research about the countries I’m visiting. Not only to have an idea of which places I would like to see but also to have some knowledge about the local culture and customs.

I don’t want to be an ignorant traveler thinking that the rules and etiquette from my home country are the same everywhere else in the world.

Research the dress code. You really don’t want to be that girl wearing short dresses in a conservative country or that guy wearing shorts and sandals while visiting religious sites.

Know what is allowed and not to avoid misunderstandings. When I was hitchhiking from Ireland to Central Asia, I had to be very aware of my hand gestures. In some countries, a thumbs-up means the same as putting up your middle finger…

Remember that you’re a visitor. If you invite someone into your home, you would like them to respect your rules and customs. Do the same when you’re traveling, even if those customs don’t align with yours. It’s part of the travel experience.

15. Learn basic phrases

People love it when they hear you’re trying to speak their native tongue. They’ll react with amazement, give you a big smile, and won’t label you as “just another tourist”.

They’re happy when a foreigner puts effort into learning their language, even if it’s just basic phrases like “hello, how are you, thank you,…” and they’ll respect you for that.

By learning the basics of the local language, doors that otherwise would remain closed have opened.

I’ve been countless times invited for a drink, a meal or a sleeping place. People quickly open up if they hear you’re putting effort into learning their language.

Learning the local language has been a very enriching experience and taught me more about the country than if I would just visit its historical and tourist sites.

Reading Tip: 7 Reasons why you should learn a foreign language

16. Be flexible and have a positive and open mindset

There’s this saying ” If you want to make God laugh, tell him about your plans”. This is oh so true!

Nothing ever goes as planned, especially when you’re traveling. Unexpected things will happen. It’s part of the adventure and the journey.

I’ve learned to be flexible, have an open mind, and approach unforeseen events with a positive mindset. Every challenge is an invitation to learn and whatever came my way, it always brought me where I’m supposed to be.

I hope this travel checklist is helpful and that you’re feeling more prepared for your upcoming adventure! If you’d have more questions, feel free to leave a comment or send me a private message.

Do you have more things to add to this international travel checklist? Do you have more tips and resources that are useful to be prepared for anything on the road? Let me know in the comments below!

MORE USEFUL POST ABOUT LONG-TERM TRAVEL:

The Ultimate List of 23 Countries with Digital Nomad Visas (for remote workers)

What is the best Affordable Travel Insurance for Backpackers? The 3 Best Backpacker Travel Insurance Companies Compared

Travel and volunteer abroad for free with these 4 work exchange programs

The Complete Guide to Teach English Online with 37 Online Teaching schools and Platforms

4 Realistic and Best Ways to Find Free Accommodation for Travellers

How to Make Money While Traveling the World including the 12 Best Travel Jobs

2 thoughts on “16 things to prepare for a long trip – international travel checklist”.

Your article is very helpful, especially for the beginner.

Thank you Jay

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Solo Traveler

Solo travel tips, destinations, stories... the source for those who travel alone.

Long-term Travel Guide: Slow Travel One Destination or Tour Many

March 18, 2019 by Janice Waugh

Congratulations! If you’re reading this you have decided to travel long term. Perhaps it's a gap year or a career break. Whichever, it's going to be great!

But long-term travel presents a few challenges in both the planning and traveling stages that you likely won’t have encountered on a typical vacation.

Will you be on the move most of your long-term trip or do you want to settle into a destination for a month or two? If it's the former, you have a lot of logistics to deal with. If it's the latter, you need to choose your destination and where, in that destination, you want to settle yourself. You'll need a plan for what you'll do there beyond seeing sights. And you'll need to  know how you will accommodate any dietary needs.

While traveling, you might face loneliness, a feeling of being unsettled, and a need to be grounded. You might become travel-weary.

Way back in 2001, I moved my family to Europe. The idea was to spend 10 months there. We spent five of those months in Neuchatel, Switzerland where one of my sons attended a Canadian school. We used Neuchatel as a base from which to explore central Europe but, essentially, we were slow traveling in one place. The following five months we toured the perimeter of the continent in a Volkswagen pop-up camper van. There was very little online at that point to help us plan but we managed with the help of friends and friends of friends.

I recently received a couple of emails from readers looking for help with planning a long-term trip. For this post I've dug in and done some research. I'll share the results as well as a few things I learned from long-term travel that I hope will help you.

You may also want to read:

Backpacking Solo: Your Complete Guide for a Great Budget Trip

Table of Contents

Travel Long-term Destinations for Your Interests and Budget

People sometimes ask me where to travel. It's such a personal decision. How can anyone answer this question except to suggest destinations that they have enjoyed?

Your Best Slow Travel Destination

To stay a few months in a destination requires a passion for it. Perhaps you speak a second language and want to live in a culture and the language full time. Or maybe you love the food of a certain country and want to eat it and learn how to cook it properly. Your passion could be driven by your heritage, the books of a certain author, music, or art. Any of these will give you a reason to stay, sink in, and enjoy a destination for a long while.

Creating Your Long-term Travel Itinerary

Whether you have a few months or a couple of years, it is easy to plan too much for a trip that involves many destinations. It's important to set out with at least a loose plan. You want there to be lots of room for changing your mind but enough of  a plan that your time and budget will be managed well. Search “long-term travel itinerary” on Google and you'll see many itineraries. Here are a few things to keep in mind.

• Develop your wish list. If you could only visit five countries, what would they be? You have a year? Make that 10.
• Now look at where they are geographically in the world. Are all five countries realistic given the time you have?
• If you want to be flexible with your time, choose countries that are possible to reach via ground transportation.
• Plan to travel slowly with a week or (hopefully) more for each destination. As you actually travel this may shift to a few days in one place to weeks in another but planning for an average number of days per destination will help you control your itinerary.
• Consider the weather you can expect in your destinations and the time of your trip. If you don't like cold, don't plan South America in July and August when the average temperature in Santiago, Chile is 9°C or 48°F. On the other hand, plan your trip well and you could enjoy an endless summer.
• For flights, consider  Airtreks,  a travel agency that specializes in booking long-term travel. They specialize in multiple flights in one trip. They know which airlines hub where, which ones have stopover programs for what destinations, and which local carriers are going to save you money when moving within a region, etc. However, to use them you need to have a complex trip. Their minimum is at least 3 stops internationally in at least two countries, not including the start and end cities.
• For train travel, see  The Man in Seat 61 . It's an amazing site that is well maintained. Bus travel is very local in nature and best arranged in the destination.

Destination Resources

• Expatistan  will give you the cost of settling into a destination compared with the cost of your home city. For those digging into a destination for a few months, this is a valuable resource.
• Nomad List is an incredible resource. As they describe it, “Nomad List is a database of 2,113+ cities in the world analyzing 1,716,568+ data points every second to help you choose where to go next — and when you arrive, it connects you to 100,000+ 🌍 nomads there.”
• Rome2Rio is a site where you can find out how to get just about anywhere from anywhere. It's an invaluable tool for planning a long-term trip as it can tell you how long and how much money moving from one place to another will cost. Knowing this may eliminate certain destinations from your list.

Best Solo Travel Destinations: Real Solo Travelers Love These Best Budget Destinations for Solo Travelers How to Plan Your Solo Travel Budget – On Any Budget

Slow Travel and Live Like a Local in Affordable Accommodation

When I planned the trip in 2001, there was very little on the Internet. There were no blogs and certainly no housing sites. The best to be found were classified sections in local newspapers. Now there is so much more. But some of the low-tech methods still work.

• Put out the word. There's nothing like word of mouth or share by Facebook to get the word out that you are looking for a short-term rental. Let people know. When I did this, I not only found a place but found someone to go and check it out to ensure that it was in a good area and clean. Photos and feedback really helped.
• Look for online listings for your destination . It may be a simple classified ad, it could be on the local version of Craiglist or Kijiji.
• Country-specific month-to-month rental sites . PrimeLocation is an option in the UK. Searching it, I learned that PCM is per calendar month and PW is per week. Prices are shown for both. You can filter furnished apartments only. One of the women who wrote me found  daft.ie  for rentals in Ireland.
• Land first. Find an apartment/flat second . Waiting until you arrive has the advantage of giving you time to suss out the city and decide what area you'd like to stay in. You can also learn how locals find the apartments for rent and use local sources.
• Home exchange . Trade your home for one in your destination. Here's what one of our readers had to say about home exchanges.  Free Accommodation: Try a Home Exchange .
• House-sitting. You'll have a few responsibilities if you house-sit but you will get your accommodation for free.
• Trade your skills.  World Packers   Trade your skills for a free place to stay. You might end up staying in a hostel, homestay, NGO, a farm or eco-project. Choose your continent destination and see what's on offer. You need to sign up as a traveler on their site and then apply for the position.
• Find a community.   Roam is a new service. It is an international network of co-living spaces that combines accommodation with work space and community.

Packing for a Long-Term Trip

When you're traveling long term you may think that you need to carry more than for a short-term trip but that's not really the case.

Packing for Slow Travel

If you plan to stay in one place for a long time you're best, as always, to pack lightly , and see what you actually need when you're there. Washing your clothes is easy when you've settled into one place, plus, a laundromat can be an interesting local experience. Should you find yourself missing things, there are always thrift shops and other low-cost options for buying exactly what you need.

Packing for a Long-term Trip on the Move

A backpack is your best choice for a long-term trip. A carry-on case requires at least one hand free at all times, and if it's a roller bag it can be heavy. Both these scenarios are not good if you're going up and down stairs at train stations, walking long distances, or are in places where you really want to keep your bag close to you at all times. For how to choose and pack a backpack, read:  Backpacking Solo: Your Complete Guide for a Great Budget Trip .

Bare Minimum Packing: Here’s Your Packing List Bare Minimum Packing – Travel Gear! Bare Minimum Packing: Urban and Luxury Travel Checked Baggage: Top Planning and Packing Tips Winter Solo Travel: Destinations, Planning, and Packing

You Needn't Be Lonely: Slow & Long-term Travel

Despite the fact that my 10-month trip was in a VW pop-up camper which allowed me to have everything I needed with me, including the same bed every night, there were times I longed for more. You likely will too.

Fear of being lonely is one of the greatest concerns of people about to set out on a solo career break or gap year. Here are a few ways you can deal with this.

• Connect with locals. When you stay in one place longer you will inevitably meet people. Go to the same coffee shop on a daily basis. Join a Meetup.com group. Read:  Travel Deeper: 12 Tips to Help You Connect with Locals .
• Be open to a travel companion . I have met travel companions on ships, at an ashram, and, of course, at hostels. Traveling with someone for a week or two is a great way to manage loneliness on a long-term trip. I book my hostels on  Booking.com  because I can see the reviews of hostels as well as inns and B&Bs that are in my budget all in one place.
• Breaking up a long-term trip by joining a tour and letting the company manage all the details while you simply enjoy the other travelers is a great way to beat loneliness.
• If you're traveling slow, take a course. Learn the language of your destination, or its culinary tricks. Learn to do something you've always wanted to learn whether that's rock climbing or watercolor painting.
• Join an organization or a Meetup.com group to connect with people with similar interests.
• If you've been on the move, settle down. When you’re traveling for a long period of time, hostel life can get old. You start to crave privacy, creature comforts, and a place that feels like it’s yours. Renting a short-stay apartment in many countries is either equal to or only slightly more per night than a private hostel room in a larger city. Try  Airbnb  or  VRBO.com  for booking an apartment.
• Go to a resort or take a retreat . On our 10-month trip, we went to a resort in Sicily for a week to get that settled feeling. Having people around, being served three meals a day, having my room cleaned every morning, ocean swimming: it was a bit of heaven. Try  VRBO  and  Vacation Home Rentals .

Manage Your Finances on the Road

• Insurance is a must . Getting sick while traveling solo, especially if you plan to be traveling long term, is no fun. Having the back-up of an insurance provider not only helps you if the worst happens, but also saves you tons of cash. Read  Going Alone? Travel Insurance is a Must .
• Have a second credit card and make sure one is a Visa.  In many countries, cash is king. But, on those occasions when you will need a credit card, it’s always good to have a back-up in case one doesn’t work. I’ve found that Visa is the most accepted worldwide with few exceptions. American Express tends to be the least accepted. And, don’t be fooled, even when a business displays a sticker that says a certain type of card is accepted, it might not be. Finally, call your credit card company to let them know where you will be traveling so your card won’t be blocked in off-the-beaten-track countries. Some banks no longer require this, but it doesn't hurt to make a quick call and they may offer some additional tips to help you keep your card safe.
• Don't use public Wi-Fi without a VPN. You should never go into your bank account or use your credit card online when you're on public Wi-Fi unless you're using a VPN. A hostel or coffee shop with a security code is still public Wi-Fi. Your account could be hacked, and worse, the data gathered could be used to hack you more. Read  VPN for Travel: What, Why and an Easy Setup Guide .
• Take crisp, clean bills.  Even though you’ll be using ATMs mostly, it never hurts to have some extra US dollars or Euros in your pocket. Make sure that you have fresh, new, clean bills. When exchanging money, your bills will be closely inspected. Any tears, stamps, marks, or signs of wear could make the local exchange service leery of accepting your cash.
• Pay in the local currency, ALWAYS.  To get the best price on the goods you’re buying, always pay in the local currency. If you insist on paying with your dollars or euros, you will likely pay more. The vendor isn’t necessarily trying to rip you off. They are trying to hedge their bets so when they take your foreign money to the bank, they don’t lose out. And, there is the hassle factor for them.
• Save on Hotels? Yes You Can, with These Tips
• Protect Yourself from Pickpockets: Keep Cards & Cash Safe
• Book and Travel Without a Credit Card: Top Tips
• VPN for Travel: What, Why and an Easy Setup Guide

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Editor Tracey: tracey @ solotravelerworld.com

Sales Simon: simon @ solotravelerworld.com

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How to Pack for Long-Term Travel Around the World

Last updated on January 4, 2024 by Shannon

Traveling around the world for a year (or even six months) is a different beast than a one-week or short-term vacation. While the packing lists share many similarities, long-term round the world travelers often need to pack a few different things that you wouldn’t for a regular trip. Unlike packing single destination or a single climate, your entire wardrobe and gear has to different climes and locations, while still fitting in your backpack..

When I left on my first yearlong round the world trip , I had a lot of anxiety about what to pack. This post shares not only my one-year long-term travel packing list and the updates I added along the way, but also my current recommended packing list after 15+ years traveling around the world as a digital nomad (because a lot has changed since 2008!).

What’s more—I don’t just tell you what to pack—but exactly why and how I’ve found each item on this packing list useful, so you can assess if it is also worth the weight in your pack during your own world travels, whether you’re heading out for a week, a month, or a long-term trip like mine.

Skip straight to the gear and shop my entire packing list on Amazon .

Table of Contents

Long-Term World Travel Packing List

Picture this: It’s 2008, and I’m desperately combing through the sparse online travelogues. I pause at every selfie—not called a selfie back then—and carefully log in my notebook what clothes the women are wearing in their photos.

My list includes notes like “most women carrying one hoodie and two long-sleeved shirts!” and “five t-shirts and a couple tanks = enough”. I initiated my visual stalking sessions in a desperate bid to discover how many tops and bottoms women packed for their round-the-world trips , along with which brands seemed to hold up throughout their year on the road.

When I left in 2008, I posted my original packing list ( below ) so that another woman would never again go through that painstaking process. The internet is a different place now—there’s a lot  of packing advice out there. But yet, every single week a heck of a lot of people still make it to this page for inspiration when sussing out their own long-term travel packing list.

So, consider this my updated, 2023 packing list for female travelers. It’s a full guide to effective packing for long-term trips (a month or more) and freely shares the lessons I’ve learned after 15+ years of travel and living abroad .

This male packing list is also well done, with great recommendations if you’re of the other persuasion. Sections below cover clothes, shoes, electronics, toiletries and more. I offer suggested brands and products, but keep in mind, I had only a few expensive pieces when I started; after 15+ years on the road, some of these were investment pieces that may or may not be worth it for your trip.

Note: As an Amazon Associate I earn a small commission from qualifying purchases—this does not affect my recommendations obviously, as this is a list of my current gear and recommendations of items that I paid for myself.

TL;DR: Long-Term Travel Packing List

• 8 tops (4 t-shirts, 1-2 long-sleeved shirts, 1-2 tank tops, and 1 UPF shirt )
• 4 bottoms (2 travel pants /jeans, 1-2 skirts , 1 dress, 1-2 shorts/capri )
• Cold weather layers: 1 pair leggings, 1 thermal , 1 hoodie
• 1 thin rain jacket
• 4-8 underwear
• 2-3 bras + sports bras
• 1 pair thin sleep shorts
• 1 pair hiking boots or sturdy walking shoe
• 1 pair Chacos or sports sandals
• 1 pair stylish sandals (flip-flops for hostels)
• 1 pair ballet flats (super optional)

Packing Essentials

• 1 set leak-proof containers
• prescriptions (scanned and stored online; printed for pain meds)
• 1 luggage lock(s) (optional combination lock needed for hostels)
• 1 quick-dry travel towel
• 1 menstrual cup
• 1 medical kit
• 1 spork (optional)
• 1 reusable water bottle and SteriPen or LifeStraw
• safety essentials : door stop, safety whistle carabiners, pencil wrapped with duct tape

Electronics

• 1 laptop/netbook/iPad
• 1 smartphone with quality camera
• 1 backup hard drive for photos
• 1 portable charger
• 1 mirrorless camera or point-and-shoot
• 2 travel adaptors (1 multi-USB adaptor; 1 set of small ones)
• 1 water purification device
• 1 pack of cards

Best Clothes for Long-term Travel

Travel-friendly tops.

There’s a good amount of variability here depending on your style preferences and where you’ll spend the bulk of your time on the road. If you’re only dipping into cold places, then opt for one fewer long-sleeved shirt because you can always use your thermal as a base-layer and then put a t-shirt over top.

You must travel with a high-quality UV protective shirt . Most people on round-the-world trips do a lot more outdoors activities than they would in everyday life. You’re sightseeing , snorkeling , trekking , kayaking, etc.

A quality UPF 50+ shirt is a must-pack. I had one on my round-the-world trip, and it’s always with me now, too—over the years I invested in a long-sleeved one for cooler hikes as well.

For the other shirts in your bag, simple cotton ones from your closet will likely suffice. Make one a bit nicer so that you can wear it out for a nice dinner. I also carry two thin tank tops ; I sleep in these, or wear them in non-conservative, hot climates. I tend to pack a range of colors for tops, though all in the same shade families so that key items layer well.

Vary your ratio of t-shirts and tank tops to long-sleeved shirts if you’re planning to visit many cold-weather places. You’ll definitely skip packing a sweater, which is why it’s so important to have a quality thermal and hoodie .

Lightweight/Versatile Dresses

Dresses and skirts an be a lifesaver since they allow you to stay cool in the heat. I tend to favor traveling with two below-the-knee skirts these days, but when I pack my travel dress , it’s pretty similar to this Columbia dress .

I’ve tried on prAna dresses over the years, which are well-made and raved about by other travelers. I’ve never found one that really hit my fashion sense, and I tend to stick with Columbia brand items because they fit my body type well (tall and slender), but I note that here in case you see one of their dresses that you love better.

I recommend getting a travel dress with inch-thick sleeves at the very least. This is more versatile in slightly conservative areas, and if you get a dress that covers more of your shoulder, it provides better sun protection too, which is important if you wear it out sightseeing!

Should it be a travel-specific dress? No! And, yes! If you’re packing for a month, stick with a dress from your closet—if you’re traveling with the dress long-term, however, travel dresses hold up better to many, many washes and are a just a better item to put on your packing list.

Pants & Bottoms

The skirts and dresses that I recommended comprise half of my “bottoms,” and that’s always a good ratio since I am most often in warm climates. I just wear my leggings under skirts in cooler climes.

In addition, I carry my fancy lightweight travel pants . I had a pair of Columbia pants when I first left and I loved them dearly, but they ripped when I took a particularly gnarly fall on my bicycle in Mexico. So, I replaced them with the closest I could find, which is a black pair of Columbia hiking pants . These pants run small—truly very small, like maybe go up two sizes if you have large hips/butt.

I might buy these prAna Halle ones though when I wear out my current high-tech pants because they are more true to size but still look good. To that end—go with black, that’s the entire point of these slim but functional pants over cargo styles from the North Face (which I also own and use on hiking trips, but just can’t fathom packing on a long-term trip because they’re so touristy).

The prAna pants are more stylish than many pants in this travel category. Besides that, I carry a pair of lightweight skinny jeans. I also carry whatever pair of black or grey leggings that I find in my drawer when packing. I don’t wear leggings as pants, but I do wear them under everything, including my jeans if it gets cold enough.

Leggings are a good idea on any packing list for long-term world travelers since they make all of your outfits a bit more versatile in warm/cold weather. I find that shorts are not very handy in conservative cultures, which you will undoubtedly visit on a long-term trip. Plus they tend to be very short or very ugly.

If you love shorts and are traveling to countries where you can wear them, consider packing just one skirt as a trade-off. Also consider packing a pair of thin capris instead of shorts, on many of my world trips I packed capris, and they were convenient—now I just prefer skirts for personal and style reasons.

I nearly always pack bottoms in tones of grey and black, and occasionally a colorful skirt; that way everything matches my tops.

Travel Skirts

Women will need a calf-length skirt at the very least to allow you to visit the temples and churches of this world. On my round the world trip, I had an ankle-length skirt that came in very handy during my four-months in India and Nepal .

Since then, in the rest of Asia and in Europe, it’s most handy to find a skirt that hits just below the knee. I own a SmartWool Merino wool skirt , which is terrific—it’s durable and travel friendly and it’s a great brand . . . but it’s a tinsy bit too short on my tall frame to work in temples. If you’re hiking and want a skirt for active travels, look here.

I pack active skirts when I head to Central America or Europe, where it’s a lot less conservative! Even then, however, I always pack at least one of these cheap Stretch is Comfort skirts that have held up remarkably well—I own that skirt in four colors, that’s how much I love it—the skirts have the perfect cost to function to style ratio. Sure, they will show sweat on a rough day, but they are cheap, functional and just the right length for conservative cultures.

Underwear & Bras

Not gonna lie, I pack eight pairs of underwear when I travel long-term—half thongs and half full-butted underwear. I do this ratio completely because of personal preference (but also because thongs are tiny, take up little space, and I don’t totally hate them).

The fancy travel underwear from ExOfficio have many doting fans among the traveler set—I own three pairs and only pack them if my long-term travels include a fair bit of trekking/hiking—I bought them to hike the Camino for five weeks and did not regret it.

That said, I’ve been fine with regular underwear that I pick up at a store when I pass through the states. Hardcore backpackers pack two pairs of underwear and wear one while washing the other pair. That is not me and will never be me, so I refuse to feel guilty for my eight pairs.

When traveling, you need enough underwear that you are not laundering clothes every day. I also pack two bras —dark and light—and one sports bra . And I carry a pair of small sleep shorts . I usually just wear one of my tank-tops to bed. In cold weather, I sleep in my leggings and wear my thermal to bed instead.

Jackets & Outer-Things

When I first left to travel, I was cash-strapped and I bought a $20 zip-up hoodie from Target and carried that around the world. It looked gnarly at the end of my year of world travel—all pilly and faded. I was actually sheepish about how shabby I looked at the end of my trip, which ended in the UK and Ireland.

My pilly jacket made it very clear that I was a budget backpacker.

Now, I’ve invested in better gear that looks nice and holds up well. You can’t do much better than an Icebreaker zip hoodie , which is made from Merino wool. It’s among my favorite travel brands because the clothes are durable and always fit well, too.

Now, I also carry this lightweight cardigan for a tad bit of protection warm climates or cool evenings (this is a perfectly nice, much cheaper cardigan for budget packers).

I wear my hoodie on planes and travel days and in cold climates. And generally, I wear the cardigan all over for sightseeing and day-to-day travel—it’s super thin so it’s not too warm in hot climates to work as a shield from the sun.

On my long-term trip, I carried this North Face fleece pullover , but now I invested in a very nice thermal under-layer (I had a cheap cotton one before) and it mitigated the need for a fleece. (With thermals, thumb holes are everything !)

Many travelers also pack a  lightweight rain jacket , which is ideal during rainy and monsoon seasons, and it also acts as a thin windbreaker. Splurge for a thin one, as you they can take up a lot of space otherwise.

TL;DR: Clothes to Pack

Best socks, shoes, and sandals.

Mix and match the shoe recommendations to fit the trip you have planned. You should probably limit yourself to three shoes that, in combination, allow you to trek, do water activities, and look nice.

If you go over three shoes, then your packing list gets bloated and you won’t fit everything into a small, carry-able size bag.

Pack Boots or Walking Shoes? 

Finding the right travel shoe is one of the two most important packing decisions you will make ( finding the right backpack being the other).

On my first long-term trip (and for a few years after), I carried these New Balance hiking boots and they were so fantastic that I replaced them with the exact same pair of shoes when I returned. These versatile shoes worked well because they were sturdy enough to function as hiking boots for my trek in the Himalayas, but they’re also light enough to double as general sneakers for everyday sightseeing. They are the most comfortable and cushioned hiking shoe I have ever found.

Now, however, I travel with a pair of Skechers GoWalks and I love them. These Skechers are an ultra lightweight shoe and serve me well in my slower travels now, but—and it’s a big but for a round-the-world trip—they would not have held up to a year on the road, and I would have needed to buy a pair of sturdy hiking boots for the treks I did in the Himalayas .

If I were doing it all over again, I would definitely bring my New Balances if I planned to do any big hikes (Machu Picchu, Nepal, etc). If I weren’t doing something like that, I would find a Merrell store and try on these Siren Edge Hikers so I had a better hiking boot that was a bit more versatile as a walking shoe.

Along with my walking shoes , I now have a pair of green Chuck Taylors, which I deeply love but definitely did not bring on my RTW trip—they offer no arch support and are impractical for long-term travel. Ditch them from your packing list if you’re considering it.

Adjust your shoe choices to your planned trip and activities. And consider buying shoe inserts no matter which shoe you choose as the ones that come with shoes are lame. I have high arches and buy a Superfeet insert  for all of my travel shoes (the green is their classic, but  use their website to determine which color best fits your foot situation. Note that if you use insoles you often need to go up half a shoe size).

Pack Quality Socks

Get ready for a fangirl rave about my love for SmartWool socks . You should not scrimp on good footwear since it’s such an important part of long-term travel, where blisters and ill-fitting shoes can really ruin a trip.

Socks are also important and can play an important part in avoiding stinky feet syndrome.

These SmartWool socks are magical. Pack at least one pair to wear during treks and outdoorsy activities. They will keep your feet dry and cushioned. If you’re planning an active trip—or if you value comfort—pack at least two pairs. Then just throw in two pairs of thin cotton ankle socks . Four pairs of socks should work for most people, especially if you have comfortable sandals you’ll be using to explore and sightsee, too. If you’re on a hiking-heavy trip, pack a pair of tall SmartWool socks .

Best Travel Sandals

On my long-term travels, I needed something versatile and durable, and there is no better travel sandal than Chacos . You’ll meet many long-term travelers wearing these because they offer good arch support and you can wear them in a wide range of circumstances, from trekking through waterfalls to sightseeing in hot climes. (And they look way better than Tevas.)

Alongside my Chacos I packed a pair of flip-flops to do the trick in hostel showers and casual situations. Like with my pants suggestion—avoid color here, just go with black.

Now that my travels rarely include hostels, I replaced my flip-flops with this comfortable gladiator sandal , which is hella stylish and yet surprisingly travel-friendly. For years, I recommended the Crocs Sexi-Flip sandal , which remains the best travel sandal out there, but they are hard to find, and the “upgraded Serena” sandal is just not the same.

I replaced my Sexi-Flip Crocs four times over the years, and am devastated that they discontinued it. The Haviana gladiators I now recommend are still quite comfortable, but they don’t transition as well to night-time chic.

One problem with just traveling with sandals and boots is that you have nothing to wear in nice situations. Carrying a versatile travel sandal is especially needed if you don’t plan to carry ballet flats. I want to like ballet flats, but on a long-term trip I’ve never found a way to keep them from smelling really bad after a short bit. Truly, I’ve tried them all and I’ve tried everything from inserts to spray deodorant—no dice.

For that reason, I don’t pack flats any more; I sometimes buy a cheap pair if I’m in a spot for a while, but I mostly rely on my gladiator sandals. It’s up to every individual woman how she decides to navigate the need for a dressier shoe (also note that most clubs in Western countries will not allow flip-flops)—this travel sandal is amazing and would work for nice occasions, but it’s best for trips under six months since it won’t hold up to near daily use for a year.

Yes, You Need a Sarong

A sarong has untold uses and every female traveler should pack one . My sarong can act as a travel towel. It’s a beach coverup. It’s an emergency bedsheet, sun protection for my face, a stylish accessory, and more.

Pick a sarong in a fun color and pattern. And while your sarong surely works as a scarf, I carry a scarf as well because I am  always cold, plus it’s fun to have a few extra things to make an outfit more stylish. Consider this pickpocket-proof travel scarf as it’s mega-convenient with a hidden pocket.

TL;DR: What Travel to Shoes Pack

Best toiletries and travel accessories.

Buy a high quality liquids containers. When I first left, I had great ones from the Container Store—I still own those, but I eventually supplemented them with these squeeze tubes  and love them. Whatever you buy, buy a good brand as it sucks to have them leak all over.

I am not much fussed over my toiletries, so I fill these tubes with whatever is in the bathroom when I’m packing. I’ve dyed my hair a lot in the past, so I actually dump into a tube the highly concentrated conditioner that comes with dye kits because it lasts a long time.

Other than that, it’s personal preference  what  you put inside; they sell a lot of major brands all over the world (Pantene, Dove, etc). Some travelers swear by non-liquid shampoo bars , but I’ve never gone that route—they’re a bit pricey and I personally prefer to splurge in other areas. If you need to save on liquids though for carry-on travel, these ethical shampoo bars are a good deal .

On the road, note that face lotions in many countries contain whitening elements, so I always pack an extra face cream and an extra quality sunscreen to last a good while. You won’t have this issue in Europe, but it’s rampant in Asia, especially.

Pack your deet repellent in its own ziplock bag.

And for dental hygiene, toothbrushes and toothpaste are a cinch to replace on the road; I use a SteriPod to avoid toothbrush funk.

As for toiletry cases, I used  this small zip one for many years and it worked well. For Christmas I received this hanging one from MEC (a Canadian outdoors company) and it’s magnificent. It’s a cinch to hang from door handles or towel bars to keep everything handy, especially in bathrooms without countertops. The closest you can buy on U.S. Amazon is this Sea to Summit Hanging Bag —a good option from a go-to company for travel gear.

Go for a small-to-medium sized toiletry bag, because you may want to take it directly into showers with you. And opt for one that hangs—you’ll be so glad it does in tiny hotel bathrooms and shared hostels. You can store things like hair brushes, the deet, and other things in a small packing cube . (Here’s why I thoroughly love packing cubes .)

Prescriptions, Contacts, & Glasses

If you have prescriptions , either carry a year’s supply or research where you can top-up on the road. Carry paper copies of your prescription, and scan them and email them to yourself too. It’s dead-simple to get an eye exam and new contacts in Europe, but its trickier if you don’t speak the local language.

Also, some prescription pain meds are controlled substances in countries with harsh drug policies, so if you have any irregular prescriptions, research that ahead of time. I carried a year’s worth of contacts with me (I wore two-week throwaways) and I was able to replenish contact solution on the road.

I also carried a pair of glasses and a hardshell case. Since I am seriously blind without my glasses, I scanned and emailed myself both of these prescriptions in case I was robbed or in case something else happened—I’ve taken multiple eye exams in a foreign language; it’s not fun. I also made sure my contact supply and glasses were never stored in the same bag on travel days.

Menstrual Cup

Menstrual cups like the Diva Cup are the single best way to handle your period on the road, and this post explains what and why . I highly recommend you go this route. Truly.

Read the post. Consider the options. You’ll thank me. (True story. Long-term travelers email their thanks for this tip alone on a monthly basis).

Luggage Lock

Just yes, you need one. It won’t stop someone intent to steal, but it stops quick theft. I carried two around the world, this one  for luggage and this one for my hostel lockers.

I used a Pacsafe to secure my bag during my initial years of longterm travel—its a well made item that does its job well. That said, the company has more sophisticated options , such as slashproof bags and backpacks.

Medical Kit

Start traveling with a good base for your medical kit . Once you have the base, remove the things that seem overkill (I have never carried or needed an ice pack) and then customize it to meet your needs and add a few things that are often lacking.

These oral rehydration salts have saved my life , twice. I carry many now. Also, no matter your stance on antibiotics, you should carry them. I always add a full bottle antihistamines for my hay fever, too.

Carry the basic painkillers: ibuprofen, acetaminophen, aspirin. An antibiotic like Ciprofloxacin or Azithromycin (or both). Loperamide for diarrhea. Malaria medicine, if needed. Band-aids, gauze,  triple antibiotic ointment.

From there, top up your kit when you are on the road—antibiotics are over the counter in many developing countries and they all carry ORS, antihistamines, etc (and for cheaper in most cases!).

Door Stop and Safety Whistle

Solo female friends swear by both these items for giving them more peace of mind on the road. The door stop is a basic precaution in hotel rooms where the door might not latch correctly. You’ll need a doorstopper like this one , which has a very thin front edge since most hotel rooms have minimal gaps since they are fireproof doors.

Water Bottle

I drink from a stainless steel Nalgene  because I prefer not to drink from plastic; if you’re not fussed, you could go with a durable collapsible bottle . Either way, having your own water bottle saves money and is convenient and prevents overuse of plastic in countries with few effective recycling programs.

Many guest houses will have refill stations. And if you bring a SteriPen or LifeStraw then you’ll need one of these too ( here’s why and how I use a SteriPen ).

Sun protection is no joke. This sun hat does the trick.

Misc Bits & Bobs.

I carry this handy travel spork and I love it. If you’re a budget backpacker, then having a set of utensils comes in handy—it’s less necessary for mid-range and higher travelers.

I also carry a tiny ziplock with things like bobby pins , safety pins , a tiny sewing kit , extra hair ties , matches , and a pencil with duct tape wrapped around it . I explain that more here  with ideas for travel hacks for those travel MacGyver moments. You must pack duct tape on a pencil!

I also carry two carabiner clips and I love them dearly for their handiness . I use regular carabiners (with the screw lock) for a range of things. To attach my wallet to my purse, making it pick-pocket proof. To attach my purse strap or backpack to my chair when eating somewhere so it’s not easily swipeable. To attach shopping bags, water bottles or things to my bags on travel days.

I’ve even used it to attach my camera strap to my backpack when sightseeing to prevent a motorbike from driving by and snatching it. So cheap, so many uses.

TL;DR: Packing Toiletries & Long-Term Travel Essentials

Best electronics.

After a couple years on the road, the weird positions of working from the road caught up with me. In addition to the gear listed here, I have a complete ergonomic travel system with a laptop stand and friendly tech that prevents further carpal tunnel and RSI injuries. If you’re keen on that, I have listed out The Best Ergonomic and Portable Travel Gear .

Adapters & Charging

If you’re traveling with a good amount of technology and if you’re in a couple, then you should consider packing this handy Belkin powerstrip . Many times hotels will have just one outlet, so this is the best way to ensure your camera, phone, and gear is all charged in the morning.

I always carry a bigger multi adapter (and these have gotten very cool now, where it has a USB-C charging spot for my Mac, as well as three quick-charging USB ports!). Then, a few stray smaller ones usually float around my bag since I have a lot of electronics to charge—although now that the bigger adapters have so many USB ports I can more easily get away with just one universal travel adapter .

I carry a laptop since I work from the road ( more on that here ) and after 15+ years of travel, it’s never been stolen (knock on wood for me, will ya). I have a MacBook Air now (used to have a Dell PC).

In the past, I have used my  PacSafe in sketchy areas, though I usually carry my computer out sightseeing if I am truly concerned. There is also the option of packing a cheap netbook too if you’re not working on the road. And really, a tablet could do the trick in that case too.

Read Should I Bring my Laptop for an in depth discussion as other travelers weigh in on the options.

I carry a Panasonic Micro Four-Thirds if I’m on a trip where I want really great photos. The  micro four thirds (mirrorless) cameras are the ultimate travel cameras and my review of my Panasonic shares why .

Even more, NatGeo magazine named it a top travel camera. These cameras are fantastic. Basically, it’s almost to the level of a DSLR (with detachable lenses and everything) but at least half the size and weight of traditional DSLR and far nicer photos than a point and shoot. Nothing wrong with a point and shoot though!

If you’re not into high end photography and just need something that works, upgrade your smartphone to the latest model and use it for photos—the iPhones now take truly great photos in sunlight and low light.

iPhone/Smartphone

I adore my unlocked iPhone ; if you unlock your smartphone you can buy cheap SIM cards (about $2) and plans for well less than $15 a month to use while you travel. This helps when meeting up with other travelers and calling guesthouses to book ahead.

Also, the cameras and social sharing features are fantastic and mean you don’t always have to carry your bigger camera when your little one takes high-resolution photos. My techie friends put together a great list of  how to buy SIM cards in various countries around the world.

Backup Hard Drive

Depending on your travel situation, you should likely bring a portable backup hard drive like this Western Digital Passport (what I carry), or the LaCie Rugged drive , which would handle rough travel. Also consider online data backup programs. I wrote a detailed post on  How a Long-Term Traveler Can Back Up Heaps of Data .

Water Purification

Consider a way to sterilize your water . I have seen the LifeStraw in action, and it looks like a great all-in-one option; if this had existed when I left I would have probably carried this instead of a SteriPen, maybe.

The SteriPen is a great device, it uses UV light to sterilize unsafe water in about a minute. I used this extensively throughout India, also Laos, Uganda, and other really undeveloped countries where filtered, clean water is harder to find. I reviewed it after my trip and although you might not need it often, if you are going to very underdeveloped countries, I advise having it as a safety measure. 

I also carry a Klean Kanteen water-bottle  to save money and the environment (fewer plastic bottles!).

Rechargeable Battery Pack

I carry a small backup battery supply that gives me two extra charges on my cell phone and a charge on my Kindle. This will save you if you use your smartphone for navigation sightseeing or entertainment on long bus rides. I carry one like this Anker battery pack .

Kindle/Tablet

I’ve of two minds on this. I carry my Kindle Paperwhite everywhere and I deeply love it. I will not leave for travel without my Kindle . I traveled with an iPad mini too, in the past—it was all overkill since I travel with a laptop. The only strong value I found in the iPad was that my electronic guidebook was far easier to navigate on the tablet than the Kindle.

Usually, however, I carry a paper guidebook, so I am leaving the tablet with my nephews next time I pass through home. If you have a laptop and a smartphone, then there is very little value in carrying a tablet.

If you’re a reader, however, than a Kindle is invaluable. Same goes if you are a solo traveler, it’s nice to have a trove of books to pass the time. Double points if you renew your library membership before you leave; you can check out electronic books for free while you travel.

Something Silly

I carried a deck of cards during my entire RTW trip, and in the years since, I also pack a portable cribbage board when I travel with my nieces and nephews, or Bananagrams if I will be near friends who also like board games and cards.

Travel is about time spent bonding with others, and these silly items will give you a reason to encourage new friends to put down their smartphones and hang out.

TL;DR: Essential Electronics on Long Trips

How to interpret packing list advice.

Above I offered up my current recommended packing list items, as well as the rationale for or against packing each item I recommend. For a bit more help on actually deciding what is worth carrying on your back for a long trip, let’s take a look at how to interpret this information on my packing list, as well as any others you’ve bookmarked.

Know Thyself 

Every person has their own style, and that should play a role in what you ultimately pack for long-term travel. If something doesn’t make sense, but yet a lot of people recommend it, consider if you can pick it up once you’re on the road. Also look at all of this in terms of what you also like in your current life.

Let’s talk about three things that other travelers have mentioned to me over the years as misguided advice.

First, leggings. I packed leggings and I love them. Even now that the leggings trend has waned, I pack a pair and use them constantly. But one blogger followed up and said my advice was rubbish and she never once pulled them from her pack.

Where’s the disconnect?

She and I wear different clothes, and we likely experience cold differently. My leggings act as my sleepwear in cold weather or hotels with A/C. I don’t think twice about using them under my pants for extra warmth (like the buses in Myanmar, which are so unbelievably frigid that I cried a time or two and had to hug my niece for hours to keep her warm).

I also packed an above-the-knee short dress that worked well in Australia and Europe, but I used my leggings to make it culturally appropriate in the 6+ months I spent in Asia. The woman who emailed didn’t find that need, or she had packed something else to work in that situation.

Instead of purchasing every recommendation on my packing list, go with the spirit. Maybe you’re a tights person instead! :)

The same could be said about jeans. I took other people’s advice about not packing them for my longterm trip, and then I bought myself a pair a couple of months into my year around the world.

Now, in the subsequent 15+ years I’ve continued traveling, I’ve never left home without my well-worn jeans. I like jeans and I favor them in regular life. For me, I value the trade-off and carrying them is worth the extra weight and drying time (they are hard to dry in monsoon season).

If you’re happy in trekking clothes or quick-dry, or perhaps you favor khakis, then take my jeans recommendation in the spirit of, “Bring bottoms that you like to wear.”

Pack What You’ll Wear 

Packing lists seem to go one of two ways, either fashionable, or what I can only describe as “safari-light.” For a round the world trip, or longterm travel, you’ll likely need something that crosses between the two.

While I love those pretty packing lists for Europe that I’ve seen online, you’re going to also needed clothes of a quality and style that can last for the length of your trip and also ones that will work in a range of circumstances.

If you’re fashion-conscious, read through this list with an eye toward clothes that fulfill a role that your current wardrobe does not. Do you have clothes to hike a mountain in a conservative-yet-tropical place? While a tank-top suffices in some places, it won’t cover enough skin in others.

It’s because of that range of situations that you need to think about long-term travel as a mix of dual and often competing needs. Stylish but functional and long-lasting.

Suitable for warm-weather, but layerable so you stay warm in cold weather!

You may have never worn a rashguard/sunshirt in your life, but you should seriously think about one if you’re planning outdoorsy activities. I’m not claiming they’re fashionable, but on a long trip, they may just avoid an unwanted third-degree sunburn.

Since your daily life doesn’t likely need much flexibility, pack items with an eye toward not only what you like to wear, but what will serve your trip in the hundreds of new experiences in which you will find yourself.

Consider the Climate

Most packing list advice for long-term travel attempts to cover a huge range of climates and countries. That’s inherently trickier than packing for a two-week trip to one climate. Even though my own world travels included several continents and climates, it’s still different than your trip—and possible different in very important ways.

Let’s consider my advice to pack jeans if you’re keen on them. I love jeans and faithfully carry a pair, but in 2017, I backpacked through Vietnam with my trusty jeans . . . and they stank to high heaven.

In the past, I had always traveled outside of rainy and monsoon seasons. Sure I hit rain sometimes, but in the past, it was a few days of rain and eventually enough dry air to thoroughly dry my jeans.

This time, after three weeks with just a few hours of sporadic sunshine and nearly 100% humidity, my jeans reeked of sour clothes dampness. I shoved them in a ziplock for weeks until I could get to a new climate.

What this means is that you need to temper any packing list with adjustments for your trip. If you are backpacking Asia during rainy season, then consider swapping some cotton shirts for quick-dry fabric.

And my travels have also chased summer around the world. Although I spotted snow on my trek in the Himalayas, that was brief and my layers sufficed (I also bought a cheap jacket in Kathmandu for the hike and ditched it a few weeks later).

If you’re visiting ski destinations or snowy climes, you’ll need to either pack a heartier base layer or plan on buying/renting a heavy jacket once you arrive. You’ll also want an extra pair of wool socks.

Tiny tweaks like what I mention above are impossible to account for if you follow someone else’s packing list in full. Instead, take the packing list advice and compare it to the trip you’re planning around the world.

How I Picked My Backpack

The red backpack was my main pack and it’s a 52L Eagle Creek Meridian. Eagle Creek doesn’t make that pack anymore, but this Tour Travel Pack is nearly identical, and I own this updated version in teal .

At the time, I feared I may need something bigger, but this backpack was free from my bestie in LA, and free won out. Now that my RTW is over, 52L was the perfect  size. I used this bag for five years, and only stopped to downsize and to switch to a 40L rolling bag.

52L was big enough to carry clothes for two people, although I wasn’t that disciplined to carry so little, at first. But on my world travels through Southeast Asia with my niece, we shared this backpack and each carried a daypack—that size sufficed us both for seven months.

The updated version that I own is 55L, and I use it for travels with my toddler son.

The lay-flat design and women’s fit is what sells me on using Eagle Creek backpacks—it makes a massive difference. Even now that I own this Osprey pack (which I bought to walk the Camino ), I maintain that EC has the best build design, and certainly the most comfortable for a woman’s frame.

The blue bag ( North Face Surge ) held my laptop and all of my electronics gear on travel days, and it acted as my daypack when out sightseeing. I used (and fell in love forever with) using a packing cube system  to organize everything in my bag. These packing cubes saved my life on travel days when I was rushed to repack and bolt out the door.

I am a forever evangelist for packing cubes .

This bag setup was my system for six years. Eventually, in 2014 I changed to THE most amazing  rolling suitcase from Timbuk2 , and I used Timbuk2’s Showdown backpack since it was a bit more low-profile and small than my trusty North Face. This setup with the two Timbuk2 bags is what I used from 2014 to 2019.

I still deeply love my rolling suitcase and will never return to full-time backpack use, but I’ve switched up my laptop bag over the years—I also have a Timbuk2 messenger bag and a Herschel backpack— this Herschel backpack is my current laptop bag, and either it or my North Face is my sole luggage when I travel around Europe because both fit under the seat in front of me and hold a week of clothes if you’re super minimalist.

(NOTE: I paid for all of these bags by the way, so it’s all my honest opinion on what works).

I travel more slowly now, so it doesn’t make sense to have the same packing system that I used on my yearlong trip. But, even to this day I swear by packing cubes. When I left the U.S. for the first time, my backpack was packed to its seams, but much of my stuff did not make it beyond Australia, the first country I visited.

I have an in-depth guide on  how to pick a backpack . The size and fit of a pack is so important—it’s imperative that you take the time to pick a good one that will serve your trip well. And if you are convinced that I overpacked (I did that first year!), then this Guide to Carry On Travel might be up your alley; Erin shares great advice and it’s a good jumpstart on your research.

My Original RTW Packing List (2008)

Because I believe in the preservation of information, this is the packing list I took on my year-long round the world trip. I also maintained the dispatches from the road which cover exactly what I had to replace, send home, etc. This is the packing list I published in November 2008 when I left on my longterm trip.

The packing list above is a curated packing list that includes all the things I’ve learned over the years. :)

CLOTHES/SHOES

1 pair of  lightweight tech-travel pants 1 pair of jeans 2 skirts 1 pair of sleep/athletic shorts 1 travel dress 3 tank-tops (1 dressy tank) 1 sun shirt/rashguard for outdoor activity 3 shirts/t-shirts 1  long-sleeved thermal 1 long-sleeved cotton shirt 1 fleece pullover 1 zip-up hoodie

4 pairs of socks ( love   my two SmartWool socks ; plus 2 cotton) 8 pairs of underwear 2 bras 1 sports bra 1 scarf 2 pairs of leggings 1 hat 2 pairs of capris 1 pair of Chacos sports sandals 1 pair of New Balance hiking boots  ( I deeply love these as hiking shoes) 1 pair of flip flops (for shower shoes in nasty hostels)

MISCELLANEOUS

PacSafe Mesh net Microfiber travel towel Sleep sheet Sunscreen Deet insect repellent 1 extra copy of my passport 1 mini sewing kit 2 carabiner clips 1 headlamp flashlight 1 mini set of eating utensils 1 pocket knife 1 travel adapter (and a couple tiny adapter tips) 1 travel medical kit: Advil/Tylenol/Aleve, antibiotic, malaria medicine, band-aids,  gauze  triple antibiotic ointment, cough/zinc drops Random bits: bobby pins, safety pins, sharpie, pen, duct tape (wrapped around a pencil), small scissors, etc.

Toiletry case Refillable travel size containers of: shampoo, conditioner, sunscreen for face, face wash, travel size toothpaste, floss, deodorant Toothbrush Razors Diva Cup Contacts (full trip month supply) Contact solution and 1 eye glasses case Hair ties

1 small bottle of foundation 1 compact eyeshadow duo 1 mascara 1 blush

These are things I carried in my daypack and my travel purse !

ELECTRONICS

My Laptop: (I had a Dell but now use a MacBook Pro) Western Digital hard drive (2+ TB is a mere $100 so it’s worth bringing one to back up photos!). MP3 Player (now I travel with an unlocked iPhone) Camera: Canon PowerShot  (I upgraded in year two to a  Panasonic Lumix Mirrorless ) Headphones for Skyping/music Kindle (as of 2012 I carry one of these now)

Journal Book: Started with “Water for Elephants” by Sara Gruen Neoprene laptop cover (it’s my computer’s raincoat!) SteriPen Pens Deck of cards My money belt (around my waist version; I used mostly for trains in India and Eastern Europe)

For insights on how I fared with the above packing list, here were my updates from the road circa 2009.

Dispatches From the Road

01/07/09 : RTW Update from Australia

• My beloved headlamp—which was so  helpful at the hostels here—was lost/stolen on my outback safari to Uluru. Plan to replace as soon as possible.
• I left my nice sun hat on a bus along with my Nalgene water bottle.

02/02/09 : Update from Cambodia

• I shipped home a package of souvenirs by sea—hope it gets there!
• My jean skirt is now unnecessary; I shipped that home too.
• One pair of capris was stained beyond wear (trust me), so I left those behind in Phnom Penh.
• I bought a pair of farmer-style pants in Laos.
• Contact solution has been incredibly  hard to find. Wearing glasses for now.

02/25/09 : Update from India

• Helen brought me a new headlamp to replace the flashlight I have been stuck using.
• She also brought a new Nalgene water bottle and a SteriPen— amazing, truly.
• Bought an Indian kurta and haven’t regretted it for a moment. GREAT for trains and blending in as much as possible.
• Picked up a new scarf. Lighter than the warm one that came in handy in Oz and Laos—much better for India.
• Left my purple cotton shirt behind in Jaipur, it was nubby as hell!

04/25/09 : Update from Nepal

• Did some major shopping here! And I shipped home a package of souvenirs.
• I bought a knock-off North Face rain jacket for the Poon Hill trek—works like a champ.
• Bought a safari-style hat for the trek and beyond.
• Replaced my sleep-sheet, my cheap one was too short!!
• I love my new silk harem pants. Great to sleep in and pack up tiny.

05/20/09 : RTW Update from Italy

• I sent another package home with souvenirs from Nepal; though super touristy, Thamel has incredible bargains and neat items if you dig around.
• Threw another worn out shirt away and replaced with a couple new ones from H&M. New sundress too—gave the other one away as it didn’t fit me right anymore.
• My Chacos smell disgusting and are not responding to cleaning, but they still work fabulously besides the stinky-feet syndrome. Will try vinegar soon.

06/25/09 : Update from Slovenia

• Just bought a Western Digital external hard drive to backup photos and my computer is falling apart and sadly destined to die soon.

Other Packing Lists Around the Web

If you’re still deep diving into the world of long-term packing, here are some other great research spots. If you appreciate the resources on A Little Adrift, please come back here when buying any of the suggestions from Amazon . I only linked to products that I actually use and recommend, and if you buy any of my recommendations through my link, then it costs you nothing extra, but I get a tiny commission. That commission helps keep this website running. :)

• Solo female : Devon shares  an amazingly detailed breakdown of her packing list  and this one is well done with  interactive tabs and detailed lists .
• Solo male : Matt has a great packing list , as does Gerard from GQ Trippin .
• Family : With 2 Kids in Tow shared a family packing list for two toddler age children .
• WWOOFing : Beers & Beans have a great list and description for packing if you plan to work on organic farms .

If there is ever anything that I can do to help, please do reach out on Facebook , Twitter , or Instagram and let’s talk about how we can make your travel dream a reality. 

If you’ve found this useful, pin it!

The Ultimate Trip Checklist For Long-Term Travel

Planning for long-term travel is often daunting and overwhelming. In fact, it is also one of the most popular questions that we often receive. There is a lot to consider, so we compiled several tips for you, whether you plan to take a month off to travel, work in another country, jet-set on a 6-month leave to warmer climates, or plan a new lifestyle of long-term travel, like us.The best way to start it is to build a very detailed trip checklist of things to do, long before your departure, in order to avoid forgetting valuable tasks and  missing crucial items in the process .

Fortunately, we’ve already done the hard work for you .

Below are links to useful resources for planning your exit.

THE ULTIMATE TRIP CHECKLIST FOR LONG TERM TRAVEL BEFORE YOU GO:

The ultimate trip checklist.

1. MONEY MATTERS

Before you begin any planning, get a handle on your debt situation. Getting out of debt will no doubt make your life easier after you leave, and it does take a massive load off your life. In some cases, you may be leaving without a full-time income, so paying your debt will be much more challenging.

Additional Resources:

• The Ultimate Guide to getting out of debt
• How I paid off $100,000 in debt 

Long before you plan any trip, or life change, get clear on where you spend your money, then focus your funds towards what you want to experience. Here are our tips on preparing a budget that allowed us to redirect thousands of dollars towards long-term travel. List everything you spend your money on, including entertainment, haircuts and donations, and see where you can make some cuts so you can channel them towards your travel plans. We use Freshbooks as a tool to track all of our monthly personal and business expenses, which easily populates information directly from our bank account (and our online bills).  

Banking and Bills 

Online banking is the perfect way to manage your deposits, withdrawals, and your monthly bills. Convert all your bills to an online payment system, so you can track and manage everything while you are on the road. This trip checklist tip will ensure you manage your money effectively.

Bank card selection and fees for travel

• Carry two bank cards – We recommend that you maintain two bank accounts at different bank institutions for travel. Sometimes, bank cards do not work, and you need a backup in case this happens. It has happened to us a lot more times than we can count. Also, to use a foreign ATM, you must have a 4-digit pin number, so make sure both cards have this.
• Bank Fees – Many people don’t realize that you get charged two separate bank fees when you travel. One fee is from your home bank and the second fee is from the foreign bank you are taking out money. Before you know it, you may be paying over $10 in fees by taking money out of the bank in a single transaction. You can’t avoid #2, but you can avoid #1. Talk to your bank to switch to a different bank account, one that eliminates the foreign transaction fees. Some of these accounts will require a guaranteed balance amount in the bank to wave the bank charges Ask your bank how to reduce bank fees while traveling, and research other banks for options. We switched our bank account to cut our bank charges which allow us to avoid international bank fees.

Additional Resources: 

Save money on your bank accounts

How to avoid ATM fees while traveling abroad

• Designate a co-signer – This can be a friend or family member whom you can appoint as co-signer on your bank account. Troy’s mom deposits checks for us when some of our businesses we work with cannot send us a direct deposit. Also, if emergency cash is required, she arranges a wire transfer easily.

Credit Cards for Travel

We highly recommend you carry at least two different credit cards in case one of the cards doesn’t work. Recently, one of our cards was no longer usable, as the swipe strip was damaged. Fortunately, we had a backup that we could use until a replacement card arrived.Avoid using credit cards to withdraw money from ATMs as you will be charged cash withdrawal fees, with expensive interest charges.

7 things to consider when using a credit card overseas

Reward Points for Free Travel

• While you have a full-time job, take advantage of various travel hacks. Open new credit cards to maximize your points for airline points, hotel stays, and upgrades.
• There are some great tools to help you choose the right credit cards to earn the most points and know the strategies behind it.
• Most importantly, charge all your expenses on your credit cards including your utilities, gas, and every expense you incur each month while you are still working to maximize your points. (Of course, make sure you pay off your cards to avoid interest fees.)

Important tip: Keep a record of annual anniversaries for your credit card. If you receive a no-fee card for one year, you can use the points, then cancel it before you incur annual costs.

Additional Resources:   Our first resource is useful for all countries, although when you get to credit card choices- each country has different offerings and advantages.

Best Travel hacking resources  (USA but principles are relevant for all countries)

Travel hacking for Canadians

Point hacks in Australia

Travel hacking in the U.K. 

Managing your Money

• Find a good financial planner to manage your money from your home country.
• Share your goals of foreign travel with your planner. With our goals of long-term travel in less expensive countries and the reality of receiving lower income, our administrator has enabled us to receive good tax savings on our investments and registered savings accounts. We will dive into this topic more deeply in future posts.

2. HOME & TRANSPORTATION

Utilities 

This is a great area to reduce expenses wherein you can use the savings to help pay for long-term travel. Before you leave, consider what services and extras you truly need and value. We had eliminated our home phone account years before we left in order to cut costs. We also cut our cable bill to Internet only (we watch TV on our laptops). We reduced thousands of dollars each year.

First, determine whether you will keep your home vacant, temporarily rent it, or sell it.

• If you plan to give notice – Determine the timing to ensure you can make arrangements for accommodation before you leave.
• If renting your home – Hire a landlord (a friend or family member, ideally) to help manage tenants while you are away. Make arrangements for cash transfer options for your landlord to handle any expenses. Ideally, meet with your future tenants and make arrangements for direct deposit of rent to you.
• If selling your home – Hire a realtor and lawyer, and have early discussions with your bank on your mortgage (to assess any penalties or benefits to paying off early)

Consider how you will manage your mail while you are away. How will you handle important documents?

• We send our mail to friends and family. Our documents, such as our driver’s licenses and taxes, are sent to our last provincial address, while another mail is sent to our family to scan, and they send any relevant document to us.
• There are also virtual mail services that handle your mail. They accept it, open it, scan it and send to you. You can choose to keep it or shred it.  Some of these services are costly, however, they reduce the burden on family or friends, and if you want to create the appearance of a business (with an address), maybe this is an option for you.  Here are some businesses we researched online, however, we don’t have experience with any of them and each has their own set of fees.
• Virtual Post Mail
• Traveling Mailbox
• Only Recently, we discovered a service for Canada, after we searched for one before we left, and couldn’t find one.  check out :   Canadian Address  or E-snail 
• In Australia:   Aussie Mailman   as an option.
• In the U.K. UK Postbox as an option.
• Now that Virtual Mail is becoming popular – you can do your own research by Googling Virtual Mail-(your country) to see what options come up.

Your Stuff 

This is a big topic. But first, let us break it into parts. With regards to the items you have accumulated over the years, you can either: Keep it, Store It, or Sell it/Donate It.

• Keep It: This is if you plan to come back to your home in some months, regardless there is a benefit to selling your stuff – to help you fund your travels.
• Store It: Store items if you plan to return in the future. However, the more you purge, the smaller the storage container you can rent, the lower your costs. We chose to keep a few boxes (tax returns, winter clothes, and a few items with our friends and family.) Rule of thumb: if you decide to rent a storage lock up or container, it is cheaper to rent a unit outside the main cities.
• Sell It/Donate It – Our approach was a little more drastic. We sold or donated almost all our goods over an eight-month period. We held two- yard sales, sold hundreds of items online, and gave the rest away. We detached ourselves from our stuff, as our goal was to travel longer.We tackled it drawer by drawer and room by room.
• In our experience, we approached our stuff with a goal in mind: long-term travel. By selling almost everything, it has freed up cash to help us travel longer. With this objective, we were able to part with our things easier.

The complete guide to selling your unwanted crap for money

Sell all your stuff- Book resources

Your Car 

• If you want to save money for travel, your car is your best area to look into. Consider the cost of car payments, gas, and insurance. If you take these out of your expense books, you have saved $500+ per month, before you know it.
• If you have a lease and wish to depart before it expires, there are online services to match up people to take over your lease. For instance in Canada, there is a  service called  Leasebusters. It’s best to research the current monthly lease for a new make and model of your car. If it’s cheaper for someone just to lease a new car, you will need to provide him or her with an incentive to take over your payments. (i.e. give them a cash discount so that they can reduce their payments each month)
• Selling your car – We recommend selling your car as early as possible. This is easier if you are living in a major city as transit, or where car rental services, such as Car to Go, or Zip Car or Auto Share, allow you to rent cars economically when you need them.
• Consider an international driver’s license for your travels, as another form of ID. It is an extra precaution in countries where you will be driving. The license is valid for one year through motor vehicle services like AMA (in the USA) or CAA (in Canada).

3. IDENTIFICATION

You will need to keep your ID current and valid for travel and when you return to your home country.

Expiry dates

Check all the expiry dates on your passport, driver’s license, health cards, and credit cards. Renew your cards before you leave, or find out auto-renewal options, and get a family member to arrange to ship to you your new cards.

Travel I.D. 

Take copies of your passport, credit cards, and driver’s license and leave a set to your designated family member for emergencies.

Passcodes and ID details 

Use an encrypted passcode/document system to protect your valuable information. We use 1Password – With just one word to memorize, this system works on both our phones and computers to access all our passcodes for online apps, programs, as well as storing images of our passports, credit cards, and drivers licenses.

4. LEGAL CONSIDERATIONS

• Sadly, your taxes do not go away when you leave, depending on your country, you may need to file taxes whether you ever live there again or not. (Do your research for your country.)
• Organize all your receipts and archives for your upcoming tax filing. We scanned all our receipts and important papers before we left, and sent them to our accountant before filing.
• Arrange with an accountant to manage your taxes remotely – you can discuss issues online and scan and sign documents over the Internet.
• Now, we track all our invoices, receipts, and expenses electronically on our computers, and we regularly back up our files. We also use Freshbooks as our tool to manage our records, and it also downloads expenses and income from our bank accounts.

Power of Attorney 

Meet with a lawyer to discuss and prepare a power of attorney. This legal document allows a family member to access our bank accounts and investments in case we run into issues or if something happens to us, and we are unable to handle our own affairs mentally.

Your Will 

Regardless of whether long-term travel is in your plan or not, it’s important to have a will drafted. We recently created a will (after delaying this task for years.)

5. HEALTHCARE

Book your last appointments covered by health insurance in your home country  before you leave (doctor, dentist, etc)

Note: Depending on the country you are visiting, it is often far more inexpensive to visit a dentist or doctor there than in your home country, but using up your health benefits will buy you some time to find medical contacts.

Visit a T rav el Medical Clinic

Investigate shots and medications for countries you plan to visit. We strongly suggest you do your research before you buy expensive medications. Typically, these clinics are over cautious and may not consider the time of year nor updated information. For instance, we traveled in Laos last year and bought malaria pills only to discover that there was no incidence of Malaria in the area we visited. (This information was validated by medical professionals who were also traveling.)

Stock up on Medical Remedies 

It is important that you are put your healthcare in your own hands, and bring some products in case you get sick.  Here are some suggestions on what to bring to avoid travel sickness.

Home Country Healthcare

Research how long or what special circumstances are available to keep your home country healthcare for an extended period. You never know what is possible until you ask. In Canada for instance, we discovered Ontario allows you to apply for a two-year sabbatical to keep your healthcare even while you are traveling. You can fly back and get regular or emergency services in Canada.

Life Insurance and Critical Illness 

Regardless if you are traveling or not, life insurance is an important asset to consider. We continue to pay monthly insurance premiums, and we buy critical illness insurance, as we will be without our home country insurance, and we will use this for any emergencies to return to Canada.

​ Travel Insurance

Consider this task non-negotiable and necessary. Shop around for insurance. We like using World Nomads Insurance . It offers an excellent coverage plan and it is more flexible than any other insurance we have used. You can book for up to 6 months (for some countries like Canada) or a year for others. It is very simple to renew online, even while you are traveling. Their customer service is excellent, and making a claim is a straightforward process.

We discovered this resource for our Australian readers, which is full of travel insurance information, the  ultimate guide for travel insurance  .

5. TRAVEL VISAS

• ​ Investigate visa requirements online. Try your government visa requirements for its citizens abroad, or check any Visa agent has this information (but avoid using a visa agent as they will charge you an enormous cost to arrange.)
• Set up alerts on your government visa website as the requirements change frequently.
• Make sure you know if you need to apply for travel visa before you leave or not. Some countries have visa-on-arrival services or you can do entirely online (like Myanmar).
• Often visas are cheaper to buy at the airport, or at the border or consulates in a nearby country Important note: Do your research to confirm if you need to buy a visa in advance, before you travel. ​

6. PHONES/KEEPING IN TOUCH

• It is very easy to stay connected while traveling. With the Internet, or cheap data plans, our friends are often surprised by how accessible we are most of the time.
• Avoid roaming packages – they are a huge cost.
• Check free Wi-Fi areas and connect to it when you can so you can save up on cost.
• Plan ahead to cancel out of your cell phone plan and get an unlocked phone.
• Buy a SIM card anywhere in the world with inexpensive data plans.
• For US Residents, an excellent resource is the T-Mobile Travel Abroad Plan.
• We use a data plan (or the internet where available) to call our friends using Facebook Messenger (audio, video, and now you can leave messages) or Facetime (Apple video calls). We also bought a SKYPE phone number , so we have one main number for important calls/contacts with banks, etc.

How to manage your list:

The best way to maintain a detailed trip checklist like this is to cross things off when they are complete. It will make you feel like you have accomplished something! And assign dates to it in order to keep yourself accountable.

We hope this trip checklist has given you a head start for planning your extended departure. Perhaps you have a favorite tip for planning a longer trip, we’d like to hear about it. Or if you have more information, please let us know.

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About the Author Dorene

Dorene is a marketing consultant and freelance writer. She quit her 20-year career in marketing to redesign her career and lifestyle on her own terms by living location independent. Now with her husband Troy, she helps people who want to redefine their midlife and make conscious changes at TravelLifeX. She also trains & coaches travel and hospitality clients to improve their marketing at TravelLifeMedia.com

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The Secret Formula to Long-Term Travel

Despite all the thrifty guides  or advice we share on how to save up for travel from home, many still wonder how we long-term travel. “Y ou guys are soooo lucky! ” and “ I wish I could do that ” are words we hear far too often from those who genuinely would like to do the same.

Now, the first statement is true. We are lucky. Lucky to have been born in a developed country with access to free education to learn, and healthcare to keep us well when we are sick.

But wait a minute. Doesn't that apply to a lot of other wanderlusters out there?  Why yes. It does!

Beyond those few but very integral things, the rest of our background is nothing exceptional. You see, Ted and I never sat on a stack of money. In fact, we started with none when we began our first job together at Kernels Popcorn at age 16 (everybody now: awww ). We didn't win the lottery – a fantasy most clutch to as their only hope to travel. We both come from single, low-income families . No one paid our ways through any schooling. No one bought us a car, a house, or gave us cash along the way. We never inherited anything, and we've never had debt.

And so the question remains: how are we ALWAYS travelling?

Before we dropped our lives and sold everything, I wouldn't have believed I could spend the rest of my life just travelling. Yet the concept can be broken down into a single not-so-secret formula:

Thrifty living + thrifty travel = indefinite globetrotting

It seems easy – but don't be fooled. If you want to travel long-term and/or live a location-independent lifestyle, it takes effort . First, you must work towards it, long before you even leave.

Thrifty Living: Save Up Pre-Departure

If you want to travel, stop playing the “I wish I could” game.  It's up to you to make it happen. That statement irks people, because it's easier to spew a thousand reasons why they can't. But in fact, there are a thousand ways you can.

First, you've got to save up pre-departure.  That encases some thrifty lifestyle changes, some of which are easier than others.

Step 1. Trim the spending fat.

• Try buying used.  When you do shop, scope out secondhand options. Sites like VarageSale , Craigslist , Gumtree , or Kijiji are great for cheap finds on anything from concert tickets to IKEA furniture.
• Don't shop when you're tired, hungry, or upset.  Emotions encourage  thoughtless spending. Shop when you're alert and have the patience to seek out savings, and to say no to things you don't need.
• Trade nights out for nights in. Whether it's dinner, coffee, or drinks, start hosting or go to friend's houses over going out. Themed nights, movies, and drinking games still equate to lots of fun at a fraction of the cost.
• Analyse your daily costs and slash them. Daily lunch, snacks, or coffee out are no big deal, right? WRONG . Step out of the mentality that it's “just __ dollars”. Small changes = cumulative savings!
• Change your eating habits. Food is a huge money gobbler, yet most ignore how much they drain on restaurants & groceries. Check out our series on how to reduce your at-home food costs for practical cost-cutters!

Step 2. Sell your crap.

Yes, crap. We all have some. Most have lots . Look around your room. There's travel dollars everywhere ! We made $6,500 selling our belongings when we first left Toronto, not including our car for another $5,500. No promotion or winning lotto ticket needed. De-clutter and grow your travel funds!

• Sort.  This is the worst part. Face those dusty boxes you've been ignoring. Go through every last storage nook and cranny. If you don't love it, or haven't used it in awhile, you don't need it!
• Sell . Sites like VarageSale , Kijiji , Gumtree , and Craigslist are money waiting to happen. Take photos of items in good lighting (ideally sunlight) with multiple angles. Write detailed descriptions, share links to your other ads in each post, and be prompt with replies. Need more tips? We've got plenty of advice on how to effectively sell all your belongings .

 Step 3. Become more savvy.

• Scope out free events and activities in your community. This can pacify your urge to travel while you're saving up, plus help you appreciate where you live. Most communities have newspapers listing local happenings, such as TimeOut  or MetroNews  (both global).
• Ditch brand names.  This applies to food and clothes more than anything (with obvious exceptions, e.g. don't buy cheapo boots and expect them to last all winter). Most of the time, brand names come from the same place as their perceived lesser counterparts. Be aware of where brands do and don't matter – it could save you big.
• Search for discounts and sales. Only on items you need, of course! In Canada for instance, Superstore (a grocery chain) has tax-free days. Plan your shopping around sales if you can. As I’ve written about before, couponing is another small effort for big savings, especially in the UK, US, and Canada.
• Learn the discount stores in your region. Are there bulk centres like Costco where you live? Ethnic grocery stores? Farmers markets or co-ops? Ask friends or post a query on Facebook – more likely than not there's thrifty resources you're unaware of.
• Downsize your living.  Before leaving Toronto, we moved out of our overpriced condo in exchange for smaller, cheaper, and furnished apartments. That slashed our monthly costs hugely and was also a great way to sell all our furniture ahead of time.
• Find money-making hobbies or side jobs.  As AirBNB hosts ourselves, I can vouch that hosting your home as an excellent way to make money and connect with travellers. You can even earn cash and meet travellers  giving tours of your own city , or hosting tourists in your home for a meal.  Tutoring, babysitting, petsitting, blogging, “free-cycling” (buying/finding old things, refurbishing & re-selling), house-sitting, are just a few other odd jobs to save up for travel.

Travel Thrifty

Perhaps the biggest mystery about long-term travel is how people can afford it. This is because short-term “once a year” travellers typically have  exorbitant holidays. $150/night swanky hotels, $70+ day tours, dining out every meal. Let me tell you, that is starkly different from long-term travel! 

Thrifty travel actually makes life on the road cheaper than living in a fixed place. Sounds pretty sweet, huh? I won't lie: it is . In addition to saving up pre-departure, here's how you can make long-term travel happen!

Step 1. Change your travel attitude.

• Stop saying “I can’t”, start saying “I'll try”. A lot of people convince themselves that they can't travel any less luxuriously, before even trying  budget hotels or services like AirBNB. If you want to stretch your buck and travel longer, you've got to make sacrifices . I've talked before adjusting your attitude can save you thousands , and we're living proof that it's not only possible, but enjoyable! (That's from 2 people who were previously high maintenance travellers!).
• Stop dining out for every meal. As much as dining out is delish, when you travel long-term (especially through pricey countries), you’ve got  to cook for yourself. Besides, locals don't pay $20/meal to dine out 3x a day, every day!
• Ditch paid tours for free activities. Heading to a city? Google its name with “free activities” next to it. The Internet is bursting with travel information from like-minded budget travellers. Parks, trails, window-shopping, even museums and art galleries can be found for free all over the globe. Even airports offer free tours during layovers!
• Cut common travel expenses. Choose public transport over taxis and budget hotels over high-end ones.  Pack light to save on baggage weight costs, fly budget airlines (just check the must-knows first! ), eat street food over restaurants (busy = sign of fresh, good local food), travel with less regimented plans so you can take advantage of sales – the list is endless. But an all around adaptable, positive attitude will save you HUGELY!

Step 2. Earn money before or during your travels.

Long-term travel generally has three options: 1. Quit your job and live off of savings made pre-departure, 2. Take an extended leave of absence (paid, unpaid, or a combination of the two), or 3. Work while you travel. The first time we backpacked, we travelled on pre-departure savings. This time round, we are indefinitely globetrotting while we work remotely. Here's some of your options:

• Quit your job. I understand the fear involved in this step. Nothing will erase that, but if you ask any traveller if the risk was worth it, you’ll get a swift “heck yes”. If you want to leave your job on good terms and/or possibly return later, you could highlight why you’re leaving, what skills you hope to acquire through travel and can bring back to your position in the future. And trust me, you will gain a lot of skills travelling – communication, language, budgeting, planning, or volunteering to name a few.
• Take extended time off work . This one is challenging, especially in North America where even asking for your allotted annual leave involves walking on eggshells. Try drafting a letter with your request, highlighting why you want to go, what skills you hope to gain, and what steps you'll take to ensure your work is covered while you’re away, if applicable. You could request a greater amount of time off than you need if it’s likely your boss will negotiate/reduce your initial request.
• Find work pre-departure . You can arrange contracts or volunteering overseas (which often pays your room/board), before you even leave.  WWOOF is popular program for working on organic farms abroad. Teaching English is also a great way to explore and be immersed in a new culture – there are many resources on this.
• Find work as you go . If you're a little more adventurous and have quit your job to long-term travel, you could alternate work and living off savings as you go. Hostels are a somewhat reliable method of this, as they'll commonly offer free room and board in exchange for a few hours work each day. It never hurts to ask!
• Create your own job. I could write an entire article on location-independent jobs, but an inspiring start would be to read The $100 Start-Up . It will help you understand the simplicity of creating your own job. Websites like odesk and elance also provide frequent freelance work from writing to web programming to virtual assistants. The Internet has no prerequisite of years of work experience or degrees to earn cash. Gave a niche  or burning  passion  in something? Write an e-book – no editor or publisher required!  Etsy  is great if you have creative talents like painting, graphic designing, jewellery-making, candle or soap making, just about anything. Fiverr is an even broader, newer site that has opened doors for many unskilled, everyday people. For $5 and up, anyone can offer an array of services from personalised birthday songs to graphic design to a personalised consultation on just about any expertise.  Think outside the box!

Step 3. Become a travel hack ninja.

• Master points systems to get free travel. People like Nomadic Matt and The Points Guy are great resources on how to travel on points. It’s 100% true that you can rack up travel rewards with the right credit card, and we've enjoyed completely free flights and car rentals on AirMiles as a result.
• Do $1/day RV relocations abroad . Cheap road trip, anyone? We've done plenty of RV and campervan relocation deals. They're most popular in Australia, New Zealand, and the U.S., although we did a cross-Canada road trip for 1 cent/day (plus fuel) in the fall. We wrote a step-by-step guide on how to snag these deals .
• Learn how to book flights & accommodation as cheap as possible. It surprises me how many people are unfamiliar with the fact that some booking sites charge more than others. Many search engines omit cheap options because it’s not worth the low commission from budget places (or the budget places cannot afford it). We have simple instructions on how to book the cheapest flight and hotel possible, but essentially you should use broad search engines, find coupons, search incognito, price-compare in other currencies, be in the know-how on flight price errors , and book with points when possible.

Travel Indefinitely

As two people who came from no money, worked hard, lived thrifty, then travelled thrifty, we assure you it's 100% possible to ditch the 9-5 grind and explore this beautiful planet. An “I just can't do it” attitude won't make it happen. The “secret formula” of long-term travel is truly no secret at all. At the end of the day, one simply needs determination, effort, and a passion to live.

So, what are you waiting for?

Excellent article!!!

Some great tips here. It take’s a lot of courage to do what you do. Keep it up!

Fantastic advice. I need to work on the idea of making money while I’m travelling- I usually just get too excited to think about it and then, after half a year or so realise I’m going to have to head back to the UK to visit a free dentist…

Amazing article! thanks for sharing the secret formula to long-term travel.

This article has some great tips. I appreciate you providing the travel formula.

Excellent formula for long-term travel. I love it

great article.. thanks for the information..

What an amazing travel tips, thank you for the great information.

What an amazing travel trip, Thank you for the information.

Wonderful & very informative blog. Thanks for sharing such a informative and useful travel post. Thank you for such detailed description of the destination. Good you explained everything in detail it has been a great help. Excellent Explanation.

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8 Secrets on How to Survive Long Term Travel

• Last Updated: January 21, 2019

Making the decision to pack up your possessions, quit your job and take up a life of long term travel can be quite daunting.

For many people the thought of leaving their comfort zone indefinitely is the one of the most frightening experiences they can imagine.

No security, no concrete future, no surety of what the world will deliver in the coming years. We are brought up to value and cherish these things, so abandoning them seems crazy.

But almost without a doubt, everyone who does make that decision to travel the world with no time constraints is greeted with a sense of freedom that is impossible to comprehend when sitting behind a desk back in the ‘real world’.

Table of Contents

1. Travel Slowly

2. find a hobby, 3. have fresh eyes, 4. have one day off a week, 5. stop completely for a while, 6. get back to nature, 7. get a taste of something different, what are your secrets for surviving long term travel let us know in the comments below., our secrets to surviving long term travel.

Unfortunately, as with all worthwhile adventures , there will be times when long-term travellers question whether the path we are on is the correct one.

Long term travel has the ability to take us to dizzying heights, and plummet us to unspeakable lows. Despite the Instagram photos , not every day is filled with palm trees, sunshine and cocktails.

The trick with long term travel is to find the ways to push through those moments when you begin to wonder if what you are doing is the right thing or not.

Luckily there are ways to survive these moments of doubt. Even after 11+ years on the road, we have to remind ourselves of these secret tips everyday.

Long term travel may just be the best lifestyle choices you can make – as long as you don’t let it get the better of you!

Our absolute best travel tip for surviving long term travel is to travel slowly . Being on the road every other day is exhausting.

Bouncing from bus to bus, dealing with touts and taxi drivers, late night trains and long walks between hostels – these things burn you out.

If you only have a limited time in each country and you want to see as much as possible, this means you will be dealing with transport and stress every other day.

If you want to be on the road for years at a time, you have to travel slowly. Relax, take a week (or more) to really get to know each town and village you are in.

Have entire days where you just walk the streets, with no particular aim and goal. The longer you stay somewhere, the cheaper it will be too as you can negotiate for accommodation, find the best local eateries and cut down on your transport costs.

Whether it is learning to juggle, writing in your diary, training in martial arts, playing the guitar or simply taking photos, you need to find something to keep your mind active.

There is nothing wrong with laying in a hammock for a week if you are on a short holiday from work, but you can’t do this every single day for years at a time*.

Maybe you are even wondering how to start a travel blog  so you are not only keeping active, but potentially able to stay on the road forever! Keep in mind though that this may take up a lot more time than you anticipate – Trust us (but it’s worth it)!

For us one of our favourite hobbies has been learning about travel photography , which has given us a new passion (and business) to take us through life.

* Then again, we have met loads of people who have made entire lives out of sitting in a hammock on a beach, smoking joints and digging their toes in the sand. Are they happy? Yes. Are they fulfilled? Perhaps. Are they living a wonderful life? Yes. Actually, maybe it’s not such a bad thing after all…

This is probably our own biggest issue, and one of our famous “ curses of long-term travel “. When you’ve travelled around the world, seen the great wonders, ticked off most of your bucket list and have had ten lifetime’s worth of fascinating experiences in a year, it is easy to become jaded with new places.

Remember that every destination has its merit. Just because you have seen something similar elsewhere doesn’t mean that the ‘number 1 attraction’ in your next destination isn’t worth visiting.

“Meh, it’s just another Chinese pagoda.”

“Bagan? No thanks, I’ve already seen Angkor Wat. “

“Scuba diving in Belize? I didn’t bother because I’ve already dove the Great Barrier Reef.”

“If you’ve already been to Tikal, there’s no point seeing Palenque.”

Remember to see the value in each place you visit and don’t become jaded over time. It doesn’t just have to be the big-ticket items either – Sometimes city parks or small temples can provide a lot of merit.

Don’t forget, some people dream their entire lives of being able to see the Eiffel Tower or the Forbidden City. Don’t get there and be nonchalant just because you have seen a lot of other cool things.

Everyone needs a day off to recharge the batteries. A morning to sleep in, an afternoon to sit in a park and read a book, catching the latest movie at the cinema – these things are essential to keep sane when on the road!

Not everyday needs to be filled with museums and sightseeing. People back home have weekends to unwind, and you will need the same. At least one day a week, take a break.

Even with your one day off of a week, being on the move all the time will grind you down. After two years crossing Asia we were completely burnt out , despite the incredible things we had done.

We wanted to form friendships with people that lasted longer than a couple of days.

We wanted to not feel lost all the time when we arrived in a new city. We wanted to unpack our backpacks once and not repack it again the next morning. We even found ourselves craving the thing that we most hate – ‘routine’.

One year into our current trip we settled down in Phong Nha, Vietnam for 2.5 months and took a vacation within a vacation. It did wonders for our soul!

By the end of our time there, we were refreshed and ready to tackle the next part of the adventure. Now we’ve slowed down a bit while we’re in Thailand and it has been excellent!

We spent 11 nights in one place in Koh Lanta – the longest we had been stationary in 14 months, and damn it felt good!

To survive long term travel, you really need to stop travelling now and then. Find a place you love with a good amount of things to keep you interested, rent a room in a house (or an entire bungalow), and return to a brief life of normality.

If you are anything like us, you love being surrounded by nature. It soothes the soul. We love nothing more than going for a hike in a forest, climbing a mountain or sitting by a pristine river.

When the hustle and bustle of big cities grinds us down, we make a beeline for the nearest national park. Away from the noise and crowds, filling our lungs with fresh air helps put us back in a positive mindset.

To survive long term travel, spend as much time in nature as possible!

You know what we ate a lot of during our 26 months in Asia? Rice and noodles. I mean A LOT of rice and noodles. You know what we get sick of? Rice and noodles.

Don’t get us wrong, we love Asian food, but every now and then we crave a pizza or a burger or some burritos or a pasta meal. These kind of foods aren’t usually cheap in Asia, but occasionally we just don’t care.

At some point the idea of eating another tortilla in Central America or one last donair kebab in Turkey is going to make you feel sick. Splash out sometimes and give in to whatever it is you are craving.

8. Keep Fit And Stay Healthy

When you are at home, with a set schedule and normal routine, it is easier to make time to exercise or be careful about what you eat. When you are on the road, this becomes more difficult.

You might quit your plan of going for an evening run and instead make a habit of catching happy hour every night! Trust us, we know the feeling!

Don’t forget to keep up your daily exercise. It can be as simple as walking instead of taking a bus or taxi every day, or doing some push ups and sit ups when you wake up.

Consider have a detox day every week where you only eat fruit and vegetables, or have a strict rule of only drinking a few nights a week. Try to get a solid night’s sleep and not stay up to late.

That was one reason we returned to Thailand – to detox and get healthy again. We just completed one month off alcohol, and have really changed our diet.

And while we admit we haven’t exercised as much as we could have, we still feel great! And most importantly, eating healthy has helped get us ready for our next big travels.

Over 7 years later, we’re still surviving long term travel…

Alesha and Jarryd

Hi, We’re Alesha and Jarryd!

We’ve been traveling the world together since 2008, searching for the planet’s best destinations and adventures.

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Great Write!

Couldn’t have said it better!

The hardest part for me while travelling for extended time (In South East Asia and Southern Europe) was physical exhaustion. Next to that was that my brain worked overtime on all the new impressions.

It has been better to ease down, to somewhat live a “normal” life as you have said. A vacation within a vacation. Most important for me has been to write a little for my homesite to go into myself and negate external stimulation to some extent.

Makes you mentally healthy!

Great to hear someone else having the same lessons like me.

Good luck on your travels!

i love long term travels.. when i go travel, it will take me 2 weeks to a year to come back home.. one secret to battle homesickness during this phase is to bring comfort familiar food… yep, i bring my favorite brand of chocolate and noodles with me.. and whenever i miss home, i eat these foods. ^_^

Great tip. Definitely bringing your own comfort food can help with homesick but don’t forget to check the quarantine laws for the country you are travelling too. You can be left with a massive fine if the food is not allow and not declared.

Great post! We also figured out to travel slow after our first 18 months traveling in an RV in the southeast USA. We changed from a 28′ Xtra Lite 5th wheel to a 40′ motorhome and that forced us to slow down. Initially, we missed the fast pace and moving every 4 or 5 days. But then it happened! Our bodies caught up with our brains! We do have family reasons to stay in one place every few months (to be with our baby grandsons) but when we get back on the road, we’re anxious to see all we can! What a great lifestyle! You two are amazing!

Awesome post guys! I’ve never travelled slow before, always island/City hopping every other day in a quest to see as much as possible but I leave in a few weeks on a one way ticket for what I hope will be years of travel and these tips are amazing! I think every traveler is worried about getting ‘bored’ of what excites us most so having fresh eyes is a brilliant reminder to us all. X

Hey loving your work.

Me and the Mrs are travelling around SEA hopefully setting of in about a month or so. Its great to see you guys have survived this long…..as travelling with a partner will obviously put a strain on any relationship and this has been a concern of mine.

This is definitely reassuring – I’ve just set off on a trip of indeterminate length with plans to carry on long term and its good to hear that you guys are managing it fine! I think having a routine really helps, like having some workout schedule or blogging routine, so you can feel ‘normal’ even though your life as a long term traveller can be so much more than normal!

Really loved this post. After having to rush a bit recently due to flights, I am reminded how much I love slow travelling. Also important to have pizza once in a while…learnt that much in China after all the rice and noodles.

Love this post! I totally agree.

I always intend to travel slowly, but then in an attempt to fit as much in as possible I end up on the move constantly and then burn out. I’m getting better though 🙂 Currently been in the same city for 3 weeks.

I’ve had people in the past tell me that I’m “totally missing out” and “being lazy” because I decided not to go further into the Lao mountains to see another village. I was tired of moving after 6 months on the road and was loving just laying in my hammock with a book and a beer for a week.

Sooooo loved your point about getting back to nature! I find this is definitely on my list (if not at the top) for what’s most important for me personally as I travel. I often lose myself, and find myself again in nature. Do you ever have an experience like that?

Jeez can I related to each and every one of these! This is spot on guys 🙂 I think all of these things can be tied into #1, travel slow. You don’t’ get burnt out so easily, you can unpack for more than two nights, you can take a day or two off and it’s not the end of the world… I wouldn’t change it for anything. Oh, and after living in Asia for four years… I’m still slightly scarred for life with eating white rice. I get flashbacks…lol.

Three months into our RTW trip, we’ve just now come to terms with slower travel after moving on every few days. Constantly being on the move is exhausting, and we hadn’t really anticipated that before we left!! For us, being able to cook something that approximates a favourite meal from home can be a big boost, even though it’s not exactly the same – it’s a little bit of familiarity on the road. Because we’re travelling with kids, that becomes especially important. And I totally agree about having a hobby – I’m currently teaching myself to crochet, and working on a blanket made out of squares I make in each country with wool bought on my travels. It gives me something to focus on (as well as a great “memory” piece!) I’ve also taken the opportunity of time on my hands to brush up on my programming skills – there are loads of great online courses on pretty much anything, and doing them while sat in the sunshine supping great coffee (other drinks are available) beats doing it from an office any day!! (But be careful not to do so much that you have no time left to see the place you’re in…) Great article!

Awesome post guys, it really captures the long-term niggles of travel and how to conquer them. We often give in to foreign food if were ‘noodled’ out and occasionally hunt down a bottle of decent plonk even if it sets us back a days budget! I also agree with Jane, the first thing we do on arrival is unpack our wash bag, take out a few clothes (to reduce the creases), light some incense and get out our mini soeaker. Within minutes it feels more confortable and shows you can make literally a home anywhere.

We make sure that as soon as we arrive anywhere, we dress it up to feel like “home”. We have a few little knick-knacks (a tiny yoga statue, a few pebbles from different beaches etc) that we place on a desk or a window sill. We pull out our travel pillows and put them on the bed and we unpack our clothes as much as we can.

Doing this makes us feel settled and welcome, no matter where we are staying.

Great advice! “Have fresh eyes” especially speaks to me, and I need to remember this when I travel!

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A Comprehensive Guide To Budgeting For Long-Term Travel

Words by Featured Guest Blogger  Gigi Griffis

It’s been five years since I packed my life into a hiking backpack, tucked my dog into an airline-approved carrier, and left my lease behind for a life of full-time travel.

And no matter how long I’m on the road, the number one question I get about my long-term travel lifestyle is this:

How do you afford it?

How do the financials of full-time travel work? Isn’t travel expensive? Is a financially sustainable full-time travel lifestyle something an average person could afford?

The questions are complicated, but the good news is that the answers aren’t. And I’m going to do my best to tackle these questions in full here for you today.

Before we get into budgets and real numbers, though, let’s talk about mindset and that ever-loaded question… “Isn’t Travel Expensive?”

In many years of short vacations, it’s easy to get the idea that travel is an expensive pursuit. And the truth is that short-term travel often is expensive.

After all, you’re squishing as many experiences as you can into a really short period of time. A two week trip probably includes round-trip airfare, train or bus tickets, a dozen different hotel rooms, eating out most meals, gifts and souvenirs, and—and this is key—all your expenses back home. Because just because you took off to Italy and France for two weeks doesn’t mean your cell phone bill, car insurance, homeowners insurance, mortgage, home health insurance, gym membership, and cable bill go away.

So you can see why short-term trips get expensive fast. You’re paying double. Home expenses + travel expenses. And because you only have two weeks, you’re probably trying to see a lot of things in a short time period. And those entrance fees, bus tickets, train travels, and tours all add up.

This is where long-term travel differs greatly.

First off, you trade in all those back-home expenses. You aren’t keeping up a gym membership or cable bill or car insurance you aren’t using. You’re only paying for the expenses in the here and now.

Secondly, long-term travel usually means going a little slower. If you have a whole month in Paris, you end up spreading out the cost of museum tickets over a longer period of time. If you have five must-eat-at restaurants, hitting them in a single week (and then moving onto the five must-eats in your next destination) adds up much quicker than spreading them out over the course of two weeks or three weeks or a month and choosing to cook or picnic in between.

Longer stays also cost less because there are plenty of discounts out there. Airbnb lets hosts list not just nightly prices, but monthly prices as well. And the monthly discounts often run between 40 – 60%. Hotels and hostels will often also extend a discount for longer stays if you ask. And, of course, longer stays mean less plane or long-distance train tickets—and the savings add up there as well.

Now, does this mean all short-term trips are expensive? Nope. There are lots of tricks to saving money on short trips as well.

But the point is that long-term travel is inherently comparatively inexpensive.  It isn’t just for the rich. It doesn’t take a lifetime of saving.

Budgeting for Long-Term Travel

Okay, so long-term travel is inherently cheaper than short-term jaunts around the world…but that doesn’t tell you how to budget, right? So, let’s break that down.

The two biggest keys to figuring out your travel budget are knowing where you’re going and how you travel .

Where You’re Going

Someone traveling around southeast Asia will have a different cost living than someone spending the summer in Paris (though even that’s probably cheaper than you’re thinking). A spring in Australia will have different price tags than one in Mexico. Knowing where you want to go and looking for budget info for those destinations will help you get a sense for how much you should plan on spending.

How You Travel

Are you a luxury traveler? Do you plan on spending some time in five-star resorts? Do you adore hostels? What about camping? How fast do you want to go? How often do you plan eat out?

Obviously all of this is a factor when you travel, as well. Someone who plans on renting a place with a kitchen and cooking in most nights will need a lower budget than someone eating in Rome’s best restaurants every other night. Someone couch surfing their way across Latin America will spend less on accommodations than someone staying in mid-range hotels every night. And someone housesitting will spend even less.

So before you start your budget, it’s important to ask yourself those questions: Where do I want to travel? And how do I like to travel?

There’s no right answer.

The key is to know yourself. If you’re going to be miserable staying in hostels, it might be wise to budget more for accommodations. If you adore five-star hotels, it makes sense to try to work them into your budget at least occasionally. Your budget on the road should reflect you.

Now, let’s talk about specific budget line items.

Accommodations

In my own five years of full-time travel—as a mid-budget traveler who cares deeply about the comfort of whatever place I call home—this has been my biggest budget line item. When I was traveling solo, I budgeted $1,000 per month for housing and almost always rented nice one-bedroom apartments. Now that I’m partnered, we tend to stay in even nicer places, but my half of the budget has dropped to $600 to $800 since we’re splitting the bill.

These days, my partner and I find most of our places on Airbnb. And we tend to stay for a month or longer and take advantage of monthly pricing.

Of course, there are definitely cheaper options, including:

• Housesitting (Usually free and the places you stay can be pretty glamorous)
• Couch surfing or, for cyclists, Warm Showers (If you’re willing to stay with strangers, couch surfing is free, though you should probably budget for at least taking your host out for a thank-you drink)
• Renting directly from a local (You can sometimes find furnished rentals by either asking around when you show up in a new place or by joining Facebook groups or local forums)
• Camping (Even if you hate the idea of sleeping on the ground, many campgrounds offer cabins or luxury tents.)

And there are plenty of pricier options out there, to like-five-star hotels or apartment rentals shorter than a month.

international transportation

I’m a slow traveler, preferring to stay in each place for at least a month (at least for the moment) and to explore one region or continent thoroughly before moving on to another. Because of this, I rarely take planes. So far in 2017, I’ve only taken a single flight—fifty minutes from Zagreb to Dubrovnik, Croatia—and I’ve only got plans to take one more—from France to Mexico next winter.

This means that my international transportation costs run relatively low. This year, I took a train from Sicily up to Rome for less than $70, hired a tour van from Dubrovnik to Mostar for about $45, moved from Mostar to Konjic, Bosnia, and (about 45 minutes into the mountains) by taxi for about $35.

If you’re taking planes often or planning to cross long distances instead of spending long months exploring a single region, expect to spend more (unless you’re  travel hacking  for free plane tickets). If you’re willing to hitchhike,  hike from one place to another , or  cycle , expect to spend less.

local transportation

Local transportation can add up, so make sure to factor this in. My partner and I actually both travel with folding bikes (if the concept is new to you, the gist is this: the bikes are made to quickly and easily fold up small enough to fit into a normal suitcase and travel as checked baggage or fit easily onto a bus) and we love to walk, so we rarely ever splurge on city bus tickets or taxis.

But, of course, we’re not the norm. Most other long-term travelers we’ve met don’t have bicycles on hand. Which means they have to factor in local bus, metro, subway, train, tram, or taxi fares if and when they need them.

The good news is that local transportation prices are usually pretty easy to find via Google or by contacting the local tourist office of the place you want to visit.

Food & Drinks

In the last five years, my grocery budget has ranged from $350 to about $600 and my eating out budget has been as low as $75. Can you eat cheaper? For sure. But for me, food has always been a big priority, so I tend spend more on it—buying organic and local when possible. I love to cook, so my partner and I eat in a lot and most of the nomads we know spend more on eating out and less on groceries than we do.

When factoring food into your own budget, I recommend looking at two things:

• Other people’s budgets for your destination (These can give you a great baseline, especially if the other person’s tastes run similar to yours. To find them, just Google “how much does it cost to…[live in/spend a month in your destination]”)
• Cost of living numbers on data repository sites like Numbeo .

Entertainment & Fun Money

When budgeting for activities, the question is: What do you want to do in X location?

Will you be bungee jumping, paragliding, rafting, or climbing? Going to museums ? Taking food tours? Creating your own self-guided food tour? Will you spend your days hiking on free trails, picnicking in the park, doing yoga on the beach?

What you love to do with your time will impact your travel budget.

My own entertainment budgets tend to run low. In part, this is because most of the things I love to do (hiking, cycling, photo walks, picnics in the park) are free. In part, it’s because some of my other loves (fresh market visits, experimental cooking with local ingredients) are already accounted for in other parts of my budget. And in part it’s because I’m a blogger and when I do decide to take a rafting trip down the Soca River in Slovenia or take a food tour in Rome, I can often get companies to offer those things for free in exchange for sharing my experiences on my blog.

Obviously, loving free activities and having access to blogger freebies aren’t realities for everyone, so when budgeting, make sure you know what you want to do. It’s easy to price your activities online once you have an idea of what they’ll be.

Health and Wellness

When budgeting for health insurance and healthcare costs, the important thing is—again—to know where you’ll be traveling.

My own health insurance ( expat insurance through GeoBlue ) costs me $160 per month and covers me anywhere in the world except the frightfully expensive USA. And that cost is with a preexisting condition. Someone with no preexisting conditions or someone younger than myself can easily pay less (my partner pays $130, for reference).

The cost of healthcare itself also tends to run affordable abroad—though it does vary. In Switzerland, I paid about $30 for three months of birth control. In Mexico, I saw a doctor about ear irritation for a few bucks. I’ve had my teeth cleaned in Rome for about $100 and saw a dentist in Belgium about some tooth pain for about half that. Including my $160 insurance, dental care, annual exams, birth control pills, and several doctor visits for minor issues, in the first six months of this year I’ve averaged about $200 a month for all things health.

Miscellaneous

Long-term travelers have a variety of other categories for their spending depending on how they travel.

I, for instance, travel with my small dog, Luna. So I budget for her vet bills, supplies, and food along the way.

Other travelers have cell phones (I don’t), so they have to factor those in. Etc.

Depending on how you travel, other categories you might need to factor into your budgets include:

• Business expenses
• Pet travel expenses
• Subscriptions (Hulu, Netflix, Prime, etc.)
• Books, music, and movie purchases on the road
• Transportation costs for any additional gear (if you are traveling with a full-sized bike, for instance)

Now, Some Real Long-Term Travel Budgets

Okay, so now you know what categories you’ll need to budget for and hopefully you have a sense for how those categories can vary. But at the end of the day, what’s really helpful (at least for me) is seeing other people’s budgets. Seeing how much they really actually spent on their jaunt through southeast Asia or their winter in the Italian countryside or their road trip across Canada.

So, here are tons and tons of nomad budgets for you to peek through.

First, there are mine. I’ve tracked expenses in 21 different locations , mostly in Europe and North America.

My lowest month was $1,296 in Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina .

My highest month was a $3,091-month cycling across France on a vintage Swiss military bike .

Eight of the 21 budgets came in under $1,500 per month. Another eight were between $1,500 and $2,000. And just five averaged over $2,000 per month. And remember, that’s mostly traveling in Europe—a place often considered expensive.

When I asked five other long-term travelers to share their real budget numbers late last year, they ranged from $800 for a month on a South Korean island and $875 spent while housesitting in Peru to about $8,000 for a month of fast travel through France, Luxembourg, and Belgium.

Other travelers tracking expenses include:

Nora Dunn, who shares her spending every year, reported $23,216 total in 2016 —an average of just under $2,000 per month.

Jodi Ettenberg says her yearly budget runs $12,000 to $15,000 .

Laia of Dream Travel Girl says her spending came out to $35 per day .

Lauren over at Never Ending Footsteps tracked her 2015 spending and it came in under $20,000.

Jimmy of Jimmy Eats World tracked his budgets for two years of full-time travel for a grand total of about $40,000.

Another couple—Erin and Simon—tracked yearly expenses and reported a total of $40,323 for two in 2013 .

Gilles Barbier tracks per-day expenses across a variety of countries .

Jet Setting Fools also shared their two-year budget breakdown .

Ali Garland—an expat who lives in Germany but travels frequently and for long periods—also tracks her expenses for long and short trips everywhere from Asia to Central America to Prague.

Another expat—Jennifer in France—also tracks her spending occasionally. Here’s her latest on cost of living in Paris .

Finally, NomadList has average budget numbers for popular traveler cities all around the world.

Gigi Griffis is a world-traveling entrepreneur and writer with a special love for inspiring stories, new places, and living in the moment. In May 2012, she sold her stuff and took to the road with a growing business and a pint-sized pooch. She’s blogs at  gigigriffis.com  and is the author of the  100 Locals travel guide series .

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How To Comfortably Long Term Slow Travel In Europe

Posted on Published: December 15, 2020  - Last updated: December 19, 2023

Categories Europe , Travel Tips

There’s never going to be a good time to quit your life back home and long term slow travel for a few months. Let me tell you from first hand experience, this isn’t an easy task but it’s incredibly worth it!

In fall 2019 my partner and I took the plunge to embarked on the biggest trip of our life. We left Montreal behind to slow travel Europe for 4 months. This took a lot of planning , and we of course still ran into some hiccups along the way.

We lived in Brussels, Edinburgh, Aix-en-Provence, and Barcelona for one month each! We decided to travel during low-season in the fall from September through December. This way, we could enjoy the local atmosphere without the abundance of tourist season (plus it made it a bit cheaper!).  

Keep in mind, this is not a guide to how we backpacked for 4 months in Europe. We saved up from years of working so we could live comfortably while we were away. We did have a budget, and we didn’t spend our money extravagantly, but we made sure we had enough to not have regrets and live comfortably during our long term travel.  

Psst! This blog post contains affiliate links in it which sends me a bit of extra money if you use them… at no extra cost to you!

When Should You Go? There’s Never A Perfect Time…

There’s never going to be the perfect time to stop everything and put your life on hold for four months. That’s why you just have to do it. We decided to take the leap because I was working a dead-end job and my partner was in the final stages of his PhD (writing his thesis).  

I was going to quit my job anyway, so I just put off looking for a new one for a few months. For him, he could work from anywhere. We realized that he’d be working full time after he graduated, so this might be our last opportunity to leave the city for an extended period of time.  

And just like that, we started planning!  Before we knew it we were off to slow travel Europe for four wonderful months.

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Considerations Before You Leave

What kind of trip are you looking for.

When we did this trip, we were 25 and 26. We could have backpacked for 4 months in Europe, but that didn’t interest us. You could easily make this into four months of intense hostel jumping and partying. You’d probably be able to ‘see’ more countries but we were more interested in slow travel in Europe. You know, getting a taste of local experiences and cultures.  

So we decided to live in one place for an entire month, took our time exploring the city and the surrounding areas. We didn’t travel everyday, we had a lot of days off where my partner worked on his thesis and I worked on this blog. It was the perfect excuse to sit in a local cafe for the afternoon and recuperate from the day trip we took the day before.  

Keep in mind, this was not the Euro trip to be cheap. We didn’t live in luxury for four months, but we lived comfortably, as we would have at home . We saved up enough money over several years to be able to do this. We didn’t want to have missed out on opportunities and for lack of funds to be the reason.

How Long Do You Want To Travel For: Why We Chose 4 Months In Europe?

4 months in Europe was a slightly random decision, but it was actually the perfect amount of time for us. We didn’t want to leave for too long (like 6 months) because we still had responsibilities at home (like my partner graduating from his PhD!). But, we wanted it to be longer than a 2 month summer camp experience. We figured that four months is like a semester abroad. 

Let me tell you, by the end of our trip, we were ready to go back home. We were exhausted, felt like we had so many new unimaginable memories to look back on, and we really missed our bed! 

Tips For Long Term Travel For Canadians…

As a Canadian, you have to live in your province for 4 to 6 months of the year (depending on the province) for health care. We ran into an issue though. As a Canadian, we’re also only allowed to stay in the Shengen zone in Europe for 3 months every 6 months.

The Shengen zone is pretty much all western Europe, with a few exceptions (like the UK and Ireland). So, without a visa, you’re only be able to stay for 3 months… We still managed to do our four month trip by leaving the Shengen zone for a month. 

Should You Apply For A Visa?

If you do want to stay longer, as a Canadian, you’re able to apply for work away visas (like the  International Experience Visa ). This is primarily easy for those looking to go to Europe and are under 30. A visa allows you to live and work abroad for up to 2 years.  

We opted against this, as we wanted it to be more of a vacation for us, not a work away from home.

Responsibilities Back Home To Cancel

Applying for a visa and booking accommodations and flights are one thing. Dealing with your responsibilities at home is an entire other ball game.  

There are so many monthly costs to life. I’m talking things like rent, a car lease, and your phone bill! But then there’s where you’re going to receive mail, if you have any plants…etc.  

Most people probably wouldn’t have done what we did, but we were so happy we did. We pretty much didn’t cancel ANYTHING during our 4 months in Europe . All our friends thought were INSANE! But I assure you, there was a reason for everything.  

Another thing to watch out for, look ahead to see what costs might be coming up in the upcoming months when you’re away. For example, my partner’s car registration was due in October so he had to pay it before we left. This can also be your license, any taxes …etc.

Monthly Costs Worth Cancelling

Here’s an overview of some of the monthly costs we pay for that you may want to cancel for your long term travel:

• Car Insurance
• Home/ Renters Insurance
• Phone Plans (Mobile, Home)

So Why Didn’t We Cancel Anything?

First, we wanted to keep our phone numbers, so we paid a smaller monthly fee to keep them without having an actual talk/text plan.  

Next was the car. We looked into doing a lease transfer or trading it back to the dealer, but at the end of the day we had to pay 1-2 thousand dollars to get rid of it (more than our payments for the four months!) and this way we would have a car when we got back. But once we decided not to trade it in or do a lease transfer, we needed to find an alternative.

We don’t have a parking spot, and it’s not exactly a good idea to leave a car inactive for four months. So we offered the car to my sister for those months. She had a parking spot at her apartment and now she had access to a car! It was a win win for everyone!

Are You Telling Me You Paid Rent For 4 Months But Didn’t Live There??

Yes, that’s exactly what I’m saying. People thought we were mad when they heard we had been paying rent for four months but weren’t living there anymore. Again, we did the calculations and it didn’t cost for us to not keep it.  

There were a lot of costs associated with us not keeping our apartment back home. We’d need a moving company, monthly storage for everything, and then another moving company when we got back.

There’s also the added stress of then finding a new place. We figured we’d have had to live at my parents house until we found a place… not exactly ideal in my mind. 

But, then we ran into the issue of leaving the apartment unattended for four months. We offered it to my younger sister to live in on the weekends (she lived at my parents in the suburbs, our apartment was in the city).

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This killed several birds with one stone. She got a place to stay on the weekends in the city, and we had someone to water our plants, check on the apartment, and check our mail. She did pay us for amenities that she wanted but we didn’t need to pay for if no one was there (like heating and internet).  

Alternatively, we could have sublet our place. To be honest though, I’m not so keen on having a stranger live with my personal belongings. But that could be an option for you!

Setting An Appropriate Budget For 4 Months In Europe

As I mentioned, this was not a backpacking Euro trip. Our long term travel budget was quite a bit higher than if it was, but we nonetheless still had a budget. We set an appropriate budget for ourselves to make sure that we didn’t come back totally broke. We still wanted some money in the bank, especially since I didn’t know how long it would take me to find a new job.  

A budget is also important for setting certain guidelines for how much to spend. For example, we had a budget for accommodations, food, attractions, and everything travel related.  

When I budget, I always over estimate EVERYTHING! Just because I’d rather think I can spend more and then spend less, you always need some wiggle room. There’s also always unforeseen expenses, and you might spend less in some areas, but more in others! 

Figure out how you want to live when you’re abroad. We more or less wanted to keep the same lifestyle we were living at home, plus the added travel costs. So that was the starting point for our budget.   We ended up budgeting that the trip would cost us around $33 000 CAD ($16 500 each).

Long Term Slow Travel Budget Vs. Reality

Our initial budget for the trip was around $33 000 CAD and we ended up being off by about $9 000! Again, I’d rather be expecting to spend more, and have the money, than budgeting less and get caught in an undesirable situation. The final tally for the trip was around $24 000 CAD ($12 000 for one person). 

We spent more or less what we thought we would on food and monthly living expenses (minus accommodations). That’s because it’s similar to what we spend in Montreal (about $150/week).  

Every month, our credit card came to $3,000 when we were away which was double what it was at home. But now we had the added travel expenses.  

The main place where we were off was the cost for our accommodations. When we initially budgeted, we had thought we’d be able to find a month long stay for $1500… MAX. This was not the case!  Booking an Airbnb for a month cost us an extra $1 000 than we thought it would. We wanted a reputable host, and in a good location, so you have to pay for that!

What We Spent For 4 Months Abroad (2 People)

Return Flight To Europe : $2 000 (upgraded to include luggage) Inter-Europe Transportation : $1 000 (flights, trains, buses…etc.) Total : $3 000

Accommodations : $2 500/ month  Total : $10 000

Monthly Costs: (Food, touring, misc…etc.): $3 000/ month  Total : $12 000

Total: $24 000 Each: $12 000

Long Term Travel Money Saving Opportunities

We chose the timing of our 4 months in Europe (Sept-January) for a reason. This is low season in Europe. Not only does that mean less tourists to deal with, but a lot of the flights, hotels, and attractions may offer certain low season discounts.  

But! Be aware that some places might also be quite empty and even closed during low season! 

We also chose to stay for a month in each location for a reason: airbnb hosts will offer discounts the longer you stay. Our discounts ranged from 60% to 25% off! That makes a huge difference! We also saved on booking an Airbnb because we were able to buy local and cook our own meals.

Another trick is to get a travel credit card or bank account! Continue reading for tips!

Traveling as a couple? Here’s some tips to save money

What To Do About Foreign Exchange Fees

Paying foreign exchange fees when you’re on vacation is never fun (especially for us Canadians). We don’t usually think about it because it’s for about 2 weeks. When you’re travelling for longer, it can add up quite a bit! 

There are two main ways to avoid paying a foreign exchange fee, and maybe even get some money back! You can sign up for an appropriate credit card or bank account. Opening up a bank account in another country is typically a bit trickier. For us, it really didn’t work because we were constantly changing countries.  

Instead, we found out that Scotiabank in Canada has agreements with several foreign banks though ( see the list here ). We opened up an account (it was free for us as my partner was a student) and this meant that we could take out money at certain banks without paying any fees.  

For a credit card, we traveled with the Rogers Mastercard. It had 3% cash back on foreign purchases at the time (now it’s 1.5%), and no foreign exchange fee. The Rogers Mastercard ended up being killer! We even payed back some of the trip with the cash back we got!

The Scotiabank account though was a bit unnecessary. We left with €100 for Belgium, and then we only took out cash about once a month (a total of three times). It would have been fine to pay the small fee to take out the money at that point.

Double Check Your Travel Insurance!

We thankfully did not need to use it, but you still need to have it. We were on my partners insurance plan which included travel insurance. Because he was a student, the travel insurance covered up to 6 months (I guess to accommodate semester abroad). Double check your insurance if it covers long term travel. You might need to get separate coverage. 

In addition to travel insurance, make sure you’re covered for car insurance if you want to rent a car while abroad. We were covered through both our credit cards. I’d recommend going over the policies to know exactly what you’re covered for though! You don’t want to think you’re covered for something, but aren’t. 

5 Money Saving Tips For Booking Direct Flights Online

The Fun Part: Choosing Where To Go

Now that you’ve figured out what kind of trip you want, how long you’re traveling for, and your budget, it’s time for the fun part! Choosing your destination(s) for your long term travel experience is so important.

Depending on how long you’re traveling for, you might decide to stay in one place or travel around to a few.  We decided that a month in one place would be more than enough time to explore and learn about the culture. So, we chose four completely different places based on four main factors.

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1. Location, Location, Location!

I’m not just really excited about the location, there are three location factors you have to decide on for your long term travel.

The first location you have to decide on is what continent you want to travel around for your long term slow travel adventure? Do you want to go as far away as possible from your home country or stay relatively close? We threw around the idea of traveling to Australia or Asia, just because you’d rather only do that kind of big flight once!

We ultimately decided on 4 months in Europe because we wanted to be a bit closer to home and knew a few people already there. We didn’t want to be completely cut off. My dad travels to Europe for business, so we figured we could see him (which we did) and we met up with a few friends along the way. 

Second, you have to decide on the country? Do you want to stay in one country, or maybe travel to a few on that continent?

The third location is all about the city. Do you want a relaxing beach vacation or experience high intensity city life?

We wanted a bit of everything, so we wanted places that were more or less centrally located that had really good day or weekend trip opportunities. But, we also wanted a big enough city that we could hang around there if we chose to. 

2. Do You Speak The Language?

If you’re living somewhere for a month or longer, you probably want to know the language… at least a bit. We debated on some smaller towns in Italy (based on the weather) but… we don’t know any Italian. 

For us, another main goal for spending 4 months in Europe was to improve our French, so we were looking for French-speaking countries.

3. The Schengen Zone & Visa Requirements

Are you able to stay in Europe for the amount of time that you want to travel for? We needed to leave the Schengen zone for at least one month, so we needed a place outside! 

See more information about the  Schengen zone . If you’re looking to stay in the Schengen Zone, find out more about an  International Experience Visa  for Canadians. 

4. Weather Considerations For Long Term Travel

Weather played a HUGE factor for us when deciding where to go. Another goal for us was to escape some of winter. So we were looking for relatively warm fall weather in Europe. 

Weather also played a role because we were moving every month, we needed to keep it relatively consistent for packing reasons. I didn’t want to need shorts for September and then a winter jacket for December. 

Even with trying our best to find countries with similar weather, we had a lot of variance, and I ended up needing to buy a warmer jacket halfway through. But that’s why you always leave room in your suitcase!

Fall Travel: Pros Vs. Cons

Our Picks For 4 Months In Europe & Why!

We ended up living in Brussels, Edinburgh, Aix-en-Provence, and Barcelona.  

Brussels (in Belgium) had two perks for us. First, it was the ultimate central location in Europe. Not only were we able to travel throughout Belgium, but also the Netherlands, Luxembourg, and Germany. As an added bonus, we wanted to improve our French while we were away, and Brussels is primarily French.  

Next up we chose Edinburgh. Our decision to come to Scotland was purely based on the fact that we needed to leave the Schengen zone for one month. We could have gone anywhere in the U.K. or Ireland. Ireland was too expensive to live in Dublin, and I’d been to Edinburgh for the day already and fell in love with it!  

Aix-en-Provence, in the South of France, was actually the inspiration for this trip. Our dream was to live in the South of France, and then we stumbled upon Aix-en-Provence! The perfect spot to relax midway through the trip, and again, work on our French. Plus, it was the perfect weather when we were visiting in November.  

Our last destination was Barcelona, purely chosen for the impeccable December weather! We also knew a few people from Barcelona who helped us out planning that leg of the trip (like where to stay!). I’ll admit, it’s a lot easier to live somewhere for a month where you’re familiar with the language.

Long Term Slow Travel: How We Spent Our Days

As I mentioned, we wanted the full local experience and a more relaxed, slow travel Europe experience. That’s to say, this was not the go-go-go touring vacation we were used to. We spent time going to the grocery stores, cooking local food, and actually working (finding the best cafes in each city!). But, that doesn’t mean we also didn’t explore our home city a lot, and the surrounding area.

We ended up going on day trips about two to three times a week. When we stayed in our host city, we’d typically split our day in half. We’d tour in the morning, and then settle down in a local cafe to work in the afternoon. This also gave us some time to unwind, our day trips were usually pretty densely packed.  

Our itineraries also shifted based on where we were. In Brussels, our first location, we still had the travel bug and tons of energy. We went on the most day trips of the trip (including a 3-day overnight trip to Amsterdam! ).  

Scotland was similar with an overnight trip to the Highlands and 2 day trips a week. By the time we got to Aix-en-Provence, in the South of France, we were exhausted! Aix is a much smaller city, so we were able to relax a bit and travel at a much slower pace. We were able to just sit back, enjoy the local cafes, and focus more on our work. Barcelona on the other hand is a huge city, that we only went on 3 day trips throughout the entire month!

Never forget a favourite travel memory

Keep track of your travels every day with my digital and printable travel journal . Use it on the go on your phone or tablet, or print it out!

Booking Your Accommodations: Where To Stay For Long Term Travel

As I briefly mentioned before, we booked all our accommodations through Airbnb in each location. We did this because we were able to get a monthly discount. Plus, this way we could fully immerse ourselves in local culture by staying outside of the tourist epi-centers. It was unbeatable! We had our own place where we could cook, and make ourselves feel at home for the month.  

Another main perk for us by booking an Airbnb was that we looked for places specifically with a washing machine. Even though we were there for a month, we didn’t want to waste time waiting for laundry at a laundromat. This was something we spent extra on at our Airbnbs, but it was worth it! 

Booking an Airbnb also lets you seek out more local locations to stay. For example, we LOVED our stay in Gracia in Barcelona , a 20 minute walk from the city centre. Or Ixelles in Brussels, where we discovered our favourite local bar that we’d go to several times a week (shoutout to Le Pantin)!

Before Booking Your Airbnb For Long Term Travel: Read My Guide

Packing Guide For 4 Months In Europe

What the f*** are you supposed to pack for 4 months in Europe? Obviously, you’re away for a long time, but you can’t exactly pack your entire wardrobe.

I packed myself and my partner in two MASSIVE suitcases ( TravelPro Maxlite 5 29″ ). I was worried they were a bit big… and to be fair, they probably were. They didn’t fit in most cars, but we never had to check them in as oversize luggage (which I was worried about). I’m a huge supporter of TravelPro, but I think one size smaller would have been better ( the TravelPro Maxlite 5 25″ ).  

Travelpro Maxlite 5 Review: Why Travelpro Is The Best Suitcase Brand

My mentality for packing for 4 months in Europe was to pack two weeks worth of clothing (NOT 4 months!). I didn’t want to be doing laundry every day. So, I brought two weeks worth of underwear, shirts, and pants.  

Here’s the list of everything I brought (keep in mind we traveled during the fall, so I brought warmer clothing) for 4 months in Europe. I also bought a few things while we were away (I needed a warmer jacket halfway through). 

Long Term Travel Packing List (For The Fall!)

• 1 pair of shorts (in case of hot day in September)
• 5 pairs of pants 
• 14 shirts (12 short sleeve, 2 long sleeve)
• 14 socks (+2 thin wool socks)
• 20 underwear (take up no space and you always seem to run out!)
• 2 pairs pajamas
• 1 Bathing Suit
• Boots ( Blundstones )
• Sneakers (white  Stan Smiths )
• Flip Flops  ( Plastic Birkenstocks  – perfect for walking around the apartments and showers, if necessary)
• Oxfords  (fancier shoes that I could walk all day in)

Toiletries:

• Conditioner
• Battery powered toothbrush
• Moisturizer
• Hairbrush & hair elastics
• Microfiber packable towels
• Packable Kleenex
• Mini Toiletries (for weekend trips: shampoo, soap…etc.)
• Sherpa lined jean jacket
• Thin bomber jacket
• Water & windproof Kway (Packable)
• Long yellow rain jacket
• Cotton zip sweater
• Thin wool pullover
• 2 Cardigans (thick & thin)
• Fanny pack ( Love the Lululemon Everywhere Belt Bag! )
• Small purse
• Knapsack 
• Packable duffel bag
• Packable totes
• Adapters ( UK ,  EU )

Miscellaneous: 

• Ziploc containers (for liquids while travelling and storing leftovers)
• Plastic bags
• Medication (full bottles: Advil, Tylenol, Allergy, Zinc)
• Swiss army knife
• Notebook & pens
• Refillable water bottle
• Pillow case

You might also be interested in…

My digital and printable packing guide on Etsy . Filled with packing planning prompts for your next trip!

Long Term Travel Packing Guide Key Takeaways

What i’m happy i packed for slow travel in europe….

If you’ve read my packing guide , I mention not to pack any of these “what if” items, or items that you can only wear once. I’m not saying to pack only these items now, but you might want to pack some. You’re going to be away for a long time, you want to look nice, and be comfortable.  

For example, I packed my K-way (as a packable rain jacket) but then I also packed a larger yellow raincoat. This is not a practical travel item, it takes up a lot of space and I was already bringing a rain jacket, but I absolutely loved having it. It’s a lot longer than my K-way so it was perfect to wear when it rained in our home city.

Plus it really stood out in pictures! I also packed some comfortable lounge items (and probably packed way more pants than I needed because I brought some to just wear in the apartment!). I would never pack lounge pants on a regular vacation, but you kind of need it for long term travel.  

I also packed a thick mustard yellow cardigan, it was really warm, but mustard yellow… that does not go with everything! I would have shunned myself if I packed this for a 2 week vacation! 

7 Tips on How To Pack Your Suitcase Like A Pro

On top of some extra fashionable clothes, I also packed some kitchen items, like Tupperware and plastic bags. These came in handy so often. To travel, I stored my liquids in them, so they didn’t leak into my suitcase. But I also used them to store leftovers in! The plastic bags were useful to take snacks and lunch on the road! I could have bought these while I was there, but what’s the point, I’m going to need room for them in my suitcase anyway. 

I was also very happy to pack a silicone packable collapsible water bottle ( read why I chose the Nomader Collapsible water bottle ). Sure, it was great as a water bottle but it came in handy in so many more ways! I used it as an icepack when I needed to, and as a heating pad! So either pack a heating pad, or something that can turn into one!

What I’m Happy I Packed And You Should Pack Too For Slow Travel In Europe!

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What I Wish I Packed For My Long Term Travel In Europe

Because we were staying in AirBnBs for 4 months in Europe, there were a few things that I wish I’d brought that I didn’t think of before.  

For example, a blanket for cozying up on the couch with. Something that I guess I take for granted at home while I’m watching TV. I don’t typically watch TV on vacation so it didn’t even cross my mind to pack. I ended up going out and buying a cheap one at Primark (btw Primark is going to be your best friend!). If you don’t want to bring one from one, order a new one for travel from Amazon like this one .

I also wish I packed my pillow for long term travel in Europe. I always pack my own pillow case but I never thought about packing my pillow itself. It was really stupid that I didn’t. My pillow is one of those down-filled pillows that flatten to nothing and wouldn’t have added any weight to my suitcase. 

What I Wish I’d Packed For Long Term Travel!

A cozy blanket for long term travel.

A Collapsible Travel Mug For Slow Travel In Europe

Looking back, it was a no brainer that I should’ve brought my pillow for long term travel. Especially because as it turns out I’m quite picky with the pillow I sleep on. Less than halfway through the trip I ended up with terrible neck and shoulder pain.

It probably could have been avoided if only I’d packed my pillow. I’m usually fine on vacation with pillows, but I usually never sleep on the same bad one more than a few nights in a row. Anyway, if you can, bring your pillow, you can thank me later!  

Last but not least, I brought all these packable items, like duffels and tote bags, even a packable rain jacket. But, I didn’t think to bring a packable travel cup (like a Stojo Collapsible cup – read my review! ) for long term slow travel. It would have come in handy on several occasions. There were many mornings when we left super early in a hurry so I didn’t have time for my a coffee or tea. It’s a good way to save a few euros here and there (plus more eco-friendly!)

Stojo Collapsible Cup For Long Term Slow Travel Review

How To Get A Data Plan Abroad For Long Term Travel!?

I still remember the first time I traveled in Europe when I was 19. It didn’t even cross our minds to get an international data plan. We traveled around, without any data for an entire month. We would download offline maps and jump from WIFI to WIFI spots throughout the cities. This doesn’t really work for long term slow travel…

When you’re on a long term travel adventure, and living somewhere, it’s kind of hard nowadays to be without a data plan. Today, the easiest way to get a data plan is actually with an eSIM card. Most new phones these days are equipped with two SIM card slots, on regular and one for an eSIM (an electronic SIM).

You can buy a plan before you leave through an app like Airalo … P.S. Save on your first international data plan with my code MEGHAN4678 or  click here

If your phone doesn’t have an eSIM slot, you can still do it the old fashioned way. When you arrive abroad, just to swap out your SIM card. Remember to unlock your phone at home first! You can order it online before you leave, but we just bought it when we first landed at  Orange . All you need is an address (we gave our Airbnb) and your passport.  

Alternatively, you can also buy  pocket WIFI . We actually booked each of our Airbnb’s with pocket WIFI, but none of them actually had it (I think they just thought it meant regular WIFI…?). It’s essentially a portable WIFI router that you can connect to on the go.

Important: Stay Connected To Home During Long Term Travel

I cannot stress this enough! This is also a reason to get a data plan for long term travel. You want to stay connected to home as much as possible.  

If you need to, plan times to call your parents, siblings, grand parents, aunts, uncles, cousins, friends… etc. It’s important to not lose touch with people back home, remember, they’re the ones that are going to be there when you get back .  

It’s going to be hard, but make an effort, put it into your calendar if you have to. We made sure that we spoke to people at least once a month. And I don’t mean just sending off a text once a month, I mean getting on video call with them. They also want to hear from you and all about everything you’ve been up to! 

I also put in an extra effort to share updates every day through a photo sharing app (like iCloud, Google Photos…). Plus this way you get to go over your pictures everyday and show off your best ones! You can also start a blog, but that takes a lot more effort… trust me!

What I Learned From Slow Travel In Europe

Appreciation for home & better habits.

Travel is exhausting. It’s nice to have a place to call home where I can relax in the comfort of my home! 4 months in Europe taught me to appreciate my own backyard a bit more. When we came back to Montreal, we put our long term slow travel routines to good use. 

We decided to take back our weekends and explored a lot more of Québec. In fact, we were pleasantly surprised by what we found.  We used to be exhausted from the work week, and don’t get me wrong, we still are. But we made a promise to ourselves to go on a day trip at least one day of our weekend. We can relax on Sunday, but Saturday we need to get out – no excuses! 

It’s also nice to be around family and friends, and not have to video call people all the time. At the end of the day, long term slow travel is such a unique experience that I wouldn’t trade for the world.

If I Did It Over Again, What Would I Change?

Honestly, I don’t think I would change anything. It was practically perfect in every way! Anything that went wrong throughout our 4 months in Europe, has since turned into hilarious memories and life lessons (like when when we were almost washed up by the sea in North Berwick walking to Tantallon Castle !).

Well, maybe I would change one thing… invest in a good place to stay during long term travel. Keep in mind, you’re going to be sleeping here for quite a few nights, you want it to be as comfortable as it can be. It’s worth spending a little bit more for a nicer place. We did cheap out on our first Airbnb in Brussels and it definitely affected that part of the trip.

But…Did Our French Improve At All??

I know this is the question you’ve been waiting for. Did our French improve at all during our 4 months in Europe!?

Well, I like to believe that I’m more confident speaking French now compared to before. I think the biggest difference isn’t necessarily speaking French, but we watch a lot more French TV now than before. It gave me more of an appreciation and drive to be better at the language. 

Quick Links – My Amazon Travel Favourites

Related Travel Guides

• How To Decide if Fall Travel in Europe Is For You?
• Money Saving Hacks For Couples
• How To Plan Your Vacation In 9 Simple Steps

Share My In-Depth Long Term Slow Travel Guide With Others!

Last update on 2024-05-03 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

Jane Williams

Sunday 11th of June 2023

Just loved this article. My husband and I are hoping to spend up to 6 months travelling through Europe and the UK in 2024. You are so inspiring and brave for taking this step in your lives. As we are retired, we are hoping that this may be our last big adventure. Thank you for sharing your experience. Jane

Monday 12th of June 2023

Thank you so much Jane! I hope you have a wonderful 6 month trip - that sounds amazing and is really the dream! Enjoy being with each other and getting to experience new adventures together!

Don't hesitate to reach out if you have any other questions about longer term travel!

Tuesday 11th of April 2023

I searched 'live in europe three months' and came across this article. Nicely done. A bunch of years ago, we took a year off and travelled around the world with our kids for nine months. Three months in Europe, then the Middle East, India, and Southeast Asia. An absolute life changer. While we didn't stay anywhere for a month, there were a number of extended stays (like two weeks on a Greek island, two weeks in Istanbul, two weeks in Gokarna, India (which was super fabulous, by the way)), and lots of one week stays here and there. We rarely stayed only one night in any place. One of the things we learned early on was to pack light! We each (four of us) had our own backpack, and mine was the largest at 80 litres. A good backpack made stairs and cobblestone and all forms of travel much more relaxed. As well, knowing that if you forget something really important (other than your own pillow), wherever you are, whatever you need, the people there will likely need it to, so you can probably find it somewhere. Now we're looking at some post retirement trips that involve some version of slow travel, like three months entirely in Croatia (with maybe a little visit to Montenegro and/or Slovenia), or maybe something similar to what you've done, and spend a month each in Crete, Itay, Portugal, or some other warm combination. Coming from the Canadian Prairies, the idea of a very warm fall or spring is particularly appealing. Good luck with your future travels!

Monday 17th of April 2023

Wow! That sounds like an amazing trip of a lifetime! Very good point about being able to buy all the necessities - I do think I've changed over the years with packing A LOT lighter than I used to and its made traveling so much more enjoyable!

I can't recommend staying in one place for the month enough - in fact we've done it twice more since that trip (although only one month at a time instead of 4 months total!) and it's such a nice way to explore an area. Such a slower pace so you can figure it out as you go and not have it all planned in advance. Plus, I love becoming a regular at a place and having the staff recognize us by the end!

Definitely warmer locations at that time of year is key! Just keep in mind when choosing a place to stay that some places might be closed or deserted during low season - we ran into that issue in the fall quite a bit!

Happy and safe travels :D

Runaway Ann

Saturday 23rd of January 2021

I love that guide! You described all possible aspects - I really admire that ! thanks! :)

Monday 25th of January 2021

Thanks so much! I hope it can help you go on a similar trip :D

Monday 28th of December 2020

As a mother of three who is currently homeschooling, this sounds so amazing I could cry. Pinned so I can refer back when the world opens back up again. I LOVE Edinburgh. It's my favorite place in the world. Thanks for all the advice!

Tuesday 29th of December 2020

Hi Laurence, Oh boy! I can only imagine :P That's awesome, I really hope you get to experience a trip like this soon. It's the perfect trip to also bring the family on! Homeschool them during the week, travel on the weekends. Edinburgh is the absolute BEST and can go back there in a heartbeat for another stay (short or long!)

Wednesday 23rd of December 2020

I love this idea of traveling so much before he finishes his PhD and starts school! I might do the same with my boyfriend who's working on his PhD!

You really should!! Honestly there's no better time to go. Keep in mind that it might delay his graduation by a bit (obviously he wasn't working on it full time for 4 months) but SO worth it! It's such a perfect opportunity to travel because you can work on your PhD from anywhere!

How to Make Your Long-Term Travel Budget Last

Looking for a post to help you work out your long-term travel budget without breaking the bank? Step right this way, you’re in the right place!

There’s a common misconception that traveling the world is highly expensive. When considering long-term travel, potential travelers make the mistake of multiplying their two-week vacation expenses by 26, assuming that is what it would cost. That certainly is not doable by most people, unless you’re inherently wealthy. Long-term travel budgets, and long-term travel in general, differ wildly from short-term vacations. The reason most people fail to realize their travel dreams is that they don’t understand the differences and plan accordingly. In this travel guide, we will outline what it takes to travel long-term and not break the bank. It’s possible, but it takes sacrifice, self-discipline, and a good grasp of basic financial principles. We’ll share a few concepts of successful full-time travel and tons of budget tips to help you stick to the plan. Let’s get to it!

Let’s Roam Local

If you’re planning some travel long-term and want to stay on budget, you’re going to need to think like a local. We can help with that! Within the Let’s Roam app , our “Local Guide” section is filled with fantastic restaurants, sites, and activities recommended by locals. You can peruse the collection or even add your own favorite finds to the platform. It grows by the day, so download our app today and start roaming like a local!

The Deets… 

Hey! I’m Abby, and my passion is long-term travel and helping others realize it’s possible! After 15 years of frequent travel, my husband and I sold it all in early 2020 and left for a life of full-time travel. Then, the pandemic hit. We had spent more than a year planning and saving for our journey, only to have all our plans blow up in our faces. That’s life though, and it was a good lesson in the realities of long-haul travel. Crazy stuff happens that you don’t expect. Your budget is going to get attacked at every turn, so you need to be prepared. Over the last three years, we have learned a lot about traveling this big world, seeing incredible sites, meeting amazing people, and not breaking the bank. This article is a collection of lessons we learned the hard way!

Long-term travel is not a vacation.

The most important concept that you must come to grips with to keep a healthy travel budget is that your world travel adventure is not going to be a vacation. A vacation is a complete retreat from the woes of life. You eat what you want. You spend without thinking, and you just enjoy paradise without parameters.

Unless you have a very large savings account, you’ll not be traveling like this on a long trip. Even if you have lots of money, long-term travel is a grind. You’re constantly planning your next move, finding your next accommodation, figuring out where to eat, and researching a new city. It’s unlike any other way of life.

You’ll need to choose activities wisely. You’re going to have laundry days, do the dishes, and go for health checkups. This usually results in traveling slower. A slower pace gives you more space between moves and allows you to take in the culture of a place. You’ll stay longer in places you love, and move quickly from places you don’t.

Those are the beautiful parts of a long-term trip. As you gain travel experience, you’ll learn to go with the flow. You’ll learn what you can live without, when you need to splurge for your mental health, and how to find the deals without missing out on the fun. It’s best if you adopt this mindset from the beginning: You’re not going on a long vacation, you’re just going to live your life in a different location.

To find out if this life is what you want, take a look at “Is the Digital Nomad Lifestyle for You?”

How much will it cost?

Travel costs vary for every traveler, destination, and circumstance. Sometimes you hit the good luck lottery, and you go a year with no sickness or other unexpected expenses. Sometimes you have terrible luck and spend half your trip budget on a hospital stay for malaria. It happens. That being said, most budget travelers can live on $50/day in a cheap location. That equals around $20,000 per year. With recent inflation in most of the world, you might add a couple of thousand to that. Moderate solo travelers, who don’t want to spend every night in a hostel, will spend closer to $30,000. If you’re traveling as a couple, you don’t need to necessarily double the solo budget, since you’ll share accommodation, rideshares, and food.

Importance of a Long-Term Travel Budget

If you have ever taken a vacation, you know that spending can get away from you fast! If you’re not setting goals, tracking your spending, and planning for the future, your trip won’t last very long. A good financial plan and proper budgeting are essential to staying on the road.

Believe it or not, having a budget makes your decision-making process a bit easier. You already know what you can spend on excursions. You already know that you can splurge on this or that if it comes up, or that you need to sit this one out because you overspent last week. Making a reasonable budget, and sticking to it, can save you from a lot of stress and bad spur-of-the-moment decisions.

Tips for Travel Saving

A strong budget starts with a cushy fall mat. Wise travelers prepare by stashing a little in the bank. Even if you’re very lax with your travel planning, you need to put some effort into finding the right bank accounts, padding your savings, and making sure you have enough money to restart your life if you have to come home emergently (happens). Here are a few tips to help you save some cash quickly. The year before your trip is also a great time to learn to live on a budget if you don’t currently do so.

Author Note: After selling our home and all our belongings and living in a crappy apartment for a year, my husband and I were able to put back a little over $50,000. Here’s how we did it.

1. Cut back on eating out.

Food is likely your biggest expense. It’s for most Americans at least. Your travel will be no different. We spend more on food every month than we do on accommodation or transportation, barring we have a long-haul flight that month. Hit the grocery store and learn to make simple meals from inexpensive items like rice, beans, and lentils.

2. Appoint accountability partners.

Tell everyone you can about your upcoming trip and ask friends and family to help keep you accountable to your budget goals.

3. Get a side hustle.

The time to find an online job is before you leave for an RTW trip. If you do not already have a remote income stream, begin to apply for jobs on Upwork, Truelancer, or Flexjobs. Look for jobs that offer a repeating gig. It’s easier and more profitable to work for the same company routinely than constantly searching for one-off jobs.

4. Rid yourself of subscriptions.

If you have no clue how many “Subscribe & Saves” you have on Amazon, or how many streaming services you pay for, it’s time to do an audit. Budgeting apps like Rocketmoney with Truebill can find unused subscriptions and help you cancel them.

5. Downsize everything.

If your travel plans are set, then start getting rid of things. Got a big house with a big mortgage like we did? Downsize. Got extra vehicles or too many “toys?” Downsize. Living for a year in a cheap apartment, and selling your possessions, is the fastest way to pad your savings. If it won’t fit in your little suitcase, then you don’t need it. Have a big yard sale or get rid of it online. It’s good practice for the minimalistic life you’re about to embark on.

6. Start collecting gear.

Use your birthday or Christmas to stock up on travel expenses. Have parents stick Airbnb gift cards in your stocking or chip in on that flight to Australia. Load your Christmas list with luggage and travel necessities, or ask for a few months of travel insurance from World Nomads or Safetywing.

7. Set a savings goal.

Having a reasonable goal and tracking your progress is pertinent. For solo travel, we would recommend you have at least $10,000 in savings. This amount of money isn’t a must, but it will make your travel far less stressful.

8. Start collecting points.

It’s beneficial to learn to travel hack. Credit card rewards are the single fastest way to score free flights, accommodation, and rideshares. They have huge sign-on bonuses, probably enough for your first round-trip flight, and you’ll earn more points on all your daily costs.

Sign up for free accounts with all major airlines and hotel chains and download Google extensions for those accounts. They will run in the background and identify you any time you could earn points on an online purchase.

Afraid of credit cards? For more information on travel hacking, check out “Travel Hacking: Using Points to Pay Your Way Around the World.”

9. Open high-interest accounts.

Since you’re on your way to a fat bank account, you might as well earn some interest on it while you travel. High-interest savings accounts from Barclay or Discover offer online banking from anywhere in the world and a little extra dough each month.

If you’re an American, we highly recommend opening a high-yield investor checking account with Charles Schwab. Their policy gives you a debit card to pull cash from any ATM in the world, and they will reimburse the fee.

10. Begin to live on your travel budget.

Living on the road can be a shock to the system for the first few months. The more you prepare before you leave, the better. Discipline yourself to live on your travel budget for the interval until you leave.

For a detailed plan, check out “21 Clever and Creative Ways to Save for Travel.”

Tips for Choosing the Right Destination

The biggest factor in sticking to your long-term travel budget is choosing the right destination. It’s just a fact that you cannot live in France for what you can live in Mexico. However, it’s equally important to choose a destination that fits with your overall travel goals and your vibe. Here are a few tips to choose the right geographic area for your travels.

11. Prioritize your goals.

What is your travel goal? Is it to experience cultures? Do you want to meet other travelers and live a life of freedom? Is it to check off a bucket list of attractions? There is no wrong way to travel, but you need to know what you want out of this journey and plan your trip accordingly. If the destination is cheap but it has nothing to offer you, then it’s a waste.

12. Think about transportation.

Generally, you want to avoid as many long flights as you can. It’s best to choose a destination where you can land and then use cheaper ground transportation for several months before your next trip by air. This is why Southeast Asia, Central America, and South America are so popular among long-term travelers.

13. Analyze accommodation .

Get on Airbnb, Agoda, and Booking.com and check out the low-cost housing. It’s something that fits your vibe? Can you live with it?

14. Think about your travel style.

If you’re not a backpacker, then don’t fall for the idea that you have to live out of a grungy backpack and stay in hostels. Travel is deeply personal, and while we certainly recommend branching out and trying new things, if you’re claustrophobic, then van life probably isn’t for you. You need to think long and hard about how you envision your travel and choose a destination that fits your travel style.

15. Don’t be afraid to venture.

On the contrary, don’t be afraid to venture into lesser-known areas. As you travel more, you’ll meet other wanderers who lead you to amazing places you never even thought of visiting. Some of the most affordable places on earth are also off-the-beaten-path and wonderful!

How to Craft Your Budget

Alright, let’s get to the budget-building stage. Along with your goals and travel vibe, here are a few more things you need to do to craft your long-term travel budget.

16. Do your research.

Before putting pen to paper, you need to research the basic cost of living for your intended destinations. This includes transportation costs, accommodation prices, and food for each of the major stops along your intended trip. There are plenty of forums and travel blogs out there, and you can easily find out with a Google search. Budget Your Trip is also a great resource. This is just to get a basic idea. You’ll likely save money with points, deeper searches, and freebies along the way.

17. Know the basics.

Your basic budget should include transportation, food, health insurance, activities, mandatory vaccinations, visas, income, and communications. Don’t forget anything you’re retaining from home, like a storage facility charge, car insurance, or Netflix subscription.

18. Account for the unexpected.

We also recommend having a miscellaneous category with a small amount each month for unexpected purchases. From experience, I would make this 10-15% of your overall budget.

19. Assess what you have.

Take into account how much you have in savings and note which destinations you might need to utilize it in. The goal is not to dip into your savings, but obviously, it happens. Make it a practice to pull from savings in expensive areas and put it back when you land in a cheaper place.

Tracking Your Spending

It does no good to have a budget if you don’t stick to it. Here are our tips for making sure all your hard work pays off!

20. Set a daily budget .

Once you have an idea of what everything will cost, break it down into daily limits for each category. You should know your overall spending goal for the day and have a way to track it.

21. Work with budget apps or spreadsheets.

Some travelers use a simple note on their phone and jot down everything they spend. Others use a budget app like Pocketguard. (I let my credit card apps do the work. I then transfer it to Google Spreadsheet at the end of the month. It’s more work, but I’m OCD about the way I want it done).

22. Do frequent check-ins .

Do not make the mistake of going a month without looking at your spending. I told you that I put mine in a spreadsheet at the end of each month, but I keep a running mind tally every day, and I have weekly check-ins to see how much we have spent that week.

23. Remember to adjust as necessary.

Weekly checks are important because they allow you to adjust. It’s easy to forget expenses, and you might not have as much as you think you do. If you spent a ton last week on that New Zealand bungee jumping adventure, then you might need to eat ramen this week.

24. Work with cash tracking.

Don’t forget cash! Cash purchases can get away from you because, in much of the world, receipts are not a thing, so you’ll want to document it immediately on your own.

How to Save on Accommodation Costs

Your next big travel expense is accommodation. There is a myriad of low-cost housing options out there, but finding the right one for you can take some trial and error. You’ll likely use a combination of all of these:

25. Think about work exchange programs.

Programs like WorkAway or WWOOF provide volunteers with housing and sometimes food in exchange for a few hours of work a day. They are great options for when you want to slow down for a bit in a destination.

26. Do housesitting.

Housesitting is a great option for when you’re in a higher-priced region. It’s a program where you volunteer to take care of a vacationer’s home and pets in exchange for a free stay in their home. The homes are often very nice and in good areas. You’ll need a background check and vetting to do this program.

27. Consider Couchsurfing.

Couchsurfing is just what it sounds like. For a small monthly fee, the forum hooks up travelers with locals who have a free bed or couch. It’s a cultural exchange program where visitors should be willing to take the owner out to dinner or exchange language skills, etc.

28. Consider sharing .

Sharing with other travelers is one of the easiest ways to save money. You’ll certainly meet other digital nomads on your journey, and if you hit it off, you can share accommodation, cutting your price in half.

29. Stay at hostels.

Hostels are the cheapest way for a solo traveler to get by. For a few dollars, you can score a twin bed in a communal living space. Many hostels now have private rooms as well, but they cost significantly more. Hostels rarely work for couples for the long haul.

Find out more with “Staying in a Hostel: The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly.”

30. Remember loyalty is key.

While you want to research on several platforms, repeatedly booking with one, like Booking.com will benefit you most because of the frequent user perks.

31. Utilize your credit card.

When it’s time to splurge and take a good bath, utilize those credit card points to land a fabulous room without busting your daily budget.

32. Consider volunteer programs .

Volunteer programs often have a fee for housing and food, but some are minimal. If you want to give back to the local community, a volunteer project is a great way to do it.

33. Locals are your friends!

Always ask locals for guesthouses and cheap hotels. They know what is available and can direct you to accommodations that don’t show up on major forums.

Travel Tips for Saving on Food

34. become a street food connoisseur..

Street food is tasty, and it’s cheap, especially outside of tourist areas. Just be careful in regions where the water isn’t clean. Saving a few cents isn’t worth days of diarrhea.

35. Sign up for grocery cards.

If you’re staying in a region for more than a couple of weeks, sign up for the grocery store discount cards.

36. Credit card perks again!

Many travel cards have free meals or discounted deliveries on Ubereats and Instacart.

37. Share meals.

If you have a travel buddy, share a meal, especially in more expensive restaurants. Order the whole table and pass it around.

38. Follow the locals.

Pay attention to where local workers are eating lunch and follow them. They know the best places to snag cheap, good food.

39. Use cafeterias.

Cafeterias are a much better alternative than high-priced cafes. They often have several hot meals to choose from and boast tiny prices.

40. Beware of alcohol.

Buy your alcohol at the grocery store and drink it at the beach. Alcohol in restaurants and bars is a budget killer!

41. Consider desserts only.

If you want to experience the local cafe culture but not ruin your budget, eat a quick sandwich at your apartment, and then go out for dessert and a glass of wine in the city square.

42. Use guidebook rewards .

Many guidebooks, including the fantastic Rick Steves series, have coupons for suggested restaurants.

43. Watch the flyers.

Keep an eye out in bars and grocery stores for new restaurants opening. They often give away free meals or have huge discounts for their opening week.

44. Eat at street markets.

In many nations, you’re best to shop at the local street markets for fresh veggies and low prices. Ask locals where the best market is and what days it runs.

45. Sign up for cooking classes .

Cooking classes are often a very cheap activity that is fun, and you score a huge meal with the price.

46. Join the masses.

Don’t try to eat a cheeseburger in Thailand. It won’t be like North America, and it will cost a lot more. Foreign foods are novelties. Whatever the masses are eating, eat that!

47. Be aware of water .

Carry a water bottle and avoid high-priced restaurant drinks. Tap water is free in some nations, so always ask.

48. Also be aware of beer .

In nations where tap water isn’t drinkable, and bottled water is expensive, you’re likely to find a local beer that is cheaper than a bottle of water.

Travel Tips for Cutting Transportation Costs

49. be sure to purchase early ..

Whether it’s airfare or the regional bus, almost all transportation is cheaper if purchased ahead of time. There is also usually a discount for booking online when available.

50. Weigh the options.

Before you make any transportation decision, make sure to check the prices of all available options. That means you may have to search Google flights, Skyscanner, and Scott’s Cheap Flights. You may need to play around with destinations and airports. Generally, round-trip flights are cheaper, so you may need to work your trip around a return flight. You may be surprised that a one-hour flight costs less than a 10-hour train ride. The bus is usually the cheapest option, but not always. The fact is, every leg of your world trip is going to take lots of research if you want the best deal.

51. Remember apps are your friend .

Download all the transportation apps and rideshare apps for your destination. Most places have their own regional version of Uber, taxi apps, and even apps for local bus fares.

52. Share the costs.

When you have to take a taxi, look for someone to share it with. Someone from your bus is likely going to the same area.

53. Compound your points.

For big purchases, pay attention to your points. If the Delta flight costs a few dollars more than the United flight, but you can use your accumulated Delta Skymiles points and gain even more points by paying with your Delta credit card, then you just saved money.

54. Avoid taxis .

Public transportation is more budget-friendly than taxis. If you do have to book one, do it through the regional app and pay before riding.

55. Use your feet.

Your feet are free, and you’ll walk a lot! Always map it out and make sure you aren’t going to be walking through the heart of gangland, but if it’s walkable, then walk it.

56. Use local options.

Be sure to check for local options. The big bus companies are easy to find, and they usually have online booking, but they are substantially more expensive than local options. You may have to go to the bus stop or ask around to find the cheaper local shuttles.

57. Consider combination passes.

When traveling in Europe, or other big cities, always check for a city pass. These passes cover entrance fees to popular sites and the use of public transportation.

Save on Miscellaneous Buys

58. choose activities wisely..

You’ll have to pick and choose with your entertainment. Don’t miss anything on your bucket list, but don’t let others talk you into activities that you aren’t interested in and that are out of your budget. Free walking tours, scavenger hunts , and food tours are awesome ways to see a city for cheap.

For a list of budget-friendly activities, check out “30 Awesome and Affordable Tourist Activities.”

59. Plan around free days.

Most museums and many other sights have free or reduced days. They are usually posted online or in the local guidebooks. Why pay $15 to see it on Monday when you can see it for free on Tuesday?

60. Consider community events.

Pay attention to the local festival and events schedule. Again watch the flyers. Follow the #visit____ on Instagram, and frequent the tourist website for your destination. Local festivals are usually free, and they are wonderful places to enjoy the culture and meet new people!

The Bottom Line

Long-term travel is doable for most people if they are willing to put in the work. So, start working on that budget and minimalizing your lifestyle. Stash away that cash and start researching. Your dream is achievable. Go for it!

For more information, check out “Essential Considerations for Long-Term Travel.”

Frequently Asked Questions

When creating a long-term travel budget, start with researching the cost of living in your intended destinations. Factor in health insurance and transportation, and miscellaneous charges.

Absolutely! Having a well-research long-term travel budget will make your travel less stressful and ensure that you are on the road long enough to check off your goals.

To stay on budget , utilize free walking tours, cheap scavenger hunts , and free museum days. Get the bulk of your food and alcohol from markets, and learn to utilize credit card rewards!

Featured Products & Activities

9 Ways Long Term Travel is Cheaper Than You Think

There’s a flaw in the way that non-long term travelers calculate the potential cost of long term travel.

Short-term travelers tend to make an inherent assumption that their two-week vacation is how much it costs to travel for 2 weeks, and then conclude that spending at that level for an entire 3 months/6 months/year/lifetime is obviously impossible, therefore long term travel isn’t possible.

We should know: we used to be those people, back when we thought that our long term travel dreams would have to wait until wrinkles, gray hair, and ready-to-retire amounts of savings showed up in our lives.

But here’s the thing about long term travel: you can travel cheaper than you think–without sacrificing quality.

Far from costing as much as however many 2 week vacations strung together, long term travel is often cheaper than staying home!

Some links in this post may be affiliate links. If you make a purchase through one of these links, we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. Please see our disclosure policy for more detail.

And even better?

The longer you do it, the cheaper travel gets–especially if you start working some travel jobs   along the way.

I initially published this blog post about the costs (or lack thereof) of traveling long-term when Jeremy and I were closing in on one year of living nomadically.

After writing this post, we went on to spend a total of more than 4 years without a permanent home base, before outside circumstances (read: 2020), caused us to finally settle into a home base again.

And after all that time, I can say with absolute certainty that the original thesis of my blog post remains true: long term travel is not only possible, but you can travel much cheaper than you think.

Here’s why.

You have very few, if any, permanent bills.

On the road, our life/travel budget (because it’s all the same thing at that point) consisted of 4 basic categories: food, shelter, entertainment, and miscellaneous.

During our first year of travel as (theoretically) invincible 20-somethings, we maintained a travel insurance policy and had no other monthly bills.

Eventually, we added US health insurance back into our lives as an extra security blanket, though many American long term travelers (even those who are retirement age) opt not to.

Here’s a short, incomplete list of all the things that you don’t pay directly for when living nomadically: rent/mortgage, property taxes, HOA fees, utilities, internet, business clothes, some toiletries (toilet paper/soap etc.), gym memberships, car insurance, gas, and car registration.

The actual traveling is what makes travel expensive.

Planes, trains, buses–these are the things that cost the most money when traveling.

If you buy a $500 roundtrip plane ticket for a two week trip, that’s a large cost per day of traveling.

If you buy two $300 plane tickets four months apart, and you have significant flexibility in your schedule to seek out cheap flights ?

Suddenly, the cost per day isn’t nearly as high, and your long term travel budget has more breathing room.

With long term travel, you control how much it costs to live.

If you have a job and a mortgage in one location, your cost of living is inherently tied to that place.

When traveling, though, you have complete control over how much it costs to live: if France is getting pricey, go to Romania .

If you want to cut your budget dramatically, plan on a few months in Thailand or Guatemala .

Even more dramatically? Programs similar to Workaway can be a great option.

This gets even more interesting when you start making money to travel  while  you’re already traveling–sustaining yourself on the road indefinitely often isn’t as far away as you think!

You won’t go on excursions every day.

You know all those cliches about wanting to go to Paris and sit in a cafe all afternoon sipping coffee, or wandering the streets of a city aimlessly until you find a favorite street food stall and return there every day, or spending a whole day just staring out at a beautiful sea while reading a book?

Here’s the thing: if you’re anything like our former, short-term traveling selves, or most other short term travelers we’ve met, those things don’t end up happening on a one or two week trip.

It’s hard to justify flying across the world to basically enjoy the art of nothingness when excursions and activities are calling from every direction.

You know when those things happen?

On long term trips, when you slow down, and get tired of going somewhere specific every day.

You know what else those activities are?

A way to travel cheaper.

You find cheaper travel deals.

When booking a one week trip, the idea of maybe losing 6-8 hours waiting on a slow bus that you can’t find the exact schedule for online would impact your trip dramatically–so you book a private airport transfer in advance and call it good.

It’s a completely justifiable decision… that is almost always exorbitantly expensive to the tune of a possible a 500% upcharge, and I’m not remotely exaggerating.

By being on the ground, you’ll not only have a chance to find transportation, lodging, and excursions at deep discounts compared to what you can book in advance.

You’ll also be less stressed about losing a few hours here or there: on a long term trip, waiting just becomes part of the experience.

Souvenir shopping is very limited during long term travel.

On a short term trip, it’s easy (and fun!) to pick up all kinds of odds and ends to take home.

But when traveling long term, the prospect of carrying around wood carvings, musical instruments, glass figurines, and more for months on end makes it very easy to turn down even the most persistent craft sellers, helping keep your travels cheap.

While even as full-time travelers we found ourselves wanting the occasional memento (and we savor every one of them), there’s no doubt that we buy more physical things on the road now that we have somewhere to put them!

You develop a system to travel cheaper.

When you book a place to stay 3 times a month instead of 3 times a year, it’s easy to develop an efficient system of booking hotels and apartments.

After a few dozen tries, you know what you’re looking for in an accommodation, what you can tolerate not having, and where your priorities lie.

Not only does this end up leaving you more satisfied with where you stay (or rent a car from, or fly with), it also means that you end up finding places much more efficiently.

For Jeremy and me, our lodging search almost always starts with Airbnb or Booking.com depending on how long we’re staying somewhere and what our plans are for that destination.

You can even try out things like house-sitting to save money while traveling long term, which requires more flexibility than an average vacation can provide.

Delaying purchases becomes simple.

When reading about how to save money (on travel or otherwise), a common tip is to delay gratification on your purchases: when you want something, consider sleeping on it for a week, a month, or more before laying out the cash.

During long term travel, this becomes incredibly easy to do!

Your values change during long term travel.

It sounds trite, but it’s true: your list of “needs” drops dramatically during long term travel.

All of the general expenses of maintaining your life at home–such as that long list of bills at the beginning of this post–melt away when living out of a backpack on the road.

You need a place to sleep, some tasty food, and some adventure.

When that’s all you’re looking for in a long term adventure, it’s amazing how affordably you can find it.

It’s hard to quantify exactly how many more remarkable memories and fantastic adventures we have under our belts now as compared to what we would have if we didn’t leave decide to try our hand at long term travel more than 5 years ago–but money is easier to track.

Long term travel may be hard on a savings account, on an income, and on a planned pattern of life… but if you haven’t tried it before, I can virtually guarantee that long term travel is cheaper than you think.

About Kate Storm

In May 2016, I left my suburban life in the USA and became a full-time traveler. Since then, I have visited 50+ countries on 5 continents and lived in Portugal, developing a special love of traveling in Europe (especially Italy) along the way. Today, along with my husband Jeremy and dog Ranger, I’m working toward my eventual goal of splitting my life between Europe and the USA.

9 thoughts on “9 Ways Long Term Travel is Cheaper Than You Think”

Useful post explaining that travel does not have to be expensive. So true that all you need is a place to sleep, good food and an adventure, when you travel material things become less important. We look forward to long term travel all part of our retirement plan!

Thanks, guys! Sounds like you have the perfect retirement plan to me.

Great thoughts on this subject.

Having none or minimal bills and expenses is definitely a great way to save money. I guess most people will be concerned that they have money coming in too. Being able to work freelance or having a passive income stream is a good way to relieve some of that pressure.

What do you recommend for accommodation with long term travel, so as to keep costs minimal? I guess hostels are cheap but you’d want your own space after a while. Would Airbnb be a good option?

Hey Mike! Actually, we use Airbnb every chance we get. Otherwise, we stay in budget hotels/B&B’s or private rooms in hostels–we like our space and don’t care for hostel dorms. If you’re going to be in one location for a month or longer, looking into local short term rental options once you arrive can also be a good option, though we haven’t tried that out yet.

Nice Article!

Somehow I found your blog thru Google and noticed you said San Antonio. I’m born and raised in San Antonio! Following your blog now. 😎

Aw thank you so much! Love to have you here. 🙂 We lived in San Antonio from the time we graduated college to when we left to travel full-time and I still miss the food like crazy! Luckily we’ve been based in Austin lately and we’ve been able to get down to San Antonio to enjoy it again.

Thanks for this post- I found your blog when I was searching out the best routes from England-France-Italy… my husband and I, along with our 2 boys (10 and 12) have made the decision to take this fall semester and do life abroad. I’m nervous as we’ve never done anything like this- but when I saw the boys do online school during Covid, I realized that they could do that from anywhere! (unfortunately, my job as a nurse isn’t so mobile). We start in the London area and hope to head to Paris, then to Florence. Using those places as home bases, we will do smaller travel stints from there (Scotland/Denmark, French countryside/Austria, Switzerland/Italy). Right now I’m just trying to research the best way to plan for rail vs plane, if we should add a week here and there in-between bases, etc. It’s all overwhelming!

It’s definitely overwhelming, but it’s worth it! A lot of the stress melts away once you’re on the road and putting one foot in front of the other. 🙂

Your trip sounds incredible, I’m sure it’ll be unforgettable! Lots of our favorite places are on that list!

As far as trains go, if you haven’t seen it yet, we do have a whole guide to traveling Europe by train, too: https://www.ourescapeclause.com/travel-europe-by-train/

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Two Can Travel

Digital Nomads & House Sitters

How to Find Cheaper (or Free!) Long-Term Travel Accommodation

This article may contain affiliate/compensated links. For full information, please see our disclaimer here.

Table of Contents

How to find less expensive (or even free) accommodation while slow traveling around the world.

WATCH Digital Nomad Accommodation ~ 6 Ways to Travel for Cheaper or Free! ON YOUTUBE

When it comes to the cost of living while traveling long-term, one of the most expensive parts is accommodation. That’s one of the reasons why we love slow travel! The longer you stay in a place, the more you can cut down on your overall expenses.

Just as importantly, when you travel slowly you can get to know a place better. You can form deeper connections with the people there, try more of the local food, create routines for yourself, and immerse yourself in the community. When long-term travel is your lifestyle, these things become very valuable for your overall health and happiness. They are for us!

We like to stay at least one to three months in most of the locations we travel to. Then we use it as our base for further exploration in the region and just enjoy life.

The two main ways we find long-term accommodation while traveling are through Airbnb and house sitting/pet sitting. And there are several other ways we’ve found accommodation that we’d also like to share with you.

The Best Ways to Find Long-Term Accommodation While Traveling (Staying 1 month or longer)

In this article, we’ll go through six of the best ways you can find long-term housing while traveling slowly.

1. Airbnb Monthly Rental

When you book a monthly rental on Airbnb, staying for 1 month or longer, many hosts offer a big discount. Sometimes up to 50% off!

Here are some examples with screenshots from Airbnb comparing the cost to stay at the same place for different lengths of time.

Let’s say you want to find an Airbnb in Berlin, Germany.

7 nights = $454 ($64.86/night)

When you book for a 1-week stay (7 nights) at this beautiful 1-bedroom apartment in Berlin, the total cost is $454 ($64.86/night). Not too bad.

21 nights = $1,271 ($60.52/night)

If you book a three-week stay (21 nights) at the same apartment, the total cost is $1,271 ($60.52/night). Getting cheaper. But wait…

30 nights = $1,342 ($44.73/night)

This is where things get really good! When you book a 1-month stay (30 nights) at this same property the total cost is $1,342 ($44.73/night). That’s because the Airbnb Monthly Discount has kicked in!

If you compare the overall cost of the 21-night stay with the 30-night stay (1,342-1,271=71), the difference is $71. That means if you were to book the additional 9 nights (30-21=9), you’re only paying $7.88 per night for each of the last 9 nights!

23 nights = $1,388 vs. 30 nights = $1,342

It’s worth checking the price of places on Airbnb with a monthly discount because even if you don’t need to stay for the full 30 nights, it could still work out to be cheaper.

In this Berlin example, even if you only wanted to stay at this apartment for 23 nights, you’re still better off booking it for 30 nights because it is cheaper overall. Sometimes the monthly discount kicks in after 29 nights, so you can play around with the dates too.

This works all over the world!

Check out the long-term Airbnbs we stayed at in Bucharest, Romania and Bangkok, Thailand .

2. House Sitting and Pet Sitting

Living out of Airbnbs and having the comforts of a home or apartment is great. But the biggest game-changer for us in terms of our lifestyle and saving money on accommodation has been long-term house sitting and pet sitting. This way of travel is ideal if you are responsible, like pets, and are willing to be flexible with your travel dates.

Stevo doing some yard work at a housesit with Nana, the “branch manager”.

How do you find house sits and pet sits?

We usually find house sits and pet sits through the website Trusted Housesitters . We have also done house and pet sits through friends and friends of friends.

There are lots of different house-sitting websites out there. We’ll put together another article sharing about those. In this article, we’ll focus on Trusted Housesitters because that’s the website we use and have had great success with.

How does it work?

Trusted Housesitters works as an exchange. You stay in a place and take care of the home, pets, and plants/gardens. The owner has peace of mind while they are away knowing their home and animals are being looked after, plus they save money not having to board their animals.

The benefit for you is getting to stay in their homes without having to pay rent. We love the chance to have temporary pets since it’s not easy to have pets of our own with our full-time travel lifestyle. Not only do we save money by not paying for Airbnbs or other accommodation, but we’ve also had the chance to stay in some incredible properties in amazing locations that we wouldn’t typically be able to!

House sitting is a win-win for both the housesitters and the homeowners. We are very grateful for the opportunities we’ve had through house sitting and the lovely people and pets we’ve met along the way.

Our experiences house sitting

Since April of 2019, we have done seven house sits, five of them through Trusted Housesitters and two through friends and friends of friends. We’ve taken care of dogs, cats, and sometimes just the home and gardens. In total, we’ve had 13 months of free accommodation through house sitting (so far)!

We usually try to find long-term house sits that are for at least one month. But we’ve done house sits ranging from one week to six months.

We’ve been fortunate to get house sits all over the world including in Thailand, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Romania, the USA, and France.

Trusted Housesitters has memberships for sitters, owners, or you can have a combined membership as both a sitter and an owner. Trusted Housesitters is one of the most expensive housesitting websites out there, however, we believe it’s completely worth it. There is a huge database of housesits all over the world. Members are verified and there are reviews from both owners and sitters so you can feel secure with the sits you choose. Just getting one house sit will more than cover the cost of your membership. We’ve saved thousands of dollars on accommodation over the past three years since we joined. We have the Basic Membership and that works great for us! Get 25% off any Trusted Housesitters membership . 

3. Facebook Groups and Facebook Marketplace

Finding accommodation through Facebook groups and Facebook Marketplace is becoming more common all around the world. Facebook can be a great place to find long-term accommodation while traveling.

Something to keep in mind when booking accommodation through Facebook is that you need to be diligent in checking out the person making the listing and ask lots of questions to ensure that where you are booking is safe.

One way to find accommodation through Facebook is to search for expat groups in cities all around the world. These groups are a great way to learn more about living in that place and you can often find info about housing options too. Some of these groups are private, so you’ll need to answer questions and let them know you are planning to relocate or travel there soon in order to get in. Search “expats X city” to find these groups. Be sure to follow all of the group’s rules once you are in!

Search “X city apartment rental” to find Facebook groups that offer short and long-term rentals.

Real-life examples

In Cambodia, especially Phnom Penh where we used to live, going through Facebook groups is a very common way of finding housing. There are over a dozen Facebook groups that pop up when you search “Phnom Penh Housing” on Facebook. Here are two Facebook groups you can check out as examples: Phnom Penh Housing and Phnom Penh Shared Housing . The second group is to find a room in a house if you would prefer to have roommates and lower your accommodation costs even more.

You can do similar searches for countries and cities all around the world. Type in combinations such as: ‘X city name Apartments’, ‘housing X city name’, or ‘short term rental furnished X city name’ in the search bar on Facebook.

Our experience using Facebook to find housing

Personally, we’ve only used Facebook Groups once to find long-term accommodation while traveling. In our experience, it worked out really well! We were in Chiang Mai, Thailand and our next stop was Bangkok. We knew we wanted to get a place for one month, but we weren’t finding anything that looked good within our budget on Airbnb (which doesn’t happen often!).

I started looking around in Facebook groups and Facebook Marketplace in Bangkok and found a listing for an apartment in an excellent location just slightly higher than our budget. I sent a private message to the person who posted the listing. We spent time looking over his profile to ensure he was a real person and that he seemed safe and trustworthy.

After several conversations back and forth and asking lots of questions, we felt comfortable and decided to book with him. We were even able to negotiate with him to get the price down to what we wanted to pay!

He drew up a contract which he emailed to us and sent us check-in instructions. He wasn’t actually there when we checked in but the process went smoothly with getting the key and getting in. We signed the contract in person once we arrived then took pictures of the contract and emailed them to him.

We paid him by going to a bank in Bangkok and paying directly into his bank account. It was much different than anything we’d done before, but it worked out well and wasn’t too much of a hassle. (As an aside, the apartment was amazing! Especially for the price!

We wouldn’t default to using Facebook for finding apartments, but if you aren’t finding what you want on Airbnb, Facebook groups and Facebook Marketplace are good places to look for more housing options.

Have you ever used Facebook to find housing? Share your experience in the comments!

Jen in the gym at an apartment we found through a Bangkok Facebook group.

4. Scouting Out Places On the Ground

“for rent” signs.

If you’re already traveling in a place and decide you want to stay there longer, one option is to walk around town and look for ‘For Rent’ signs in the areas you’d like to live in. Then you can call directly and go see the place in person before you book!

I know it seems strange that people might still post ‘For Rent’ signs these days, but some owners aren’t tech-savvy enough to know how to post their place online. It’s also quite expensive to advertise your home or apartment online, so some homeowners choose not to do it.

It can get a little tricky if you don’t speak the local language, but it’s certainly worth trying as many homeowners speak English or have family members who do and can help.

Local Real Estate Websites

Another good trick is to look at local real estate websites and find places for rent in the areas you want to stay in. A quick Google search with your VPN off will help you find these.

This is something we did when we were already traveling in Bangkok back in 2018. We knew we wanted to stay there longer so we started Googling “short-term apartment rentals in Bangkok.”

We found a place listed on a local rental website in an amazing location in downtown Bangkok. The price was great, but the pictures were terrible. They were super grainy and it was hard to tell what it really looked like.

I called and asked if we could come by to see the place in person. When we arrived it was so much better than it had looked online and we couldn’t believe how low the price was for that location. We signed a one-month contract and moved in! We ended up staying at that place on three different occasions when we traveled to Bangkok, contacting the owner via email each time before we arrived.

A lovely guest house we stayed at for about four weeks in Goa, India.

5. Long-term Stays in Guest Houses

A guest house is another name for a hotel in many parts of the world. Many guesthouses welcome guests to stay long-term! You can even negotiate the rate down when you book a longer stay upfront.

Staying long-term in a guest house is a good option if you don’t require all of the amenities of an apartment or house and are okay with just having a room and bathroom. In some cases, you may have access to a kitchen on the property where you can cook some of your meals.

Oftentimes, guest houses are smaller and more simple than hotels, but they can still be very comfortable. In many cases, guest houses are family-run businesses and the family may even live on-site.

We stayed in a lovely family-run guest house in Goa, India for almost four weeks in 2019. Our room and bathroom were very simple but comfortable enough. The owner rented us a motorbike so we could get around more easily. She also helped us organize transportation when we needed to get to the train station. She was available to answer any of our questions during our stay and we felt a nice homey vibe staying there.

Since there wasn’t a kitchen we could use, we ate all of our meals out and also did our work from different cafes and restaurants. This worked out well because the accommodation was quite inexpensive and we preferred to get out and about to explore every day.

Depending on where you are traveling, staying in a guest house long-term may be your best and most affordable option for accommodation.

We recently joined an expat group on Facebook for a city in Albania, where we are thinking about going soon. The members are so friendly and helpful!

6. Bonus Tip: Friends and Digital Nomad or Expat Communities Online

Friends you meet along the way during your travels can be some of your greatest inspirations and resources for places to go and where to stay. You’ll meet a lot of people once you’ve been living the digital nomad lifestyle for a while. Stay in touch with them!

Don’t hesitate to ask questions or for advice from people. Most travelers are generous and will be happy to share information with you, just as you would for them. Plus, this can be a really great way to find accommodation options that are vetted by people you know and trust!

You can also get involved in different digital nomad and expat communities online. You’ll find people from all over the world in digital nomad and expat Facebook groups who are openly sharing information to help one another.

These groups can be great resources for figuring things out, including housing! Search for “expats in X city name” or “digital nomad X city name” on Facebook.

We hope this information is helpful as you figure out designing your own travel lifestyle. We have found a lot of balance and enjoyment in slow traveling, and the savings from long-term accommodation has made this lifestyle more sustainable for us as well. Plus, we have more money available for food and activities!

If you have any questions or want to chat, email Jen@twocantravel (dot) com

You can find all of the info from this article on our Youtube channel too!

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Which of these tips have you tried or would you like to try? Have any questions? Let us know in the comments!

[…] There’s nothing to say you can’t try all of these types of accommodation out at different points to see what suits you. We’ve shared our six favorite ways to find digital nomad housing in this article. […]

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Airbnb Long Term Rentals: What's the Best Alternative?

Slow travel is having a moment and it's not about to end. Ever since the world slowed down with the pandemic, the possibility of working away from the office was unlocked for many. But many demographics like retirees and teachers (schools out for summer!) have long been onto the advantages and joy of long term travel.

Extended stays for more than two weeks let you really get to know a place, unpack, relax, and see it for all its worth. Sound amazing? It is! But if you're looking at Airbnb rentals long term, you can be shocked by what you see. Limited options and sky high prices can have you second guessing long term travel plans. But worry not. There's a better alternative and we're here to tell you all about it.

Does Airbnb Do Long Term Rentals?

The short answer, is yes. The platform itself permits hosts to offer AirBnb longterm rentals as long as their listing's settings are activated to extended stays. Sometimes, hosts offer discounted pricing for longer stays, but often times they don't. When looking for a longterm rental though, you can easily find your options limited on AirBnb for this and other reasons. Which leads us to a better question.

Is Airbnb Good For Long Term Rentals?

Potentially, but not always. AirBnb hosts offer properties in exchange for money. Their listings are about generating income. So naturally, their intention is to maximise those revenues. Short term stays generate higher prices per night, so hosts tend to limit long terms stays in preference of more guest turn over to generate higher revenues. Thus, many hosts simply don't allow long terms stays and when searching for them, you'll have more limited results.

If they do allow long terms stays, they may leave the nightly price at around the same rate for short stays. For long stays this is costly. Airbnb also adds on their fees. Vacation rentals are highly regulated in many places, so listings are also subject to local laws on pricing and number of nights it can be rented per year. This protects local rental markets and helps pricier cities remain dynamic and accessible. However, it again means a range of limiting factors for anyone looking for Airbnb long term rentals in NYC or other major cities for example.

What's the Best Alternative for Airbnb Longterm Rentals?

With limited options, renting restrictions based on local laws, and the potential for vey high prices you'll be pleased to know that there is actually a great alternative to Airbnb long term rentals – home swapping. HomeExchange is the largest and most reputable community in the world of home swapping, with homes all ove the globe. Our service and community offer an incredible alternative to Airbnb long term rentals and here is why:

• It costs next to nothing. An Airbnb long term rental can cost you thousands. For just one small annual fee of 220 USD, you can unlock unlimited exchanges on HomeExchange for a year.
• Houses are real functional homes. For extended stays, you really want the comforts of home. Staying in a real home vs. a vacation rental is a warmer and more comfortable experience.
• You're home is cared for. Reciprocal exchange means hosting your hosts in your home as well. So you can both look after your homesteads including house plants, pools, pets and more. And if you are not interested by a reciprocal exchange, you can use GuestPoints !
• Pets can be accomodated. HomeExchange makes it easy to organise pet care for long term stays. If both parties are willing, you can either bring them along or leave pets at home to be lovingly cared for by whoever you're hosting in a familiar environment for them.

In the last year, over 14,000 exchanges of more than 2 weeks were finalized in our community! The longest home exchange recorded here lasted over 2 years. Isn't that incredible? Our community is truly what leads to the last reason HomeExchange is a great alternative for Airbnb long term rentals – you'll connect with likeminded people and travelers that can even become lifetime friends.

Long Term Rentals with HomeExchange vs. Airbnb

Is HomeExchange really the best Airbnb long term rentals alternative? Without a doubt. In sum, HomeExchange is by far less expensive than Airbnb. You may literally save thousands. HomeExchange homes tends to offer a more cosy and more comfortable experience than Airbnb . It's also a less restrictive experience because HomeExchange personal exchanges are unlimited and unregulated by local tourism laws. With HomeExchange, as long as timings and dates work for both parties you can exchange for however little or long as you like. Seems like the obvious choice for long terms rentals is easy! HomeExchange is a home run.

Testimonials from the HomeExchange Community

We love hearing great feedback, and to be honest we get a lot. If you're thinking about exchanging, long term or otherwise, but not sure it's right for you, you can start by exploring feedback from our HomeExchanges from TrustPilot. Here are some recent experiences...

"We have had a wonderful experience with Home Exchange so far. We are excited about the places and homes we will stay in this year. " - Marta, United States

"Using Home Exchange is an amazing experience always. You meet incredible people and places, and you also get to share your home with like minded individuals, and sometimes start new friendships." - Leonor, United Arab Emirates

"You won't want to travel any other way! Over the past year, we've completed 18 exchanges with Home Exchange." - Luciano, Czech Republic

Are Airbnbs banned in Hawaii? New law seeks to cracks down on short-term rentals.

Airbnb listings and other short-term vacation rentals in Hawaii are one step closer to being phased out as the state grapples with a housing crisis exacerbated by last year’s wildfires on Maui.

A bill with the potential to reshape vacation rental regulation across the state passed the Senate and the House on Wednesday and now awaits Hawaii Gov. Josh Green’s signature – who already promised to sign it if it hits his desk. If signed, the new law will go into effect on July 1. 

SB2919 would grant each Hawaii county the authority to redefine zoning ordinances, including converting short-term rentals into long-term residential housing, in order to “guide the overall future development of the county.” Those who violate the law would be charged a fine of $10,000 per day.

Significant change won’t happen overnight, but it is the first major legislation regulating short-term vacation rentals statewide, according to Hawaii Sen. Jarrett Keohokalole, who introduced the bill. 

“It’s huge,” Keohokalole told USA TODAY. 

Learn more: Best travel insurance

The bill actually overturns a 1957 ordinance that drove Native Hawaiian communities from their homes and converted their land into sugar plantations. Many of the other zoning ordinances are outdated, Keohokalole said, and don’t reflect the influx of foreign investors or overtourism. 

Should I visit Maui now? Maui businesses ask for responsible tourists to help economy after fires

“We know the majority of STRs (short-term rentals) in Hawaii are illegal, owned by non-residents, and contribute to skyrocketing housing costs,” Gov. Green posted on X , formerly Twitter, last week. “We support Senate Bill 2919 to empower counties to regulate STRs and potentially phase them out.”

Housing affordability in Hawaii has worsened over the past two decades. A single-family home cost four times as much in 2023 than in 2000, and less than one-third of households can even afford the typical local home, according to the Hawaii Housing Factbook by the Economic Research Organization and the University of Hawaii. Rents also continue to rise, and Maui has the most expensive median rent in the state – a typical apartment is $2,500 a month. 

Part of that is due to the high percentage of short-term rentals in Hawaii’s housing stock. About 30,000 of Hawaii’s 557,000 total housing units, or 5.5%, are short-term rentals, compared to cities like Las Vegas, where only 3% are short-term rentals, the report said. It’s even worse in Maui, where vacation rentals account for 15% of the island’s total housing supply. 

August’s wildfires, which destroyed the majority of Lahaina and displaced thousands of West Maui residents, only amplified the housing crisis on Maui. “With Lahaina, we’re in an emergency situation,” Jordan Ruidas of Native Hawaiian-led community organization Lahaina Strong told USA TODAY. 

“The fire burned away the majority of our working-class housing,” she said. “We’re in shambles, and people are still waiting for long-term housing.” 

Ruidas said around 3,000 displaced residents are still living in hotels, over eight months since the fires ravaged West Maui. Some are leaving Hawaii entirely due to the lack of stable long-term housing. 

“What’s become clearer, at least in Lahaina and that outlying community, is that so much of the housing stock on that part of the island has been converted into vacation rentals that the survivors are struggling to find places to live,” said Keohokalole.

Maui County Mayor Bissen has said that he wants to “increase the inventory of available long-term units for people of Maui” and even proposed tax incentives for owners to convert their units into long-term housing in November.

“It’s not an inventory problem, it’s the fact that the inventory is being used for something that’s not helping the community,” said Ruidas. 

Kathleen Wong is a travel reporter for USA TODAY based in Hawaii. You can reach her at [email protected] .

How To Find Long-Term RV Parking Spaces For Rent

T he RV lifestyle is becoming increasingly popular, which isn't surprising. The freedom to hit the open road to the next scenic park, fun event, or vibrant city is an enticing proposition. Those who choose to RV may travel full-time, part-time, or simply use their RV for weekend vacations. Although traveling may contribute to the allure of the RV lifestyle, it doesn't necessarily mean RVers drive around constantly. In fact, many choose to live in a particular place long-term.

Whether you're chasing (then staying to enjoy) seasonal weather, taking advantage of a job opportunity, or you simply prefer traveling slowly, there are plenty of reasons to park your rig for a month or longer. However, finding an ideal long-term RV space for rent can take a bit of planning. You'll need to explore your options while considering your preferred amenities, budget, and location. Finding a long-term RV parking spot isn't difficult, as they're a popular option for many RVers, but if you're staying for a while, you'll want to find the right space.

KOAs And High-End RV Resorts

First, let's define "long-term" in terms of RVing. For most RV parks, long-term parking is generally considered parking somewhere for a month or longer. And these long-term parking spots aren't difficult to find. Many private RV parks offer short-term, long-term, seasonal, and annual RV parking options. Some parks may not advertise their long-term rates online, so you may need to contact the park directly. However, many RV parks actually prefer long-term tenets, as it cuts down on in-and-out traffic and guarantees revenue.

Choosing the right RV park for you will depend on your personal preferences. Luxury RV resorts typically only accommodate long-term RV spots and offer a range of high-end amenities, such as laundry facilities, pools, hot tubs, clubhouses, cabanas, and gyms. Unfortunately, these resorts can be booked solid for years, so you may need to join a waitlist to score an RV space for rent at popular luxury RV resorts.

KOA Campgrounds are ideal options for many long-term RVers. As the world's largest network of privately owned campgrounds, KOAs are located throughout the country in desirable locations. Also, KOAs offer three types of camping experiences for RVers: Holiday, Journey, and Resort. Each type of camping features its own amenities, from basic to resort-like, and price tag.

Campground And Off-The-Grid Restrictions

For a more immersive experience in nature, you'd typically need to find private land to park your RV long-term. Typically, national parks, state parks, and other forms of government-owned land do not allow RVers to camp longer than a few weeks. For example, government-run campgrounds usually only allow RV parking for 14 consecutive days within a 30-day timeframe.

The public land operated by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has similar rules concerning boondocking. Boondocking is camping outside of a campground on public land. Boondocking is free, but you won't have access to any amenities or hookups. Many BLM sites also have stay limits of 14 consecutive days within a month's time.

To help you find the ideal long-term RV spot,  Campendium is an excellent online resource, offering information on various RV parks, campgrounds, public and private land, and free RV parking options throughout the U.S. Simply choose the geographical region you'd like to explore, peruse all the long-term RV parking options, and hit the open road.

Read this next: Best Beach Towns You've Never Heard Of

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Get Two Days of Long-term Parking at Major Airports for Just $10 Join the Parking Spot to not only save money on parking at 28 major airports, but to also get deals, discounts, and possible free parking.

By Entrepreneur Store • May 1, 2024

Disclosure: Our goal is to feature products and services that we think you'll find interesting and useful. If you purchase them, Entrepreneur may get a small share of the revenue from the sale from our commerce partners.

According to Guidant Financial, almost a quarter of small-business owners are more concerned about inflation and rising prices more than anything else. So it's understandable that bargains will be welcome on expenses like parking, which can be prohibitively high in many cities, particularly at airports.

However, you can't just stop traveling for business. Now, you can slash airport parking fees by over half . Join the Spot Club and get two days of parking at The Parking Spot for just $9.99, a 68% discount off the regular $32 price.

The Parking Spot offers convenient long-term parking at 28 airports in 46 locations around the country, including Atlanta, Dallas—both DAL and DFW—Los Angeles, Miami, Newark, San Francisco, and many more. To reserve a spot, you must choose an airport, select the dates when you'll be traveling, select the type of parking you prefer, and add any other auto care services you'd like.

You'll be able to get in and out of airport parking lots more quickly. The Spot Club uses touchless entry, so all you have to do is scan in and then choose whichever available parking spot you prefer. There is also a special shuttle just for members that will pick you up and take you to the terminal. When you return from your trip, you can use the mobile app to check out.

When you join the Spot Club, you'll be kept up to date on a variety of deals and discounts as they become available. You'll even become eligible to earn free long-term airport parking . Don't miss this chance to enjoy exclusive savings.

Join The Spot Club—rated 4.2 stars on Trustpilot—and get two days of parking at The Parking Spot for just $9.99, a discount of 68% off the regular $32 price.

StackSocial prices subject to change.

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Blinken to Meet With Arab Officials in Saudi Arabia About Israel-Gaza War

The U.S. secretary of state plans to raise the issues of hostages held by Hamas, a potential cease-fire, humanitarian aid and a long-term political solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

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By Edward Wong

Reporting from Washington

Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken will travel to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on Sunday to speak with top Arab officials and try to figure out possible solutions for the thorniest issues of the Israel-Gaza war, including humanitarian aid, reconstruction and hostages, the State Department said on Saturday.

One of Mr. Blinken’s priorities on Monday and Tuesday will be discussing “ongoing efforts to achieve a cease-fire in Gaza that secures the release of hostages,” a department spokesman, Matthew Miller, said in a statement. He added that Mr. Blinken would underscore his belief that it is Hamas that stands in the way of a cease-fire for the Palestinian people, since the group is not budging on the hostage negotiations.

Saudi Arabia is hosting a three-day meeting of the World Economic Forum, and top Arab officials, including Mr. Blinken’s diplomatic counterparts, are attending. They include senior ministers from Qatar and Egypt, which have been the two Arab mediators in multiple rounds of talks over a potential hostage agreement between Israel and Hamas.

The forum’s website says Mr. Blinken will be in a half-hour public “conversation” starting at 12:45 p.m. on Monday, the final day of the conference.

American officials are pushing for Hamas to release about 40 of the 100 or more hostages it is holding in exchange for the liberation of many more Palestinian prisoners and a six-week cease-fire. U.S. officials say that would be the first step in securing a permanent cease-fire, and Israel supports the proposal. However, Hamas has insisted on a commitment to a permanent cease-fire, and many Arab officials, including in Saudi Arabia, have been calling for the same; those officials say that such a cease-fire should take place immediately.

Mr. Blinken and other top aides of President Biden have also been trying to push for a long-term political solution to the conflict. In their best-case scenario, they envision Saudi Arabia and perhaps a few other Arab nations agreeing to normalize diplomatic relations with Israel. In exchange, Saudi Arabia would receive advanced weapons and security guarantees, including a mutual defense treaty , from the United States, and a commitment for U.S. cooperation on a civilian nuclear program in the kingdom .

For its part, Israel would have to commit to a concrete pathway to the founding of a Palestinian nation, with specific deadlines, U.S. and Saudi officials say.

Before the war started last October, U.S. and Saudi officials were in intense discussions to reach an agreement on the terms of such a proposal. For those negotiators, a big question at the time was what Israel would agree to. Since the war began, the Americans and Saudis have publicly insisted that Israel must agree to the existence of a Palestinian state.

But Israeli leaders and ordinary citizens have become even more resistant to that idea since the Oct. 7 attacks, in which Hamas and allied gunmen killed more than 1,200 people and took about 240 people as hostages. About 100 of the hostages were released last November in a prisoner swap during a weeklong cease-fire. The Israeli military has launched attacks to eradicate Hamas from Gaza, where the health ministry says more than 34,000 Palestinians have been killed.

Mr. Miller also said on Saturday that Mr. Blinken planned to discuss “continued progress on climate change mitigation and the global energy transition” at one of the World Economic Forum events. The secretary also expected to attend a meeting of ministers from nations in the Gulf Cooperation Council, a regional organization, to talk about security coordination.

An Israeli official told The New York Times on Friday that Mr. Blinken planned to visit Israel while in the region.

If Mr. Blinken does go there, the topics he is likely to discuss would no doubt be the same ones on his agenda for Riyadh, including increasing humanitarian aid for the people of Gaza, a potential political solution in the form of a multicountry megadeal and the impasse over a hostage/cease-fire agreement. He would also probably discuss Israel’s plans for a major offensive in the Rafah area of Gaza, which Mr. Biden opposes.

The details of Mr. Blinken’s scheduled trips to the Middle East often change at the last minute . As of Saturday night, the State Department has not announced any stops beyond Riyadh.

Edward Wong is a diplomatic correspondent who has reported for The Times for more than 24 years from New York, Baghdad, Beijing and Washington. He was on a team of Pulitzer Prize finalists for Iraq War coverage. More about Edward Wong

Our Coverage of the Israel-Hamas War

News and Analysis

Rebuilding all the homes destroyed by Israel’s military offensive in the Gaza Strip could take until the next century  if the pace of reconstruction were to match what it was after wars there in 2014 and 2021, according to a United Nations report.

A Hamas leader said that the group would soon send a delegation to Cairo to “complete ongoing discussions”  on a cease-fire deal for the war in the Gaza Strip, raising hopes of progress in the stalled efforts for a truce.

Israeli officials weigh sharing power with the Arab states in a postwar Gaza, which will likely displease both Israel’s right-wing faction and many Arab states. But it does signal that Israel is thinking about the future , and it could inform future talks.

No Palestinian Flags at Eurovision: The organizers of the Eurovision Song Contest, a glitzy singing contest, said that attendees would be allowed to wave  only the flags of participating nations — including Israel’s.

Nonviolent Resistance in the West Bank: Issa Amro, a Palestinian activist who has been arrested and beaten for simple acts of defiance, is aiming to emulate Gandhi  at a time when violence is inescapable.

Campus Protests in the U.S.: On quads and lawns from coast to coast, U.S. colleges are grappling with a groundswell of student activism  over Israel’s military campaign in Gaza. Administrators are having to make controversial decisions .

Cracking Down on Protests: Grief and rage over the Gaza war and Israel have led to demonstrations across the Arab world. Arrests suggest governments fear the outrage could boomerang .

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