Long Term Travel Tips

So, you are going travelling long term. Whether this is for six months, one year or you have an open-ended ticket, you’re about to embark on the adventure of a lifetime. But, an incredible trip also comes with a lot of things to think about. This is why we have compiled these long term travel tips to help make it as easy as possible and ensure you don’t forget anything.

Before You Go Travelling

You have a long list of things that you need to do before you go travelling, and packing for a long term trip is just one of them. Here’s how to prepare before you board the plane.

Long Term Travel Packing Tips 

You may be wondering how to pack for long term travel. It can be daunting, but it doesn’t have to be. You don’t really need much more than you would pack for a couple of weeks, as long as you have the essentials. An outfit for each day definitely isn’t necessary and certainly won’t fit – you can wash and purchase new items cheaply as you go. Remember, you’ll be carrying that bag on your back the whole time, so you don’t want it to be too heavy.

Luggage

Firstly, purchase yourself a sturdy travellers backpack – 60 to 80 litres is a good size and then a smaller 20-litre backpack that can be filled with your essentials for the journey and used for day trips once you arrive.

Long term travel packing list: the essentials

  • Passport
  • Documents (visas etc)
  • Adapters and chargers
  • Medical supplies (including mosquito repellent and bite cream)
  • Toiletries (including sun cream)

Clothing

Packing can become particularly tricky when you are visiting both hot and cold countries or if you are planning as you go and so don’t know what the weather will be like.

  • Lightweight clothing (that can be layered as it gets chillier)
  • Long-sleeved tops and trousers (for countries where you are required to cover up)
  • Sarong/shawl (can be used to cover up and protect skin from the sun)
  • A lightweight raincoat
  • Jumper or hoodie
  • Swimwear
  • Underwear
  • Comfortable trainers (that can be worn on the plane)
  • Sandals

Remember: Set aside some of your budget for purchasing items you need as you go and consider where you buy these and when you’ll need them. For example, you might want to pick up lightweight clothing in Thailand where it is cheaper, that you can then continue wearing in Australia which would be far more expensive to buy.

Long Term Travel Storage

Talking of packing, if you are moving out of the property you currently live in to embark on your new adventure, then you’ll be packing up all of your furniture and belongings too. You can’t take these with you, of course – so you need somewhere safe and secure to store them while you are gone.

Firstly, this is a good opportunity to have a clear out. That means you should throw out, donate or sell anything you don’t really want or need any more and those pennies will come in handy while you are away! Then, our storage units are the perfect solution because everything will be together in one place, you can store it here for however long you need and you will be safe in the knowledge that it is protected by 24 hour CCTV as well as by alarms.

Long Term Travel Checklist

Now you’ve packed, here are a few of the most important things you need to do before you go. Write them down and tick them off as you go, so you don’t forget anything.

  1. Create a realistic budget that you can stick to
  2. Plan a basic route and make a rough plan (this is for guidance but can be tweaked)
  3. Organise relevant vaccinations
  4. Sort out any necessary visas
  5. Get a prepaid travel money card and if you don’t already have one, a credit card.
  6. Take out long term travel insurance
  7. Make copies of all your documents – one set to take and one to leave
  8. Book your first night’s accommodation
  9. Get your finances in order
  10. Download any relevant travel apps

While You Are Travelling

Going on a two week holiday or even short term travels is very different to travelling long term. There are a few more things you need to consider, including ensuring you don’t run out of money or that you plan a route that means you don’t spend more time on transport than you do enjoying the destinations.

How To Travel Long Term

Stick to that budget and don’t overspend: The last thing you want is to blow all your savings in your first destination and then have to cut your trip short because you can’t afford to continue travelling. Make sure you have plenty of savings and that when you create your budget you take into account how cheap or expensive each place is.

Plan ahead: If you are planning as you go, make sure you are looking ahead, you don’t only want to ensure the route you are taking makes sense but that you aren’t visiting a country during its low season when everything is shut and there are very few people around. Likewise, you want to watch the weather – you may not want to be in a warm country during its rainy season.

Research: While planning your next destination, do some research – which part of that country do you really want to see? How are you going to travel around once you are there? Where might you stay? What are the top attractions that you won’t want to miss. You don’t want to travel all that way and not get the most out of each place you visit.

Don’t rush: You are travelling for a long time so take your time. You don’t want to leave a country feeling you haven’t really seen it. In some destinations, you may even want to look for longer-term accommodation so you can settle in one place for a while, before continuing with your journey.

Consider working: You may want to do some work while you are travelling to help keep those savings topped up. Consider what work you might like to do and where you want to do it. You don’t want to be working the entire time after all. Depending what this is and where, you may need to apply for a visa. But, now that it’s easier than ever to work from anywhere in the world, you could take your laptop and just need to find some WiFi.

So, get a quote and book your storage today and you’ll know you have somewhere to store all your belongings while you are gone. That’s one big task you can put a tick next to and something important off your mind. Now, you can concentrate on the more exciting part – planning the actual trip!

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