10 Important Things To Plan Before Your Extended Trip Abroad

There are many reasons why people choose to travel long-term. Some people choose to take a year of travel before starting tertiary education or entering the workforce. You might want to take a break after years of work and see the world while you’re still young. Perhaps you want to study abroad and travel during your student years.  

Whatever your reasons might be, travelling internationally, especially for a few months to even years, can be a life-changing experience. However, there’s a lot to get organised before you can hit the road! 

Here are ten important things you need to plan before lift-off.  

 Visas 

 Getting your travel documents sorted out well in advance is crucial. Visa applications can be tricky, take a lot of time and work and might not always work out.  

Apply for your Visa as early as you can to ensure that the process goes smoothly and that you have time to iron out any hiccups you may encounter.   

Passports  

Of course, Visa or no Visa, you’re not going anywhere without a passport. Many people neglect this because they don’t stop to consider whether or not their passports are still valid.  

Make the simple effort to check when your passport expires and get it renewed ASAP if it already has, or if it’s due to expire any time in the near future to avoid getting trapped in a foreign country.  

Travel Insurance 

Another important administrative task to take care of is sorting out your insurance. Whether you’re travelling for a few weeks, months, or years or immigrating for good, travel insurance is a must to protect yourself financially.  

You’ll need this for things like lost luggage, and other travel-related mishaps. Read a little into travel insurance options such as a trip cancellation policy, especially if you’re booking flights far in advance.  

Health Insurance 

We need to take care of our health no matter where we are in the world, and most health insurance policies won’t cover you abroad. This is why getting international health insurance is a crucial step to getting organised.  

There are a few different options available to travellers and ex-pats, so make sure to do a little research to figure out what will suit your needs and budget best.  

Accommodation 

Regardless of how long you plan to stay in a certain place, having a roof over your head when you arrive is essential. Avoid booking accommodation at the very last moment because you might come up short.   

If you plan to hop around from city to city or country to county, try to make sure you have your sleeping arrangements covered at least a week in advance.  

Transportation 

Another thing to organise ahead of time is how you’ll get around, but luckily this is less of a stress than your accommodation.  

It’s a good idea to simply check out the public transport options in whatever city you’ll be in and decide whether you’ll use that, Uber, or perhaps rent a car for a while.  

Foreign Currency 

If you want to pay for anything (which you will), you’ll need some money to work with, and you’ll probably need to exchange your currency in order to get there.  

There are different ways to exchange your currency when you travel abroad, and it’s important that you do a bit of reading to figure out the best option for you. Some options are more expensive, more accessible, etc.  

What to Pack 

The things you decide to take along with you will depend on the duration of your stay, the nature of your trip, the locations you hope to visit and much more.  

For example, a student moving to study abroad will have a very different packing list from someone who’s planning on backpacking through European countries for a few months. Consider your specific circumstances and pack smart, but always light.   

Part-Time Work 

Long-term travel is always better when you have money to work with to enjoy yourself. If your trip is more of an extended holiday, you might benefit from picking up a few part-time jobs while you’re around to earn some extra spending money and also to keep you busy from time to time.  

There are loads of jobs to do while travelling, and even some positions that are travel-based, such as working on yachts or freelance travel photography.   

Things You Want to Do 

When you’re exploring the world, it’s always a good idea to have a rough plan of what you hope to gain from the experience.  

Try to draw up a list of things you’d like to do, see or experience in each city and country you visit. Get inspiration by researching the areas online and figure out what attracts you and makes it onto your “must-see” list.