So I did this crazy thing about a year ago and left my job to travel with my partner. I was gone for about 6 months and it was hands down the best 6 months of my life. When I first thought of the idea to quit my job to travel I thought it would be easy. I would just pack a bag and buy a plane ticket, right? WRONG. There was tons to research and lots of things to get done before leaving. My “to do” list felt endless. I learned a lot through the process and my year of planning before I left. If you have decided to make a life change and travel the world for a longer duration than just a few days, then don’t forget these 10 things:
Get Travel Insurance
Travel insurance can be a life saver and surprisingly doesn’t break the bank. What would break the bank is if something serious happened and you had no insurance. Medical travel insurance varies depending on where you live, so I suggest calling your current health insurance company and asking them what types of travel plans they have. Since I quit my job I lost my health insurance so I had to rely on travel medical insurance, but if you are able to travel long term while staying employed, call your insurance and see if you are covered abroad. I know insurance can be a pain, but it never hurts to call and see what they cover overseas! To cover my belongings, unexpected travel delays/cancellations, emergency assistance, and more I used World Nomads. This company made it easy to get covered and then made my travel worry free! Fortunately nothing happened, but better safe than sorry!
Get a Credit Card
I highly recommend applying for a credit card, and not just any credit card! Be sure to get one that gets you travel rewards and no foreign transaction fees. This will save you a lot of money when traveling. The best part is you can use your credit card while at home to gain points before you leave and then continue to use the card abroad to continue to build up points/miles. We used our points for flights, excursions, accommodations, and more! Using points allowed us to travel longer considering we had no income at the time. As a bonus, most credit cards have some form of travel insurance and/or car rental insurance so be sure to look in to those perks! Both Chase and Capital One have great options for credit cards that offer great benefits.
Pack Light
If you have decided to travel for a longer duration of time and are visiting more than one destination, I HIGHLY suggest packing light. Carrying around 5 bags is never fun to keep track of, plus let’s not even talk about those baggage fees. When I traveled I had 1 hiking backpack and one smaller backpack that I used as my carry on. Even though I only had a select few outfits for six months, I didn’t care, because I was experiencing so much without having to carry and keep track of a lot! Luckily, there are tons of travel products that are multipurpose, compact, and affordable to make packing easy! Check out my blog on travel essentials if you need ideas on what to pack!
Update/Make Copies of Important Travel Documents
First of all make sure your passport and identification are up to date and not expiring when you are abroad. Secondly, make copies of important travel documents such as your passport, license, vaccinations, ID, etc. this way you still have proof if something goes missing. Now I know a copy isn’t as legit as the real thing, but at least it’s some form of evidence that you are who you say you are. I made physical copies of my travel documents along with keeping copies on my phone/lap top.
Get Your Travel Immunizations
This is VERY important. When traveling to different countries you can be at risk for contracting different diseases. It’s not likely, but you never know. Be sure to visit a travel clinic (if you’re located in the US I recommend Passport Health) to see if you need any additional shots, pills, and to check to see if you are up to date on your vaccines. For example, when I went to Africa I had to bring Malaria pills with me because there’s no way I would have enjoyed getting Malaria. The travel clinic we went to was also very helpful as they also gave us information on each country we were traveling to including the locations of hospitals, embassies, etc.
Download Helpful Apps
There are apps out there for EVERYTHING nowadays and they can be very helpful when traveling. We even found several helpful apps that worked offline which was a lifesaver when we weren’t connected to internet or wifi. Check out my travel apps blog for our favorite ones we used! I suggest downloading them before you leave so you can learn how to work the apps before going abroad.
Purchase an International Phone Plan (optional)
Check with your phone service provider to see what types of international phone plans are available. If you want to stay connected and not worry about finding wifi during your trip, then your safest bet is purchasing an international phone plan so you can use your phone abroad. I decided to live life on the edge and save money, so I went the wifi route which surprisingly worked really well. Tons of places have wifi nowadays. Plus, I love feeling “unplugged” when I travel.
Get Your Finances in Order
I paid off my car and opened up a “do not touch” savings account. The “do not touch” account was for emergencies (if needed) and to help me get my life back together when I returned from my long term traveling. But if you’re one of those lucky people who have figured out to make a living while traveling then this tip isn’t for you! Not having to worry about paying anything monthly while abroad was fantastic, but if you do have monthly payments that you can’t avoid (for example, expensive student loan payments for us Americans), then I suggest setting up automatic monthly payments so that you don’t have to think about. As another tip, if you do have monthly payments be sure to factor that in to your budget for your travels!
Visit Your Doctors
Before you leave, go visit all of your doctors to make sure you are healthy and able to travel. Go to the dentist, get your physical done, get your vision tested, and ladies go visit your gynecologist. If you take medications or birth control be sure you have enough for the duration of your trip or talk with your doctor to see if there are ways to get what you need abroad. Staying healthy while traveling should high priority so you can enjoy yourself and experience a new place without any ailments!
Sell Your Belongings
Now I’m not saying to sell everything, but definitely sell the things you don’t need or want anymore. This is the perfect time to go through your place and get rid of stuff! I’ve come to realize that most of us have wayyyy more belongings than we actually need. With the internet it is so easy to sell your stuff as there are several websites and apps you can use. Letgo, Facebook Market, and Craiglist are some examples. Plus if you are able to sell some of your stuff, that is extra money for you to use on your travels! And you can’t be mad about that!
Before heading out on your next long term travel adventure, be sure to check these 10 things off of your list! Being well prepared for your travels is important especially when you are in an unfamiliar place. Traveling is an amazing opportunity that I suggest everyone experience once in their life! If you have decided to take the plunge, check out my blog on how to save money before your trip and my blog on hostels which can help you save money on accommodation!
