If you have the travel bug, and just can’t get enough of holidays, and discovering new people and places, then you might be considering some long term travelling ideas. There a few ways you can travel long term, and there is so much you can do to make your experience more fulfilling and enjoyable. Long term travelling is entirely different from a short UK travel trip, or a city break that spans a weekend. Here is some great advice about how you can travel on a budget, ensure you keep your head while doing it, and some things you need to keep in mind when planning your trip.
Travelling long term, and staying in places for longer certainly has its benefits compared to short trips. When you stay somewhere for longer you really get to know a place, and can see a totally different side to it. Because your life will be lived from place to place, and on the road essentially, you have to remember to look after yourself both physically and mentally when you are away from home. Taking trips for long periods is certainly very rewarding, and totally worth the life experience, even though it might come with some difficulties. Read on to know things you need to consider when planning your long term trip, and how you can get the most out of it while still enjoying yourself.
Get Discounted Accommodation
Depending on where your heading in the world, you will probably have big brands like YHA and their European equivalent for example. Using these organisations to stay at means that when you rack up all the nights you spend their you end getting some discounts in the long run. This can really help for long term trips, as accommodation will be your biggest spend out of everything. Being smart about where you stay, and seeing if you can get discounts for staying there long term is a great way to save on some money. Why not see if you can negotiate a price with the receptionist and come up with a long term payment with them? All these ideas are worth considering to save you a little bit of extra money on the road.
Travel Light
Many people think that if they are travelling long term they have to carry their whole house on their back, which involves lugging round suitcases everywhere they go. This is not only inconvenient but time consuming as well. You don’t need that much on a short trip, and while you might need some more essentials when embarking on a longer trip, you don’t need a whole lot more. You can still wash your dirty clothes, and hang them up to dry, there’s no need to carry your whole wardrobe round with you. Packing light is always best, no matter how long your trip is. Maybe some entertainment might be necessary, but you can always pick up stuff on the road.
Take Your Time
Many people travel fast in short paces of time, which can be really exhausting. For shorter trips, this can work. You have an intense period of travel, seeing so many cities and places, while spending very little time in each place. The trip is full of early mornings, flying at odd hours, and cramming everything into your day. At the end of this, however, you get to come home and catch up on sleep and all the tv shows you’ve missed. If you want to look after yourself while taking a longer trip, you can’t keep up this pace.
Longer trips have the advantage of being able to take your time and not rush about so much. They also mean that you probably can’t keep up an insane pace, but have to have a pace that matches your normal pace of life. This means trying to get enough sleep, eating healthier foods when you can and exercising too. Keeping up your physical and mental health is really important, to make sure you don’t burn out. Go for a jog round the local park, or see what gyms are closest to you. Looking after yourself means you will enjoy it a lot more, and you can get the most out of the experience.
Move There
If you really fall in love with a city or a place, why not try renting out a place there for a while? If you want to stay somewhere for 6 months or more, this will probably be the more economic anyway. Check out websites like Townhouse for sale, and see if they have any properties that interest you. Depending on what neighbourhood you are planning on renting in, and how different the local culture is from yours, it could be fairly challenging finding a place. If you already travelled through this area, or stayed here for fairly long period of time, then you will probably have an idea of where you want to live, or what kind of property to look for.
Renting somewhere can be a great long term travel opportunity. Renting lets you experience each place from a whole new perspective, and let you see things from the side of the locals. If you want to stay somewhere for a long period, no matter where in the world it is, it will be the most convenient and economic option too, for long periods of time.
Travelling long term is a fantastic experience to have, whether you do it along, with your family, or friends. There are so many unique experiences that can only be gained from visiting new places, seeing new things, and learning about different cultures.
