Gap year travel: How to get your trip in order
It would be fair to say that gap years have really come into their own over recent years. In fact, in comparison to a couple of decades ago, the amount of people who are opting for longer-term travel is well and truly soaring.
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However, planning a gap year isn't like picking a last-minute deal from the internet. There is a huge degree of preparation that's required and through the course of today's article we will take a look at this in more detail.
Make sure your insurance is in order
It's a completely mundane topic, but trust us, insurance is no laughing matter. There have been some utter horror stories of people going traveling, only to buy insurance that isn't worth the paper it is written or worse still, not buy any at all.
Even if you are traveling within the continent, alongside something like an EHIC card, make sure you buy insurance. Using somewhere like Staysure can really protect you in the worst-case scenarios and ensure that you are backed up.
Stay flexible with your itinerary
Now, onto the fun stuff. You might be the most organised person in the world but one of the best pieces of advice we can offer you is to stay flexible with your itinerary. Try to resist the urge to book hotels months in advance; you'll soon find that you'll simply fall in love with some locations and just want to stay a lot longer. Of course, on the other side of the coin, there will also be those locations that you can't wait to see the back of!
In short, gap years are about heading off with an open mind. Sure, some destinations might have a marvellous reputation, but when it comes to the crunch you really might not get all of the hype. Make sure flexibility is built in so you can quickly change your plans.
Keep things simple with your luggage
You might be heading off for the best part of a year, but this doesn't mean to say that you need to pack the equivalent amount of luggage.
On the contrary, less is most definitely more. Let's not forget that you are most probably going to be rushing around on trains and by foot in most destinations. As such, pack lightly, and really enjoy that transit between locations.
Always keep someone at home updated
You might be having the time of your life as you venture across the world, but we're going to bet that there are going to be some pretty worried relatives waiting at home.
Even though we are in a truly connected world, there will be occasions where you might not be able to make contact with them. This can be very worrying, and also dangerous for you. It means that you need to share your travel plans with your loved ones whenever you can. Sometimes this might be before you depart, but more often than not it will be via constant updates.
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