I first caught the travel bug two years ago when I went backpacking in Europe for a month. Now here we are 2003 and I'm itching bad real bad to get back on the road. I'm not married nor have any kids, and my job is nothing special. Making it fairly easy to pack myself up and head out for a year.

The problem is how do you plan for such a massive trip, I had a hard enough time when I left for a month .

How can I estimate how much money I should have saved?

Is it fairly easy to find some temporary work while I'm on the road?

What you you tell prospective employeers when you get back? Oh, I just decided to go on vacation for a year, that's why I haven't been working?

Anybody out there done this that could offer some valuable advice I'd more than apprieciate it....

This info is 20 years out of date, but I did the same, except I went to Asia instead. I never never have regretted doing it. Now I am middle-aged and cautious and more desirous of luxury, so I am glad I took the chance when I was footloose and fancy-free. I can only say to do it.

Regarding your questions: I planned by making all my airline reservations in advance. For me, it was five countries. That was the "skeleton" of my trip. I wouldn't do this now, but then, I would arrive at the airport and hop on the bus and take it from there. That is as detailed as I ever got. Sometimes I stayed in the airport city but most times I ventured farther afield.

Saving the money--I read up on how much things cost. The internet wasn't available then, so I relied on tour books that reached out to my age group. Then it was Lonely Planet. It was easy enough to find out that I could get a bed and a meal in Bali for X amount of money, for example. Or that a train cost X amount. Then I padded that amount. Even still, I will sheepishly admit, I ran short and had to borrow money from my traveling companion. He was on Mama and Daddy's dime, lucky for me.

Can't help you about the work; I had no desire to do any.

I never had any trouble telling employers about the gap in my work history. Many employers, in fact, saw resourcefulness and ingenuity in the fact that I completely financed myself in my adventure.

Funny thing about my trip: I am so glad I did it, and so horrified at the thoughts of one of my teenagers wanting to follow in their mother's footsteps...

Hi dln
>I am so glad I did it, and so horrified at the thoughts of one of my teenagers wanting to follow in their mother's footsteps...<

That's what 20 years will do to a person. =D>

Hi Jibboo,

Good for you.

As far as money goes, you can get a good handle on air and train fares from the websites of the countries which you wish to visit.

Try http://thorntree.lonelyplanet.com/
and
http://www.roughguides.com/
for help on traveling rough.

It will not be easy to find work on the road. You will need a work permit.

If prospective employers ask what you did for a year, you can tell them you were researching "contemporary consumer pricing".

Keep notes and write the trip off your taxes as research for a book.

Try to follow Spring as much as possible.

Have a great time.

Hey dln.

Not wanting to sound like a fuddy-duddy, though I am. Did you have health insurance when you went to Asia for a year? I've always wondered whether or not people think about that.

Come to think of it, I didn't have ANY kind of insurance when I went. (But I did until I quit the job preceding the trip!) I've been lucky my whole life, though. In my twenties, I had only ever been in the hospital to be born; since then to give birth. I went forth with really not much more than enthusiasm and stamina peppered with a strong sense of invincibility. I didn't even have a credit card.

So you see, if I lived to tell the tale, Jibboo, you can too. The world is so much better connected now than in 1983. And it really is so different as well. The China I saw was only a few years away from Nixon's historic visit. Now it is modern and busling. I can't say for certain I'd ever like to revisit it. See what you can now because there is never a guarantee that it will remain unchanged. Your children might not see the same thing you saw. (I am assuming that like me, you would prefer to escort them to old haunts...)

Hi Jibboo,

I've been surprised how many people do this kind of thing for several months or more. Then they come back and get jobs. There will always be jobs, but will you ever have this chance again? Maybe several times, but maybe never, so take the opportunity if you have it now. Have you EVER heard anyone say they've regretted taking a year to travel? I haven't.

I've recently discovered travel health insurance I can buy here in Canada is much cheaper if you won't be spending any time in the US during your trip.

Set up internet banking (and know how to use it) before you leave. Apply for a line of credit before you quit your job (you may not qualify if unemployed). Apply for an increase limit on your credit card too if necessary. Get the right bank account so your daily withdrawal limit is sufficient.

Don't worry about taking too much with you. Just be prepared to shop a little in the cheaper countries. You'd get really sick of wearing the same clothes for a whole year anyway!

Don't rush too much. You probably earn more at your current job than at temporary jobs you can pick up on the way. Take enough time to plan while continuing to save. The airfares will drop in a couple months too.

All the professionals I've talked to are awed and impressed with my plans. Don't worry what to tell your next employer. Apparently a travel year is something a lot of people dream about doing!

Sounds lovely to me, but don't neglect the practicalities. You may need visas for certain countries. You may need vaccinations for others. For example, as a US citizen (I don't know that you are one), you cannot legally stay in Europe for more than 90 days without a visa.
I wouldn't worry about what to tell prospective employers - tell them the economy was tanking and rather than take some sub-par job in a field you weren't necessarily interested in you decided to see the world and learn some new skills.
Keep a journal, and if you have decent writing skills you may be able to support your travels by writing. I did that for quite a few years, though not on around-the-world or year-long trips.

The Los Angeles Times ran an article in the Travel section by a couple who traveled the world - I think in 2002. Perhaps you can look up the Times website and find the articles. I read every one and wished I was doing it.

The best answer for potential employers is the truth. At 29, I left my Wall Street job and did the same thing for 6 months. Tell them you had an opportunity to travel and decided that the time was right for you in regards to your personal life and career.

When I came back and started interviewing, a few minutes discussing my trip wasn't a bad ice breaker. Trust me, most people would LOVE to do the same thing. At some point something to the effect "After a year of being away, I'm looking forward to getting my career back on track." This may help allay their concern that you may do the same thing again.

One suggestion in terms of finances, you should plan on the money you'll need and something to hold you over once you get home. Depending on where the economy has gone, it may take you a little bit to find a job.

Have fun. BTW, you might look into a few months in Asia. You can get by with spending very little money and the Asia Pass by Cathay or Thai Air, will allow you to hit numerous cities without any additional cost.

I also took a year off between jobs about 10 years ago and travelled around Asia (my last job was in Singapore so I was already there.) As noted, all my employers afterwards thought this was a great thing, and I in fact listed on my resume "12 months of living and study in Thailand, Indonesia, India, Hong Kong, Singapore and Malaysia." What did I study? Music and dance, languages, cooking, but hey it was study. . .

As mentioned above, you can buy travellers insurance at a reasonable price for travel that takes place outside the US. Mine also covered me for up to 60 days of US travel. It was only major medical, but just what I wanted/needed. I would definitely say you should get it, esp. if you are going to be in Europe (where I live now) as health care is relatively expensive.

As noted above, you should check all visa for the countries you are considering. A good place to start is http://travel.state.gov/foreignentryreqs.html - US State Dept info for entry requirements to many countries, with links to the embassies. While technically you need a visa for more than 90 days stays in most countries, in Europe my experience has been that no one stamps passports on arrival anymore, so no one really knows how long you have been in a country. In Asia they do, but it is usually easy to extend them, or if you can hop over to the next country, and come back in a few hours or days and get a fresh stamp. . .Be advised that some countries in Asia (like Cambodia, sometimes Thailand) will ask to see you return airline ticket when you arrive, so they can be sure you have the funds to leave. If you don't look too much luck a backpacker, you will be left alone. You should also have a fully refundable open return ticket, then you can change it or cash it in after you have been through immigration.

If you have an Irish or Italian parent or grandparent (and maybe farther back) you can get an Italian or Irish passport. This will allow you to live and work in all the EU countries. There have been recent postings on this site, run a search. Also contact the embassies of Ireland and Italy, you can find them by going through theUS State Dept website mentioned above. IF you are of Greek descent, you might see what that could get you vis-à-vis their preparation for the Olympics. Can't tell but probably worth a shot if Greece interests you.

I would not count on working in Europe, but if you have the EU passport as above, you can at least do it legally. To be frank, unless you speak the local language, most employers will not be interested in you. Those that are may be wary as it is clear that you are temporary, unless you stretch the truth. You might be able to work in Australia and New Zealand. There is no language barrier and they have lots of seasonal casual employment. You also might be able to get work at a shop in a resort area like Bali or the beaches of Thailand and Vietnam, but I would not count on this. If you are certified to scuba dive (or better yet to teach diving), this would make you a bit more employable in those areas.

It would be hard to estimate how much money you will need. If you haven't already, I would suggest you post this question on the website for lonely planet books. This is the site for backpacker travelling, many of whom have been travelling, literally, for years. The website is lonelyplanet.com The area of the site you need is called "Thorn Tree Posts ". Select the part(s) of the world you are interested in. The site is somewhat similar to this Talk section of the Fodors site.

I just travelled basically until my money ran out. I just kept enough for a one-way ticket from Hong Kong to the US, so all I had to do was head for Hong Kong when I was out of money. Your money will go a LOT farther in Asia than in Europe, esp places like India and Indonesia. In Europe, the former eastern block countries like the Czech Republic and Hungary are cheaper than Western Europe. Spain (away from Barcelona and Madrid), southern Italy and Corsica are also cheaper. Greece is pretty good, but getting more expensive and bound to be more so because of the Olympics.

Good luck and enjoy!

Jibboo:

There's a poster I've seen here on Fodor's named "Kristina" who, along with her husband, actually did take off and travel around the world for a year. They have a fascinating website at : www.wired2theworld.com. There's a journal of their experiences along with info. about what they did to prep for the trip, their estimated vs. actual budget, etc. It's really an excellent site and I've wasted hours of what should have been productive work-time reading about their adventures!

I think there's a way to contact them through the website or perhaps she'll see this thread and post to it.

Good luck,
Jennie

Thanks everryone your great!!!