Planning a Long-Term Trip: Everything you Need to Know

So you want to go on a long-term backpacking trip? Maybe you want to do a European tour, or spend some time backpacking through South America. Regardless of the destination, congratulations! You’ve already taken your first step! And if you’re reading this post, then you’re in the right place.

I want to help you succeed in making your trip a reality. I was in your shoes about two years ago and I struggled. I planned my own six month backpacking trip through Southeast Asia, and I did it on a budget. It took me about a year of planning from start to finish, but don’t let that scare you! I am a notorious over planner so your research can be massively condensed. I’m here to help you get to the nitty gritty important bits so you can start your trip as soon, or far in the future as you want.

Over this course of blog posts, I’m going to do a deep dive into all the things you should consider when planning a long-term backpacking trip. And when I say “long-term”, I typically mean any trip that’s around two months or longer with multiple intended destinations. That’s not a concrete definition but if you’re planning to spend a month in Bali and go home, then these posts are going to be much more extensive than you need.

Each of the items I discuss here will have a separate post(s) that explains the concept further. But this post should serve as your outline for travel research. I would suggest creating a document(s) or folder(s) to help you organize the research outlined below. So without further ado, let’s get into it!

Setting Travel Goals

Everyone’s travel goals will differ, but they are the same in that you want to get out and see the world. It takes a lot of planning and courage to take a long term trip. Regardless, traveling is a goal and the more you treat it like one, the more likely you are to succeed in carrying out the trip. Consider writing your travel goal in a place that you see frequently or telling a friend or family member about your plans. They can encourage and hold you accountable for taking the necessary steps to make your goal a reality.

When specifying your travel goal, you’ll probably face some constraints that alter how your goal will be achieved. The main constraints faced by backpackers are: timeline, budget, and destination. All three of these factors impact each other and change how you will go about planning your trip. If you know one, then you can use it to determine the others. So the next three sections you can plan out in the order that makes the most sense to you.

Example 1: You already have $6,000 USD saved up that you want to use for a trip. That’s your budget. You can use this budget to determine where in the world you could reasonably travel to and how long that money will last you in that area of the world.
Example 2: You have always wanted to visit Central America, so that’s your destination. You can then research what kinds of timeline are typical for that region, or estimate how long you’d like to spend there based on what you want to do. Then you can use the intended timeline and destination to approximate how much money you need to save up.

Timeline

Your timeline will be very individual depending on your situation. I think the most important point regarding your timeline is to be realistic. If you do your research, you’ll be able to make a reasonable assumption as to how long to spend in each country. You don’t want to be racing through each city in a whirlwind, only to become burnt out trying to achieve an unattainable itinerary. In addition, your budget and how you spend your money will affect your timeline significantly.

Budgeting & Saving Up

The budget for your trip will depend on where you’re going and how long you plan to stay. It’s pretty easy to look up what the average daily cost to travel in a certain country or region is. When researching average daily costs, these usually include accommodation, food, transportation and a certain number of attractions or activities depending on the tier that you fall in (budget, mid-range, luxury). Some other expenses to budget for include pre-trip expenses, visas, the types of transportation you will be taking, and an emergency fund, to name a few. For more information on how to budget for a long term trip, see my post here.

Destination Research

I would suggest getting a travel guidebook for the region that you plan on traveling to. Personally, I purchased a used one from Lonely Planet. They have a series called “on a shoestring” that has budget guides for popular backpacking regions. I think it’s a useful first step and a good thing to reference throughout your research.

Everyone has their own way that they prefer to research a destination, so this part of your research will be highly individualized. I show you exactly how I go about destination research in my post here. Some things you should consider in your destination research include:

Main attractions & activities
Weather
Local customs, government, & religion
Festivals & holidays
Transportation

This information will impact how you plan other portions of your trip including routes, how long to spend in each country, or rules you need to follow when visiting.

Planning a Route

For me this was one of the most difficult aspects to plan out. Your route will depend on factors such as weather, festivals, cost & mode of transportation, and time dependent experiences, to name a few. Guide books will often offer suggested routes based on how long your trip is. You can also find suggested routes online. Doing a decent amount of research into destinations prior to planning a route can help you choose how to move around to ensure that you reach your top destinations and attractions. Of course, you should leave some flexibility in your route and timeline for recommendations from travelers along the way! You can read my in depth guide on how to plan a long-term travel route here.

Health & Vaccinations

Do your research on health precautions and travel vaccinations well in advance of your intended travel dates. I would suggest looking into this at least three months prior to your departure date. This will give you plenty of time to weigh your options for vaccinations, make appointments, as well as receive them prior to your travel dates. Vaccinations typically need to be received a certain amount of time prior to arriving abroad. Some travel vaccinations come in a series which takes more time to complete. It’s also important to research what kind of steps you should take while abroad to minimize your risk of getting ill. You should also have records of any prescription drugs you have and ensure that you can receive an adequate supply prior to your departure.

If you live in the United States, arranging travel vaccinations is difficult and expensive. They are considered elective and are very rarely covered by health insurance. I did extensive research before my trip and managed to save a lot of money by doing so.

Money – ATM’s, Credit Cards, Debit Cards, etc.

This is an aspect you want to look at at least one month prior to your departure date. If you don’t already have one, you need to look into both a travel credit card and an ATM / debit card. The debit card is the most important in my opinion. Many countries are cash based or charge fees to use a credit card for payment. You need a debit card that does not charge foreign transaction or ATM fees. If you use a regular debit card not meant for travel, you’ll likely pay an additional ATM fee charged by your bank as well as a foreign transaction fee. This is a guaranteed, and completely avoidable, way to waste money on your trip.

Transportation & Driving Abroad

You should research what kind of transportation is available where you are going. The type of transportation you take will alter your budget and timeline quite a bit so you should weigh your options. Generally speaking, flights will save you time but use up more money compared to taking a train or bus. If you want to rent a motorbike or a car abroad, you will need an international driver’s permit (IDP). While some places will let you drive without one, I would highly recommend getting one to be on the safe side.

Visas & Travel Documents

This step is another one that will change depending on your personal background. Every country has different entry restrictions based on where your passport originates. I think it’s useful to create a spreadsheet for all the countries you want to visit and what their visa requirements are for your nationality. Do they have a visa on arrival? Do you need to apply for a visa in advance? What kind of documents do you have to show to receive the visa? How much does the visa cost? These are some items I’d include in your research.

You should also come up with a plan for obtaining and storing all your important travel documents. This includes passport, travel insurance, proof of vaccinations, international driver’s permit, passport photos for visas, etc.

Travel Insurance

Luckily, I’ve never had to submit a claim for my travel insurance. But I always have it just in case. You never know what is going to happen and it’s better to be safe than sorry. When you’re on a long-term trip, you are likely going to be participating in activities that may be deemed a bit higher risk than your typical day-to-day activities at home. You might get sick or injured and need medical attention. There are so many things that could happen that can cause financial and mental stress if you don’t have travel insurance.

Cell Service

While in this day and age you can get pretty far with an offline map, downloaded translation app, and public wi-fi, I would still suggest getting a SIM card for local cell service. It’s really a matter of convenience as well as personal safety. That being said, you basically have two options to get cell service. Get a physical SIM card on arrival, or purchase a virtual E-SIM in advance. Physical SIM’s tend to be cheaper but take some additional time and energy to obtain. E-SIM’s can be purchased online and activated immediately upon arrival, but they tend to cost more. There are pros and cons to each of the types of SIMs. It’s really up to personal preference.

Safety & Precautions

Regardless of your intended destination, it’s important to know how to keep yourself safe. Especially if you haven’t spent much time abroad. There are plenty of easy to take precautions that will help you avoid coming into trouble. This point is important, but don’t let it, or anyone else, scare you into thinking it’s unsafe to travel. If you know what the situation is that you’re getting into and you take measures to stay safe, you likely won’t have any problems. You should know the local customs and religion of the place you are traveling. Your home country’s government may also provide resources with up to date travel notices for countries and regions.

Backpacks, Packing, & Gear

This is one of the last steps, and a fun one if you ask me. If you’re going backpacking, then you’ll need a backpack. That’s pretty straightforward. So you need to research what size you want and any additional features. Plus you’ll need to see what people recommend packing for the region that you’re visiting.

Conclusion

And there you have it! If you made it through this entire post, then it seems that you are committed to making your long-term backpacking trip a reality. And that’s amazing! If you do your research on all these items, you’ll be in good shape for your trip. Check out my in-depth posts for each of these topics to get more helpful information and resources to aid you in your research and planning!