Plan A Legendary Extended Trip Using 9 Expert Traveler Tips

What if you could plan a legendary extended trip of a lifetime?

Imagine traveling off to Italy, France, India, Ireland, or Japan for months. Perhaps you’ve been dreaming about heading off on an extended trip to any of these destinations or others for a long while, but have only recently decided to take the plunge and commit to heading off on the long-stay journey of a lifetime.

Now that you’re actually planning your extended trip, you might be starting to wonder about some of the more practical points of taking a trip abroad for more than just a few weeks. 

Today, we’ll share expert travel tips to help you both plan your trip and tend to the life you are temporarily leaving behind!

9 Practical Tips For The Journey Of A Lifetime

While the concept of heading off on the journey of a lifetime is extremely exciting, there are most probably a number of other practical things that you’re wondering about, which is, of course, completely normal.

After all, taking this kind of trip is a seriously big deal, and planning and proper preparation are paramount. 

With that in mind, below are a few key practical points that it pays to consider when it comes to planning an extended trip.

1. What will you do with your home and belongings?
2. Why choosing your destination very carefully matters
3. What mode of travel will you be securing?
4. Your Job and the ramifications of the extended trip
5. Itineraries matter
6. How To Save money
7. Your travel documents
8. Travel Insurance
9. Lodging options

PRO Traveler TIP FOR PHOTOS AND VIDEOS

When you take that journey of a lifetime you will surely take a lot of videos and photos, and you’ll need a way to share them as well as bring them to life in a creative way!

You’ll want to use Flexclip (it’s what I use every day) to bring all of your photos and videos that you’ll take together, so you can merge them, add captions, and music, and then share them with a link or on your website with your friends and family. Now go see the world, and take videos and photos until you just can’t take another!

Plan That Legendary Extended Trip Using Practical Expert Travel Tips!

When planning an extended trip you need to really consider every aspect of your life from your job to your home and everything in between.

We are starting at the top of the list which is all about when you plan a trip of a lifetime what will happen to your home?

#1 What should you do about your home and belongings? 

One of the main things you may be wondering about is what should you do about your home and your belongings when you plan a legendary extended trip. We are about to answer that. 

If You Rent Your Living Space Here’s How To Plan Your Trip Around Your Rental

Here’s our list of what to consider if you are a renter, rather than a homeowner and you want to embark on the journey of a lifetime, this is your starting point.

• if you’ve planned ahead enough, you’ve already crossed this off your list, end your lease without penalty!
• place your stuff in a first-month free storage facility so that you don’t have to worry about covering your rental costs
• or, if you prefer to maintain your rental, sublet, but do make sure to ask the landlord’s permission before doing so

Options For Homeowners Who Want to Embark On The Journey Of A Lifetime

If you’re a homeowner and own your home, you most likely don’t want to sell your property or move your belongings and you might prefer one of these ideas, each practical and timely!

So, instead, here are a few options to consider to plan a legendary extended trip as per our travel expert.

• hire a housesitter who should tend to the lawn, the mail, and your pets as well as your home
• consider renting the property out so that you’re able to cover the cost of your mortgage and the bills
• if you are house-swapping with someone across the pond, then you’ve got this already situated

#2 Why choosing your destination very carefully matters

• Will you have enough to do in that destination without traveling farther than you have planned?
• If you are staying in one place for the whole time a house exchange does make sense
• But if you are not planning on staying in one destination, a house exchange makes no sense and you’ll need rentals/hotels, etc. and this will change what you do with your vacant home
• Will you need a car or are you at the heart of everything at your new home away from home (car = expenses)
• Allocate how many days you are staying in one area before moving on, you don’t want to backtrack as that creates more expenses you don’t need.

#3 What Mode of travel will you be securing?

This is where planning your itinerary is crucial and although that is down on the list a bit farther you do want to consider everything after you put all the initial thought into your trip-of-a-lifetime planning.

To plan a legendary extended trip is to know where you want to go and why you want to go there, then you will need to figure out how you are getting there and then getting around once there!

• Will you be taking a month-long cruise?
• Will you be traveling by train for the entire time?
• Will you be in need of several rentals along the way or one simple rental?
• Would hotels make more sense?
• Are you flying to your destination and then taking the train as transportation by day?
• Can you walk everywhere once you get to where you are going?

Every single question about what mode of travel you will be securing for your journey of lifetime matters because it adds to the cost of your extended trip as well as helps to determine if you can do a house swap or not!

#4 Will You Have Job Security While You Take The Journey of A Lifetime?

The most prudent question you must ask yourself when planning an extended trip is how will the long trip work with your current job.

Naturally, if you are independently wealthy and own your own business you may not have to worry as much as most others, however… will an extended trip end your career?

Really take into consideration how going away will impact your career and how you will earn while you travel. 

5 Reasons You Might Not Worry About Your Job

1. You may have been saving up for this trip for a while and have set aside enough money that you don’t need to work while you’re away.
2. You’ve saved enough money to not need to work for the majority of your extended trip and simply plan on picking up ad hoc work as and when you need to top up your funds while you’re away. 
3. You are independently wealthy
4. You own your own business and just need WiFi and a laptop so you don’t have to worry about losing your job
5. You’ve saved up enough money to take the trip of a lifetime and you were going to quit your job anyway!

Job Options During + After your Legendary Extended Trip

If you’re planning on continuing to work in your current role or within the industry in which you work, you might want to think about how this would work and what your options are.

• if your current job is fully remote, can you really do it effectively while you’re traveling?
• consider freelancing, rather than working in an employed role while you travel providing more freedom to work when you want to and/or need funds.

#5 Planning An Itinerary Because It Matters

Laugh it off as you may, but planning an itinerary is of the utmost importance when you decide upon taking an extended trip, and here’s why.

• You’ll be able to do and see more if you know what is around you and what is not
• Plan where to stay and estimate the length of the stay in each area (rental, hotel, hostel, etc.)
• Budget better by knowing more about the area you are in and what to expect (research)
• Planning creates an overview and lets you plan your time better to make it through all areas, instead of just one!
• Knowing what you are doing will help you pack better, and pack what you need so you don’t have to spend unnecessary funds on what you already have!
• Don’t forget to find out if you need a visa to enter a country instead of just a passport
• Learn about what extra immunizations you might need before entering a country such as going on Safari.

#6 Plan A Legendary Extended Trip And You’ll Save Money

• planning a trip ahead of time allows you to figure out what you will be doing (at least loosely) so you can budget
• you’ll decide if you are renting which overall can save you money on both food and laundry bills
• researching the area you are traveling to for your extended trip will provide you with knowledge and knowing what you are headed into will give you better control over spending
• if you learn the area ahead of time, you will pack what you need (without overpacking) and not have to make unnecessary purchases.
• create a bucket list and don’t budge from it
• learn the area and don’t stay longer or stay longer but a bit further out if the area is pricey to save money.

#7 Your Journey Of A Lifetime Requires Travel Documents

Whether you are traveling for a week or months, if you are headed out of the country you must have the right documents with you.

• a passport
• vaccine card
• Covid immunization proof (app or document)
• visas
• driver’s license
• insurance policy

You’ll want to make sure that your passport is not within 6 months of expiring or you may not get back home (we have friends that had serious passport issues due to the passports expiring less than 6 months after the trip had started!)

#8 Travel Insurance Is A Must

So, don’t travel abroad if you don’t have travel insurance!

• File claims and track claims (lost luggage, car issues)
• Health issues, injuries, etc.
• Travel Insurance Apps can offer geolocation of hospitals, and embassies around your

#9 Planning Ahead for An Extended Trip + Lodging

As we’ve previously discussed, planning an itinerary is a great way to research the destination you are headed to for the trip of a lifetime.

In addition, once you know where you are headed, and you break down how many days you are planning to stay in each part of the country, you’ll be able to then plan your lodging.

• renting is best for a week or more (Airbnb, etc)
• bed and breakfasts are perfect when you need a night or two
• hotels are great when they provide a free meal (breakfast) and have discounts for extended stays
• Apartments rent for a week to a month in many places
• Check for cottages on lakes and camps too

You’ll need to decide what makes the most sense for your travel mode, destination, and budget and what you are most comfortable in.

This is a very personal decision and not one we can really help with other than offering the different lodging options we have used ourselves!

So, there you have it, our guide to some of the practical points that it’s worth considering when it comes to planning an extended trip. 

Make sure to come back and tell me where you are going to plan a legendary extended trip to and if we missed any points! Dana XO ~