How do you go on a long journey? We've taken a year's time out from working life and set off on a long trip with the campervan around Europe. "Wow, we'd like to do that too", some people write. "But how do you do it?" We do our best to answer that question here.
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Plan your long journey well in advance
If you want to take a long trip, you need to start planning well in advance. This is especially true if you're a little older and have made commitments in your life such as a house, job and children. We started planning our trip 7 years in advance.
In our life, it was appropriate to plan the trip when I finished my doctorate and when Peter's children were over 18 years old. Think about when the trip fits into your life and start long-term planning now!
Organising the economy
Since you are planning well in advance, there is plenty of time to plan your financial situation. In our experience, keeping expenses low is particularly important. In the period leading up to the trip, can you change your expensive accommodation to a cheaper one? Can you pay off debts at the same time? Review your insurance policies and see if you can get a lower price with another company. Sell things you don't need.
Make sure not to commit to any subscriptions with costs that extend beyond the time you plan to be away. Also make a plan to finance your trip! Do you have a house or apartment that you can rent out during your trip? How much can you put aside per month?
Solve the labour situation
If you have a job that can be done remotely, this can be a great solution. For most people, however, this is not the case. Think about whether you can take a leave of absence or put the business on hold, or whether you simply want to resign. Once you've talked to your bosses and set a date, planning becomes very concrete!
Planning for absences
In our experience, planning for being away from home was more complicated than planning for the trip itself. Are you going to rent out your flat or house? Can you pay bills in advance or receive them by email? Who will take care of your mail? Do you need to introduce other people to tasks that you had at your job? Be prepared for long planning and many phone calls!
Planning for the trip
This is perhaps the most fun part, but for us it was the part we barely had time for! We knew we would be travelling with the motorhome, but we barely had time to check the car or think about the route. However, there are some things you have to prepare for.
Make a budget and loosely calculate costs for travel, accommodation and food. Keep in mind that you may need a buffer in case something unforeseen happens. Your car might break down, someone might get sick, or you might have to fly home to Sweden during your trip...
Check what insurance is needed and make sure you have access to medical care in the countries you are travelling to in case of illness or injury. Check if you need any vaccinations, get prescription medication and visit your dentist.
Be prepared to live simply
Even if you plan your finances and make a budget, you will probably have a limited budget. Some things that we took for granted at home we have had to get used to. For example, we don't have a telephone subscription or a TV receiver, we very rarely eat in restaurants and sometimes have to make do with a lack of electricity, poor WiFi and insufficient heating.
Yet we think we are very lucky! The luxury of travelling is not to have plenty of money, but to be free from work, to spend your time as you please and to be free to travel wherever you want. So... If you really want to go on a long trip: Start planning!
You might also like:
When can you travel abroad again? (And when do you want to?)
Some reflections from the first trip abroad since February
A different year of travelling - about adapting
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Ama de casa says:
I know the feeling of planning and everything that needs to be organised. We decided that we would move here to Spain 1.5 years before it became a reality. Many things to organise and find out before then.
But we have not regretted the decision and the move. So far anyway
🙂
10 March 2015 - 11:23
Aila says:
Sounds like a very interesting idea... We talk a lot about your trip and the desire to do something similar....
Very good list of tips you wrote...
/Aila & Niklas Libertysowner
10 March 2015 - 12:06
BP says:
This is what I call forward planning and long-term planning. Seven years in advance, well, nothing I could do, I think. On the other hand, I've never tried either.
Answer: I understand your problem with the images. Working from Office is very limiting - this is said by me who has never done image processing in Office. I think you should invest in Photoshop Elements (about 70 Euro), it opens up a whole new world.
But today the picture was bigger, or is it a blur?
10 March 2015 - 12:15
admin says:
Ama de casa, a lot of administration and bureaucracy! And maybe even more for you, who moved completely.
Aila, have understood that you have talked about a similar trip! Hope it happens! Do you know when?
BP, you should only do this kind of travelling if you really want to! Well, the picture isn't bigger today unfortunately... accidental. Answers more on your blog!
10 March 2015 - 13:09
Aila says:
Don't know when... But it will happen in the future...
Wonderful to learn from your experience...
Until then, we'll have to make do with 5 week summer trips to the Mediterranean and Greece...
10 March 2015 - 14:55
JoY says:
Well, we have to start planning now but we can't wait seven years, we need to start moving a little earlier.
Hugs Yvonné
10 March 2015 - 16:34
Henny says:
They say that you should realise your dreams, and I think you have done that in many ways. Not only this long journey but also earlier ones. For us who are 75+ it is not as easy anymore and I often regret it (not the husband to the same extent). So an advice to you who are younger, who are healthy and have the opportunity - out and see the world dear friends 🙂
10 March 2015 - 17:06
Ditte says:
Yes, there is a lot to think about and plan, especially when you don't have much income during the year. Want to reduce expenses.
If you want something, I think you should go for it because you can't go wrong and as my mum once said "you're never further home than you were away" and I've thought that in many contexts.
I'm also not keen on the idea of "I'll do that later", because that day may never come.
When we moved to China, we barely had two months to get everything ready. But on the other hand, it didn't take much of our savings and we were home a couple of times a year during the almost four years we were away.
I think many can be inspired by your thoughts and do what you think and plan for it all.
10 March 2015 - 17:41
Lars Andersson says:
Hello!
It was valuable to hear your thoughts when you were planning
For this long journey. The list you made can be helpful
Even if it's a short trip, I hope to follow you.
It will continue to do so, with texts and nice pictures.
Goodbye!
Lars and Inger
10 March 2015 - 18:25
Steve says:
An excellent checklist for prospective long-distance travellers.
10 March 2015 - 19:35
Maggan och Ingemar says:
Yes, you have to plan, but you learn a lot along the way. When we started to be away 6 months/year, we could put the TV on hold as well as the newspaper etc. Insurance is A and O = necessary. We have had to visit dentists abroad and they are surprisingly good, modern and above all very cheap. Saving a little on the wallet can be done with free camping, for example. Something that we have found to be a good investment is the installation of a fixed LPG cylinder, LPG is much more available in southern Europe than in Sweden. It was a big problem for us before to get hold of propane gas. Then we realised that people in other countries are very helpful and nice. Have never regretted our wintering trips.
10 March 2015 - 19:51
Rantamor på näthinnan says:
As pensioners, we have also thought about a long journey,
but we don't dare....
You are tough, we think, and it's great to follow your journey.
Tjingelingen from Rantamor.
10 March 2015 - 19:51
Carita Liljendahl says:
Ooh, now I want to travel far, far away. It will hardly be this year, but your tips are therefore very valuable - you understand that planning is a must. To review a lot of practicalities as well. I think you inspire and give strength to many!
10 March 2015 - 21:38
Staffan says:
Hello there,
Thanks for the blog, which I follow every day. The best and most well written blog I know.
Planning seven years in advance is certainly good, but I don't think it should discourage others from being more spontaneous. When we took a year of sailing, there wasn't much planning but just going for it. It was the Mediterranean with Slovenia, Croatia and Turkey that was a wonderful experience for us.
Problems with a troublesome gallbladder were fixed in Turkey, but our travel insurance meant that we managed it financially well. So our advice for others who want to go and as you also wrote: Remember a good travel insurance. If it is not needed, be happy about it!!!
10 March 2015 - 21:53
admin says:
Aila, glad you have plans for the future! A holiday trip to Greece and the Mediterranean sounds nice too!
JoY, of course you should go as soon as you can!
😉
Henny, thanks for the encouragement and advice! It makes us feel even more like we are doing the right thing!
🙂
Ditte, you have really had many exciting experiences! If we inspire someone, it feels great!
Lars and Inger, glad you're following us and thanks for the nice words about the blog!
Steve, at least some of our experiences... although of course it can certainly be different!
Maggan and Ingemar, you learn as you go along! And it is impossible to predict everything! GPL can probably be smart and we have discussed it. Our variant (two Swedish tubes and one French one) is not very practical...
Rantamor, glad you want to follow us! If you do, I don't think there's any reason not to! Then you can prioritise differently and we fully understand that.
Carita, you may not need to plan the trip in detail, but being away from Sweden for a year required a lot of planning... Hope you get to go on a long trip!
Staffan, thank you for the lovely words about the blog, it's warming! I totally agree with you! We did not mean that everyone has to plan for seven years. The long time was mostly about finding a year when it fit into our life, ie that it was difficult to go when the children were younger. Sounds like a cool and wonderful sailing trip you made!
10 March 2015 - 22:13
Marina says:
Of course I understand if it requires lots of planning, but at the same time it is a bit dangerous to plan so far in advance - you do not know what will happen! I am a little more in favour of (if possible) doing it as soon as possible after the idea has appeared!!!!
11 March 2015 - 3:37
admin says:
Marina, I see your point! We didn't mean that everyone should plan so far in advance. But sometimes it's not a good idea to leave on a whim because the children are too young or you're in the middle of an education programme or don't have the finances. And then it can still be possible if you plan it in advance!
11 March 2015 - 8:43
Marguerite Koos says:
Hello!
We have also been planning for several years and NOW very soon we will FINALLY leave. (15 August-17i) We have benefited from your descriptions and lists because there is always some small point you have not thought of. We have been living in our motorhome in Sweden for two years which has been useful but you get lazy...it is possible to pick up/leave things in the storage room. We are retired and have just become orphans. The plan is the Atlantic coast... the journey is the adventure and to return in May/June next year.
13 June 2017 - 11:54