How to Spend Your Gap Year
Done with school/university and want to get out and explore the world? Or maybe just tired of the day to day life and want to take a year out to shake it up? I think everyone deserves a quote in quote gap year at some point in their lives. Take it whilst you are still young, develop your own opinions about the world, try new things, find parts of yourself you never knew existed and trust me you will never regret this time. Who dies thinking “Danm I wish I worked more”.
A gap year is meant to be spent however you wish, so this is just a guide on how you could spend it, but follow your heart and make the best of the free time you have ahead of you.
How to Make Long Term Travel A Reality
Obviously a whole year not working and travelling isn’t attainable for most people, so it’s quite common for people to a certain portion of the year working to earn the money to spend the other portion of the year travelling. Everyone’s circumstances are so different and I don’t feel fully equipped to give saving advice to all.
My one piece of advice to you would be to make a realistic savings plan, work out what your outgoings are every month and how much income you expect to make in a month. Plan a realistic amount you can save each month and find out what a common daily budget is for the destination you want to travel to. There are so many great blogs/vlogs out there to show you the day to day cost of different travel hotspots, don’t forget to take travel insurance and any vaccinations or visas you may need for the trip into consideration. You then can take a look and see how long it would take to raise the finances you need for your trip, you might need to pick up some overtime or cut back on some of your day to day expenses, but it will for sure be worth it.
Segwaying into my next point, if you can’t save and are not in the position to make a travel fund, there are still ways to travel and explore the world and let me tell you how!
Make Money and Travel
There are so many ways to make money whilst you travel, especially in this day and age. With influencers sprouting from every social media platform and more and more companies allowing employees to work remotely, living the digital nomad lifestyle is no longer a whimsical dream! However, if you’re just out of school/uni and just want a year to explore the world and not get serious with a career then I have some great alternatives for you on how to make money and travel.
Working Holiday VISa
Fancy working as a barista in the centre of Sydney? Or maybe working on a farm in Queenstown? A ski instructor in Whistler? If you want to mix work with travel this is the perfect option for you, popular countries that offer this visa are Canada, Australia and New Zealand. Take a look at the individual country’s government websites to see the visa process, cost and how covid has affected the process.
It’s a great way to explore a new place, getting a job obviously allows you to create more funds for further travel but also working allows you to meet new people locals and travellers alike. You can choose how much time you spend working vs how much travel you do in those countries, meaning it’s more flexible for people in different situations. And certain countries allow extensions of the visas, so if you fall in love with the place you never know how long you will be able to stay.
Workaway
Workaway is a popular website that backpackers use to find jobs in return for accommodation and volunteering opportunities whilst travelling. It’s common for hostels to offer free accommodation for a few hours of work a day, which can be helpful if you are looking to do some budget-friendly travel. You do have to pay for a membership for workaway in order to access these job listings so there is an initial cost but in the long run it could help you travel more budget-friendly.
It’s also a great way to meet more travellers and allow you to explore the local area for a longer amount of time, so you can really soak up the culture. It can allow you to extend your trip and you never know what you will learn and who you will meet during this time, so go for it a put yourself out there!
I found a helpful guide explaining how to get the best out of workaway, click here to find out more!
Camp America
A popular way to get away during the summer months and an option to explore the US whilst experiencing summer camp. If you enjoy working with children and think you could be a camp counsellor this could be perfect for you. You will work within a camp for a minimum of 9 weeks then after the camp, your visa allows you 30 days to explore the USA as you wish! With different roles within the camp, you can find a job best suited to you, you will also receive a set amount of money for your time spent working in the camp.
It’s aimed at British uni students who want to travel and work in a new place over the summer holidays. You can gain valuable career and life experience and meet some lovely other camp counsellors who may just become travel companions after the camp has ended. Note the application process can take some time as you have to go through background checks, interviews and visa applications. So make sure you leave enough time if this is what you choose to do, the application window for that summer tends to close in March/April.
Start your application or discover more about Camp America here!
TEFL (teaching english as a foreign language)
TEFL is a qualification that allows you to teach students all around the world who want to learn English. TEFL courses are taught online, in person and I believe even some schools/colleges may offer this to their students in the UK. After you are TEFL certified you can look for jobs in many countries, or alternatively online should you wish to work remotely. Some countries will require you to be degree educated for TEFL jobs but not all, so make sure you do your research.
It can be a great way to travel and earn at the same time, it will allow you to spend a long amount of time in one place. You can get to know what it would be like to live in a new place, meet local teachers, and give back to children or adults by helping them improve their English. It can be a rewarding way to travel and you also never know what your students will teach you.
Thinking of Travelling Solo?
Where to Travel
There’s a whole world of places to explore out there and I’m not trying to limit where you explore. It is just there are certain routes that are popular with other backpackers and if it’s your first long term trip or maybe your first solo route, I would recommend the below destinations:
South-East Asia
A very common destination for first-time backpackers and for a very good reason, with plenty of diverse countries and cultures to explore! You could opt for the popular loop starting in Thailand -> Laos -> Cambodia -> Vietnam. With plenty of other countries such as Borneo, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Indonesia, Philippines to explore you won’t be short of destinations to add to your South East Asia bucket list!
Discover more about South East Asia here!
Interrail Europe
Interrail is an all-in-one Pass that lets you explore 33 countries by train, read more about how it works with this link. I loved my time interrailing Europe, it’s more expensive than backpacking around SE Asia, but depending on what countries you choose to visit it is possible to do it on a budget. Eastern Europe offers a more budget-friendly trip and is home to some stunning landscapes and bustling cities. Discover the Tatra Mountain range or hike around and enjoy the waters of Lake Bled, Slovenia or explore the historic city of Prague.
There’s so much more Europe has to offer, I have linked a blog post with different interrailing routes to inspire you.
Australia/New Zeland
Both Australia and New Zealand have so much to offer, so if you have the budget and the time why not explore both. New Zealand is known for a great backpacker culture with a strong adventure spirit, from amazing hikes to bungee jumps and white water rafting it could be a great place to kick off your adventure! Australia is home to stunning beaches, vibrant cities, rainforests, reefs and the outback, it’s such a diverse country to explore and you will leave longing to go back, trust me!
Discover more about travelling to Australia here!
Let me know if you are planning your own gap year soon, I’m here to help if you have any questions!
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