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This can be an amazing opportunity to explore new cultures and gain valuable life experience.
Many students who have finished their a-levels this year may be considering taking a gap year to travel the world instead of heading straight to university. This can be an amazing opportunity to explore new cultures and gain valuable life experience.
While the period between school and university may be the most common point of life to take a gap year, but there is never a bad time to take time out of studying or working for an extended trip abroad. Whether you wish to travel the world, volunteer, work or study, here are some useful tips if you or someone you know is about to venture off in discovery of the unknown…
It’s time to initiate gap year planning 101. Is there something in particular you want to get out of your gap year? It could be learning a language, gaining work experience whilst adapting to a new culture or simply branching out of your comfort zone and travelling solo for your own personal growth.
Once you know what you’d like to achieve or do during your gap year, it’ll no doubt help you begin to plot out your journey and activities.
You may want your travels to be spontaneous – planning and booking as you go along. However, it is important to look into certain aspects of your trip beforehand, as it will make your entire experience much more worthwhile and your budget covers what you want to do.
You’ll want to take a look at particular gap year programmes that appeal to you. There are ABTA members that provide gap year programmes which will help you structure your time abroad – just keep an eye out for the ABTA logo. It makes planning your gap year and budgeting simpler as there’ll be a host of experiences included like adventure travel, volunteering and picking up a new language.
If you’re creating your own itinerary and booking everything yourself, make sure your research is thorough, be wary of the dangers of labour exploitation abroad, and choose your trip carefully.
Money, money, money… you’ll want to factor in how much money you have overall and how much you plan to spend on transport, activities, etc. You don’t want to end up in a foreign country penniless, so if anything, you’d want to overestimate your budget so you don’t end up with less. Plus, consider taking some travel money with you too. Don’t just rely on a credit or debit card to get you through, it’s always handy to have local currency available to you too. In certain locations cards might not be accepted and there might not be a cash machine, and if there is, there might be hefty charges to withdraw cash.
Depending on where you’re going, make sure all the paperwork is in order. If you book through an ABTA travel agent, they’ll keep you in the loop about what documents you’ll need, from passport advice and visas to specific insurance. Or you can check out our travel checklist for more advice on what you need to consider before your trip.
Locals really appreciate it when tourists try to speak the language. Learning simple phrases such as “thank you” and “hello” will help you communicate with the locals and learn more about the culture of the place you’re visiting. You can make use of language learning apps or websites before you go to get some knowledge or take part in language exchanges once you get there.
It’s essential to take-out high-quality travel insurance to provide you with medical cover and in case your money and valuables get lost or stolen. Make sure that you’re insured for every activity you undertake, especially if you plan to do adventure sports.
Also, stay in touch with your family and friends back home. It’ll help for their peace of mind and yours. Plus, it might be worth letting them know your whereabouts whenever you move locations. We’ve got more safety tips for young travellers to help out on your gap year.
When packing, make sure to consider the climate and activities of the places you’ll be visiting. Travel as light as you can, as there is nothing worse than lugging around a 20kg backpack. Remember items such as a universal plug adaptor, reusable water bottle, a small first aid kit and a lightweight travel towel.
Gap years or an extended break away from work or study often provides you with an unforgettable experience. Enjoy yourself and keep safe!
