One of the greatest hurdles to taking a gap year is being able to afford it. A year of continuous travel is expensive, but anyone can do it with the right planning. This blog post will show you many gap year options to help you plan an itinerary that you can afford.
The key to gap year planning is your choice of destinations. The countries of the world represent a spectrum of cost. Research each of your destinations for average costs for accommodations, food, transport, etc. A day in Germany can cost as much as a month in Bolivia. Most travel guides will give you a perspective on expenses. Spend some time in your local bookstore reading different guidebooks to find destinations that interest you and offer reasonable costs.
Once you decide on your destinations, you need to figure out the least number of air flight legs visit them all. If you are traveling to South America, flying into Santiago, Chile or Buenos Aires, Argentina gives you access to the rest of the continent by bus or short local flight.
Before you can figure out how much you need to save for your gap year planning, you need an idea of your itinerary and in turn the cost of the trip. If cost is a concern, build an itinerary that focuses on the least number of flights. Once you figure out your ideal itinerary, you need to buy your plane tickets. For most gap year trips, a “‘Round The World” ticket makes the most sense. The fewer stops, the cheaper the ticket. Spend some time researching the types of RTW tickets – if you only have a few legs, traditional plane tickets may make more sense. If you have enough time, get a credit card that provides frequent flier miles and use them to procure your tickets. You would be amazed how quickly these miles add up to a frequent flier ticket.
The first step in taking a gap year is planning an itinerary that you can afford. These steps will help you build affordable cost efficient and rewarding gap year itinerary.
How did you prepare for your gap year?
Note: Available plans and coverages may have changed since this blog was published.
Arch RoamRight recently launched two plans on our website; learn the differences between the plans.
Volcanic eruptions are natural disasters that may be covered events under Arch RoamRight travel protection plans. From minor disruptions to catastrophic events, volcanos can affect travelers around the world.
RoamRight’s VP of Travel, Brice King, has been involved in the travel insurance industry since 2004; working in IT, operations assistance and international medical credentialing. As an avid backpacker and traveler, he has visited all seven continents and over 20 countries. The highlight of his travels was a year long, round the world honeymoon. Most of his recent travels have been on backcountry camping trips in the Western US. Follow Brice on Google Plus
Travel smarter with travel insurance from RoamRight. Get your free, no-obligation quote online today.
View all Blog Authors
View Countries with Blogs
Sign up for RoamRight's FREE monthly email newsletter to get travel tips, tricks, news, ideas, and inspiration!
The RoamRight mark is used by Arch Insurance Company and owned by its parent company, Arch Capital Group (U.S.). Insurance coverages are underwritten by Arch Insurance Company, NAIC #11150, under certain policy series, including LTP 2013 and amendments thereto. Certain terms, conditions, restrictions and exclusions apply and coverages may vary in certain states. In the event of any conflict between your policy terms and coverage descriptions on this website, the terms and conditions of your policy shall govern. Click here for privacy notice.
Copyright© 2024 Arch Insurance Company. All rights reserved.