Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
How much do you want to spend?
Estimates vary widely, but the average cost for a full year's gap is £5000 for young people,
around £6000 for mature travellers and up to £9000 for career breakers.
Much depends on where you're going and what you plan to do, and these days, if you care
about the planet, climate change and ethical travel, you need also to include the costs of car-
bon offsetting. It's important to do as much research as possible,and a good place to start is
Chapter 2 - Finance
.
Do you want to go alone, or with friends and fam-
ily?
It's totally understandable that you may want to share your experiences with friends or close
family, and you may feel safer and more confident with company - and no doubt it will help
the peace of mind of the family you leave behind. But, while safety should always be your
first priority, don't be afraid of heading out on your own.
“My greatest advice would be not to wait around until you can persuade your friends and
family to come with you,” says Heilwig Jones, of Kaya Responsible Travel. “That is the
most common reason that people end up not doing it and missing out. The travelling com-
munity is so friendly, and participation in organised programs, such as ours, mean that it is
easy to make friends along the way.”
If you do travel with a friend or family, you have to be 100% certain you can spend 24 hours
a day with them. We often hear of people going their separate ways during their trip.
Before you go, get to know where you're going
The more you know about your destination, the easier your trip will be: India, for example,
is unbearably hot and humid in pre-monsoon April to June, Australia has seasons when bush
fires are rampant and then there are the cyclone seasons in south Asia and rainy seasons in
South America - and the consequent risk of flooding.
It's also worth finding out when special events are on. It could be very inconvenient to arrive
in India during Diwali, when everyone's on holiday and all the trains are full! Similarly
Japan - gorgeous in cherry blossom season but avoid travelling in Golden Week.
Before visiting any country that has recently been politically volatile or could turn into a war
zone, check with the FCO for the current situation. Logon to
www.gov.uk/knowbeforey-
ougo
for up-to-date information.
