Four Things to Consider Before Travelling the World

Travelling the world is something that everyone should be afforded to do at least once. Whether an interrailing trip of Europe, or a backpacking odyssey across Asia, there are incalculable sights and experiences begging to be discovered. Travelling, alluring as it is, is an unavoidably complicated endeavour. If you’ve recently caught the travel bug, what do you need to know before you take the first flight to New Zealand?

Financial Concerns 

Travel, unfortunately, costs money. There are those that have travelled the world on a shoestring budget, so it is possible – but only through shouldering a significant degree of risk. With the right amount of savings behind you, you can fully enjoy the entirety of your trip without worrying when your next meal or bed will be. 

In thinking about finances, it is also a good idea to leave your financial situation in as healthy a state as possible. Debts have a habit of ballooning in your absence, and you may be having too much fun to remember to cancel that credit card. Before you set off, put all your debts into one place and ensure there’s a plan in place to pay that consolidated debt off.  

Employment 

Tangential to finances, you’ll need to give some thought to your employment situation as well. Many who travel do so as part of a sabbatical, taking either extended leave from their place of employment or resigning altogether. To do the former requires open and direct communication with your employer, and to do the latter requires a significant amount of savings. 

There is a third option, though, that has become more possible in recent years: digital nomadism. Thanks to the ‘new normal’ of remote work, there are opportunities to continue working remotely while you travel, whether as a salaried employee or a freelancer. This comes with its own logistical caveats, though, including the potential need for a dedicated visa. 

Logistics 

Granted, ‘logistics’ is an extremely broad category, but one within which you can handle a great deal of necessary things at once. In order to travel effectively, you will need to have a keen knowledge of your legal obligations with respect to certain destinations. Many countries require you to have a valid visa in order to gain entry, and there are also vaccination considerations to make – particularly in the aftermath of the coronavirus pandemic. 

As such, you should start any visa processes and vaccination programmes as soon as is convenient. Both can take time to sort properly; visa applications can take months, while NHS waiting times for non-essential travel vaccinations can drag on. 

Equipment 

Lastly, we come to tangible considerations for your travels: equipment. What you take with you is hugely dependent on how you intend to structure your trip; someone hopping between major cities will have far less need for a portable camping stove than someone intending to take the roads less travelled. 

As well as ensuring you have the right equipment for the environments you’ll be experiencing, you also need to consider protecting their value. Insurance is always a good thing to have, and especially so for technology or camera equipment.