A long term vacation is something that goes beyond the standard vacations that are described in the travel magazines, books, and even on television. Those vacations are designed for people that have to immediately return to their home country. However, what happens when you actually want to make an extended stay? The most common mistake that new travelers make is that they assume that the approach to staying a long time in a new country is the same as it would be to just stay for a week or two.
Unfortunately, this is not the case at all. You will have to do a lot more planning to make sure that you really can enjoy a long term vacation, but that doesn’t mean that it has to be difficult. Indeed, there are just a few things you need to keep in mind when it comes to planning a long term vacation.
It goes without saying that the level of planning you will need to carry out depends on where you will actually travel to. For example, if you already live in Europe and you simply want to travel to say, Spain or the Netherlands from Germany or France, this is much easier to do than it would be if you lived all the way back in the United States. There are plenty of different travel locations to choose from, and you will need to stop and think about where you’ll actually feel the most comfortable for an extended period of time.
This is where prior travel definitely helps, since you will need to be very comfortable with the country and have a basic idea of where everything is. Culture and tradition will also play a role, since you don’t want to end up going to a country whose culture differs so radically from your own that it will be difficult to actually feel like you have a chance of blending in.
You will need to also think about how you will not only live in the country you select, but about the money it will take to really enjoy a comfortable standard of living. Some countries are cheaper than others, and it all depends on the type of lifestyle that you want to lead. If you’re looking for a very luxurious time, you may end up paying more than if you want to simply get the bare minimums in place.
Many people that plan long term vacations often have recurring income coming from a side venture that allows them to travel. You could do freelance work to pay for your new traveling lifestyle if you so desired, or you can do what many people do and simply save up. This would give you maximum freedom over your time since you wouldn’t have to work to pay for your long term vacation.
A long term vacation is truly a rewarding experience. It may not seem that way when you really sit back and realize all the planning that you will need to do, but if you take the time to set everything up, you’ll be one step closer to the great long term vacation that you truly deserve!
