Long-Term Travel: How Should You Fund It?


Traveling can be expensive – so just how do people afford to travel for months or even years? Below are just a few ways in which fund long-term travel.

Work as You Travel

The most common way to afford long-term travel is to work and travel at the same time. 

This could include basing yourself somewhere for a few months or a year so that you can get local work. This could include working at a resort as a travel rep, working as an English teacher or working in another industry. 

Another option could be to find a job that you can work flexibly from any location. Certain jobs can be done digitally with nothing but a laptop such as graphic design, virtual accounting, copywriting or social media marketing – with these jobs you may be able to work from any location providing you have an internet connection and power outlets. Alternatively, you may have a skill such as playing a musical instrument or cutting hair that you can make money from. 

Working may require you to apply for a working visa. Getting accepted for a visa can vary in difficulty depending on the country you’re applying to and your background – in some cases where you may be planning on staying for a long period, you may need to hire an immigration lawyer. Make sure that you apply to the right visa.

Save Up Beforehand

Even if you plan on working abroad, you’ll likely need to save up some money beforehand for initial costs such as flights out and accommodation until you receive your first paycheck. You may be lucky enough to already have some savings. If not, you’ll have to find a way of raising funds.

You may be able to save up money by working. Some people are able to save up enough money beforehand to fund their entire travels so that they don’t have to work. However, this could take a long time to accumulate such savings and a lot of diligence when it comes to cutbacks and savings contributions.

Another option may be to sell possessions to free up money. For instance, some people sell their home during retirement or downsize and use the profits to travel with. 

Reduce Your Expenses

By reducing costs, you can make travelling cheaper and more affordable. This could mean not having to save up so much beforehand or not having to work as hard to fund your travels. Two ways to do this include:

Lowering the cost of travel: There are lots of ways to travel on the cheap. Popular options include staying in hostels, staying in homestay accommodation, camping or even sleeping in a car (if you’re planning a roadtrip). Don’t expect to stay in luxury hotels or go fine dining every evening. 

Lower your bills back home: It can be hard to afford travel while also paying bills back home. You may be able to rent your property or sub-let it (with your landlord’s permission) to cover accommodation costs. Alternatively, you could move out and put your belongings into temporary storage. Selling your car may also be something to consider so that you don’t have to pay expenses like auto insurance.