Where should I go?
How to plan a route?
What are the entry requirements?
Where to go on your long-term travels is obviously a personal matter. But hopefully the below questions and things to consider will help prompt the right thoughts to help you decide!
Where should I go?
ALREADY KNOW
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Already decided where to go? Great! Make a budget OR start Packing!
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Still need to decide whether to backpack or join the vanlife? Head here to figure it out!
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Keep scrolling to see entry requirements for where you're headed
NO IDEA
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Make a list of everywhere you've always wanted to go
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Prioritize your top choices
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Decide on vanlife vs backpacking (if you want to move continents a lot and quickly, you'll likely have to backpack)
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Keep in mind, the more you move around, the more expensive it can be
MAKE GOALS
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Want to learn a certain language? Want to work somewhere specifically? Want to go to a certain festival or national park?
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Make a few high level goals for your travels and it will help guide your route and decisions
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Plus, making goals gives you purpose!
How to plan a route?
THINGS TO CONSIDER
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What's the weather like where you want to go at different times of the year? When is rainy season there? Are the parks open?
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Are there any places that friends or family might visit ? When are those people free to meet up?
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Are there any travel warnings or political or social reasons you should avoid a place?
DRAW A ROUTE
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Based on the prior questions, what order of countries/places makes sense?
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Keep in mind, the more and faster you move the faster costs add up.
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Get a map! Physically draw out a route of where you're going and whether you can drive, bus, fly, or boat between places.
METHOD & TIMELINE
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Based on your map route, does vanlife or backpacking make the most sense?
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What time of year should you leave based on weather patterns, who you're meeting up with, and what's happening there.
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Decide how long you can stay in each place to meet your goals based on your overall timeline and budget (see Make a Budget)
What are the entry requirements?
VISA REQUIREMENTS
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Take your route map and add each country to a list or google sheet and add entry reqs
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See here for all Visa terminology
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Comprehensive info on visa requirements for US citizens: Visa Requirements by Country
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For non-US Citizens google "what countries do BLANK citizens need visas for"
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*Note: govt sites often lag behind private sites
CROSSING BORDERS
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Backpackers usually only need passport valid for 6 months + visas (where required)
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For an exhaustive list of documents you will need visit Documents Needed
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Vanlifers: for help on how to cross most borders and for real time updates on current events affecting border crossings download iOverlander and join FB groups in Apps to Use
THINGS TO KEEP IN MIND
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From personal experience, do NOT count on your embassies to have power to help you in a given country. Be prepared to only count on yourself!
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Do NOT overstay the time allowed in a country because you "heard" the penalties are not bad. It can be a VERY timely and costly mistake! (Speaking from experience)
