Solo Travel Planning: 6 long term survive and thrive tips.

Jeff in Galapagos

Jeff Jung is the host of the web travel show, the Career Break Secrets Video Travel Guide Series.  A career break veteran since 2007, Jeff has traveled to 27 countries and speaks 3 languages.  He knows how to get around countries, get the most out of travel, stay on budget and connect with locals.  He runs the website CareerBreakSecrets.com.

Congratulations! If you’re reading this you have decided (or are seriously deciding) to take a career break to travel. Traveling for such a long period, at least a month or more, presents you with a few challenges that you likely won’t have encountered on a typical vacation.  Here are a few of things I learned along the way on my career break.

Rent an apartment.
When you’re traveling for a long period of time, hostel life can get old. You start to crave privacy, creature comforts and a place that feels like it’s yours.  Plus, moving around every few days will start to wear on you.  Renting a short-stay apartment in many countries is either equal to or only slightly more per night than a private hostel room in a larger city.

Have a second credit card and make sure one is a Visa.
In many countries, cash is king. But, on those occasions when you will need a credit card, it’s always good to have a backup in case one doesn’t work. I’ve found that Visa is the most accepted worldwide with few exceptions. American Express tends to be the least accepted. And, don’t be fooled, even when they have the sticker that says that a certain type of card is accepted, it might not be.  Finally, call your credit card company to let them know where you will be traveling so your card won’t be blocked in off-the-beaten track countries.

Use ATMs.
Avoid exchanging money as much as possible.  While you will still get hit with an ATM fee by your bank and the bank whose ATM you’re using, I’ve found it is still the best way to get local currency. Plus and CIrrus are the two major international networks I’ve seen. Again, call your bank specifically about your ATM card to let them know you’ll be traveling.

Take crisp clean bills.
Even though you’ll be using ATMs mostly, it never hurts to have some extra US dollars or Euros in your pocket.  But, make sure that you have fresh, new clean bills. When exchanging money, your bills will be closely inspected. Any tears, stamps, marks or signs of wear could make the local exchange service leery of accepting your money.

Pay in the local currency – ALWAYS.
To get the best price on the goods you’re buying, always pay in the local currency. If you insist in paying with your dollars or euros, you will likely pay more.  The vendor isn’t necessarily trying to rip you off. They are trying to hedge their bets so when they take your foreign money to the bank, they don’t lose out. And, there is the hassle factor for them.

Mix up air and overland travel.
You don’t need to buy a round-the-world ticket or pan-continental ticket for every stop you will make. Rather, buy for your major entry and exit points and then go overland in between.  This will keep your air costs down and allow you to see more of the country or continent where you are traveling.

What are your long term survive and thrive tips?

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