If you’ve been dreaming of packing up your life and embarking on a global adventure, but are unsure how to travel the world, this article is for you!
Planning for a big life change like travelling the globe can seem daunting, but with the right guidance, you can turn your travel dreams into a reality.
I’ve been traveling for the last 14 years, am currently based in Phuket, Thailand, and in just a few weeks from the time of writing will be packing up my MacBook, putting on my walking shoes and once again heading out to traverse the globe!
Read on to discover how to prepare for your world tour, from budgeting and itinerary planning to packing tips and cultural considerations. Plus of course, how to fund this wild adventure by building a lifestyle business /side hustle doing something that you love!
Why Now is The Best Time to Start Travelling the World
1. Now is Always the Best Time to Start Anything!
There’s always a reason not to do something. We spend our lives waiting for the perfect moment to; have kids, get married, start a new career, quit a job and start a business, move home, buy that new car, etc etc.
But the truth is, there’s never a perfect moment. There is only now.
What do you dream about? What does your ideal lifestyle look like? How long have you been putting it off?
There’s no better moment than the present to begin pursuing your dreams of world travel.
Embrace the opportunity and start taking action today.
2. We Are Not Getting Any Younger
If you’re reading my content, chances are you’re 50+, and even if you’re not there yet, there’s still no time to waste.
We’re not getting any younger, and as we age, it becomes increasingly important to seize the day and make the most of our time.
I’m only 51 and due to sheer luck of the draw, I have severe osteoarthritis in my knees. I’m already going to struggle to visit some of the most amazing mountain top monasteries or castles in the world. And challenges like Kilimanjaro? Forget it! (To be fair not on my bucket list anyway, but you get the idea).
If you’re still healthy and energetic, start exploring the globe now! And if you do have some health issues, even more important to grab the opportunity while you still can.
With the advent of AI I personally believe that technology is going to exponentially explode in the next 10 – 20 years and so many of our current ills will be fixable, but there’s no guarantees.
Grab life, while you’re young and fit enough to suck the juice out of it.
3. Technology Means We Can Make Money on the Road
Modern technology means it’s easier than ever to build a profitable online business or side hustle that can fund your travels.
From e-commerce and digital marketing to consulting and coaching, there are numerous opportunities to create a location-independent income stream doing something you love.
I’ll talk more about this below, but we’ve been working remotely for over 14 years now, and it’s easier than ever these days to whip up a website, build an audience, create and launch a product and make money!
And if it’s easier now, imagine where we’ll be in just a few years with AI by our side?
4. Remote Work is More Accepted Than Ever Before
If building a business or side hustle isn’t your jam, the chances are the company you work for may well support remote working. And you have COVID-19 to thank for that.
The pandemic accelerated the trend of remote work, making it more acceptable and accessible for professionals to work from anywhere in the world.
Countries around the world are recognising this shift and responding with more varied visas to accommodate the working nomad, increasing the possibilities for combining work and travel.
5. Make Your Hard Earned Dollar Go Further
I’m no tax specialist, but for the long-term travelers amongst us, travel comes with tax benefits.
With increasing income disparities and inequities in tax burdens between large corporations and individuals, there’s no doubt that Western governments are excessively taxing their citizens while mismanaging funds for questionable purposes. (Don’t get me started).
Your specific tax situation will depend on your country of origin and the extent to which you’re willing to make changes (such as renouncing citizenship). But if you’re considering long term travel be sure to get some tax advice as the chances are you’ll be better off.
6. Improve Your Mental Health
Let me preface by clarifying I am not a psychologist, but I firmly believe traveling improves your mental health on an unprecedented scale!
Viewing the world from a different angle, meeting different cultures, and experiencing varying standards of living, broadens the mind and promotes tolerance, understanding, and gratitude. Emotions that seem sadly lacking in today’s society.
Once you’ve seen some of the things you’ll witness while traveling the world you’ll never unsee them and your new broadened mindset will change the way you view the world forever.
Whatever the reason for taking the leap and traveling the world, there is truly only upside! As Saint Augustine said;
The world is a book, and those who do not travel read only one page!
How I Started Travelling the World
Back in 2010 my partner & I had the privilege of visiting some friends in Cyprus who were running an online business. Fed up with life in the UK following the recession of 2008/2009, and with failed offline businesses behind us, when our friends went traveling and invited us to housesit, we sold everything we owned inside of a week, rented our house out, and jumped on a plane (with, by the way, our 4-year-old daughter, about $1000 & a couple of credit cards).
We really haven’t looked back since. Some 14 years and multiple online businesses later, we’ve visited 40+ countries and my daughter has mainly been raised here in Phuket, Thailand, where she’s attended school.
If I had my time again, we would have visited a lot more countries and she would have been world schooled, but that’s another blog post!
In just a few short weeks when she finishes her IB high school diploma, we’ll be off on the road again. (I have seriously itchy feet.)
I wouldn’t necessarily advocate the way we started our round the world trip! You have to be very comfortable moving outside of your comfort zone and flying by the seat of your pants, which isn’t for everyone, but let’s explore some of the best routes for planning, financing & making the most of world travel!
How to Travel the World
1. Choose Your Travel Style
First, it’s a good idea to decide what kind of world traveler you want to become. Determining your travel goals, ensures you create the right plan, do the right research, and have enough money to go where you want and do what you want to do.
- Perhaps you simply want to do one complete trip around the world and then settle back down in your home country again.
- Maybe you’re looking at budget travel and want to travel the world with a backpack and a list of hostels.
- You might be considering house sitting or pet sitting your way around the world.
- Maybe you’re dreaming of traveling the world for free!
- Perhaps you’ve had enough of your own country and want to take a one way flight to ‘destination anywhere.’
- Or, the best route and the one I personally recommend is a combination of the above, exploring all of the worldwide opportunities via long term travel as a digital nomad. (And if you think becoming a digital nomad is ‘only for the kids’, think again. We’ll explore this topic in more detail later in the article.)
2. Craft Your Dream Destination List
Once you have an idea of the kind of travel you’ll be undertaking, it’s a good idea to create a bucket list of dream destinations.
This will help to fuel your passion and motivation for making your world travel dreams a reality. By envisioning the incredible experiences that await you in far-off lands, you’ll find yourself more driven to navigate the various stages of planning and preparation.
3. Planning Your Adventure
Even with a steady income, it’s wise to save for those ‘just in case’ moments. When we left the UK all those years ago, we had a couple of credit cards and minimal savings. It makes for some very hairy moments I can tell you, when you’re not sure where the next months rent or food is coming from.
Depending on your risk levels, I would start with a good 6 months savings in the bank, and unless you’ve already got a steady monthly income or substantial investments, investigate all the ways you can