Important Tips For Planning an Extended Holiday

Great Tips For Planning Your Extended Stay Vacation

As we approach the end of the year, we all start to look back and reflect on our lives and lifestyle choices during the past twelve months. You may have some fond memories of the year so far, but it’s not over yet! You might have done everything you wanted and more. But you also may be wanting to make some changes and perhaps feel like you are at a crossroads in your life and wondering what to do with yourself next year.  Perhaps it’s time to plan an extended holiday to bring new experiences and cultures to your life.

It is understandable. We all have moments where we wonder what life’s all about? Did we make the right choice with our career, what lies ahead in our immediate future?  December is fast approaching, and it is a time of year that we make those promises to ourselves. We are going to lose a little weight, we are going to get fitter and healthier and many times people include travel goals. If travel is on the cards for you, an extended holiday may be just the thing to restart your enthusiasm. So what should you be thinking about to plan for such a trip? Here are some suggestions for how to plan an extended holiday.

Deciding Where To Go

One of the biggest, and perhaps most exciting things to do when it comes to considering taking an extended holiday is to consider where to go. The world is your oyster, so to speak, and the options seem endless. Of course, one of the big things to remember is that some countries have different policies and visa requirements for entering and staying for longer periods of time. You may need to think about declaring if you are going to work there and actually have a confirmation of how long you intend to stay. Places like USA, Australia, Malaysia, and Asia are all popular choices.  Ultimately, the cost of living in the destinations you are considering will play an important part in your decision.

Don’t restrict your plan to one place, have a few destinations that you are considering before you make up your mind fully. It is also worth coming up with an itinerary, for example, visiting USA may mean that you party hard in New York City and entertainment spots like Borgata in Atlantic City; or explore more historical elements like Washington DC or the beaches of Florida. Traveling in Asia may mean you want to take in places like Thailand, Singapore, or Vietnam, as well as some of the other big hitting nations. Australia can mean traveling to various different states and hopping over to New Zealand. Planning is everything when it comes to an extended holiday as you will want to make the most of it.

Will You Work While Traveling?

Another thing to think about when it comes to extended holidays is what you might do with your time. Will you be spending it sightseeing or do you want to work and experience life in a different working environment? Of course, the main thing to think about would be the money side of things. You need to ensure that you can afford to stay at your destination, and often, working can help supplement your living expenses enabling you to enjoy everything you want to while you are away. However, there are often very specific rules and permissions needed to work in a foreign country.  Ensure that you research, obtain the right visas or permissions to work before going there to to avoid getting into any kind of trouble.

Tidy Up Loose Ends Before You Go

Leaving for an extended holiday may mean that you have decided to sell your place rent it out, or perhaps exchange it. That might mean that you have furniture to get rid of or storage to organise. You might also need to think about paying off any odd debts you have, closing off utility accounts and even stopping contracts like phones and getting a pay as you go model, or waiting until you get there to sort out a phone for that country. These are the things that can cause you a lot of headaches while away, and be stressful. So organising them before you go can really help.

Cover All Angles

Finally, make sure you cover all angles before you go. Have the necessary travel and health insurance in place to cover you, take photocopies of your passport and identifications. Notify your bank and credit card companies that you will be traveling and what regions you expect to be in.  Print off all documents and have them organized in a wallet for safe keeping. Make sure you can access money overseas and that you have the right accounts for abroad spending. Lastly, make sure friends and family have your location details and itinerary.  Decide what means of communication you will use to communicate with your loved ones while you are away.

Let’s hope these tips help you if you are planning on taking an extended holiday next year or in the future.