Given the breadth of the range of possibilities, planning a dream trip of two months or more can prove destabilising. Whether you have two, six, twelve or eighteen months to travel, avoid the experience turning into a nightmare due to forgotten visas, missed flights and inflexible itineraries by checking out this handy guide full of potential itineraries and practical tips to make the most of your precious time.
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The world out there is waiting for you, pack your bags and run off to explore it! © FredFroese / Getty
Planning a two-month trip
Two months is enough time to explore a continent. You could travel overland through Africa, from Cairo to Cape Town (stopping to look for mountain gorillas in Uganda or Rwanda and camp in the shadow of Mount Kilimanjaro), or visit the spearheads of South America, from Machu Picchu and the Nazca Lines to the Galápagos Islands.
If you have never been around Europe, you might consider embarking on a grand tour of the most beautiful capital cities. The continent is served by excellent transport links running the length and breadth of the continent, from Amsterdam to Zagreb, and offers a level of adventure suitable for even the most inexperienced traveller.
Alternatively, if you want to escape the cold of winter, consider a trip to Southeast Asia, an excellent choice for travellers on a tight budget.
Two months is also an ideal time frame for a North American road trip: rent a car and drive around the US and eastern Canada in eight weeks.
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Six months might require a little more planning, but leave room for spontaneity © sergey causelove / Shutterstock
Planning a six-month trip
In six months you can cross a couple of continents on an overland journey. Launched in the mid-1950s, the 'hippie road' is an itinerary that goes through Europe to the Middle East and on to Nepal, India and the Far East. Today, conflicts in the Middle East make the route more complicated than it used to be, but it is still possible to cover most of the route safely. Starting in London or Paris, head for Istanbul, following the same route as the famous Orient Express. Zigzagging down to Turkey, you will admire the canals of Amsterdam, the Tower of Pisa, Bran Castle in Romania and many other wonders.
Invest in an Interrail pass for a cheap and flexible ticket that will help you hop carefree from train to train across Europe.
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Varanasi awaits you at the end of the 'hippie route' © Roop_Dey / Shutterstock
The classic route splits after Istanbul, heading north through Tehran and Lahore to India and Nepal or to Syria, Jordan, Iran and Pakistan (a route that many governments advise against due to security concerns and political tensions). The route to Nepal takes a minimum of six to eight weeks. Once there, trek in the Himalayas, then descend to India for three to four weeks, visiting the legendary fortresses of Rajasthan, the Taj Mahal and Varanasi.
With so much time to travel, the urge to see everything is just around the corner. Half a year will pass surprisingly quickly, but you have to contemplate a margin of spontaneity. You never know where new friends, new experiences and new hobbies might take you. It is useful to make a list of must-see countries and cities, as well as any activities or experiences you are dying to try, and then use them as stepping stones in your travel planning, allowing your feet to leave the beaten path between stops.
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Overlanding is a great way to slow down the pace of travel © Soloviova Liudmyla / Shutterstock
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Planning a year-long trip
With a year at your disposal, try to plan a round-the-world trip. One alternative would be to limit yourself to a circumscribed route, like the hippie route mentioned above, and choose a slow pace, filling the main itinerary with many detours. For example, from Istanbul you could fly to Egypt, see the Pyramids at Giza. In India, you could tour the south of the country, relax on the beaches of Goa or stay in an ashram.
Of course, not everyone wants to stick to a schedule. Many opt for an RTW(round-the-world) plane ticket that can be bought for as little as €2,000 and visit a dozen destinations, when a do-it-yourself trip allows you to visit twice as many on the same budget. Given the right amount of time between international flights, one can also take a few domestic ones to explore the country in more depth. Alternatively, spontaneity-loving globetrotters can book just the first outbound flight and let the adventure decide the times and destinations to touch, indulging their personal preferences and their relationship with the comfort zone.
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Don't forget to relax during your year on the road © Nomad_Soul / Shutterstock
The secret is to break it down into smaller, more manageable chunks. You have the luxury of time, so enjoy it. Allocate at least a month to each destination and consider forgoing planes for a more sustainable and perhaps even more exciting overland adventure (so-called overlanding). Divide the trip into sections or seasons and choose a theme for each one, a bit like the movie 'Eat, Pray, Love'. You could let loose and party until the morning for a few months, carve out a couple of months to volunteer on a farm and another couple to learn a new skill. Setting achievable and fun goals helps spare you the feeling of having 'wasted' a year.
In addition to preparations and bureaucracy, factor in downtime. Few people can sustain the backpacker mode with the same motivation as in the beginning for a whole year: every now and then give yourself a week just to relax, a private room or a more comfortable flat. And don't forget the importance of variety, alternate urban destinations with wild escapes to keep boredom at bay.
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Volunteering can give travel a sense of purpose © Dilok Klaisataporn / Shutterstock
Organise a trip of 18 months or more
Having enough time to circumnavigate the world twice means leaving work and setting off without a final destination in sight. Such an experience requires a much slower pace. Consider that some people spend up to a year exploring just one large country, such as China, India or the United States.
As you roam the world, make a new city your temporary home. After all, the only way to really get to know a place is to experience it on a daily basis as a local. Rent a house, study the language or (if finances are tight) volunteer. Take time off to paint, write or simply savour the place. Constantly moving around can be exhausting and after a while you tend to blur what you have seen. Delving into a destination can be as, or more, rewarding than ticking 100 attractions off your bucket list.
This article was first published in January 2019 and updated in December 2021
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