This little guide looks to give insight into a few of the things you might need to consider if you plan on travelling full time for 6 months. This article is from our perspective, having spent over 6 months on the road full time, along with numerous shorter trips over the years! These are only some of the tips we think are important, and have included a large number of guides below which go into more detail on locations, recommendations and more.
5 tips to help your 6 month trip!
How much you pack matters!
Do you really need that extra shirt, or that spare dress? While we packed light-ish for our travels, we found we did bring a little more than we needed and we wore a lot of the same things often. Additionally, when you are away, you will likely buy clothing from different countries or styles, something we definitely did whilst away (Ky loves a party shirt from overseas and Tess can’t resist a cute outfit). We urge you to pack a little less than you think, buy a few things on the road, throw a few things out, and wear some of the same things often. We also recommend you get a relatively light backpack (we loved our Kathmandu hybrid suitcase/backpack)!
Travel insurance is super important!
Don’t think “we’ll be right” and not take out travel insurance. Buying cover is something you pay and hope you never have to use! However, things like medical cover is super important! We have included a link below to Safety Wing, a travel insurance company that we use. We find it is very reasonably priced, and geared travelers like us, especially those doing extended periods of travel. In particularly, Ky loves it as they have policies that cover gear like camera and drones when on the road.
You won’t see everything!
6 months seems like such a long time.. and it is! You will see more than you could ever imagine, and experience some incredible life highlights. However, many people think you will see the world in 6 months, and while you can traverse many continents, 6 months goes a lot faster than you think. We recommend you accept early that you won’t be able to fit everything in. During our 6 month Europe trip, we had the expectation to see ‘all of Europe’, however after a lot of planning, and re-assessing after a 6 weeks of travel, we decided to slow down, enjoy our stops a little more, and forego the unrealistic expectations of ‘seeing everything’.
We recommend research and planning to help you decided what your ‘must see’ locations are, and how much time to spend in these locations. We have put together a guide below which has some incredible Europe itineraries, hidden gems, weekend getaways and much more!
Passport & Visas:
This is one of our top recommendations to others when considering long periods of travel. The Schengen zone will often allow many western travellers to spend time in Europe, but for 6 months, you need to consider non-Schengen countries, and consider alternative visa or permit arrangements.
Passport! Don’t get caught out.. check this as it is a MUST DO! You need to have at least 6 months on your passport from the date you plan to RETURN home! Don’t get caught out here!
Check your visa requirements: Yes.. many of the countries are covered by schengen visa’s, however some are not, and not everyone is covered. A quick google search often provides clarity here.
- Key Schengen zone info/links to consider:
– EuropeTravelInfo.com: https://europetravelinfo.com/schengen-zone-europe-rules-tips-links/
– SmartTraveller.gov.au: https://www.smartraveller.gov.au/before-you-go/the-basics/schengen
– Nomadic Matt: https://www.nomadicmatt.com/travel-blogs/how-to-legally-stay-in-europe-for-more-than-90-days/ - Consider a specific visa to a singular country (we did this for Netherlands), get a work or study visas, nomadic visas, or visa exceptions and more.
- Non-Schengen countries: Albania, Armenia, Belarus, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Georgia, Ireland, Kosovo, Moldova, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Romania, Serbia, United Kingdom.
– We highly recommend Albania (especially the Riviera), Bosnia, Bulgaria, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Romania and the UK. We also can’t wait to visit Serbia, Georgia and Ireland.
Seek out hidden gems and step off the beaten track:
This recommendation comes from lived experience! Some of our favourite travel memories come from visiting the ‘random’ little town we didn’t know much about, or spending a week along a strip of coastline that social media hasn’t conquered yet. When you travel for 6 months, you have a greater luxury to visit these less explored destinations and to step off the beaten path a little with day trips/tours etc. We urge you to seek out these hidden gems, ask the locals, read the travel blogs and do that day trip to the hidden beach!
Want to know more? See our detailed travel guides below
Travel destination guides..
- See some of the ‘best of’ awards from our travels in Europe with this guide!
- How expensive are the cities you want to visit? Take a look at our thoughts on the most expensive cities in Europe.
- Are the cities you want to visit overrated? Are they overrun with tourists, especially in peak season? See our thoughts here!
- See our picks for the alternative Europe destinations you should consider!
- Have a read of some things you might not expect when travelling Europe!
- See the places in Europe that we would return back to!
- Take a look at our top 6 ‘big cities’ in Europe that we loved!
- See 16 of our favourite small towns around the world!
- Are you a coffee lover? See our list of the BEST Coffee’s in Europe!
- See our Favourite beaches in Europe!
- Check our some of our top day trip locations in Europe!
- Can you drink the tap water in Europe? See our recommendations here!
- Beware of the busiest cities in Europe. Take a look here.
- Proposing in Europe? See some top proposal locations here!
- Trying to save money? See some of the cheapest destinations in Europe!
Europe Itineraries:
- 1 week Europe itineraries: see here!
- 1 month Europe itineraries – take a look!
- 3 month Europe itineraties: see our guide!
- 6 month Europe itinerary? See what we did!
Plan and prepare!
- See our tips on how to save money when travelling full time!
- Download some travel apps to make your life a whole lot easier! See our top picks here!
- Where to stay? See some of our top accommodation picks in Europe here! Research further with these incredible unique accommodation stays to fuel your travel inspiration.
- Travel days suck! See our top travel day tips and advice here!
- How to navigate travel destinations ‘off the tourist path’! Key tips and considerations here!
- See our thoughts on how to maximise a short stay or quick visit to a city!
A bit of perspective?
- Travel can have a big impact on us as people! Have a read about how travelling for 6 months influenced and changed our lives!
- Thinking of travelling and taking a career break? See Ky’s insightful thoughts on the topic here!
- Stay in shape on holidays can be tough. See our thoughts on how to stay in shape on holidays!
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