Gap year options

The number of gap year options available to travellers these days can almost seem a bit overwhelming when you're deciding what to do on your gap year. A good starting point for narrowing down and deciding on your gap year options is to read our Gap Year Advice page. This section contains all kinds of useful advice and information and it is well worth spending some time reading up on the various sections.

The main gap year options you need to decide on first are where exactly you are going to travel to. Deciding on these initial gap year options is easy if you have always dreamed of visiting a particular place or area. However if the only thing you are certain about is that you want to travel then deciding on gap year options, when there are so many gap year destinations to choose from can be a daunting prospect.

The best way to start making decisions on your gap year options is to ask yourself important questions as to what you want out of your gap year travels. For example, how long do you want to go away for? Do you want to travel more off the beaten track, or along popular backpacker routes where you're likely to meet other travellers? Are beaches and relaxation the main priority, or do you want to pack in plenty of sight-seeing and as much activity as possible? Once you start firing these types of questions at yourself you will get a clearer of idea of what key factors you need to prioritise when you are looking at all of the various gap year options available to you. It then all boils down to doing your research again by reading up on various countries and areas so that you can decide which places most tie in and match with the gap year options you have highlighted as being most important to you.

One important factor you may need to bear in mind when you're deciding on your gap year options is the cost of living and day-to-day expenses in different countries. If you're travelling on a low budget your savings will - as a general rule - tend to last much longer in ‘Third World' destinations, and you need to think about these types of practical considerations when you're narrowing down your gap year options. It's possible to work overseas in some countries as long as you apply for a working holiday visa before you arrive. This gap year option is an excellent way to supplement your savings in some of the more westernised countries such as Australia, Canada and New Zealand.

If your gap year options involve travelling to several different countries it's probably worth considering buying a round the world ticket. Round the world tickets are an excellent gap year option because they allow you to visit a large number of countries at a price that is usually extremely reasonable. For example a basic round the world ticket is often not much more expensive than the cost of a standard return flight to Australia. There are all kinds of gap year options and routes possible with a round the world ticket, Real Gap have plenty of round the world gap year options to inspire you.

Once you have narrowed down where you're going in terms of your gap year options the next thing to decide is what you're going to do. As mentioned above, many gap year travellers decide to make their gap year money stretch further by working abroad on their year out. There are all kinds of gap year options available for anyone wanting to earn some money overseas. Real Gap has working holiday gap year options in Australia, Canada, China, Japan, New Zealand and the USA. Aside from the obvious benefit of earning money, choosing to work abroad as a gap year option also has other advantages. For example, working abroad is an excellent way to meet people - both other travellers and, perhaps more importantly, local people - and you get to know a country far better when you are living and working in it.

If you are travelling alone, there are plenty of gap year options available that involve travelling to a particular country as part of an organised programme where you are guaranteed to meet other travellers. For example Real Gap's Trans-Siberian Railway programmes in Russia, Mongolia and China are an excellent gap year option. With these gap year options you are guaranteed to travel with other backpackers.

An increasingly popular gap year option is to get involved with a rewarding volunteer project while you are away. These gap year options can either be for an entire year or, if you prefer, for a much shorter period. For example, a gap year option you could consider is working as a volunteer on one of your stopovers on a round the world itinerary. There are gap year options for volunteering abroad available all over the world and you can choose to work on a particular cause that means the most to you - from working with impoverished communities to helping to conserve the environment or wildlife.

Back to the Gap Year Questions Page