Money Matters

So, you've decided to go travelling... Best, decision, ever! You’ll soon be heading off on the adventure of a lifetime!

 

First though, you’ll need to sort out your travel budget. Whatever you decide to do, you'll need to put money aside to save for those all-important flights, visas and travel insurance – as well as your meals and activities while you’re out there!

 

To help you sort out your budget and spending, we’ve put together some top tips to help you fund your travels!

 

Planning your Budget

The amount of money you'll need will completely depend on where you want to go and how long you want to stay there for. On most of our Real Gap Experience trips, accommodation and internal travel during the trip is included (as are some meals), so you won't have to budget for as much whilst you're there - but if you want to travel independently afterwards, you can research the cost of living in your chosen destination on this website:  www.numbeo.com/cost-of-living/

 

Paying for your Trip

When you book your trip with us, you can either pay for it in full, or pay a deposit and choose one of our payment plans. These payment plans help make travelling more affordable, as you can pay in instalments rather than in one lump sum. Find out more about our payment plans here.

 

Flights

One major travel expense will be your flights. You should aim to book these as early as you can to get the best rates possible. Contact our flights team for a great flight quote.

 

Visas and Travel Insurance

For some countries, you will need to pay for a Visa and this should be factored into your budget. Visa information can be found via our Travel Store. You will also need adequate travel insurance to cover you while you are away. Check out our excellent backpacker insurance policy for prices.

 

Saving Money

Saving money for your travels can seem daunting, but if you’re practical and organised you can save enough money fairly quickly. Here are some top tips for saving travel money:

 

• Make a budget. Note down your monthly income and expenses and then work out where you could make cut backs. Do you need to go out for dinner three times a week? You can probably go a few months without any new clothes too (they'll be much cheaper to buy when you're away anyway!). It might seem small but it's surprising how quickly lots of little cut backs will add up.

 

• Set up a savings account. If you haven't got one already, it's a good idea to open a savings account to keep your travel funds separate from your every day bank account - that way you'll be less likely to 'accidentally' spend it! 

 

• Sell your old stuff. These days it's possible to sell pretty much anything online, so clear out that DVD collection, make space in your wardrobe for your new travel gear and remember those unwanted Christmas presents? Yep that's right - you can sell those too!

 

• Get yourself some additional income. If you've got the time, you might want to consider getting a part time or evening job and putting that income straight into your travel pot. If you're after something a bit more ad hoc then babysitting, dog walking and event work are also good options. 

 

• Birthdays and Christmas. Tell your family about your travel plans, and ask for some travel money instead of the usual Christmas socks. Birthdays and Christmas are a great chance to top up your travel fund.

 

Working Abroad

A great way to fund your travels is to work while you’re out there! We have working holiday packages in Australia, New Zealand, and Canada, and paid teaching opportunities in Thailand and China. Or you could become an Au Pair in the USA! See all of our paid work opportunities here. If you decide to set up an overseas bank account, using an international money transfer service service like Transferwise is a great way to avoid hidden charges when transferring your funds across from your UK account.

 

Using Money Abroad

Once you’ve saved up and booked your flights etc., you now need to think about how you’ll use your money abroad. Using your bank card abroad can incur charges, while carrying large amounts of cash is a little risky. We recommend using a pre-paid travel card, which you can top up as you go. Order a pre-paid travel card through our Travel Store.