Long-term travel requires a lot of planning and organization. So, if you picked your date, saved some money, and are getting closer to the departure date – what’s left? We shared the items on our 3-6 month checklist to prep for long-term travel, and now we are moving on to what you should accomplish in the final few months before taking off.
10 Steps to Prep for Long-Term Travel With Less than 3 months to Go
1. Set up PO Box
We got a PO Box for our travels. One parent has the key, and she checks it for us every other week or so. We learned afterward that you still need a permanent address for one of our credit cards, so one of our parents stepped in to help. Figuring out some sort of address is important so you can update the post office and all of the places that might possibly mail you anything. We made a list of every financial institution and utility company, went online, ensured we were only receiving paperless billing, and then updated our address.
With the USPS, you can also opt into informed delivery and get a picture of each envelope that is being put in your mailbox. This can help you alert whoever you have checking your mail if you need something. Schedule your address change and update all the necessary profiles online to have your new address. This is one of the most boring, but important pieces of prep for long-term travel.
2. Figure Out Insurance
Get insurance. We used World Nomads, which was easy and recommended by lots of people. Insurance is tricky if you are spending time in the United States, but we were shocked by the affordability of the plans if we were remaining outside of the country. Make sure to read the fine print for coverage and check your credit card options as well for booking.
3. Inform Family & Friends
We told our family and closest friends during this time frame. We wanted to make sure we had somewhat of a plan and that we had done our research. The holiday season didn’t seem like the right time, so we waited for that to pass. Plus, we were able to answer any questions and give them some time to come up with some more.
4. Assess Financial Information
We talked more about credit cards in the last prep for long-term travel posts, but it’s essential to think about your bank accounts, too.
Make sure that your bank allows international transactions. We did a lot of research on which bank is best, and Charles Schwab won in every category. We can take out money at any ATM and get reimbursed for the ATM fees, which has saved us tons of money. Cash is required in so many places we visit.
If you decide to go with Charles Schwab, use this link to get $100 when you open your account.
In addition to banks, make sure you have your credit cards. Having at least one is advised. American Express is not taken everywhere, so we always make sure to have a Visa as well. Maximize your rewards and minimize your fees. Make your money work for you and use the points.
5. Plan the Pack
If you think you have figured out what you’re bringing, do a practice pack. It is the only way to find out if you need to reassess what you’re bringing. We were sure about the luggage we were bringing until our practice pack. Because we switched climates on our trip, we ended up having to bring one large suitcase. I’m glad we had the extra time to pack, unpack, and repack.
Check out a post about our rules for packing clothes and what exactly we packed.
6. Buy Your Ticket
We clicked purchase exactly three months before our departure date. We used some of our Skymiles to book our one-way tickets to New Zealand and only had to pay $26 for the fees. Booking far enough in advance lets you have a firm date, time, and destination.
7. Check on Visas & Other Country Info
It is a good idea to lay out your rough outline and research visa requirements for those countries. For example, Cambodia, Laos & Vietnam ask for US dollars to pay for their Visas, so we made sure to bring cash with us to pay for those and set it aside. You can find ATMs in those countries that will give you dollars, but it’s so much easier to have them when you arrive. For US citizens, the State Department website has a ton of information.
8. Throw a House Cooling Party
This was one of my favorite days in the month before we left. We invited our friends and family over on a Saturday to walk through our house and take anything they wanted asking only for some cash in return. We didn’t put price tags on anything – we just figured that it was better that these items went to someone that used them and loved them. Plus, it was a great way to make some extra cash before we left. It was so fun to hang out with all of our favorite people while crossing things off our bucket list.
Once we knew what our people wanted, we started listing the rest on Craigslist and Facebook Marketplace. We had no problem getting rid of everything before we left. Watching things leave little by little was kind of sad, but also helped build the excitement. Even if you are storing your items, it’s a good idea to go through things and purge anything you know you won’t need. Storage can be the easy button sometimes, but things should be used and loved if possible.
9. Double Check Everything
Did you complete the vaccines? Some need a second appointment, so ensure you have completed everything. You still have time to get passport pages added, an international driver’s license ordered, and anything else that you may have overlooked. You don’t want to wait until those last few precious days. Review that original checklist you made and spend some time looking through all the items to make sure you feel confident everything is completed.
10. Love Your Home
We found ourselves being super nostalgic during this time. Enjoying the Minneapolis neighborhood we had called home for 18 months was important for us. We enjoyed slow cups of coffee on our couch, the great morning light in our living room, and much more. Enjoy the current moment because you will miss those little things in the future and it’s good to relish while you can.
Final Thoughts on Prepping For Your Long-Term Travel
This process was so fun for us. We crossed things off our list and celebrated every time. Enjoy the process, and let us know if you have any questions. We are so happy to help and share any of our experiences. Plus, we are cheering you on because this opportunity is rare and it’s life changing.
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