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Going on a long trip - how to do it!

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How do you go on a long journey? We've taken a year's time out from working life and set off on a long trip with the campervan around Europe. "Wow, we'd like to do that too", some people write. "But how do you do it?" We do our best to answer that question here.

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Plan your long journey well in advance

If you want to take a long trip, you need to start planning well in advance. This is especially true if you're a little older and have made commitments in your life such as a house, job and children. We started planning our trip 7 years in advance.

In our life, it was appropriate to plan the trip when I finished my doctorate and when Peter's children were over 18 years old. Think about when the trip fits into your life and start long-term planning now!

Organising the economy

Since you are planning well in advance, there is plenty of time to plan your financial situation. In our experience, keeping expenses low is particularly important. In the period leading up to the trip, can you change your expensive accommodation to a cheaper one? Can you pay off debts at the same time? Review your insurance policies and see if you can get a lower price with another company. Sell things you don't need.

Make sure not to commit to any subscriptions with costs that extend beyond the time you plan to be away. Also make a plan to finance your trip! Do you have a house or apartment that you can rent out during your trip? How much can you put aside per month?

Solve the labour situation

If you have a job that can be done remotely, this can be a great solution. For most people, however, this is not the case. Think about whether you can take a leave of absence or put the business on hold, or whether you simply want to resign. Once you've talked to your bosses and set a date, planning becomes very concrete!

Planning for absences

In our experience, planning for being away from home was more complicated than planning for the trip itself. Are you going to rent out your flat or house? Can you pay bills in advance or receive them by email? Who will take care of your mail? Do you need to introduce other people to tasks that you had at your job? Be prepared for long planning and many phone calls!

Planning for the trip

This is perhaps the most fun part, but for us it was the part we barely had time for! We knew we would be travelling with the motorhome, but we barely had time to check the car or think about the route. However, there are some things you have to prepare for.

Make a budget and loosely calculate costs for travel, accommodation and food. Keep in mind that you may need a buffer in case something unforeseen happens. Your car might break down, someone might get sick, or you might have to fly home to Sweden during your trip...

Check what insurance is needed and make sure you have access to medical care in the countries you are travelling to in case of illness or injury. Check if you need any vaccinations, get prescription medication and visit your dentist.

Be prepared to live simply

Even if you plan your finances and make a budget, you will probably have a limited budget. Some things that we took for granted at home we have had to get used to. For example, we don't have a telephone subscription or a TV receiver, we very rarely eat in restaurants and sometimes have to make do with a lack of electricity, poor WiFi and insufficient heating.

Yet we think we are very lucky! The luxury of travelling is not to have plenty of money, but to be free from work, to spend your time as you please and to be free to travel wherever you want. So... If you really want to go on a long trip: Start planning!

Åka på långresa

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