ADD ADVICE TO FAVThe cost of a gap year abroad
The amount of money you spend on your time abroad depends very much upon the type of trip you intend to take and what you decide to do while you are away.
It is impossible to give an estimate of what you might spend, but in order to plan a travel budget, you need to be able to break the various types of costs down into categories.
Of course, if you are planning on working abroad, hopefully your costs will be more than covered. Rather than spending thousands, you return with them! If you don’t blow it all while you’re away, that is!
Here are the main areas of expense:
Pre-packing and equipment
The first thing is to get kitted out. If you intend to go backpacking, you may need all manner of equipment – a tent, sleeping bag, torch, first-aid kit, mosquito net, walking boots, the backpack itself… And never underestimate the cost of last-minute items, such as sun cream and allergy tablets.
Also, check with your doctor in plenty of time about any injections you may need to protect you from disease – these should be free with your GP, though things like malaria tablets may cost you a fair amount of money.
Accommodation
The amount spent on this can vary immensely depending on what kind of place you’re staying in (hotel, youth hostel, student accommodation), what country you are staying in and how long you are staying for.
As a rough guide, it is fair to say the average is £10 per night (as little as £3 for a night in a backpacker’s lodge in Zambia, or as much as £16 for a night in a dorm in a New York hostel). However, if you have a work placement, for instance working as an au pair, your board will of course be free.
Travel
If you are travelling out of the continent, flights often take up a large proportion of your budget and can cost anything up to £1,000 for a round-the-world ticket.
In addition to flights to and from your intended country, you will need to buy insurance and pay for travel within the country in which you are staying. This could be an InterRail ticket for travelling round Europe, a monthly bus pass or a hire car or camper van.
Food
Again, this is very hard to estimate. Take into account the cost of living in your country of choice, what the average cost of a meal might be, and multiply it by the length of your stay. Remember to allow for drink too, particularly for countries in which you can’t drink the water.
Activities
If you want to make the most of your trip abroad, you are bound to spend a chunk of your money on seeing the local sights, taking part in activities and socialising with people you meet along the way. If there are any particular activities that interest you, look them up beforehand to see how much, say, diving or skiing lessons would cost you and budget accordingly.
Insurance
It’s not only flight insurance you need to pay, but also general travel insurance. It is extremely important to have a full package, covering medical care and your belongings to cover you against any eventualities while you are away.
Be careful to check exactly what is covered, particularly if you are intending on taking part in any extreme activities such as bungee-jumping. You should be able to get all this in one package – just ask your travel agent.
Now that you have an idea of what you need to budget for, hopefully you have realised that going abroad can be affordable. If not, never fear – find out about funding to help make your dream trip achievable.
