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Gap Year Round the World

Gap year questions.

13 years ago, July 26th 2010 No: 1 Msg: #116533 Delete Edit

ParkerD
Parker Lamb

N Posts: 2

(I posted this in the General Travel forum, and it got no responses, so I figured it'd be best to post it in here.)

Hi everyone!
I don't exactly know where to begin with all I have to say and ask.. I'm currently 18 years old, and finishing up my last year of high school at home through independent study in an online school. I'm interested in taking a gap year next year (Aug 2011-May 2012) to travel through Europe.

My ideal itinerary would be, one month in London, two months in Zurich, two months in Moscow, two months in Helsinki, and two months in Berlin. I've done some reading and have found that a round the world ticket is a good way to go, yes?

A few (of the many) things that I and wondering about is;

Age. I'll be 19 years old during the time I would like to travel through Europe. Would I be limited in what I would be allowed to do due to my age, such as staying at a hostel?

Visas. One place I'd like to go is Russia, and due to the laws there, I'd have to acquire a tourist visa. The only thing is, the tourist visa is only valid for a month, and it can't be extended while in Russia. I'd like to stay for two months, but will I simply have to deal with it and stay for one?

Money. I know that it's near impossible to put an exact price on 9 months of travel, but I've read that 10,000 dollars should be enough. That sounds pretty reasonable, and obtainable, but is that really about all I would need?

I would greatly appreciate any advice and tips from anyone who's traveled for an extended amount of time.. Thanks! Reply to this

13 years ago, July 28th 2010 No: 2 Msg: #116601 Delete Edit

Dominick P
Dominick Powell

N Posts: 58

Ok Parker, I think your post is a little rough and maybe difficult to respond to but I hope I can help you out a little.

First off your itinerary is not going around the world, its just Europe so no a RTW ticket is not going to be the best option. It almost never is, even if you are going around the world. Typically cheaper to buy one way tickets between major regions, the only exception would be if you are taking tons of short flights within regions as well, but I dont recommend this kind of travel. Buses, boats and trains allow you to see everything in between.

No being 19 will not stop you from staying in hostels. The only thing you cant do is drink in a bar in the US.

As to the Russian visa question you will have to consult the embassy website and see what the requirements and limitations are for someone from your country, which you have not identified.

Ten grand might get you two or three months in the places you are talking about going to - London, Zurich, Moscow and Helsinki are some of the most expensive places on earth. Ten grand will be barely enough to spend 9 months in SE Asia, East Africa or Central America, including airfare. You should really consider what you want to experience on your travels - what do you plan on doing in Zurich for 2 months? I have a hard time spending more than a week in any major city - after you see the main sights and museums there usually isnt that much to do.

It sounds like you have some time to continue your research before you go, I would recommend going to your local bookstore and thumbing through some Lonely Planet guidebooks, the first chapter in each one will give you an overview of what there is to do and how much it costs in each region. Planning is half the fun! Good luck -

Dominick

Reply to this

13 years ago, July 29th 2010 No: 3 Msg: #116702 Delete Edit

herewego
Jian and Aaron

B Posts: 80

hey there Parker, I pretty much agree with what was said by Dominick above, so I won't repeat anything. However it does seem that you want to spend an extended amount of time in just the one city, rather than travel all over the world in a hurried fashion. And there is nothing wrong with this. Sure, you might see all the main sights and museums in a week, but if you intend to live in these cities for months at a time, your experiences of these cities would be very different to one who is just flitting about from place to place. I think you have some great cities in mind and it would be a most awesome experience to really get to know the secrets of all of those cities on your gap year off.

I think that you're better off renting an apartment for the amount of time you want to spend in each city, it will be cheaper than renting a hostel, plus you can make your own meals and have your own space. Or alternatively stay in a hostel for the first week, and then look for advertisements that are asking for short-term share-house renters - areas where university students normally reside in are rife with these opportunities as students are constantly moving in and out. Reply to this