money
12 min read
The Complete Gap Year Budget Guide
How to work out exactly how much you need, where to save, and how to track spending on the road.
Read guide
Field guides
The Field Guides
Everything you need to plan, survive, and thrive on your gap year — organised by topic so you can find what you need fast.
Start here
The most important guides — read these first.
money12 min read
The Complete Gap Year Budget Guide
How to work out exactly how much you need, where to save, and how to track spending on the road.
Read guide
safety10 min read
Solo Travel Safety: The Honest Guide
Practical tips that actually work — from street smarts to digital security and emergency planning.
Read guide
planning11 min read
How to Plan Your Route Without Over-Planning
The art of building a flexible itinerary — structure enough to feel confident, loose enough to say yes.
Read guide
All guides
money
9 min read
Free and Cheap Accommodation Around the World
Hostels, Couchsurfing, Workaway, house-sitting — the full breakdown of how to sleep for less.
Read guide
safety
10 min read
Solo Travel Safety: The Honest Guide
Practical tips that actually work — from street smarts to digital security and emergency planning.
Read guide
safety
7 min read
Travel Insurance: What You Actually Need
Cut through the jargon and find a policy that covers what matters without overpaying.
Read guide
planning
11 min read
How to Plan Your Route Without Over-Planning
The art of building a flexible itinerary — structure enough to feel confident, loose enough to say yes.
Read guide
planning
8 min read
Visas Explained: A Country-by-Country Overview
Which countries need advance visas, which are visa-on-arrival, and where to start.
Read guide
planning
10 min read
The Golden Gap Year: Why Your Sixties Might Be the Best Time to Go
Gap year travel isn't just for the young. The Golden Gap Year is growing fast — and there's a compelling case that your sixties are actually the best decade to take the adventure of a lifetime.
Read guide
health
8 min read
Vaccinations and Health Prep Before You Go
Which jabs you need, when to get them, and how to set up a travel health kit.
Read guide
mindset
6 min read
Dealing with Homesickness on Your Gap Year
It hits everyone eventually. Here's how to handle it without cutting your trip short.
Read guide
planning
8 min read
Working Abroad: Volunteering, Teaching, and Earning on the Road
From working holiday visas in Australia and Japan to wildlife conservation in the Galápagos — your options for working and volunteering abroad.
Read guide
Downloads
Free downloads
Practical tools to get you organised before you go.
📁Download (.xlsx)
Budget Planner
A spreadsheet to track your pre-trip savings and on-the-road spending.
Free download
📁Download (.pdf)
Pre-Departure Checklist
Everything to sort before you leave — visas, insurance, vaccinations, and more.
Free download
📁Download (.pdf)
Packing List
Dr Mike's tried-and-tested packing list, refined over 20 years of travel.
Free download
Packing guide
What to pack
No packing list can ever be perfect. Everyone is different, with diverse needs. Every location or destination is different, with diverse requirements — but this list makes a good start.
If you plan to go somewhere temperate, cold, or at altitude, pack warmer clothes too.
Browse by topic
Jump straight to what you need.