Gap year : Travel information

 

Itinerary

Gap year planners - have a look at the Prospects gap year planner to help you to sort out your itinerary. Other checklists can be found Gapadvice.

You need to note down:

• dates for each stage of your journey;
• flight numbers and train times;
• addresses of places where you will be staying, with phone numbers and dates;
• details of people to contact in each place;
• UK embassy contact details for each country you expect to visit.

Leave a copy of your itinerary with family and friends.

Safety

• The Know Before You Go Campaign (KBYG) is an ongoing campaign with around 300 travel industry partners to help Brits to stay safe and healthy abroad. Check the website for details.
• The Lonely Planet Travel Safe guide is available free from Go Gap Year.
• Check the travel guidelines available from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) for the countries you are visiting.
• Make a note of the contact details of the British Embassy in the countries you are visiting. The embassy will be able to help you if you get into difficulties abroad. Contact details for UK embassies worldwide are available from the FCO website.

Language skills

• Improving your language knowledge may be one of your reasons for travelling abroad. If you don’t know the language, consider learning the basics by going to an evening class or doing a teach yourself course.
• Take a good phrase book.

Health

• See your doctor at least six weeks before you travel and get the vaccinations you need.
• If you are on medication, be sure you take a supply with you, in factory-sealed packages. Check that it is legal to take your medication into your destination country and get a covering doctor’s letter if necessary.
• See your dentist for a check-up.
• If you wear glasses or contact lenses, take a spare pair, your prescription and enough supplies in case you cannot find the right solutions necessary abroad.
• European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) enables access to state provided healthcare in all EEA countries and Switzerland.  Read advice for travellers available from the Department of Health (DH). 
• For countries outside the EEA, check that your travel insurance includes health cover.

Passports

• Check your passport expiry date against what you need for your proposed journey. Some countries require that you have a passport valid for six months from the date of your arrival, others for three months or just for the duration of your stay. Find out the requirements from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) or the embassy of the country. If you need to renew your passport, make sure you allow enough time to do so. For information on passport renewal, go to Directgov - Passports.

Visa

• Check visa requirements with your travel agent or contact the country’s consulate or embassy. A list of foreign embassies in the UK is available from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO).

Travel and medical insurance

• Travel insurance - some insurance companies arrange special gap year cover. Research what various policies cover for the destinations you are travelling to, the activities you are planning and length of stay.
• Make sure you have comprehensive cover for medical and repatriation costs as well as any dangerous sports or activities.
• Take the necessary insurance documents with you, including emergency phone numbers.

Work permits

• If you intend to work outside the EU, obtain a valid work permit before you go. Go to country profiles for details of what you need, or visit the website of the country’s embassy.

Keeping in touch

• Internet: you can record your experiences and update friends and family using websites such as Keeping You Posted, or keeping a travel blog on Get Jealous. Social networking sites can be a really useful and time effective way of letting people know what you are doing. For details of internet cafes around the world, go to CyberCafes.
• Mobile phone: most networks are set up to allow making and receiving calls internationally. The cheapest way is to buy a local SIM card if you are staying in one country for a long period.   

What to take?

Generally speaking, the advice is not to take too much as you will have to carry everything you pack. Think about what you will be doing in your time away. Some suggestions:

• A large, good quality rucksack or holdall for your bulky items.
• A smaller bag as hand luggage to hold all your travel documents and valuables.
• Copies of all necessary paperwork, with spare copies in different bags.
• To guard against the possibility of theft or loss, make copies of your tickets, passport, insurance policy, emergency phone numbers, itinerary and next of kin contact details, as well as a written list of phone numbers in case you lose your mobile phone.
• Check comprehensive lists on the Gap-year.com: What to take  section, and Real Gap: What to pack for a gap year has suggested checklists for a variety of destination countries.

Malaria awareness

The importance of malaria awareness

Travellers need to know the facts... With travel to long haul destinations on the increase find out how you can reduce the risk of contracting malaria. Provided by GapYear.com .