I made a nice list for you guys about the most important things you need to prepare and figure about before you leave for a world trip. 

Get your documents in order

Check the validity date on your passport

There are so many people who book their ticket months ahead and realise on departure day that their passport is almost expiring or is not even in their house. Your passport should have at least six months validity otherwise you can’t fly. Yes, they do check. And no, you really can’t fly. So make sure you check your passport weeks before your flight. And finally, If you traveled a lot before, double check if you have enough empty pages for your stamps!

Book your flight to make your world trip official

Figure out where you want to start and start looking for flight’s months ahead. It can save you a lot of money. Try to not plan too much ahead since you will probably meet lots of people who will give you new tips or who become people that you want to travel with. Same goes for booking your accommodations. Also make sure you have an outbound flight or bus ticket to another country. Most of the time they will ask for it when you check in. if you don’t have an outbound ticket, they will ask you to book one right on the spot. So again, make sure you already figured this out before you leave.

Check if you need to get a visa for entering your first country.

Try to do this at least 3 months ahead. There are some countries where the registration of your application will take a while. You can read more about visa’s later in the blog.

Apply for an international driver’s license or double check the expiration date for your normal driver’s license.

This license may be required depending on the country where you are going. Sometimes your national driver’s license is enough, but make sure you double check before your trip.

Make sure you bring at least two cards. Credit and debit.

Or in my case, bring as many as you can. Anything can happen to your card, for example you get robbed or you simply forget your card in an ATM or bus. Additionally, some ATMs won’t accept debits or even some credit cards. This happened to me in some country, so it’s good to have more options. If you don’t have a credit card yet, it’s good to apply for one. N29 and Revolut are good credit cards for travelers. You can withdraw cash abroad without extra charges or hidden fees.

Sabbatical or resigning from work if you don’t work online 

Before leaving for my first world trip I had no idea that unpaid leave or a sabbatical even existed. What a treat when the company I worked at approved my sabbatical for a year. 

Choosing a sabbatical instead of quitting my job felt like a piece of security the first time I went on a world trip, just like subletting my studio. I had a job and a home to come back to. Which was ideal since the world lost it’s shit during my world trip.

That’s why I definitely recommend unpaid leave when it’s an option at the company that you work and if you need the security to come back to your old job. If you didn’t know about unpaid leave, do your research and ask your company if this is an option for you. Most of the time they can make something work, even if it’s only for a few months.

However, If you don’t want to be stuck to your 9-5 job anymore or just need a complete change in your life, I suggest to just quit your job and figure the working part out later. At the end of the day it’s all about the freedom we are looking for in life.

Selling or subletting your apartment

This choice really varies from person to person. The first time I sublet my studio, was because I wanted the security to come back to a place when I wanted or needed to (for instance, COVID). The second time when I left for the world I made the decision to leave The Netherlands and just go with the flow. Since I don’t know when I will be back or if I even want to go back to The Netherlands. Everything turned out to be perfectly timed, because I had to leave my studio 2 months before my departure.

Both decisions felt good at both times. You just have to figure out if you want to leave your country long- or short term.

Pro’s of subletting is that you can come back home whenever and maybe make some extra money off of it. 

Con’s of subletting is that you still have to deal with people who are living in your house. This can be about paying the rent on time or making sure that they won’t mess up your home with parties or whatever.

Pro’s of selling or giving up your rent is that you have all the freedom in the world to roam around and not have to deal with people who live in your house.

Con’s of selling or giving up your rent is that you probably can’t find a new apartment immediately when you go back to your country.

If you sell your apartment or give up your rent, find a place to store your belongings that you didn’t want to sell. This can be with family or friends or you can rent out a storage box.

Travel insurance

When looking for a good travel insurance look for a good plan with sufficient coverage. There are a few international travel insurances that are good for digital nomads or if you want to travel for a longer period of time. 

Allianz Travel

Allianz travel offers 10 different plans that cover travel and medical expensive. This includes COVID, but also an epidemic coverage. Allianz is available 24/7 and has a TravelSmart app that you can easily use for trip planning, safety updates or doing your claims.

Starting at 23 dollars per month depending on the coverage that you choose. You can get a travel insurance quote on the website.

SafetyWing

SafetyWing is a travel and medical incident insurance for digital nomads. You can buy your plan for SafetyWing even is your trip already started.

The nomad insurance starts at 42 dollars per month depending on the coverage you choose.

World Nomads

World Nomads is a flexible insurance for travelers that you can even buy while traveling. They offer 24/7 emergency assistance and make sure your trip is fully covered. This includes 200+ activities and COVID. A big plus is that they donate to local communities.

You can get a travel insurance quote on the website.

IMG Global

With IMG Global you can choose a travel insurance plan that fits your trip. It’s ideal if you are going to travel for a longer period, international business travels, if you study abroad, but also if you go on a cruise or safari or any other tour. IMG covers your health as well as your expensive. This includes COVID.

3 dollars a day for an average plan depending on the coverage that you choose. You can get a travel insurance quote on the website.

Compare national and international travel insurances to see which one fits your trip better. 

Cancel (unnecessary) subscriptions

We seem to have a lot of subscriptions that we actually don’t need. Don’t forget to cancel subscriptions such as the gym, cinema, unnecessary insurance, internet etc when you leave for a long-term trip. There are some things that you can keep, like Spotify and Netflix. However, we also need a bit of relaxation occasionally. For example, some good music in our ears when we need to travel in between cities or countries.

Just make sure that the subscriptions that you decide to keep, are the subscriptions that you almost use on a daily base. Even while traveling. Otherwise, it will be a waste of money.

Another important one is a SIM card. If you can’t get an international plan for your phone, I also suggest cancelling your SIM card. Me on the other hand choose to keep a simple plan even though I can’t use my data internationally. I made this decision in case of emergency, so that I can make a call if something happens.

It happened to me twice that I didn’t have any data or a new SIM card and was lost at night, because the taxi driver couldn’t find the address of the Airbnb. This can be scary, especially when you arrive in a new country and don’t know the language.

Vaccinations

Make sure you sort out your vaccinations on time. Vaccinations such as hepatitis A, B and rabies should be repeated twice or even three times. Check in advance with your health insurance if they reimburse these costs, because the costs can be very high. 

Most countries require no vaccination or only a few. The vaccinations that are required in a lot of countries are:

• DTP
• Hepatitis A
• Yellow fever
• Covid

The vaccinations that are recommended most of the time are:

• Rabies
• Hepatitis B

I recommend to just get all of them when you are going on a world trip. A lot of people don’t get the rabies vaccine, because it’s too expensive but also because you need a few weeks in between the first and the second dose. That’s why I recommend starting early with getting your shots. 

Some people accidentally get bit by stray dogs or monkeys. Which can be a problem when you don’t have your rabies shot. For example, a person who is exposed and has never been vaccinated against rabies should get 4 doses of rabies vaccine. The person should also get another shot called Rabies Immune Globulin (RIG).

A person who has been previously vaccinated should get 2 doses of rabies vaccine and does not need RIG. If a person does not receive medical care after an exposure, rabies can almost always fatal. All of the above is a good reason to get the vaccine. Never cheap out on your health.

Visa/ESTA applications

Start looking into visa’s at least 3 months ahead. Most countries will give you a stamp at arrival, but for some countries you need to apply for a visa. This can take some time. So make sure you plan this at least 3 months ahead.It varies per passport and country if you need or don’t need a visa to enter a country. But most of the time the rules apply for the majority.

Important items & liquids to bring on a world trip

- Backpack/suitcase 
- Flightbag + locks
- Rain cover
- Soundproof earplugs
- Travel sheet/pillow cover
- Packing cubes
- Laundry bag
- Debitcard (1 extra)
- Creditcard (mastercard + visa)
- Health card / travel insurance 
(copy or photo on phone)
- Tickets / reservations 
(copy or photo on phone)
- Passport 
(copy or photo on phone)
- Emergency numbers
 (embassies, travel insurance)
- Driver's license

- Shampoo (bar)
- Conditioner (bar)
- Soap (bar)/shower gel
- Hair stuff 
- Toothpaste
- Sunscreen/aftersun with spf
- Day cream with spf
- Skin oil or body lotion
- Deodorant
- Make-up
- Lip balm
- Lenses + liquid
- Perfume / bodyspray
- Vaseline
- Repellent

Toiletries & medical supplies to bring on a world trip

- Malaria pills
- Altitude sickness pills
- Betadine
- Mosquito spray
- After bite stick
- Tiger balm (trust me)
- Tea tree oil (trust me)
- Paracetamol/ibuprofen
- Diarrhea pills
- Motion sickness pills 
- Condoms
- Birth control

- Nail clippers
- Tweezers
- Hairbrush/comb
- Tampons
- Bandages 
- Washable cotton pads
- Cotton sticks
- First aid kit (mini)
 

Electronics & clothes

- T-shirts
- Tops
- Sweater/hoodie/fleece 
- Long sleeve shirt
- Shorts
- Leggings
- Long trousers
- Dresses/skirts
- Socks (thick and thin / high and low
- Underwear
- Slippers/sandals
- Sneakers
- Hiking shoes
- Raincoat (wind jacket)
- Swimwear
- Hammam towel (light and thin)
- Cap/hat
- Thermo clothing (when visiting a continent with cold parts)
- Pyjama’s (if you sleep in a dorm and can’t walk around naked)

- Phone
- Camera(s) (with extra memory cards)
- Drone
- Tablet/laptop
- E-reader
- World plug
- Powerbank
- AirPods/headphone
- Tripod/selfiestick
- All your chargers

Extra (in your daypack)

- Hand sanitiser 
- Pocket knife
- Head lamp
- Mini toilet articles
- Travel cutlery set 
- Reusable straw 
- Travel sewing kit
- Pen
- Journal