What is the Perfect Amount of Time to Go Travelling For?

For any kind of journey, it’s worth thinking about the perfect amount of time that you should be travelling for; how long you want to travel for can largely depend on your personal preferences for being on the road, as well as what kind of holiday you have in mind.

Many people prefer squeezing a lot of important activities and sights into a long weekend, while others have the ambition to spend a year travelling around the world, or at least part of it. Some suggestions for time spent travelling can be found below:

A Weekend


While it may not seem like a long journey, it’s possible to pack a lot of travelling time into a single weekend via a city break; this might involve carefully planning a trip around London, whereby you can see multiple sights in a short amount of time. As long as you don’t mind being in a bit of a rush, or having very little sleep, you can make the most of this time to sample a large city - there’s also the chance of saving money by checking for last minute discounts on theatre tickets and restaurants.


A Week

The more sensible choice for most people for a short trip is about a week; in this context, you can see a destination at your own pace, while still being able to factor in travelling time. This can be the ideal approach to travelling through the UK, or for staying in one particular destination - you can see a lot of different sights without actually being rushed off your feet.

A Month

Going on a trip for a month can also be a good idea if you want to take the time to tour through a country, or cross through Europe or the United States. Inter Rail train tickets can be bought that allow you to move between countries on select days, and can allow you to see multiple destinations. A month spent somewhere like the United States is also recommended if you want to cover a large amount of ground without spending a lot of money.

Six Months

For some people, six months travelling is an ideal approach if you’re taking a gap year, and want to spend six months of the rest of the year working to raise your funds. You can opt to visit multiple places, or cross through Australia or China, allowing yourself to be immersed in a new culture; travelling for six months can be tough if you are planning multiple stops, so consider spending at least a week in different places.

A Year 

A whole year on the road is a daunting prospect for some people, but can be made less tiring through careful planning and budgeting; make sure you have realistic expectations about how much you can cover - you can make a round the world trip in a year that can tick off key countries and continents, but can still be a bit rushed if you want to cross between individual countries in a continent. Consider limiting the number of smaller countries you visit, and prepare to either save money by using cheap public transport and hostels, or face a large bill at the end of your trip.

Other Factors to Consider

Longer travelling periods can be great, but need to be weighed up against your funds, as well as the time you spend away from work. Moreover, are you happy travelling alone, or with others? Can other people fit around your schedule, and will you have to sacrifice important family events at home to accommodate a long trip? As with any journey, it’s also important to know what to do if something goes wrong, and to pick the right travel insurance before you leave.

Author Bio: Liam Ohm writes about travel, from hotel gift vouchers to gap years. In his spare time he tries to visit as many countries as possible.

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