Long-term travel allows for deeper immersion in local culture and the opportunity to visit multiple locations within a single trip. However, it has its challenges, such as limiting baggage, managing your home while away and inter-city transport. You have come to the best website to help you plan for and meet the challenges of long-term travel. If you desire to become a fully engaged longer-term traveler and avoid being viewed as a non-engaged tourist, please read on. We will help you overcome the challenges of limiting your baggage and finding the best ways to travel between multiple locations.

Why Long-Term Travel is More Rewarding

We have taken many one-week vacations, often on a cruise or beach vacation on a remote island.  While these were delightful short vacations, we never returned feeling immersed in the local culture.  Short, one-week cruises provided the least opportunity to engage with the local community.  Arriving by cruise ship in the morning and leaving in the afternoon provides a good overview of a port location, but it is hardly a way to truly appreciate a foreign country. 

We never entirely understood this until we compared our visit to Croatia in 2022 via cruise ship to our three-week-long land-based trip in 2024.  In 2022, we visited the two main Croatian ports, Dubrovnik and Splitt, spending about six hours in each port city.  It was a great introduction to these two cities, but we didn’t learn much about the people or culture of Croatia. During our three-week 2024 DIY TRAVEL® tour, we not only spent some serious time in each of the two popular cities, but we also visited two of the Dalmatian Islands off the coast (Hvar and Korcula), visited the inland Capital of Zagreb, the famous Plitvice Lakes Falls, and the Coastal cities of Rovinj and Zadar.   We had dinner with the owner at the Antemurale BnB in Plitvice Lakes and watched the Croatian Football team with him play in the 2024 European Championship.  Not a bad way to get to know the locals.

Not only did we appreciate the Croatian people, but because we traveled to Albania, Kosovo, and Bosnia Herzegovina before we visited Croatia, we could also compare and understand the cultural differences between the different countries. This contributed to a much better understanding of the Balkan Wars of the 1990s and why there are still issues today. 

Immerse Yourself in Local Culture

Long-term travel while staying in one location can be a rewarding experience, blending the best of both travel and stability. Here are some key benefits:

In-depth Cultural Immersion

• Local Lifestyle: You can live like a local, understanding the daily rhythms and customs.
• Language Learning: Immersing yourself in the language spoken there can lead to greater fluency.
• New Traditions: You can participate in local events and traditions, gaining richer cultural experience.

Personal Growth

• Adaptability: Staying in a new place for an extended period helps you develop flexibility and adaptability.
• Self-Discovery: Away from your usual environment, you might discover new interests and facets of your personality.
• Global Perspective: Experiencing life from a different cultural standpoint broadens your worldview.

Economic Advantages

• Cost Efficiency: Long-term rentals or accommodation often offer better rates than short-term stays.
• Local Discounts: You may find deals and discounts typically available to residents.
• Reduced Transportation Costs: Staying in one place reduces the need for frequent travel expenses.

Deeper Connections

• Forming Friendships: You have the time to build meaningful relationships with locals and other travelers.
• Community Involvement: Engaging in community activities can create a sense of belonging and purpose.
• Networking: Building a network in a new place can open personal and professional opportunities.

Professional and Creative Benefits

• Remote Work Opportunities: Many remote jobs allow you to work from anywhere, enabling a long-term stay abroad.
• Focus on Projects: Staying in one place can provide the stability needed to focus on personal or professional projects.
• Inspirational Environment: A new setting can spark creativity and innovation.

Health and Well-being

• Routine Establishment: You can set up a healthy daily routine, including exercise and diet.
• Reduced Stress: Longer stays mean less frequent packing, moving, and adjusting, leading to lower stress levels.
• Familiarity with Healthcare: You’ll learn about the local healthcare system and services available.

Long-term travel with extended stays can provide a balanced approach to exploring the world while enjoying the benefits of stability and more profound cultural connections. Is there a specific place you’re considering for an extended stay?   If so, please check out our Destinations Post for information about our favorite places to travel. 

Challenges of Long-term Travel

We have faced several challenges when we undertake longer-term travel. The four challenges that we have confronted are:

1. limiting baggage, 
2. visiting multiple locations, 
3. planning efficient inter-city transport, and 
4. managing your home while away. 

Here are some suggestions regarding how best to address these challenges.

Limiting Baggage

The biggest challenge with longer-term travel is limiting the baggage you carry. Practical advice on packing light suggests choosing versatile clothing and utilizing packing cubes. Also, it is important to plan where you are visiting. If you plan on visiting multiple locations, select places with similar climates. Otherwise, you will find you are bringing winter and summer clothes on the same trip. 

A particular challenge is if you plan to take a train between multiple locations.  Unless you are built in a way that allows you to lift large suitcases on a small flight of stairs, train travel with large suitcases can be extremely challenging.  Not only is the issue getting the large bag up the stairs, but finding a place to store the bag on the train can also be a problem.  

While it may not always be possible, one great suggestion is to travel with only a carry-on suitcase. This can save money on luggage fees and avoid the hassle of checking bags. This alternative has gotten more challenging as security has greatly limited what you can carry on, but nevertheless, if possible, this alternative is highly recommended. 

Please visit our Travel Resources Post for more information about what to pack and to download free packing lists. 

Visiting Multiple Locations

Creating a cohesive itinerary is critical if you plan to visit multiple locations. We often travel, particularly in Europe, for months and across many countries.  Knowing that accommodation, transportation, including local transport, activities, and restaurants are all lined up in advance is critical. We also leave plenty of time to add new activities or walk around town. 

As previously mentioned, traveling by train or plane between different locations can present a challenge.  Even more challenging can be renting a car and traveling across country borders.  If you rent a car, make sure you are clear about taking it out of the country where you rented it.  Also, ensure you have the proper papers to present at a country crossing.  

Public transportation or alternative modes of travel, such as trains or buses, is the best way to save money and experience more of the local landscape. However, the quality of public transport can vary greatly depending on the locations you are traveling between.  On a recent trip from Zagreb in Croatia to Ljubljana in Slovenia, we took a train as there was no direct air service.  It was not a long trip, but we weren’t offered first-class accommodation. The second class was crowded; we were stuffed in a compartment with no air conditioning and four other non-friendly people.  Not at all, the way you want to visit a second city.  

Nevertheless, slow travel is the best way to travel between multiple cities.  Plan to spend numerous days in every town you decide to visit.  One or two nights in a city is usually not enough time to experience the culture and get to know the local people.  We try to spend at least three nights whenever possible.  It is the only way to get to know a place.

Managing Your Home While Away 

House care while away is a travel problem you may not have thought about. If you leave home as a traveler and not just on a short weeklong trip, “Who takes care of your house when you are away?” Depending on how long you are away, several issues must be addressed. 

Here are the three main issues you must address:

1. Mail Holds
2. Care for House Flowers and Pets
3. Care for Automobiles- Dead Batteries

Mail holds is the most prominent problem.  If you are traveling for thirty days or less, you can have the local post office hold the mail.  If you are traveling for a longer time, then it gets a little more complicated. Please check out our Home Care post for more information about all three home care challenges. 

Efficient Inter-City Transport

While renting a car may be the easiest way to travel within or between cities, it is usually not the most efficient way to travel on a longer-term basis.  When looking at your daily cost of travel, longer-term travel allows you to spread the cost of getting to an overseas, foreign location across many days, thus lowering your daily cost of travel.  However, inter- and intra-city travel costs can become burdensome if not correctly managed.  Renting a car and overnight parking can be outrageously expensive in major cities, such as New York, London, Paris, or Rome. There is no justification for renting a car in these cities.

We recommend you research local transit options and consider using public transport, bike renting, or walking when possible. While public transportation may appear unsafe or complicated in a city where English may not be the native language, it is often the most economical way of getting around. To avoid unsafe public transport, only choose this alternative at regular commuting daylight times. Even in cities where English is not well spoken, e.g., Tokyo, the transit systems are well-marked numerically and easily understood.  

However, if public transportation is not your cup of tea, consider ridesharing as a safe and less expensive alternative to private transportation and taxi services. In most cities, ridesharing is an excellent option for getting around town inexpensively. While ridesharing has gotten more expensive in many cities, especially when they invoke surge pricing, it is still, in most cases, an inexpensive alternative for local transportation. 

Finally, we highly recommend walking or renting a bike whenever possible. Walking is simply the best way to explore and learn about a neighborhood and get a feel for it. Also, even if you are not used to riding a bike, renting an e-bike is feasible and inexpensive for local transportation.  Walking and riding a bike can be fun and a great way to experience a new city.