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Email to a FriendGo It Alone?
In an ideal world, you would spin a globe, choose your country, plan your dream route, book your flights and get out there but, sadly, we know it's just not always that easy. There's enough information and advice available for anyone wanting to organise their trip from square one themselves, but sometimes you just that extra bit of help, particularly if you've never travelled before, even if it's just to help you sift through all your options, and that's where gap year companies come in.
Going it alone
If you do decide to go it alone, there are hundreds of websites and forums and chatrooms online with fellow travellers eager to share their experiences abroad. Luckily, the curse of a backpacker is that they cannot- and will not- stop talking about their adventures, becomes a blessing for the next generation of travellers! Talking with people who've been there, done that, is often a great start when planning your trip whether it be the cheapest hostels to stay in, which restaurant to avoid or which roads flood in the rainy season, it's all information you simply can't know until you get there.
Organising it yourself also means you can give yourself all the credit. It's a good option if there is a group of you travelling together since there are more of you to take different sections- for instance one to book the flights, one to sort accommodation, another to work out the best insurance. This way of working lightens the load and makes sure eveyone gets to help decide on how to make the trip unforgettable.
Using a Volunteering Company
With studying, jobs and the stresses of everyday life, the thought of then having to organise what is meant to be an amazingly relaxing and rejuvenating trip after years of study and work seems to drift away into the distance. Enter the gap year companies.
There are countless gap year organisations who love to do all that organising for you and make sure you get the best out of your gap year by arranging projects, travel and even a group of people for you to go with! With so many different projects out there, it makes sense to talk to the experts who can give you detailed information about the types of volunteer projects on offer to you, which countries you can volunteer, when the best time is to go and will provide added reassurance of a UK contact while you are away. They love the stresses and strains of planning transcontinental travel- so you don't have to!
True, the cost of some gap years can seem a lot, particularly organised trips but the benefit of these types of trips is that they often come with the added security, food and accommodation and most importantly a placement with a project. You can't just turn up at a small village and expect to be put to work- things do need organising. While it may be possible to arrange your own volunteer placement, gap year organisations have long-standing relationships with local communities and so will be aware of their specific needs and as such, what role you could play in helping them achieve their goals.