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21 Expert must-read long term travel tips 

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Have you ever dreamed of traveling long term? Is a long vacation on your bucket list? Would you like to buy a one way ticket somewhere and experience the digital nomad lifestyle? Are you keen to take a sabbatical to travel?

Imagine traveling the world for months; Starting off on a beach in Croatia, then living in the countryside of Italy before moving to Spain for the summer and, when temperatures start to drop in Europe, fly to Southeast Asia for a few months. 

If a long trip is something you’ve always wanted to do or an idea that you are exploring, this article is a compilation of travel advice and tips from expert long term travelers who have been on the road for at least 3 months.

What is long term travel?

From a philosophical perspective, the duration does not matter as much as the journey one embarks on within oneself. 

Long term travel is less about checking things off your bucket list and more about being in the moment and appreciating places as well as cultures. Above all, traveling solo for a long time is about having time alone and getting to know yourself better.

And although digital nomads are the epitome of long term travel, in this list of tips, we will focus on traveling rather than working online.

This article will be less about online jobs that allow you to travel or about working in the travel industry, and more about embarking on a journey that lasts a few months before returning home.

For the purposes of this article, we will consider any trip that is longer than 3 months as long term travel.

This is a long enough time to force you to consider aspects beyond a short holiday, such as what to do with your pets, and allows you to live like a local if you want to. 

Is long term travel for you?

Even if the idea of traveling for a long time is appealing, the reality may be different than the image in your head. 

“I love traveling and have been spending half of the year, or even longer, away from home for more than 15 years,” says our Co-Founder Mar, “but when I took a sabbatical to travel for 2 months straight, I noticed that this was the perfect length of time for me to be on the road without coming home. But after that, I was happy to return even if just for a couple of weeks.”

You can’t know for certain if you are made to travel long term or are more of a homebody, but you can try to guess how you’ll feel by looking at previous trips:

  • Do you adapt well to a new location, a new house, a new bed?
  • Are you fine with staying in temporary accommodation?
  • Do you enjoy your own company?
  • Do you deal well with the unexpected? 
  • Are you ready to get out of your comfort zone?
  • How do you handle uncertainty and not knowing how things work?
  • Are you willing to make an effort to meet new people?

When you travel long term, it’s easy to get overwhelmed because of the constant uncertainty and the lack of a familiar environment which provides so much of our routine.

Give it some thought, make a list of pros and cons, and do some travel planning to imagine how your long term travel experience will turn out.

Even if your answers to all of the above seem to indicate that you won’t enjoy solo travel for a long period of time, this does not have to be so. Plan your trip well and research coping mechanisms and strategies to handle the situations you fear could derail your experience.

You can learn to travel on your own for a long time even if you think you can’t. Human beings are very adaptable.

Length of your trip

The first step in your long term travel planning journey is figuring out how long you’d like to travel for and how long you can in fact take to travel.

If you plan to return to work after your time off, talk to your boss to understand how long you can reasonably take and whether the company offers any paid extended vacation or sabbatical options. At the very least, understand if your job will be held should you decide to travel for a few weeks or months.

“Some of the large tech companies, such as Google, offer paid sabbaticals after a number of years at the company, others allow employees to take unpaid leave”, says Mar. “When I took a sabbatical from my consulting job, I accumulated all the vacation days I had and then added some unpaid leave”.

If your company doesn’t have provisions for sabbaticals, explain the benefit it can have for you and for the company. Research shows that this is becoming more commonplace and that it can be very beneficial in retaining employees.

Beyond work commitments, family, businesses, pets or others who depend on you may also constrain your options. 

In the case of empty houses or pets, options such as HouseSitters are useful. If your business can be done remotely, you could consider a mix of work and travel.

With all this in mind, decide if you can take 3 months, 6 months, 1 year or longer. 

Don’t be disappointed if you can only take 8 weeks off, you would be surprised how much goodness just 10 weeks can do for your overall well being. 

When to travel long term

Once you know how long you have, it’s time to decide when you will start your long trip. 

If you are taking less than 6 months off to travel, you could focus on going somewhere where it will be low season to save on travel costs. In some destinations, this could mean as much as 50% saving. 

For example, Western Europe is much more affordable in the winter months (except if you plan to visit the popular ski destinations). However, traveling in the low season tentends to limit your options. 

Temperatures can drop dramatically in Europe in winter and days can be very short, so you won’t be able to enjoy some of the most popular activities, such as going to the beach or enjoying the summer vibes. 

Weigh your options.

Alternatively, we love the shoulder season and organize all our Solo Female Travel Tours during that time of year.

If you need to travel during the high season, allow for a longer period to time at each stop to manage costs down and be able to enjoy places that may be crowded and harder to explore.

Where to go on your long trip

Now that you know how long you can travel for and when, let’s look at where you can go.

“Start by picking a region and then plot your main stops rather than hopping around the world. This will make your trip cheaper and your planning easier”, says Antonia, one of our Solo Female Travelers community members. 

Latin America, Europe or Southeast Asia are good places to start because they have great tourism infrastructure, lots of long term travelers, and are easy to explore by land once you have flown into one of the major airports. 

Latin America and Southeast Asia are major digital nomad and backpacker destinations and are a favorite for gap years and long term travel. Because of this, you won’t be short of options for affordable housing and other long term travelers to mingle with. 

While speaking Spanish is a plus in Latin America, you can always get by with sign language, or perhaps this is your cue to learn the basics of the language. 

Europe is more expensive than the other regions and the Schengen visa zone limitations mean you need to plan your stops accordingly, unless you hold a European passport. 

Spend 90 days within the zone and then 90 days outside in countries such as Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Croatia, Cyprus, Georgia, Ireland, Kosovo, North Macedonia, Moldova, Monaco, Montenegro, Romania, Russia, San Marino, Serbia, Turkey, Ukraine, The UK so your counter resets.

Now that you have decided what part of the world to start with, it’s time to look at the specific countries within that continent or region. 

Generally speaking, Southeast Asia and Europe are safer regions than the Americas where violent crime is more common.

However, within each region, there are safer countries for solo female travelers than others and destinations where your budget will go a much longer way. 

For example, within Europe, Albania, Kosovo and Bulgaria are much more affordable than the Nordic countries (Finland, Iceland, Denmark, etc.) and in Southeast Asia, Singapore is very expensive while Laos can be very inexpensive.

My suggestion is to start in a country where you’ll feel safest and most comfortable so you can build your confidence, and then go from there. 

To find out more about the nuances of spending a long time in a country and get insider tips, ask other travelers in Facebook travel groups like ours or those devoted to digital nomads. 

Other stats and facts you can take into account when deciding where to start your long trip:

  • The top remote working city worldwide is Bangkok, Thailand. 
  • The country granting visas for digital nomads with the longest validity period of time is Germany.
  • The main nationality for digital nomads worldwide is American.
  • Favorite digital nomad locations around the world are Puerto Vallarta, Oaxaca, Bali, Chiang Mai, Barcelona, Tbilisi and Berlin.

If you prefer to get to know a destination well instead of viewing it like a traveler, stay at least 1 month in each place. You could move around in the same country to explore different parts or pick a couple of base cities and take day trips to discover the area. 

Don’t know where to start?

There are many sites to find good flight deals like Kayak, Skyscanner, CheapAir and Scott’s Cheap Flights. Use the Explore option in Google Flights, Kayak or Skyscanner to search for destinations with cheap flights from your home airport and start from there.

Accommodation when traveling long term

At the beginning, I recommend opting for short-term accommodation instead of committing to a long term stay. 

Book the first night or two, and then decide what the best area and place to live is. “I always book the first night at a nice hotel and spend the first day getting my bearings and figuring out where I want to stay next”, adds Mar.

Staying in hostels is a great option for affordable long term travel and to meet other travelers. 

You can choose between shared mixed dorms, female only dorms or private rooms (which most hostels offer) when you feel like you need your own space. 

Some hostel chains such as Selina have started to offer coworking spaces attached to hostels for digital nomads. They are great places to meet others traveling longer term rather than on vacation and can be useful to get tips and insights into staying at the destination for longer than a tourist.

Couchsurfing, a site for finding a sofa to sleep on (usually in a local’s home), can also be a great way to get started. Not only will you save on accommodation but will also get local insights about living in a place. And remember that Couchsurfing is only meant to be a short stay.

Housesitting is a great way to get free accommodation and live like a local at a destination. On the downside, bear in mind that assignments tend to be quite long and could tie you to a place for a few months. Trusted housesitters is a reputable platform for finding house and pet sitting opportunities.

If you’d rather rent an apartment or house for a long term, use platforms like Airbnb or VRBO to find vacation rentals with kitchen and other facilities.

Work exchanges are another way to save money on accommodation and live locally by volunteering a few hours every day to work in exchange for accommodation and meals. You could do that at a hostel and have the extra benefit of meeting lots of people.

Finally, always read reviews of people that have already stayed there at the accommodation you are considering from the perspective of a longer stay. 

A traveler may not care too much if the internet is fast or if a place is quiet while someone staying longer term may be more concerned about that and about enjoying it “like a home” not a place to sleep after a day out and about exploring.

What to do at the destinations

One of the myths of traveling long term is that you will be able to see everything; Unless you have unlimited time and plan to travel forever, you will still have to make choices. 

Make a list of the things you don’t want to miss in each of the destinations you’re visiting and a rough plan for when you will do them during your stay. 

Catherine, from Nomadicated, suggests not booking activities and tours until you have arrived at your destination. “There are two reasons for this: It is usually much cheaper to find a local guide option, and you can agency shop.”

Another reason to have at least a general idea of the things you want to do at each place is to help you budget. 

For example, if you plan to take a long trip through all the Pacific islands, there may be some expensive activities that you want to participate in such as diving, skydiving, helicopter tours over volcanoes, sailing trips, etc. 

Even if your whole trip is not mapped out (and it shouldn’t, serendipity is the best part of a long trip), having a rough idea of the expensive bits will tell you how far your savings will go.

Budgeting a long trip

In the next section, we will talk about a savings plan but first, you should have a rough estimate of how much money you will need. 

With a base plan in place, it’s easy to cut out some activities and change locations or accommodation choices to modify your budget depending on how much you will be able to save. Or wait to start your long term travels until you can save enough.

At Solo Female Travelers, the entire team is made of spreadsheet nerds. We love creating tables and organizing data, so we have created a basic budgeting template you can reuse. 

You will find the following fields for each of the locations you expect to be visiting:

  1. Basics per location
    1. Number of days you expect to be there
  2. Accommodation
    1. Daily budget for room
    2. Total accommodation – multiplication of the daily budget by the number of days 
  3. Food
    1. Daily budget for breakfast, lunch and dinner
    2. Daily budget for drinks
    3. Total food – multiplication of the daily budget by the number of days 
  4. Transportation
    1. Getting there (flights, buses, trains)
    2. Ground transportation while there (eg. train / metro / bus cards, bicycle / scooter / car rental, etc.)
    3. Fuel (if applicable)
    4. Tolls
    5. Parking
  5. Activities
    1. Amount per activity – list them individually so you know how much each is and can more easily adapt your budget to your savings
  6. Other
    1. Visa costs
    2. COVID test costs
    3. Bank withdrawal fees
    4. SIM cards or roaming fees

You should then consider all the ongoing costs you will have regardless of where you are. For example, travel insurance, or any subscriptions that you will be paying for such as Netflix, bank fees, Spotify, etc. that follow you on your travels.

Always add a buffer amount as a contingency plan in case of unexpected bad situations like extreme weather that gets you stranded or forces you to take more expensive transportation, your credit cards not working, not being able to withdraw cash, getting sick, getting something stolen, etc. 

Lasly, consider some splurges every now and then. You may meet some people and head out to dinner, or celebrate a new friend’s birthday in a bar. Plan for these spendings that may be higher than what you set on your daily budget.

Saving plan

And talking about savings, unless you already have an amount set for your trip or plan to continue working on the road, you should start saving money for travel as soon as you start considering the idea of a long sabbatical or of traveling for a long period of time. 

“Set clear objectives and time frames and calculate how long it will take you to save what you need to make your dream long trip a reality”, says Lauren, one of our Solo Female Travelers member.

Don’t know where to start with your long term travel savings plan?

Take a week to figure out all the expenses you incur besides the monthly subscriptions and bills you get at home. 

Every day, note down what you spend money on, even if just a few dollars. At the end of the week, you will be surprised how much money goes away on things you can absolutely live without.

For most people living paycheck to paycheck, this list can be quite enlightening and reveal unnecessary expenditures that could be cut off. 

That taxi you had to take instead of the bus to avoid being late to an appointment, that extra drink at a fancy bar you regretted drinking the next day, a daily latte or two from your favorite coffee shop, an extra shot of hazelnut syrup, a weekly splurge on an accessory, the magazines and newspapers you get for free at the office but still buy to read at home, etc. 

Now that you have a reason to save you’ll realize that small sacrifices can go a long way to get you to your travel goal. 

If you live in an expensive city and plan to travel to a more affordable region, this will ring even truer.

A Starbucks latte costs the equivalent of a hostel night in Thailand and a fancy meal in the city could be the cost of a diving day trip in Fiji. When you start thinking in terms of the activities you want to do, it will be much easier to forgo some of these small pleasures.

Travel insurance for long term travel

Travel insurance is a vital part of your safety and wellness during your long term travel experience. 

Always buy travel insurance so you are covered in case of an emergency. A small accident could use up your entire travel fund in one hospital visit.

Food poisoning, a very common travel-related illness affecting 40% of travelers at least once in their life, could land you in hospital and rack thousands in bills. 

Getting your belongings stolen in a remote place where access to connectivity is hard could mean losing all your money and credit cards and having no easy way to access cash to buy food and essentials. Or spending 30min and a $100 on an international call to get a replacement, we have been there!

A misstep on a cobblestone street in Italy could end in a sprained ankle needing attention and extra nights in a hotel with room service. Even a missed flight could mean expensive last minute arrangements that derail your whole budget.

Get travel insurance for the peace of mind and the reassurance that if something happens, you will be taken care of. 

Learn more about what to look for in a travel insurance policy on our comprehensive article here or compare travel insurance policies on Travel Insurance Master.

Access to money on a long trip

Bank fees are one of the most evil hidden costs of travel. There, we said it.

Every time you withdraw cash locally, you will pay fees. This includes often ludicrous exchange rates and also withdrawal commissions applied by both the local bank and your own. 

Consider getting an ATM card with no foreign transaction fees such as those offered by Revolut. They will allow you to pay for things and withdraw cash in the local currency with minimal fees. You can also transfer amounts between your various wallets with very low currency exchange fees.

This is one of the smartest ways to save money in your long term travel journey. “I always use my Revolut card when I travel. I transfer money to the local currency of the country I am visiting and pay everything with it”, says Justine, one of our members.

To maximize the return on your travel spend, get a credit card that gives you miles and points you can then redeem for free nights, flights and upgrades. The best card will depend on where you live and what your spending patterns are so investigate locally.

Usually, the easiest way to find out the best card/s for points and miles is to simply Google. There are many Facebook groups and websites entirely devoted to that. Or ask that frequent travel friend and they will be able to point you in the right direction.

Pre-travel health check

It is a good idea to have a general health check before setting off on a long trip, just like you would do with your car if you were planning to go on a road trip.

While you are at it, get the necessary vaccinations and boosters and prescriptions, ideally translated into English, for any drugs you will be taking with you. 

Bear in mind that even drugs that may be sold over the counter where you live could be illegal where you are going, so research this properly.

In the case of prescription drugs, always find out the local version of it or the active component / generic drug in case you need to get it there and the brand you are used to buying is not available. Your doctor should be able to help find the local equivalent.

Last but not least, bring a first aid kit with everything necessary for a long term trip. This should contain a few of the basics (bandages, plasters, iodine, etc.) as well as other over the counter analgesics and anti-diarrhea medication.

During your health check, make a trip to the dentist and to the gynecologist for general check ups so you are all set and don’t have to do it for the duration of your trip.

Packing for a long trip

Traveling for a long period of time means living out of a suitcase, at least more than you usually would. 

The faster you move from one destination to the next, the more important your suitcase is and the slower you plan to travel the less critical it will be. 

In both cases, packing smart and only bringing the essentials is a good idea, both to minimize what you carry, to save on check in luggage fees and to be more mobile. 

“Pack light. The more you bring, the harder it is to organize. You’re gonna do laundry anyways, so bring enough clothes for 10 or so days. Make sure it all mixes and matches and that you only bring things you wear all the time.” shared our group member Kayla.

“The longer I spent traveling, the fewer things I realized I needed”, says Josefine, expert long term traveler.

She is right. We think we will need more than we actually do and end up lugging around unnecessary weight.

The exception to that is if you straddle seasons during your trip and need to carry more than one type of clothing type or if you plan to travel during the winter when clothes are bulkier. 

If you focus only on Southeast Asia, you will only need to pack summer clothes, and maybe one sweater for the evenings in the mountainous parts of Thailand or Vietnam, and a raincoat in case of downpours. 

A pair of flip flops and one pair of sneakers will be enough in terms of footwear, with perhaps a nicer pair of shoes if you plan to eat out at nice places.

On the other hand, if you plan to spend an extended period of time across Europe, you would have to account for the change in seasons and pack dresses and shorts for the summer months in the southern countries and outfits to withstand sub-zero temperatures for the winter in the north.

In springtime and autumn, you could be enjoying the beachtime in Barcelona or the snow in Iceland. Plan accordingly. 

Alternatively, some members of our community have suggested breaking a long trip into the seasons so you can go back to your base city and repack, or traveling light and buying local clothes at vintage and thrift stores which you can resell before you leave.

As part of your planning phase, research the climate of the destinations you’re going to be in, including not just the temperatures but also the rain or snowfall. 

There are handy travel apps designed to help you pack correctly like PackPoint.

Did you buy too many things? Consider shipping them back home via the local post office. 

“It may take a really long time for them to arrive, but it’s best not to carry around souvenirs and other items you bought, plus they will make for great surprises when you get back home”, adds Mar who shipped souvenirs from the Pacific islands back home.

Work to sustain your life

Although the focus of this article is not on long term digital nomads, we just wanted to devote this section to talk about the options you have to extend your trip, either by picking a part time remote job or one in the travel industry.

If your job does not allow you to work from anywhere and that is something you yearn for, we recommend getting a remote job like digital marketing or travel blogger, or a travel job like working on a cruise ship. These types of jobs will give you the freedom to work and travel around the world.

If you are keen to change careers and ditch the corporate world, you can also look for short term seasonal jobs such as being a divemaster in Thailand for a few months, working at a hostel in Mexico or teaching skiing in the French Alps.

Working remotely does not have to be as lonely as you may think. Your colleagues won’t be sitting next to you, but that does not mean you can’ network with other remote workers. 

“If you are traveling long term as a digital nomad, getting involved in the local coworking spaces is one of the fastest ways to meet new people and get connected to the destination. Coworking spaces are basically digital nomad hubs and are the perfect place to meet like-minded individuals and entrepreneurs from all over the world.” shared Allison Sicking from Viva La Travelista.

Creating a routine

You might think a routine contradicts the essence of long term traveling because many people choose it to disrupt their day to day and embark on an exciting adventure. 

It is a wonderful feeling to wake up with a completely free schedule and no responsibilities imposing on your time. 

But not everyone thrives in a fully unscheduled environment, because human beings can’t live without structure for too long. 

Creating a routine can bring familiarity to your journey and improve your mental wellbeing, and it still means you can do whatever you feel like every day.

Eating well

Food is a vital part of everyday life so it’s important to consider how you will organize your meals while traveling, especially if you have any dietary restrictions.

Will you have access to a kitchen? Are you going to use the communal kitchen in your hostel? Is varied and healthy food readily available? How frequently are you planning to eat outside? Are you used to and comfortable eating alone? Is the cuisine at the destination something you enjoy and could eat daily?

Many of us gain a few pounds every time we go on vacation. If traveling is the default, rather than a break in between your normal routine, it’s even more important to eat well and maintain healthy habits. 

Take time to prepare nourishing snacks and meals to stay healthy during your time abroad and avoid overindulging as if you were on a permanent vacation. 

If you plan to travel for more than a month, having access to home cooked food or a kitchen to make your own meals is highly recommended. 

Making time to rest

Long term travel can be exhausting. 

It’s not a constant vacation but rather a constant need to stay alert, relearn new ways to interact, behave and adapt to a new culture, all of which can be mentally draining.

Just because you are traveling, it does not mean you are resting. Make sure to schedule time to disconnect, relax and recharge in between work and all the great activities you will be participating in.

“Scheduling a rest day every 4-5 days at your hotel, a spa day, a lazy day at the beach will do wonders for your body so you can have the physical and mental energy to keep traveling.” shared Kara Harms of Whimsy Soul.

“Pace yourself. Everyone wants to see as much as possible, but you need to take breaks where you slow down and process what you are seeing and doing. We are currently spending a month in Buenos Aires to do just that – unpack for a bit and do all the things we don’t get to do when we’re moving quickly – cook in a kitchen, catch up on laundry, curl up on a couch with a book and do yoga on YouTube” shared Cynthia Matthews from Sharing the Wander.

Your personal safety

When you are in unfamiliar environments, it’s crucial not to let your guard down and keep your wits about you so you can stay safe. 

Do this by following practical safety precautions like not walking alone at night in unfamiliar places, not carrying flashy jewelry or lots of cash on you, not leaving valuables unlocked at your accommodation, etc. We have a comprehensive list of travel safety tips here.

Many members of our community wonder where to keep their belongings safe when they travel long term.

We always recommend leaving valuable locked at your accommodation and considering buying an anti-theft bag. Pickpocketing will always put a damper on your mood but if you are alone and on a long trip, it is extra important to ensure your financial means are covered.

If a safe is not provided at your accommodation, you can bring your own. And if staying at hostels with shared dorms, a lock is essential. We have listed several options to keep your belongings safe here.

And last but not least, don’t underestimate the importance of your phone and internet connection when traveling solo and long term. It is a critical safety element and your way out of many situations. 

But don’t rely on WiFi, make sure to buy a local SIM card as soon as you arrive somewhere. You’ll have internet access and a local number should you need to make any phone calls. Being connected also means you can take advantage of a range of travel apps that can simplify your trip.

Making connections when traveling long term

The kind of people you meet on your journey will influence what you get out of it and luckily, there are many tools that make meeting new people easy. 

Travel apps, staying in hostels and specific Facebook travel groups for meeting people and finding travel buddies are readily available to connect you with people online and at the destination. 

Locals and fellow travelers are a great source of information. Ask your accommodation’s staff, local guides you may go on day tours with, etc. for tips and their favorite places to eat, drink or relax.

Learning the local language will help a lot when approaching locals and give you an insight into the local culture. You can prepare ahead using language apps to learn the basic phrases.

“Take time to just relax and be in the moment, don’t jam pack your days with excursions or tours. Journal often. Try to have at least one or two group events a month to help with loneliness if that’s something you experience but just connecting with other people is great too.” says our member Yvette.

The only downside of making genuine friends during your long term travels is the hard goodbyes. But remember, you now have a home elsewhere you can return to. 

Keeping in touch with people back home

Long term travel can disconnect you from your life back home and cause you to miss out on important moments of your family and friends. 

Use messaging apps like Whatsapp to stay in touch via text or video calls, Facebook and Instagram to update everyone on your journey and emails for longer updates.

Keeping in touch will also help you stay safe. 

Always share a copy of your itinerary and plans with a close friend or family member, and let them know if you are going somewhere off the grid in case they need to reach out to you for emergencies. 

Smart safety tip: avoid sharing your real-time location on social media. Wait a few days or weeks to post photos or stories, so you can keep your privacy and stay safe along the way.

Keeping a travel journal

Journaling is one of the best things you can do on your long travels. It will not only help you reflect on the things you see and do every day but also on how you are feeling. Years later, it will be wonderful to re-read those thoughts and see how they may have changed you and the course of your life.

This deeper understanding you will get from experiencing new environments, people and culture will no doubt help you grow as a person, and is one of the most important benefits that travel has on people. 

If you do nothing more than having a great time and making life-long memories, your long vacation will be a success.

Be an eco traveler

Travel is one of the greatest income distribution tools and a development force, but it is also one of the industries that most negatively impacts the environment, particularly as a result of the pollution generated by the transportation industry.

In this section, we want to look at ways in which you can reduce the footprint of your long trip by being a more eco-conscious traveler. 

When we talk about sustainable, responsible or eco travel, we are referring to all aspects of the travel experience that impact the environment, the wildlife and the local culture and its people.

This means having ethical animal interactions, supporting local businesses, consuming less, refusing single use plastic products, reducing your footprint, booking with local sustainable tour companies, and so much more.

For women in particular, menstrual products can be an extra issue to worry about when traveling long term and something to bear in mind.

If you use tampons, these may not be readily available in the countries you are visiting. Furthermore, they have a very negative impact on the environment. A long trip may be the little encouragement you need to consider reusable period products instead. We love this menstrual cup called the Diva Cup.

“Getting rid of disposable menstrual products has been life changing for my wife and I. Switching to menstrual cups has changed our cycles and changed our perception of how we think of our periods. Using green menstrual products takes the worry out of carrying everything or finding the right tampons or pads on the go.” shared Corritta from My Eco Flow.

A great way of becoming a more eco traveler and lowering your carbon footprint is to bring your own reusable water bottle. If you are traveling somewhere where tap water is safe to drink, this will save you from spending money and throwing away dozens of plastic bottles during your trip. 

Other ways in which you can reduce your environmental impact is by carrying dry eco-friendly cosmetics and hygiene products such as dry shampoo and conditioner, shower bars and eco-friendly tooth cleaning products. 

They are friendly to the environment, made responsibly and pack light so you don’t have to lug around heavy pots.

These are some great product alternatives with a low carbon footprint:

Click on each link to find our top recommendation for each product.

We hope you find these tips useful and be more prepared to set off on this incredible long term travel journey. If we miss any tip, please share it with us below!

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