Introduction: curious perhaps, what are the economics of long-term travel.
During the past three years (Sep 2021 – Aug 2024), traveled 26 of 36 months, 800 of 1,100 days. Intention is to travel nine months per year, and likely continue for the next decade. Not confident that I could travel 12-months per year, as some intrepid souls. Appreciate downtime to visit family and friends, medical appointments, and time to map out the next journey.
During the past three years, $112,000 total cost, of which, $54,000 for travel.
Countries: visited 33 countries across North America, Central America, Middle East, North Africa, and Asia-Pacific. Six months in Mexico, two months in Japan and Australia, one month in Greece, Turkey, Egypt, New Zealand, and South Korea.
Try to organize journeys into a geographic region. Flying can be expensive; try to remain in a region as long as possible. Prefer ground travel, and try to avoid back-tracking. Prefer dry and temperate climate; if I can’t wear a T-shirt, it’s too cold.
For every traveler, there is different quality of travel. Some people like resorts, plush hotels, or airport transfers. My preference is to fit in with the locals, the one tourist on the local bus, and go about daily life.
Desert Southwest | Fall 2021 | 90-days
Mexico | Winter 2022 | 120-days
Alaska & Maritime Canada | Summer 2022 | 150-days
Central America | Winter 2023 | 90-days
Middle East & North Africa | Summer 2023 | 180-days
New Zealand, Australia, Japan, Korea | Winter 2024 | 180-days
South America, Antarctica, Easter Island, Galapagos | Winter 2025 | 180-days
Planning: spent most of my career using Microsoft Excel, no surprise that I use spreadsheet for travel planning. Calendar days down one column, with columns to the right for travel costs (lodging, transportation, food, foreign exchange, etc.). Maintain a notes field, for example, currency exchange, vaccination or visa requirements.
One column for transportation details, for example, flight numbers and flight times, and public transportation to airports and train stations. Also a column for lodging reservations. Use color coding to inform what has been completed (green), what is pending (yellow), and what requires immediate action (orange). Exercise might be tedious for one or two week holiday, but, for six-month journey, across multiple countries, too many moving parts, far exceeds my memory capacity.
Cost:
Cumulative travel costs, 800 travel days during past three calendar years $54,000. Calculate “daily” cost of travel; useful estimate when planning the next journey, and also valuable to ensure that there is enough cash in the bank while traveling.
Get tired of eating out. Certainly want to try all the great foods, but, get tired of processed food. It’s one thing to eat out during a one week vacation, but, doesn’t work long term. I try to eat healthful, fruits and vegetables. Usually eat out around mid-day, while exploring; often street food, something inexpensive or hand-held, that I might sit down and enjoy sitting on stone stairs or park bench. Often eat twice a day, usually some type of brunch, and early dinner.
Enjoy coffee, the smell, taste (black coffee, no sugar or cream), and caffeine boost. Not willing to pay $5 for Starbucks. Exception is getting off red-eye flight or overnight bus, to help power through the new day. Ground coffee found at grocery stores is underwhelming. Instant coffee is popular overseas, but often dreadful. McDonalds McCafe is okay, especially at $1-2 USD price point, and free WiFi always appreciated.
Stay in hostels 75% of the time; AirBnB 20% of the time, when I can’t find hostels; and hotels 5% of the time, when I can’t find AirBnB. Prefer hostels, as it reduces the risk of social isolation. I’ve stayed at underwhelming lodging, which makes long-term travel more taxing. Learned to pay a few dollars more, and stay any place that is marginally better. Try to stay at places ranked at least 8 of 10 stars.
Almost never use taxi; prefer public transportation, and walk up to 10-miles per day.
Lodging: $18,961 total | $24 day
Transport: $18,097 total | $23 day (plane | train | bus | ferry | taxi)
Food: $1,525 total | $2 day
Other: $14,971 total | $19 day (FX | ATM | visa | tourism | RV & motorbike)– $3,907 RV rental (New Zealand & Australia)
– $2,500 motorbike rental (New Zealand & Australia)
Total: $53,554 total | $68 day | $24,800 annualized
Total costs over three years, $112,000; non-travel costs total $55,000, including:
Tax: $18,000 ($6,000 per year for Deloitte tax preparation fee)
Medical: $16,000 ($450 per month; premiums and appointments)
Rent: $10,000 (ten months non-travel)
Gifts: $4,000 (focus on planned vs annual giving)
Auto: $3,000 (owned car until fall 2022)
Data plan: $2,000 (T-Mobile, $55 per month, includes international coverage)
Equipment: $2,000 (travel equipment, electronics, clothing, etc.)
Conclusion: next journey is South America, depart October 30th for six months.
Would like to travel to Africa in 2025; begin pre-planning now (vaccinations, visas, available transport). Cairo to Cape Town, seven-thousand mile overland journey, requires at least twenty train or bus segments across ten countries. Continued civil war in Sudan makes it almost impossible to travel overland between Egypt and Ethiopia. Flying Cairo to Addis Ababa would be disingenuous.
Alternatively, consider Nordic and Baltic Europe, within 90-day Schengen visa.
Recognize that some people may want to travel following retirement. It certainly may be affordable and sustainable, and less expensive than living in the United States. Also recognize that some people don’t want to travel; as it may involve too much uncertainty and discomfort. Freedom of choice.
garthmonroe 