We have been thinking about this for a while, a few months or even a few years. We want to discover all these countries visited more than the 2 weeks allowed by the children's school holidays. All we had to do was decide. Everything seemed difficult to organize: getting the agreement of the children's teachers, finding a replacement during my absence from the office, leaving our house to strangers... And then this year, the click, we only have one life, we only have one desire, I don't want to regret it, we want to live it now, it's the right time (or NEVER say never!). We go on a 6-month trip with the children!
What is the budget for a family trip around the world?
Travelling with your family for several months requires a little (a lot) money: money to travel and money to plan the return. In general, during a trip of several months, you no longer have any income and you have to draw on your savings. My husband can work anywhere as long as he has an internet connection, it's a great opportunity for us. Whether you are at home or on the other side of the world, it does not affect your salary. But that is no reason to burn all our economies.
There are no small economies
We were already in a lifestyle where we attach little importance to material expenses. I don't have an overflowing wardrobe, neither do the children. I don't spend money on makeup or beauty creams, we don't smoke, we don't go out much. We buy almost everything second-hand. Most of our expenses actually go to travel and leisure after the credit of the house.
Indeed, the credit of the house is a significant expense item. Either you are a tenant or you just have to return your property. Either you are a homeowner and have an outstanding loan. How can you continue to pay off your home loan if you have no more income?
We have chosen to rent the house in our absence. And the prospect of renting our furnished house to others in our absence has opened our eyes even more to the material or non-material importance that we bring to our business. No more superfluous, useless, we sold many; many, many, many accumulated items that we kept "just in case" or that were only rarely used. It allowed us to do a huge sorting in the house, to free up space, to clear up clutter and it also feels good for the mind! I will not fail to give you a feedback on the different ways to rent your accommodation during your trip. This money collected in this way by disposing of our material goods deemed useless allows us to finance the compulsory expenses even before leaving: travel insurance, new passports for girls, purchase of a UV water treatment lamp (Steripen Ultra), new technical backpacks, vaccines...
Then comes the cost of the local trip
The cost of a trip around the world depends on the length of your trip, the countries you visit and how you travel.
Which countries to visit and how much time on site to spend?
Do you want to go around the world in the strict sense of the word or do you simply want to travel for a longer or shorter period of time?
The term and concept of a world tour geographically means a journey that goes around the globe, from East to west or vice versa. It is often carried out in 12 months, sometimes 18 months, sometimes 9 months, across an average of fifteen countries, calling at each continent of our globe. A round the world flight therefore contains several long haul flights to cross the Atlantic and then the Pacific, and therefore at a higher cost.
The question to ask yourself is do you just want to go around the world? Where do you want to travel and take the time to do so? And which countries do you want to visit? The budget for travelling to Asia or Africa is not the same as that of a trip to Oceania or a road trip to North America. I invite you to read the article on "Our tips for cheaper family travel" to understand why.
Define the duration of your trip
The longer you travel, the more expensive the trip will obviously be. We have chosen to leave for 6 months, that's enough to give us a real break to travel to the other side of the world. Longer would have required big professional changes for me and academic changes for the children.