Leaving for a long period of time needs prep not only for the road but for your things whilst you're gone. Here's what you have to think of weeks or months before leaving :
Your home :
• Sub-let or let go of your house/apartment
• Cancel facilities (telephone, electricity, etc.)
• Sell or store the car
• Cancel home/car insurance
• Arrange loan payments
• Mail : arrange with your local post office to forward it
• Fill your credit card !
Formalities :
• Each home country has different requirements for long term abroad stay, get informed. In Canada, for instance, leaving for over 6 months might (might!) cause us to lose our Health Insurance.
• Inform the Foreign Affairs Minister of your absence.
• Tax payment : have someone in charge of collecting your documents and prepare the report; write a proxy if needed.
• Bank : inform your agent of your absence, find someone trustworthy and write a proxy. Very important !
• Write your will... I know, it's the depressing part of the prep, but it is also very important.
For the trip :
• Visas : once you have set a rough itinerary, verify which countries need a tourist visa, and if it's required to be bought in advance; some countries provides them upon arrival, some don't. You can also get them from an embassy abroad, but it does need a bit of planning because you could have to wait for your visa for one or two weeks. Be informed.
• Vaccines : contact your local travel clinic; you'll need to bring your vaccine book with you abroad.
• Insurances : although not compulsary, and unfortunately expensive, it will save you bucks if you have an accident or get sick abroad, especially in countries where medical costs are high, or even in developing countries if you attend an hospital ran by foreigners.
• International driving license : will you drive abroad ? This permit, which is only an official translation in several languages, is compulsary.
• Photocopies of important documents (passport, plane tickets, insurance proof, visas, prescriptions, etc)
• Photos (for visas you'd purchase abroad)
• Check the end date of your passport ! Most countries require that your passport is valid for over 6 months when you enter the country.
Return (if you do plan to go back home !) :
Save enough money for a two-month period for lodging, etc, if you have no job waiting for you; or go live with your parents !
Tips
• Buy travel guides and temporary clothes on place, especially in poorer countries. Mail them back home or leave them in your hotel/hostel.
• Mail your gifts and souvenirs along the trip, even your film rolls (to add to your budget...).
• Bring a notebook, you have written your friends' addresses in and the addresses of your consulates and embassies abroad (remember that not in all countries access to Internet is easy). It's handy to add your new friends' addresses.
• Registrer at the embassy upon arrival, especially if you plan on going to remote areas or trek, etc. Embassies are also very helpful when problems occur, for example to provide the address of a good hospital.
• Consulte your government Foreign Affairs Internet site before leaving and once on the road for the updates. It is a mine of handful infos, and has first hand infos on security. Even though they often sound over alarmist, they are also very precise on the areas of each country where not to go (routes, and cities).
Canada :
Canadian Foreign Affaires/travel
It would be neet to have more government links above, so please send me a PM with your link. I'll add it. Thanks !
HAVE A GRRRRRRREAT AND SAFE TIME WANDERING THE PLANET !