2 months leave from work – options?

[Type R Tom]

A number of variables have come together to allow the possibility of March & April next year off work using A/L. This also coincides with a change in personal circumstances meaning I have no substantial financial constraints leading to the possibility of two months travelling.

It’s very early days and my research has started but wanted to ask people opinions on how to use the time. Do I spend 2 months travelling around the US and Canada (and maybe small part of South America) or go the whole hog and try Asia and Australasia.

Flights and living would be cheaper in the US but the opportunity to go to Australia is unlikely to come up again for a very long time. I would be going with the GF and we are both 30 so not too old yet but by no means students!

Round the world flights are £1k-£1.5, can anyone advise to general living costs while travelling in New Zealand and Australia, been googleing but get varied results with some articles going back to 2008 and obviously things have changed in the world a lot since then.

As I said its early days and a very open and vague question but any hints or tips would be greatly received. Spoke to an Aussie mate today (currently living there) and he things £120 per day to live fairly well, that is a scary amount! With only 3 months to save, don’t know if I can afford that!

[durbster]

I'd definitely go for the longer haul because as you say, you may never get a better opportunity. Three weeks travelling through SE Asia then six weeks in Oz would be a great trip.

What kind of accommodation are you after - camping, hostels, five star hotels?

I actually think the longer haul flight would work out cheaper. The SE Asian bits cost peanuts and you can do Australia cheaply enough if you want to. The US and Canada would cost more day to day I think.

[Matt..]

durbster said:

The US and Canada would cost more day to day I think.

I would agree with that. If you want to do a cheap holiday, don't do it in the US!
Australia is expensive, but Asia is not, and you do at least have really good hostel options in Austrlia/NZ.

With a couple of months I'd be tempted to do a full round the world trip. It will get expensive though. When you reach 30, the desire to rough it goes away

Do you have a budget?

It is also worth considering weather. Much of Canada/US will be cold and snowy in those months.

Do you have ideas on what you want to do/see?

Edited by Matt.. on Tuesday 18th December 19:11

[Type R Tom]

Partly the reason I’m think the US is that my GF brother lives in Seattle so would have a base there for the west coast and parts of Canada but as you say not a great time for weather! Also the flights being “cheaper” to the US is appealing, I’ve been to Chicago, NYC, Boston, Miami (went for 4 weeks in 2008) so would like to do the central and west coast area. Eating in diners etc keeps the cost down though accommodation can get expensive. I think Australia and Asia is preferable as the US is more accessible for 2 week holidays etc in the future.

I’m looking at a budget somewhere in the region of £1500 on flights, based on this sort of example: http://www.statravel.co.uk/rtw-jumbo-jetsetter.htm followed by £30 to £50 each per night, I would be collecting my monthly wage as I’ll be on annual leave which will help.

I wouldn’t want to hostel it the entire time but not adverse to the idea, as you say I’m getting on a bit for that and used to staying in nice hotels usually, especially being with the GF, probably wouldn’t mind it so much if I was on my own.

As for what I want to see, as much as possible really! Bangkok, Hong Kong, Singapore, Sidney, Perth, Melbourne, Auckland, Christchurch etc. What I like about the link above though is the chance to do LA / Las Vegas etc on the way back. Or would my time be better spent on the other side of the world?!?

[fadeaway]

I'd say do Australia / New Zealand / Asia.

The US and Canada are fab, but it's easy to do each area in a 2 - 3 week holiday, so you can tick them off over a number of trips. Australia is so far you really want to go for longer than 2 weeks, so take the chance while you have it!

[WhereamI]

Australia is very expensive right now, it all depends on what standard of living you want but £50 a day in Sydney, for example, won't buy you much.

[Type R Tom]

WhereamI said:

Australia is very expensive right now, it all depends on what standard of living you want but £50 a day in Sydney, for example, won't buy you much.

Well it would be £100 between us, I think it'll be hostels there. A Aussie mate told me £120 per day in Australia, to live fairly well and "enjoy all the different breweries"! Starting to believe him.

[durbster]

Type R Tom said:

What I like about the link above though is the chance to do LA / Las Vegas etc on the way back. Or would my time be better spent on the other side of the world?!?

Tricky one that. I personally think you'd have a more memorable trip if you spent more time in less places. I think either option is going to be fantastic but as you have time available I'd be inclined to do a bit more than just tick places off a list.

That said, the itinerary link you posted looks rather good

[WhereamI]

Type R Tom said:

WhereamI said:

Australia is very expensive right now, it all depends on what standard of living you want but £50 a day in Sydney, for example, won't buy you much.

Well it would be £100 between us, I think it'll be hostels there. A Aussie mate told me £120 per day in Australia, to live fairly well and "enjoy all the different breweries"! Starting to believe him.

It's all a question of what you want/what you expect but you are talking about around $160/170 a day between you whether it is Australia or the USA but you will get a lot more for your money in the USA. (I spend about 8 weeks a year in Australia/NZ and four in the USA).

Personally I'd not fancy that in Australia, at least not in the cities. Getting a room for $100 and feeding yourselves for $50 with a bit left over would be a challenge. You mate's £120 sounds more like an amount for one person, not two.

[durbster]

If I was going back to Australia I'd be aiming out of the cities asap to be honest. Sydney's beautiful but beyond the sights doesn't really offer much you can't get in Europe. You can fly into Sydney, oooh and aah at the harbour for a couple of days and that'd do it. After that you can buy a tent, rent a car and hit the road...

I'd like to go back to Oz but I probably wouldn't bother with any of the cities again other than to catch up with friends. The most exciting stuff in Australia - the unique stuff - is elsewhere. If you're going to really do Australia then I firmly believe you have to get off the well trodden tourist trail and head into the bush. And camping's the best way to see it imo (and also the cheapest ).

That said, a lot of people think the opposite. A huge number of people land in Sydney and stay there until their visa runs out

[marcosgt]

Whilst Australia's probably worth visiting with 2 months and a relatively unlimited budget, I'd make a list of sights I'd really like to see and get a round the world trip to enable me to see them.

2 months in one country, whilst not exactly a waste of time, does seem a bit of a missed opportunity, unless you're thinking of relocating.

You might never get another chance like this, why not get to see Angkor Wat, the Taj Mahal, The Nasca Lines, The Pyramids, etc, etc, etc, etc?

M

[Dan_1981]

South America.

I did the US, South America, NZ, Australia, and bit of Indonesia several years ago.

I'd discount Australia & NZ straight away from your list.

I just felt that the US and SA had more to offer.

If I had to chose from one of them then i'd go for SA.

How about fly to Miami, transfer to Lima, then work your way down the coast, cross into Chile, all the way down to the bottom, cross into Argentina, then back up and if time allows head into Brazil before flying home.

[bigandclever]

Type R Tom said:

been googleing but get varied results with some articles going back to 2008 and obviously things have changed in the world a lot since then.

I suppose the problem is that it does vary, everywhere. You could have a <£3 pint in a pub in London, walk round the corner and have another for >£7. Much easier for you to establish your budget first, then try and work it out.

FWIW Me and the missus 'did' Thailand for 2 months a couple of years back. I budgeted £100 per day - that covered accomodation, food, transport, jollies and so on. Some days you spend bugger all, some days you go a bit mad, it all evens out if you know you can't spend more than x. Although if you're only 30, and you're coming back to a job and you'll have no financial commitments, bang it all on a credit card and live a little