How to Plan a Gap Year Multi-Destination Group Tour

For many young adults, going to university or college is a major event in life. It’s the opportunity to take some meaningful first steps to becoming truly independent. During this period, students will meet other like-minded young people, where they will study, cook, and socialize together, often in shared accommodation. However, before going to university or college, many students decide to take a gap year. This can be the ideal opportunity to travel the world after finishing high school and before the advanced level of their studies commences.Typically, many young adults like the thought of traveling to far-flung destinations with a group of friends, taking in exotic cultures, and learning more about the wider world. For many, a gap year world tour can allow them to grow as a person, starting their advanced studies as wiser and more mature students.

However, planning a gap year multi-destination tour as a group requires a significant amount of time and attention to detail. There are a range of factors to consider and there’s a need to plan effectively as both a group of travelers and as an individual.

In this article, some key advice will be provided that will allow you to effectively plan for a fantastic and memorable gap year multi-destination group tour.

Choose a professional tour operator

Firstly, it’s of paramount importance that you choose a tour operator that has extensive experience in booking group tours to a range of different destinations. Your tour operator will be able to arrange flights (including connecting flights from within a country) and will be of significant assistance in helping you to plan the overall travel itinerary.

Search online for tour operators that provide group travel packages, ideally creating a shortlist of firms that can demonstrate their experience in this field. Look on websites such as Trustpilot, where you can read customer reviews on the travel company and pay particular attention to reviews posted for similar multi-destination group travel.

Your tour operator should be able to provide you with representatives in each country and phone numbers that you can use in the event of experiencing any difficulties or even emergencies while you’re abroad.

Set up a group chat

When you’ve chosen a professional tour operator, the next step is to discuss your plans with the group you’ll be traveling with. You’ll likely need several weeks to determine the sights you’ll visit during your stay, what types of accommodation you can afford, and to fine-tune your travel itinerary.

It’s best practice to set up a group chat on your smartphone and invite all travelers to join. On this platform, you can plan together as a group without needing to be in the same physical space. There’s a wide range of free chat apps to choose from, with WhatsApp being one of the most popular and reliable options.

In addition, it’s wise to consider downloading a dedicated travel itinerary app such as Blink Travel or Triptrip, which provides a planning board similar to the popular Trello project management app used by many companies. These types of apps can give you a clear understanding of your daily plans and activities when you’re abroad.

Income considerations

While many gap year adventures will be funded by parents (often as a gift for achieving good academic results in high school), some young adults choose to fund their trips on their own. In some circumstances, a part-time job will provide suitable savings for the journey.

However, in recent years many travelers have funded their gap year travels by working remotely as they travel. Essentially, they become digital nomads for the duration of their tours, relying on laptops and smartphones to fund their trip as they take up roles in web design, content creation, and a range of other forms of remote employment.

If you’re planning your gap year tour on a budget, this can be the ideal way to ensure that you continue to receive funds during your journey. Ensure that the locations you intend to stay at have strong and reliable Wi-Fi access and that your IT equipment is both durable and reliable.

Some vital apps to install

Finally, there’s a range of other apps that may be beneficial to you during your overseas travels. Two of the most useful apps for far-flung travel are Google Maps and Google Translate.

Google Maps will allow you to effectively navigate on foot and plan journeys across each country you visit. You can even download regional maps that can be used offline if you’re entering areas with poor mobile reception or internet access.

In addition, Google Translate will help you communicate effectively in hundreds of foreign languages. This can be vital when touring in-country and will make ordering meals and booking rooms far more straightforward.