Many young people dream of taking a travel and work year after high school, but very few turn it into a full work and travel trip around the world. Why visit just one country when you can combine several?
It doesn't always have to be right after school either. Even when you're fully immersed in working life, you can negotiate a sabbatical year with your employer.

Planning a Work and Travel Trip Around the World

Work and Travel Around the World

Planning a trip like this is everything before the big adventure can begin. Unlike with a "normal" year abroad, on a round-the-world trip you should plan your route and the approximate length of stay in each country. Only then do you get a basic framework and can build your trip around it. After that, you can also look into the entry and visa situation in each country. Many countries offer specific work and travel visas that have to be applied for in advance. You should also find out how you want to stay reachable on the road and whether there are jobs you can already apply for from home. If you don't want to organize everything yourself, it's a good idea to bring in a work and travel agency.

Which Countries Can Be Combined?

Here you should ask yourself whether you'd like to stick to one continent or travel within one region, or whether you'd like to make several stops around the world. Your language skills often point you in a direction too. How about South America, for example? You can easily combine several countries and save on flights, since a lot of it is reachable by long-distance bus.
Asia is similar. You can easily combine 3-4 countries there too. Or how about a tour of Europe, which you can do very well by train with an Interrail pass.

Example countries for your work and travel world tour:

Work and Travel Around the World
  • Australia
  • New Zealand
  • Thailand
  • Vietnam
  • Myanmar
  • Cambodia
  • Argentina
  • Chile
  • Costa Rica
  • Brazil
  • Portugal
  • Italy
  • Spain
  • France

How Much Time Should You Plan for a Work and Travel Trip Around the World?

That naturally also depends on whether you already have a job or study offer lined up afterward, or whether you can comfortably be on the road for a year. To really get a good impression of a place and land good jobs, it's a good idea to plan at least 3 months per stop.

How do you get from country to country?
That depends entirely on the region you end up in. In South America and Asia it's relatively easy to take a bus to the next stop, whereas in Australia you're more likely to travel by plane. Especially if you're planning flights, it's a good idea to fix them in advance. That way you get low prices and have a plan for where you'll be and when. You can also book bus or ferry tickets on short notice on location, or other ride-sharing options may come up when you're traveling overland.

Have fun on your work and travel trip around the world! :-)