Top Resources for a Gap Year

These are the top resources I’ve used in the past for planning and/or during my gap year. These are great travel resources for any trip as well!

Finding Flights:

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Booking flights can be a tricky practice, in regard to finding the cheapest price. Before using any third party booking site, I’d highly recommend booking with airlines directly as they will a lot of times have the same or lower price than third party sites. These sites below are great for finding which airlines to book with:

  • Kayak – My favorite and most used tool for finding flights. Kayak pulls flights from many different travel booking sites across the web, as an aggregator.
  • Momondo – I use this website in tangent with Kayak to compare prices. Like Kayak it is aggregator for flights across the web. Momondo seems to have a bigger focus for European flights, so I use it especially for traveling through that region. Since 2015-2016, when I was planning my gap year, it appears that Momondo was acquired by Kayak. Their interface is now very similar to Kayak, however I have still found some deals on it, so I think it’s worth still using!
  • Skyscanner – Another really good flight aggregator.
  • Kiwi.com – This is a third party booking website, like Expedia or Orbitz, for example. With my personal experience with them, they sometimes have some really good deals.

Accommodations/Lodging:

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  • Kayak – This search aggregator like Google will find listings of accommodations from multiple websites and databases in one place.
  • Booking.com – This site is one of my favorites for booking both hotels, hostels and everything in between. Their selection is pretty comprehensive and what I like is they allow you to reserve rooms a lot of times with free cancellation options, in case plans may change.
  • Hostelworld.com – As the name implies, this site is focused on hostel listings. Their listings are sometimes more comprehensive compared to Booking. From my experience, I have found that their prices can sometimes be higher than Booking and other accommodation sites.
  • Agoda – I used Agoda primarily when I was traveling through Asia as they appear to have dominance there, but they do have accommodation listings for Europe and other parts of the world too.
  • Airbnb – This allows you to rent a room or entire apartment or home from locals in an area. Prices are lot of times more budget friendly compared to hotels and hostels.
  • Couchsurfing – Meet locals to host you in their home in the city you’re traveling to (for free). Their mobile app allows you to meet other travelers nearby to hang out or for local Couchsurfing events.

Free Camping Across USA and Canada:

If you enjoy camping, there are many countries that allow dispersed (free) camping. This allowed me to keep my costs super low during my road trip I took during my gap year. I used these two sites primarily to find free campsites around the United States and Canada:

Volunteering Options Abroad:

Lodging and accommodations can be one of the greatest expenses one will experience on the road traveling. Volunteering abroad can reduce or even eliminate those expenses. Hosts will even sometimes provide meal(s) as well. Some examples can include working on a farm or hostel for short period of time, generally from 2 weeks up to a few months. I’d encourage anyone who wishes to extend their budget further to consider these options:

  • Workaway – This far by the largest listing site of hosts and volunteers all across the world. Workaway doesn’t arrange volunteer assignments, it is only a system used for volunteers and hosts to send messages and connect. I have only used Workaway.
  • HelpX – Similar to Workaway, in which it connects potential hosts and volunteers around the world. I haven’t personally used this website.

Money:

  • XE Currency App – I use this app constantly to convert a local currency amount to what it would cost in US Dollars. You can choose which currency you want to use, based off where you’re going. (Apple iOS) (Android)
  • Charles Schwab Bank – ATM withdrawal fees can add up and get expensive over time, especially if you’re traveling to multiple countries at once. The Schwab ATM fee is the best one out there in my opinion. As of this writing, their ATM card has unlimited withdrawals at any ATM worldwide! This is a must-have for any US traveler! Note: This is a resource specifically for United States citizens.

Passport/Visa Information:

  • US Department of State Website – Before I take any travels overseas, I always check the State Department website. It will allow you to review any visa requirements and potential immunizations required by a country for entry. The website includes any travel warnings and/or restrictions with each country. This website is also essential if you’re looking to get your passport for the first time or if you’re renewing your current one. Note: This is a resource specifically for United States citizens.
  • STEP (Smart Traveler Enrollment Program) – This page is an extension of the State Department’s website. This allows US Citizens to register their trip with the State Department, which will send them alerts of any safety issues in the countries you’re traveling to. It will allow all the Embassy to contact you for further steps in an emergency. I always register my trips with the State Department, because it’s another layer of protection when I’m traveling. Note: This is a resource specifically for United States citizens.

Immunizations:

  • CDC “Find a Clinic” Page – This US government website provides great resources on where to obtain the potential immunizations required for the countries you’re traveling to. Note: This is a resource specifically for United States citizens.

Foreign Languages:

  • Google Translate – This tool is absolutely amazing to use to communicate with locals when you don’t know words or phrases of a language. What’s really handy is you can download language packs so you can use offline! I use this tool daily while traveling in foreign countries where I don’t speak the language and have found it invaluable. (Apple iOS) (Android)
  • Duolingo – This app is great for learning phrases and common words prior to traveling to a new country. I also use it to improve and refine my Spanish vocabulary. What is even better, it is free! (Apple iOS) (Android)

Maps/Navigation Tools:

  • Google Maps – This is my top tool and has helped me many times in getting me to where I need to go. Google gives you the best routes to get to a place, whether it be by car, public transit, biking or by walking. It is preferable to have mobile data in your respective country with this app, however this app does allow downloading maps for offline use. (Apple iOS) (Android)
  • Maps.me – I love this app as it allows you to download offline maps for the region you’re going to visit. I still prefer Google Maps, but I have used this app quite frequently as well. This app will sometimes have hiking/walking trails and local attractions pre-loaded, which I really like. (Apple iOS) (Android)
  • Rome2Rio – This is a great website/app for finding the best route from one point to another and what means to get there (e.g. bus, ferry, train, etc.). This app was especially helpful for me when I was in Eastern Europe, where finding reliable public transit can be challenging at times.
  • Wikitravel – Like Wikipedia, this is a site that people write in comprehensive detail about a city and countries (e.g. history, top places to see, dangers, etc.). I use this website every time before I go into a new country or city.

Communication While Abroad:

  • WhatsApp – This app has been invaluable for allowing me to keep in touch with family and friend while overseas. It works like a phone using your phone number to make free calls and texts over wifi. It’s so easy that even my (technically challenged) parents can use it! (Apple iOS) (Android)
  • Facebook Messenger – It more commonly goes by “Messenger.” This app works great to keep in touch with friends on Facebook. (Apple iOS) (Android)

My favorite travel blogs:

These blogs provided me lots of encouragement and resources when I was planning my gap year and still to this day:

  • Nomadic Matt – Matt Kepnes, in my opinion is one of the pioneers of travel blogging, especially for those wanting to take a gap year! His website, “Nomadic Matt” has a wealth of information for any type of traveler, including those on a budget! I’ve learned so much from Matt over the years.
  • Traveling Jackie – Jackie Nourse has been one of the other top travel bloggers I’ve been following for years. I started following her back in 2014, by pure lucky chance, when I found her podcast on the Apple Store and blog, “The Budget Minded Traveler,” now known as the “JUMP” podcast. On all her mediums, she provides clear, concise tips and tricks to help you make your travels better, meanwhile providing constant encouragement to get out of your comfort zone and explore the world! Not only that, but she is authentic travel bloggers in my opinion. She speaks on other topics related to travel: such as solo travel, environmentalism, empowering female travelers and much more.
  • Solo Traveler Blog – Looking to travel solo on your gap year? You’re not the only one! This website provides tips and encouragement for planing and taking your travels on your own.

Other gap year and travel resources:

There are many other great websites out there providing additional resources. I’d encourage you’d to check out other websites’ lists:

Last Updated: 9/2020. This page is for informational and entertainment purposes only. By using these resources, you are doing so at your own risk, and the website owner is not responsible for the outcome or results.