A Christmas that changed me: my life was an adventure holiday – and I just wanted to settle down
It was fun to climb mountains, visit glaciers and slide down volcanoes, until the thought of a house and kids began to seem more exciting
September 2023
Gen-Z Australians are trading gritty gap years for grand tours of Europe’s cultural charisma
The number of young Australians travelling for extended periods is falling, but those that do are increasingly choosing Europe
May 2023
Parents may have the toughest job in the world, but they must let us go travelling
Maddie Thomas
Despite the cliche, going it alone is undoubtedly something that helps you ‘find yourself’ – be it a weekend, a month or a year
December 2022
Considering a gap year? Some questions to ask yourself (and a note for parents)
Narelle Lemon for the Conversation
Fewer Australian students are taking a break after high school – but time out may be just what a young person needs
April 2022
Experience
Experience: a cactus saved my life
‘This is it,’ I thought as I started to roll down the canyon, rapidly picking up speed
June 2021
A gap year for the grounded: 15 ideas for young British adventurers
With Machu Picchu and Koh Samui off limits for now, we pick fun and exciting UK trips for eager backpackers
August 2019
Clearing 2019
‘Orphanage volunteering’ out, no-fly trips in: how to gap year in 2019
Clearing 2019
'Young people mature a lot': why universities see a gap year as an asset
June 2019
Five great Interrail itineraries across Europe
'It was more than a holiday': how Interrailing changed my life
Back on track: my return to Interrailing 30 years on
Interrailing: a guide to prices, passes and planning
September 2018
Travellers' tales: four very different backpacking trips
A young family, a retiree, a career-breaker and a disabled traveller share the highs and lows of long-term travel
Backpacker basics: what to arrange before you travel
When planning a big trip, it is worth getting the boring stuff – flights, insurance, visas, money, jabs – out of the way early
A backpacker’s guide to Georgia: one-month itinerary
Tbilisi buzzes with creativity while Georgia’s mountains are a hiker’s paradise with trails that see few visitors. Explore it all with our guide on where to go, what to see and where to stay
August 2018
You're the expert
Gap year travel: is it better to work at home or abroad?
Our child has deferred going to university and is thinking of working in Australia
Shortcuts
How the gap year became a 'gap month' – and the best ways to spend it
A year abroad between A-levels and university is now a thing of the past. Instead, frugal would-be students are saving up for a life-enhancing month away
Clearing 2018
Need some perspective before university? Take a gap year
Exams, exams, exams ... are you ready for a break? Time volunteering overseas will be a confidence-building adventure
July 2018
Taking a gap year? Here’s what you need to know about money
It’s crucial to read the small print on everything from insurance and cards to your mobile
March 2018
Smaller Earth starts Chinese summer camp jobs initiative
Eight-week stints at two American-style summer camps aim to give young people from the UK the chance to work and travel in China
