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How To Travel For 3 Months: Best 12 Steps

How to travel for 3 Months! Traveling for three months will be a lot of fun, but it will also require a good amount of research and planning. You’ll need to do some research about what you want to do when you get there and how much money it will cost.

If you’re considering a long-term vacation, but have been put off by the thought of carrying around heavy bags and booking flights on different airlines for months at a time, then this article is just for you.

In it, we’ll cover how to plan a 3-month trip so that you can travel as light as possible and spend as little time as possible checking in with the airline.

How To Travel For 3 Months

Traveling for 3 months may seem daunting, but it is not difficult at all if you start traveling on a planned basis.

To set your schedule and avoid needing to check in with your airline’s baggage service, you should start accumulating air miles by making purchases on the frequent flyer program at least two months in advance of your trip.

You should also consider consulting with a travel insurance company for coverage against delays of a minimum length, delays on airport services, and other unexpected expenses.

Fluent in 3 Months

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By following the steps below, you should be able to travel for 3 months and not need to check in with the airline for any reason.

Step 1: Plan Your Trip

If you want to travel somewhere, you have to plan the trip first. Proper travel planning can give you the joy of a thrilling journey. It can also save you from the hassle and stress of being unprepared.

Travel planning includes a lot of things. You need to decide when to go and how long you will be staying at each destination. You have to choose an airline, a budget travel site, suitable accommodation, and transportation means.

Planning is essential for any vacation, especially if you want to travel for three months with just one single bag.

Step 2: Build Your Pack

Build your pack by looking over the list of things you’ll need while traveling .

Remember that while you’ll be able to do laundry in a hotel room, you won’t have access to a workspace, so it’s best to keep things simple.

Limit everything to one backpack and one carry-on bag. Your backpack should include everything you’ll need for day-to-day activities.

Step 3: Travel Insurance

Travel insurance is probably the most important thing to purchase before you embark on your trip. It can protect you if you’re delayed or unable to disembark from a flight due to weather conditions or a mechanical delay.

In the United States, travel insurance is also necessary for any trip that will last longer than 90 days, so it’s something that everyone needs anyway. We recommend World Nomads Travel Insurance.

They’ll provide you with an accurate quote after asking about your itinerary and include cancellation coverage, which many other companies won’t.

Step 4: Pick A Destination

You need to choose the place of travel according to your choice. When choosing a place to travel, you will select the type according to what kind of place you like to visit and what weather you want.

Choosing a destination that is not suitable for you may cause your mood to drop, so choose with care.

Step 5: Learn The Language Of Your Destination Country

It’s also a good idea to learn some basic language skills so that you can interact with the local people while traveling.

If you’re traveling to a foreign country on your own, it’s a good idea to do this before leaving.

You can pick up helpful language lessons in our free guide on travel.

Step 6: Get A Local SIM Card

To get a SIM card for your destination, you’ll likely have to go to a local mobile provider and sign up for an account. To save time, you can book directly with the local provider by going over to the contact page of their website and sending them an email.

It’s best to send it from the email address that you use for booking flights on Skyscanner so that they know who’s sending the request.

Fisher-Price On-the-Go Baby Dome

Step 7: Enquire About Flights

You will have to check with the airline about the flight schedule and decide where you will go. You should check with the airline as far in advance as possible.

Because you may still be waiting for your bag when you’re supposed to depart, it’s best to make sure that you can travel on time.

Step 8: Check-In

You will be able to check into your hotel early, but don’t forget that you’ll need to get a boarding pass and an ID card before boarding so that they can match your baggage with your name.

Step 9: Book Accommodations

You’ll want to book your accommodations as far in advance as possible. This allows you to save money on hotel reservations, but it’s also an excellent way to ensure that you’re not sharing rooms with any other travelers.

If you can’t find a place you like, you can always check out some AirBnB rentals. To make a booking, go over to Airbnb and fill out their booking form by entering the dates your stay will take place and providing them with your desired accommodation details.

Step 10: Research Visa Requirements For Entry Into Your Destination Country

If you’re planning on staying in another country for 3 months, then you’ll want to check their visa requirements. You may need to apply for a work visa, which can be expensive and time-consuming.

To save some money, it’s best to book a flight that will take you over the border so that you can avoid having to return home and then make another journey before coming back into the country again.

Step 11: Make Sure To Have Plenty Of Money For Food, Transportation, And Lodging

While you’re away from home, you’ll need to make sure that your food and lodging expenses are covered. Read our guide on how to save money while traveling and how to budget on the road.

Step 12: Be Aware Of Your Surroundings

While you may be visiting a new country, it’s not likely that you’ll be traveling in an unfamiliar location. You may think that this means that nothing wrong could happen to you, but there are plenty of random events that could happen to you while traveling.

If you’re not paying attention to your surroundings, then something unexpected could catch you off guard and cause harm to come your way.

How Much Does It Cost To Travel For 3 Months?

The cost of your trip may vary depending on your destination. When you consider the cost of flights, accommodations, food, and transportation, the average trip will cost around $500-$1000 per month.

The more you plan to travel. The more likely your expenses will be a bit higher than this.

If you want to keep your costs low, you should stay in budget accommodations, take local transportation, eat at inexpensive restaurants, or cook your meals.

How To Earn 3 Months Travel Time?

It takes a lot of money to travel. Because traveling can cost you a lot of unplanned money. So you need to know the alternative sources of income. Below:

1. Freelancing

If you have any outstanding skills, like graphic design or website development, you can use them to earn income during your travels. There are plenty of freelancer websites like Fiverr that allow you to list your services and help you get clients.

This will allow you to earn a little money in your spare time.

hiccapop Omniboost Travel Booster Seat with Tray for Baby

2. Teaching A Foreign Language

If you’re willing to teach a different language than English, then this can also help you earn income in your travels. There are plenty of language schools around the world. You’ll have to find them.

3. Working In The Hospitality Industry

If you don’t mind getting your hands dirty and you like working with food, you may be able to find an opportunity to work in a hotel or even start your own business.

This will allow you to make money while staying in a different place. You can learn more by reading our free guide on starting your own business.

4. Find An Extra Job At Night

Working as a bartender or waiter is another way to make some money during your travels . You’ll have to work evenings and weekends, but it’s an excellent way to earn a little extra cash.

Before you leave, be sure to make a list of all of the things you will need and ask yourself if you’re willing to spend time and money on these items. If not, you may consider staying at home until your trip is complete.

You have enough time to save up for your travels before you leave so that it’s not a massive issue for you. In those situations, it may be best for you to take a part-time job to earn some extra income during your travels.

You should think twice before going on a long trip. Long journeys can lead to accidents, so be careful.

If you have any questions about how to travel for 3 months, please leave us a comment below!

Make your trip safe and enjoyable!

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How Much Does 3 Months in Europe Cost: A Complete Budget Breakdown

Here at The Jet Lag Journey, we love travel transparency. When we first started researching travel, it was very difficult to understand how much money we needed to go from occasionally taking a 10 day vacation, to really making this a lifestyle. We spent the summer of 2023 traveling through Europe to 14 countries and want to share exactly how much a trip like this costs! In this post, we will give a full budget breakdown on how much money we spent while traveling Europe for 3 months.

Why we chose to spend your summer in Europe

Over the last few years, we have intentionally restructured our life to have location freedom with work. We spent all of 2022 basically as professional wedding guests. We attended 12 weddings in one year! That meant that all of our time and money was going towards travel for these events. While we love our friends and cherish the time we spent celebrating their love, we were ready to take a trip that was for us. Even though we had taken many trips in the last few years since our original 6 month backpacking trip in 2019, we were ready to be on the road again for an extended time.

Europe is truly our favorite place in the world. Fingers crossed, one day we will be European citizens and actually move there, but for now we are limited to our 90 days in the schengen region in a 180 day period. Even though we had already been all over Europe, there were still tons of new destinations on our bucket list. There are also cities that we will always love and wanted to experience living there for more than a few days.

Where we went on our 3 month trip around Europe

It is always difficult to choose where to go when planning long-term travel. You’d be surprised how quickly the calendar fills up and you still don’t have everything you want to do on the list! Our Europe summer 2023 was a mix of traveling to new destinations and living in places that we already knew loved.

We’ll be honest, this itinerary was jam packed. Even with a decent amount of extended stays, we oftentimes still felt rushed and exhausted. It is difficult to maintain work-life balance when you are also trying to enjoy traveling full time! When we do this again, we will likely travel at a slower pace.

Read our detailed guide on how to plan long-term travel for more trip planning information!

Europe summer 2023 Itinerary:

• Lake Bled, Slovenia
• Split, Croatia
• Annecy, France
• Lausanne, Switzerland
• Thun, Switzerland
• Cagliari, Sardinia
• Valletta, Malta
• Stockholm, Sweden
• Copenhagen, Denmark
• Cork, Ireland
• Edinburgh, UK
• Malaga, Spain
• Marrakech, Morocco
• Mallorca, Spain
• Porto, Portugal
• Madeira, Portugal
• Lisbon, Portugal

How much did we spend over 3 months in Europe?

It doesn’t matter if you are a solo traveler or traveling with a partner, you’ll be able to understand this budget breakdown for either! Since we are two people, we combine the expenses, but we will also list totals as cost per person.

So…how much money did we spend in Europe for three months? Here’s a detailed breakdown by category!

So, there you have it – it cost us each slightly over $10,000 to spend three months in Europe . Let me be very clear here, you do not need $10,000 to spend three months in Europe. In fact, we go into more detail about how we did a 6 month trip around the world in 2019 for almost the same amount of money! When we did that trip in 2019 though, we did not have jobs. We had fully quit our jobs to travel. This summer we were both working full time as digital nomads, so we were able to travel on a bit higher of a budget since we had income while traveling, not just tearing through our savings.

No matter what your budget is, we believe that there are always ways to be smart with your money while traveling with out sacrificing your experience. Read 40 ways to travel cheaper here!

Below we talk through each budget category in more detail.

Budget Category Descriptions

Housing budget

The housing category is exactly what it sounds like – it’s how much it cost TOTAL for accommodations all summer. Our budget goal for housing for the summer in Europe was an average of $100/night. Guess what – we were in Europe for 87 days total so we ended up under budget at $94/night average!

When we did our 6 month trip around the world in 2019, our housing budget was only $40 a night. This is the biggest factor in why that overall trip cost was much lower than our 2023 Europe summer.

An important thing to note here is that we set this as an average cost per night. There were some cities like Copenhagen, where there are simply no adequate housing options for less than $180 a night. There are also some cities like Malaga, Spain where we found a great Airbnb for $70 a night. We also stayed for free with friends both in London and Ireland. The point is that the budget we set was meant to be an average! As long as it ends up on track in the end, not every city is the same with what value you will get with your budget.

As digital nomads, we stayed mostly in Airbnbs this summer. It was essential for us to have our own kitchen, a comfortable bed and good wifi. Be sure to thoroughly read reviews before booking any housing during extended travel!

Transportation budget

Transportation includes more than just our flights, we included any form of transportation in this category. That means taxis, trains, ferries, public buses and anything else that we paid for to get from point A to point B that wasn’t our own two feet.

One call out here is that we booked our trans-Atlantic flights with credit card points. Those flights are typically a large transportation expense when someone is planning a trip to Europe!

Pro-tip: When booking flights in Europe (and in general), make sure to read the fine print on the airline’s luggage policy. If you end up needing to gate check a bag or your carry-on does not fit, you can get hit with an unexpected large fine. Even as experienced travelers, we got hit with an unexpected $150 charge each when flying home on TapAir Portugal. The weight for the carry-on bag was insanely low and they were weighing everyone’s bags at the gate. Have a gameplan for your bags before you show up to the airport!

Use code JLJ10 for 10% off all eSIM purchases.

Grocery budget

The grocery category includes anything that we bought from a supermarket or convenience store. Since we were traveling for three months, we cooked many meals ourselves. It would be impossible to eat at restaurants the amount that you would on a one week Europe trip. We also love to cook meals any chance we can during long-term travel!

The cost of groceries in Europe varies by country. For example in Switzerland, even though groceries are the cheapest option for meals, it is still drastically more expensive than grocery shopping in Italy. No matter though, grocery shopping will be your cheapest option when traveling on a budget.

Restaurant budget

Ok so here’s the deal, we are not the biggest foodies in the world. With that said, we love to eat out when we can, especially in Europe! We also always look for the best bang for our buck. We will not dine at a fancy restaurant just because it is the top recommended place on Google. Seth is an expert at digging through google maps and finding local spots with the best deals.

Like stated before, long-term travel is very different from taking a week-long holiday. We typically only eat at restaurants while traveling 2-3 times a week at most and will try one local establishment in each city. Overall, European dining is typically much cheaper than in the United States. You can get a full meal with wine in countries like Portugal, Spain or Italy for less than $20 a person. Of course, countries like Sweden, Denmark and Switzerland will take your entire bank account if you dine out too much!

Bar and pub budget

To some it may seem strange that we have bars and restaurants as their own categories, but we’ll be honest with you all, we enjoy a good party! Bar hopping is one of our favorite ways to dive into a new city and embrace the local culture. We have days and nights where we may not eat out, but we will find a great happy hour deal or simply have a night out with other travelers.

The bar and restaurant budget categories are where things can get very personal as a traveler. If you love to try missiline star restaurants and drink martinis while traveling, you may need to budget much more for these categories. Our favorite drink is the cheapest beer in town, so it is possible this number is actually much lower than it could have compared to someone who may not be as conscious about how much each drink costs.

We didn’t have an exact budget in mind for how much we planned to spend at bars all summer in Europe (because who could really plan that), but we will say that we did our best to always look for the best deals in town and stick to the cheaper drinks on the menu. That’s an accomplishment in itself!

Activity budget

The activities portion of the budget is reserviced for typical touristy things that you would do in a new city. Examples of this include castle entry fees, museums, funiculars to viewpoints, and things like that!

We do not set a limit on this budget because we do not always know in advance which activities we will want to do, but we try our best to stick to things we are really excited about. We will not enter a museum or tour a building that we are not eager to see. These types of expenses can add up if you are not cautious!

Our daily travel budget

If you know us personally at all, then you know that Seth is a budget guru. He is an expert at setting and making sure we stick to our daily budget! As long-term travelers, sticking to a budget is essential to making sure we can maintain this lifestyle. If you are traveling for 1-2 weeks, it is easy to convince yourself that you do not need to worry about your expenses. That is 100% not the case when travel is your lifestyle.

The easiest way to break down the budget is with a daily average. We do not include major transportation or housing in our daily budget because we view those as overall trip expenses. It is too complicated to add those into the day-to-day expenses. Our daily budget was $100 or $50/person average over the entire trip . It is important to keep in mind that this is an average number. There were some days that we spent $0 and some that we spent over $200 depending on what was the plan for the day!

We ended the summer at an average of $91 per day total or $45 per person/day without including housing or major transportation costs. This average was under budget – yay!

To further help you envision a travel budget (and give some travel inspo!), we put together this budget spreadsheet freebee to go along with this post. This spreadsheet will be helpful if you are more of a visual learner and want to see a detailed breakdown by destination.

How to manage your travel budget

Team JLJ over here loves a travel budget! We totally understand that setting a budget and sticking to it is not everyone’s area of expertise. The truth about budgeting is that it is a muscle that needs to be strengthened. The more you do it, the better you will get at sticking to it!

Our best recommendation for sticking to your budget is to download an app that tracks everything you spend on the go. There are tons of apps like this out there, but our favorite app that we used this summer is TravelSpend . It feels odd at first to enter each expense, but after a few days it will just become second nature. This is the best way to track your spending while traveling!

We also love this app because it stores all of the details we need for recommendations! Someone asks where our favorite dinner was in Porto, Portugal? No problem! We can easily look back to where we went and how much it cost.

There are a lot of factors that go into establishing your own personal travel budget. We go into all of the details in our post about how to make a travel budget.

Why you should plan your own summer in Europe

The truth is that there is no bad time to travel to Europe, but the summer in Europe is truly incredible. While it is peak tourist season, it is also the best weather for beachy destinations. If you prefer to go in the off-seasons, we recommend traveling in the spring or fall when it will be less crowded but still mild temperatures.

Get inspired with this Europe bucket list to start planning your own adventure today!

Our goal with this post was to provide some clarity if you are planning your own extended Europe trip. We always do our best to be transparent with travel costs and expenses because we understand how overwhelming it is when you want to travel, but don’t have a concept of how much money you will need!

If this post resonated at all, leave or comment or rea c h out to us with any thoughts or questions. We always love to connect and help other adventures accomplish their travel goals!

Happy traveling! XX Maddy & Seth

Hi friends! Welcome to The Jet Lag Journey.

This is an online destination that tackles difficult travel questions in order to make worldwide travel practical and accessible. Happy exploring!

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If we had 3 months in Europe this is where we would go! [3 Month Itinerary]

Europe how we love you! If you’re reading this, you’re likely considering a longer Europe adventure, and we are so happy for you! After completing 6 months full time travel in Europe, and multiple other trips to various regions in the continent, we are uniquely qualified to give a little advice, and a few suggestions! We urge you to do lots of research, including reading blogs like ours, before you start planning you adventures. Take a look below at some recommendations, where we would head if we visited Europe for 3 months, and a few proposed itineraries for you to check out!

A few things to consider when travelling for 3 months (or more)

3 months isn’t as long as you think.. don’t try and fit everything in! Yes, 3 months seems like a lot, and it is! However, Europe is enormous, and despite the temptation of trying to tick off every one of your ideal destinations, we urge you to slow it down a little and re-assess. We travelled Europe for 6 months, and despite visiting 25 countries, we didn’t even get close to seeing everything, or ticking off all places we were keen to visit (Malta we will return for you!). Therefore, we urge you to pick your standouts, work out where you definitely want to visit, and spend some time in these locations.

Fast & Slow travel: Leading on from the last point, some destinations you may skip through quicker, but definitely we urge you to slow down in others. Not only will this help you refresh and enjoy it more, you physically cant keep going country-to-country every few days. We put a little piece together on Slow vs Fast travel if you want to read a little more on this area.

Head to a variety of different locations . Don’t spend your entire 3 months in big cities. However, spending the whole trip on the beach is likely too much as well. We would recommend striking a balance. Definitely include some big cities full of history, culture and good food (see our favourites below). We also strongly encourage you to check out the smaller towns as the often give a more authentic and often picturesque experience. And depending on your preferences, head out into nature, whether it be beachside, or hiking, or lakeside. There’s so much in Europe and we recommend you sample a complete range!

Step away from the conventional tourist paths for awhile. The ‘big ticket items’ (e.g. Italy, France etc) are popular for a reason, they are often spectacular. However, underrated countries and destinations are often just as impressive, and come with far less cost and fewer tourists. We definitely think it’s worth considering.

Do lots of research! Well done, you’re already on the way with this point by reading this blog! There’s so much great information out there, and the more you research the better you can plan your dream 3 month trip!

Where we would travel if we were heading to Europe for 3 months

If we were in your shoes, planning a dream 3+ month holiday, these are some of the countries and regions we would lock straight into our travel itinerary.

It’s a no-brainer. Italy is one of the best countries in all of Europe (and the world) to visit! Filled with amazing food, stunning big cities, so many inland and coastal towns, and lots of impressive beaches. Despite the popularity, there’s still many places to see that are a little away from the busy crowds. Don’t think twice, plan to head to Italy. Breaking down where to visit in Italy becomes a little more of a challenge. To give you some inspiration, we urge you to consider the following locations:

• Puglia: see why we loved this underrated coastal region!
• Tuscany: see our road trip through this amazing region!

The stunning country of Croatia is a true gem and definitely somewhere you should look to visit, especially during warmer summer months and shoulder seasons! Boasting some of the best beaches in the world, a crazy amount of incredible islands to explore, and lots of wonderful seaside towns, Croatia is a must visit! See some of the locations in Croatia that we loved!

• Croatian Islands: our favourite island is Vis!
• Makarska: this beachside town is bursting with reasons to visit!
• Dubrovnik: despite the tourist ‘hype’, it’s worth visiting!

Switzerland:

Ah Switzerland, your beauty is boundless! Our visit to this stunning country was punctuated with family moments (Tess’s Swiss-Italian family), incredible views, great hikes and cute towns to explore. We urge you to visit the many mountainous and lake regions, where postcard views will be at every turn. Don’t miss:

• Jungfrau: see our guide to the region!
• Oeschinensee: one of the most beautiful natural regions we have ever seen!

Portugal may well be our favourite country in Europe, or at least a close second to Italy. We loved the cities, beaches and smaller towns, but even more so enjoy the positive and welcoming nature of the locals. The food was excellent, and there was so, so much to see and do. If you’re heading to Europe, definitely consider Portugal on your ‘hit list’ of places to check out. We urge you to visit:

• Lisbon: our pick of things to do in Lisbon!
• Porto: our snapshot of Porto!
• Algarve: the impressive Portuguese beachside region

The Balkans:

This region in the central-east of Europe is truly a hidden gem filled with so many amazing places to explore. While Croatia (listed above) is part of the Balkans, there are many more amazing countries like Slovenia, Albania, Montenegro, Bosnia, Romania and more! You could easily spend a month or 2 just in this region, so we’d strongly urge you to consider adding the Balkans into your Europe trip. Take a look at our guide to the Balkans here.

And don’t miss..

There’s so many more amazing locations which we will include below, including cities like Copenhagen, Prague, Budapest and Edinburgh, along with amazing small towns and regions like south of France, Lake Bled, Albanian Riviera and more!

3 month Europe travel itineraries:

The planning is always a strange mix of extreme excitement and wanderlust, mixed with stress and ‘fear of missing out’. However, as discussed above, we urge you to not try and ‘fit everything in’, and choose a few key areas and regions to visit! Additionally, we also recommend a mix of coastal, big cities and smaller towns/regions. We have put together a few sample itineraries that we think cover off all the regions we love, and give you a wonderful mix of different locations. These can be copied exactly, but are more designed to give you inspiration for you 3 month travel planning.

Option 1: Switzerland, Italy & the Balkans

This itinerary covers of so many of our favourite places, particularly Switzerland, Italy and the Balkans! Start in the Swiss capital of Zurich , make your way down to the stunning Jungfrau region , before heading to one of our favourite countries, Italy ! Spend up to a month in Italy covering off Tuscany, Rome, Puglia and Venice, before a pit stop in Lake Bled on the way to another of our favourite countries, Croatia ! Head along the coast, to some of the islands, and a pit stop to Mostar on your way to Dubrovnik . After Dubrovnik, don’t miss Kotor in Montenegro, before flying across to check out the booming Albanian Riviera. Head further off the tourist path with Lake Ohrid, Sofia, and Transylvania (Romania). Finish your amazing trip visiting 2 of our top big cities in Budapest and Prague !

• Switzerland: 1-2 weeks
• Italy 3-4 weeks
• Lake Bled 3 days
• Croatia 2-3 weeks
• Mostar 1-2 days
• Kotor 3-4 days
• Albanian Riviera 7 days
• Lake Ohrid 3-5 days
• Skopje 1 day
• Sofia 2 days
• Romania 5-7 days
• Budapest 2-3 days
• Prague 2-4 days

Option 2: Portugal, Spain, Sth France, Italy & Croatia

This is another amazing option to visit some of our few favourite European locations, including Portugal, southern Spain and France, Switzerland, Lake Bled and Sicily! Start you travels in one of the best countries around, Portugal ! Work down from Porto, Lisbon and the Algarve, before heading to the Andalusian region of Spain . A pit stop in Barcelona takes you through to the beautiful south of France . Don’t miss Avignon and Gordes! Head across to the Jungfrau region of Switzerland, and then make your way to northern Italy. We recommended Lake Garda over Como, and pit stop in Venice before stopping at the gorgeous Lake Bled ! Head down to the underrated Sicily in Italy to finish you adventures with great food, beaches and culture!

• Portugal: 1-2 weeks
• South Spain: 1 week
• Barcelona: 3 days
• South France: 1 week
• Switzerland: 1 week
• Northern Italy: 1 week
• Lake Bled: 2-3 days
• Southern Italy: 1-2 weeks

Option 3: Northern Europe

Start in one of our favourite cities in Europe, Edinburgh . Spend at least 3 days here, and try to get up to the Scottish Highlands if you can. Make your way down to London stopping at the historic towns of York and Cambridge. London has so much to offer, but could easily be sampled in a few days, or spend a longer timeframe and see so much more. Catch a train from London to Brussels , then check out some of the other smaller Belgian towns, with Bruges top of our list. Make your up to Leiden which we consider a ‘mini Amsterdam’ and is a great base to stay and visit the nearby Amsterdam . From the Netherlands, make your up to Copenhagen stopping a few times in Northern Germany . When at Copenhage n, stay at least 3 days in one of our favourite cities in Europe! Consider day trips the the Swiss town of Malmo by train (approximately 45minutes) or the fishing village of Hornbaek (1-2 hours via train). Tick off some of the top big cities in Europe with Berlin, Prague and Munich before slowing down a bit in the Jungfrau Region and lake region of Switzerland. We then encourage you to either finish your trip in 2 of our favourite countries, Italy or Croatia !

• Edinburgh: 3-4 days
• Scottish Highlands: 2-3 days
• York: 1-2 days
• Cambridge: 1-2 days
• London: 3-7 days
• Brussels: 2 days
• Bruges: 1-2 days
• Leiden: 1-2 days (or stay here for Amsterdam)
• Amsterdam: 1-3 days (pending if you stay Leiden or Amsterdam)
• Dusseldorf/Dortmund: 1-4 days
• Hamburg: 1-3 days
• Copenhagen: 3-5 days
• Hornbaek: 1-2 days (or day trip)
• Malmo: 1 day (or day trip)
• Berlin: 2-4 days
• Prague: 2-4 days
• Munich: 2-4 days
• Choose Italy or Croatia to finish your trip for 1-2 weeks

These are only example travel itineraries put together to spark inspiration and excitement! We have visited most of these locations, and have literally 100s of guides available on our blog. We have also put together some recommendations to help you travel. A few top options include our complete Europe Travel Guide and our Favourite Accommodation in Europe !

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WANT TO SEE MORE food recommendations & TRAVEL MEMORIES?

The best accommodation from our travels (so far)

Our Europe travel guide for 2023

Our guide to the Best Coffee’s in Europe!

See more posts and content about food from our travels!

Check out further highlights from our time in the Europe! Take a look!

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How to Pack for 3 Months

Home » Blog » Travel Planning » How to Pack for 3 Months

A sweet send-off note from our friends

How do you pack a backpack for three months, you might ask?

A few people have asked us this question recently, so I searched my computer and found this packing list I made the week before we left for South America.

(And although this post feels long overdue, I decided to put it up anyway since it was all typed up and ready to go!)

Now, I am not in any way saying that we are experts in the area of packing. But we do have our go-to packing list for long term travel (probably more updated than this one). 

We probably could have gotten away with far less than what we brought. But we also could have packed much more… Roller suitcase, anyone? 

We can say, though, that we felt prepared for just about every situation we encountered. Plus, we were both pretty proud that we were able to carry everything on our backs, with room to spare – thanks in part to our amazing, magical packing cubes.

These pictures say it all:

Katie’s clothes before…

…and all squashed down in the packing cubes! Yes, this is ALL OF MY CLOTHES!

Ben’s Clothes before…

… and all squished down!

Oh, and don’t forget food! We brought some dried fruit, trail mix, beef jerky and Cliff bars… which lasted all of four days…

So that’s everything! It all fit in two big backpacks and two day packs!

Our Packing List

Our tried and true packs ( 65 liter High Sierra backpack – Ben; 60+10 L Deuter backpack – Katie)

2 small day packs

8 Eagle Creek Packing Cubes . Best. Invention. Ever. (Just check out those pictures!)

7 basic tanks (This was too many! They packed up super small, so it wasn’t too big of a deal but next time I would bring less.)

1 dressy tank top

2 athletic tank tops

1 long sleeve “nice-ish” shirt

1 long sleeve athletic shirt

1 zip-up hoodie

1 lightweight dress

1 pair yoga pants

1 pair leggings

1 pair lightweight trekking pants

1 pair Nike leggings

1 pair jean shorts

2 pairs athletic shorts

1 pair jeans

1 short skirt

1 long skirt

Undergarments:

12 pairs of underwear

3 lightweight socks

2 wool socks

3 sports bras

2 regular bras

2 swim suits

Hiking Boots

Lightweight sneakers

Comfy flats

Shower sandals

Columbia Omniheat Shell Jacket

Accessories:

3 pairs of earrings

2 necklaces

2 headbands

Toiletries:

Shampoo & conditioner

Bar of soap

Facial wipes

Collapsible toothbrush

Dental floss

Razor and extra blade

Hand sanitizer

Nail clippers

Small mirror

Hair elastics

Collapsible travel hair brush

Small solid perfume

A couple makeup items: waterproof mascara, chapstick, etc.

3 tank tops

1 long sleeve shirt

1 quarter zip long sleeve

Pants/Shorts:

1 athletic shorts

1 pair of khaki shorts

1 pair of jeans

1 pair of hiking pants

10 boxer/briefs

4 light socks

1 swim suit

Hiking boots

Pair of Vans

Raincoat – Later stolen 🙁

Columbia Shell Jacket

Electric trimmer

Electronics:

Asus Q200E Laptop (11”)

GoPro Hero 3 and accessories

Canon Powershot Point and Shoot

2 Kindle Paperwhite

iPod (Ben’s ancient one, so old it has a wheel… Remember those?!)

2 pair of headphones each

Chargers for all

Diamox (for altitude sickness) – never used this

Dramamine (for motion sickness) – never used this

PSI bands (these plastic bands are worn on pressure points on your wrist to alleviate motion sickness)

Stoppers and Goers (if you don’t know what that is, look it up) – never used this

Antibiotics

First Aid Kit (Super compact kit from REI that has EVERYTHING we could possibly need. And more.)

Important Documents:

Extra passport photos

Vaccination documentation (we got the vaccination for Yellow Fever and Typhoid)

Credit cards

Copies of all documents saved in “the cloud”

Don’t forget vaccinations!

“Luxury” Items:

Collapsible cups

Bottle opener

ENO Hammock (this was one of our favorite wedding presents! Although we only used it a couple times, it was amazing!)

SteriPen (Sterilizes 1 liter of water in 90 seconds using UV light. This was one of the best purchases we made before our trip. We saved tons of money because we rarely had to buy bottled water!)

2 Headlamps – later stolen 🙁

2 REI super absorbent travel towels

Mini lantern

2 large combination locks

2 small combination locks

4 carabineers

Deck of playing card

Spanish Phrase Book

2 Notebooks and pens

Non-Packable Items:

Amazon Cloud account – This is where we backed up all our pictures and important documents

Traveler’s Insurance – for roughly $70, we were both covered for three months with traveler’s insurance. Although we would really only be able to use it during emergency situations, it made us feel better knowing we would be covered if something went terribly wrong. Plus, when we had a few things stolen, our insurance reimbursed us for some of the cost.

You might also like…

Ultimate Packing List For Long Term Travel

Practical Travel Gear Gift Guide

How to Look Your Best While Traveling

Perfect Everest Base Camp Packing List

Packing for a long term travel? Save this to Pinterest!

We want to hear from you!

Did we forget anything? Do you still have questions? Comment below and we’ll do our best to get back to you!

Comments (10) on “ How to Pack for 3 Months ”

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Hey there, love your blog. I will be going to Bolivia this summer, and my main concern is transportation as everything is very far away from each other. Would you recommend taking busses or air travel? I want to visit La paz, Cochabamba, Potosi, Uyuni, Sucre, and of course the amazon. Thank you so much!!!

Hi there, Bolivia is a great destination! We did a bit of everything when it comes to transportation.

To Uyuni, most people take a bus. It is about 10 hours, and I believe most run at night. We had heard of some people going through sketchy companies and having nightmarish trips, so we went through Todo Turismo (known as the most reputable bus service). We booked our seats at their office in La Paz 2 days prior to departure I believe (they do book up fully so you’ll want to go a couple days in advance). We had a flawless journey with them, but I do remember it being on the more expensive side (around $30 per person) but I guess you get what you pay for!

As for getting to Rurrenabaque in the Amazon, I would definitely recommend flying at least one way, especially if you are pressed for time. The planes are tiny and a the airport is a little sketchy, but an adventure! Plus, the bus journey there is around 24 hours and our friends had a crazy experience (one of them had to sit on the floor of the bus for the entire journey next to chickens). I believe our flight was around $45 and took 45 minutes.

Other than the Amazon though, most people we met seemed to take the buses. It certainly depends on how much time you have.

Good luck, have an amazing trip 🙂

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Home > Europe > 3 Months in Europe: The Best 3 Month Itinerary for Europe

3 Months in Europe: The Best 3 Month Itinerary for Europe

By Dymphe / June 19, 2022

Spending 3 months in Europe is an amazing experience you'll never forget. This 3 month itinerary for Europe shows you exactly where to go!

Europe is a continent with many gorgeous destinations. You can find so many different places there! In Europe, you find history, beaches, cities, little towns, museums, islands, and so much more! Because of this, going there is a wonderful experience.

I live in Europe and I visited so many places on the continent! I saw large cities with impressive skyscrapers and Italian and Greek traditional villages. Furthermore, I saw beautiful lakes, gorgeous islands, beaches, and more!

No matter how much time you have in Europe, there's always something new to discover! The continent keeps surprising me, even though I'm living here.

As there's so much to see and to do, spending 3 months in Europe is great! This allows you to see many of the wonderful destinations the continent has to offer.

This 3 months itinerary for Europe is perfect if you're planning on spending 90 days there. You're definitely going to have 3 wonderful months in which you will see so many amazing places!

Table of Contents

Things to Know Before Spending 3 Months in Europe

When you are spending 3 months in Europe, there are some useful things to know! Below, you can find some important information.

1. Bring an Adapter/Converter With You When You’re Going to Spend 3 Months in Europe

There are other electrical sockets in Europe than in some other countries in the world, such as the US. Keep this in mind when you are in Europe for 3 months.

You need an adapter that allows you to plug your existing devices into European sockets.

There are two types you need. One for the UK and one for the rest of Europe.

Furthermore, the voltage in Europe can be different from your country. Most devices work for both, but if not you need a converter. As you're going to visit many places when you're 3 months in Europe, it's convenient to have the correct one.

You can buy an adapter/converter at many stores!

2. Schengen Visa

With a Schengen visa, you can travel within the Schengen Area. This includes the countries of the European Union and some other countries.

With this visa, you can stay up to 90 days in Europe within a period of 180 days. Make sure you don't stay longer than that!

When you are traveling from some countries you don't need a visa, but the same rules apply! For example, you don't need to apply for a visa when you are traveling from the United States to the Schengen Area!

3. Pay in The Local Currency

When you are paying with your credit or debit card you often have the option to pay in your own or the local currency.

You should choose the local currency, as this is often cheaper! This can save you lots of money during your 3 months in Europe.

4. Know the Limits of Hand Luggage

The limits of hand luggage in Europe are often much stricter than in the United States. So keep that in mind when you travel by airplane!

3 Months in Europe Itinerary

The destinations in this 3 months in Europe itinerary are:

Iceland (1 week) London (1 week) Amsterdam (3 days) Paris (1 week) French Riviera (1.5 weeks) Monaco (3 days) Zurich, Lucerne, and Lakes in Switzerland (1 week) Milan (3 days) Venice (1 week) Florence, Pisa and Cinque Terre (1 week) Rome (1 week) Naples and Positano (1 week) Athens (1 week) Santorini (1 week)

Let's start with the itinerary! If you follow this itinerary, you're going to have the most wonderful 90 days in Europe. You'll see beautiful cities, villages, islands and more!

Iceland (1 week): The First Destination of Your 3 Months in Europe

The first place for your 3 month trip to Europe starts in the country of Iceland.

Flying here from the United States can be very affordable. There are low-cost carriers that offer many flights to the country.

Furthermore, there are very cheap flights to the rest of Europe from here. That makes this a great place to fly through when going to Europe. But you should definitely stop here for a week to experience all the country has to offer!

Iceland is a wonderful place to visit. It is a country with a small population that is smaller than that of many cities. There are only about 400,000 people who live in Iceland. But there is a lot to do in Iceland, so it's definitely worth going to!

What makes Iceland great is the nature you find there. There are lots of beautiful places and the country's landscape is very diverse.

For example, there are a lot of places with ice. One of the best examples of this is Diamond Beach. This is a beautiful beach with small blocks of ice that look like diamonds.

Besides that, there are many volcanos in Iceland. These are very impressive to see. There are many places where you can see lava, which is very unique! When you're 3 months in Europe, you should definitely see this!

Also, there are beaches with black sand as a result of all the volcanic activity in the country.

Another great thing about nature in Iceland is the waterfalls.

Furthermore, there are lots of places where you can find Geysers in Iceland. This is yet another thing that is very impressive to see!

Also, there are thermal baths in the country. One of the best of these is Blue Lagoon .

In short, Iceland is wonderful to visit!

London (1 week): One of the Largest Cities of Your 3 Months in Europe

After seeing Iceland, it's time to go to London! You'll spend one week in London if you follow this 3 month itinerary for Europe.

London is the capital of the United Kingdom. Besides that, it's also the largest city in the United Kingdom. It's one of my favorite cities to visit.

Exploring such a large city in England is so much fun. There are many incredible things to see in London.

When you're in the city, you should see Tower Bridge and London Tower for sure. Besides that, seeing Big Ben, the Thames and London Eye is amazing as well!

Besides that, you should see the colorful houses and streets in London too. Especially in Notting Hill, you will find some of the most beautiful streets in the world.

Moreover, there are many incredible museums in London. One of the best museums in London is the British Museum . If you want to see great museums during your 3 months in Europe, this one is perfect!

You can see many objects here from all around the world and from all periods of time. For example, there are lots of objects from Ancient Greece.

Furthermore, those who love shopping will love London too! There are many amazing places for shopping, such as Oxford Street.

Also, London is one of the most beautiful cities in the world! It's very photogenic.

For example, there are many pretty cafes in London. It's incredible to go there as they look very beautiful with lots of flowers and pink.

Amsterdam (3 days)

From London, it is easy to get to the next destination in Europe: Amsterdam. There is a direct train connection between the two cities that is very fast.

Amsterdam is the capital of the Netherlands and it is a lovely place to visit. There is a lot to do in the city, but you can visit the highlights in 3 days, so I recommend spending that amount of time here.

The city of Amsterdam has a lot of canals and bridges. These make the city very unique. Along these canals, you can see very picturesque canal houses. Each house is unique and wonderful to see!

A great activity in the city is doing a canal cruise. During this, you'll learn about the city's history and you'll see some amazing places.

Also, you can rent a boat and sail through the canals of Amsterdam yourself, which is great too!

Besides that, there are a lot of museums in the city of Amsterdam. These are interesting and great to visit when you're 3 months in Europe.

For example, when you love the art of Van Gogh, then you are at the right place at the Van Gogh Museum. Here you find the largest collection of his artworks.

Another great museum is Rijksmuseum. Here you can find a large collection of paintings and other objects.

Besides that, the Anne Frank House is another sight you have to see when you are in the city of Amsterdam. This is the house where Anne Frank lived during the second world war and where she wrote her diary.

Furthermore, the city has a great nightlife scene. There are lots of clubs and bars in the city center.

Also, Amsterdam Dance Event is a great event with lots of dance music events!

Paris (1 week)

The next place on this itinerary for 3 months in Europe is Paris. If you're in Europe, you should definitely visit the capital of France.

Paris is one of the most romantic cities in the world. That's why people call it the City of Love.

There are so many reasons to visit Paris!

One of the reasons is that there are many incredible sights. For example, the Eiffel Tower is a must-see when you're in the city.

Besides that, you can also visit one of the most amazing museums in the world. The Louvre is a large museum that's definitely worth visiting.

And there's so much more, such as the Arc de Triomphe and the Sacré-Cœur.

So the sights in Paris are amazing, but there's another important reason to spend a week in Paris. That's the feeling and atmosphere in the city.

Going to Paris for a week is such an incredible thing to do as you can experience the city a bit like a local.

For example, going to some Parisian cafes is amazing. Or start your day at a lovely Parisian bakery with a baguette and croissant.

Wander through Montmartre and enjoy the beautiful Parisian Streets!

Also, you can shop at the Champs-Élysées or at one of the many lovely boutiques in Paris.

French Riviera (1.5 weeks)

After visiting the City of Love, it's time to go to the French Riviera. The French Riviera is also in France, but it's very different from Paris.

The weather in the French Riviera is often amazing. You can find many beaches and pretty villages in the French Riviera.

For example, Menton and Villefranche-sur-Mer are incredible.

Menton is a small town with some great things to do. One of the places you should see in Menton is Plage des Sablettes.

Plage des Sablettes is a very beautiful beach that's close to the train station of the town. If you want to visit pretty beaches when you're 3 months in Europe, you'll love this one!

The beach is very unique as you have a beautiful view of the colorful houses of the old town. Swimming in the water at this beach is very pleasant when it's summer.

Furthermore, there are lovely rocks where you can sit down and relax.

Villefranche-sur-Mer is also a gorgeous little town you should see!

Other places in the French Riviera are Nice and Cannes. These cities are larger than Menton and Villefranche-sur-Mer.

If you like shopping, going to Nice and Cannes is incredible!

At the French Riviera, you can find many great places to stay. You can choose between one of the small villages or one of the cities. Especially staying in one of the hotels with a view of the sea is very relaxing.

Monaco (3 days)

Another one of the best destinations in Europe when you are doing a 3-month trip is Monaco.

Monaco is actually part of the French Riviera, but it is a separate country. It is a very small place. In fact, it is one of the smallest countries in the world! Because of this, it's a must-see.

Getting to Monaco is as easy as getting to other places in French Riviera. There is a great train connection from places in the French Riviera!

What makes Monaco great is how beautiful it looks. Everywhere in the city, there are pretty spots. For that reason, it's an amazing place to see when you're 3 months in Europe.

One of the best events in Monaco is the Monaco Grand Prix. During this event, the whole country turns into a racing track, which is incredible!

One of the best places you can go to in Monaco is the Monte-Carlo Casino. The casino appeared in many movies and it is a very fun place to go to! Fun fact, people who live in Monaco may not enter the casino to ensure the citizen don't lose their wealth here.

Another great place to visit in Monaco is the Rock of Monaco. This is the highest point in the city with many sights.

You can find here the St Martin Gardens. These gardens are beautiful and are especially pretty because of the view!

Another interesting sight at the Rock of Monaco is the Prince's Palace. This is the official palace of the Prince of Monaco, which is very interesting. Also, you can see the ritual of the changing of the guards here, during which the guards change shifts.

In Monaco, there are amazing beaches. One of the best of these is Larvotto Beach.

Zurich, Lucerne, and the Lakes in Switzerland (1 week): The Most Beautiful Nature of Your 3 Months in Europe

Now it is time to visit some places in Switzerland. Switzerland is famous for its beautiful nature and wonderful cities.

From France, it is easy to get here by train!

When you are going to Switzerland, you should definitely go to Zürich. This is the capital of the country, with lots of things to do and see.

Wandering through the city and seeing the typical Swiss architecture is amazing. It is a great addition to your 3 month trip to Europe that you should not miss out on!

Another great city in Switzerland that I definitely recommend visiting is Lucerne. You can go here by train from Zürich.

The old part of the city of Lucerne is great! The houses here are very picturesque. Furthermore, the Kapellbrücke is lovely to see. This is a very old wooden bridge that crosses the river.

You can also visit the mountains near the city. From there you have a wonderful view of the city. Furthermore, it is great to see nature here!

Next to Lucerne, you can find Lake Lucerne. This is one of the most beautiful lakes in Switzerland. The water is very blue and the views of the mountains are lovely! Furthermore, you can swim in the lake!

Besides this lake, there are a lot of other great lakes that are worth visiting in Switzerland. Each lake is unique, but all are stunning!

You can visit these lakes when you are 3 months in Europe. There are great train connections or you can go there by car!

Milan (3 days)

From Switzerland, you should travel to Italy. There are good connections by train between the two countries.

One of the best Italian cities close to the border with Switzerland is Milan.

Milan is one of the largest cities in Italy with lots of great sights.

The most famous sight in the city is definitely Milan Cathedral. This is a beautiful cathedral in the center of the city. If you love architecture, it's a wonderful sight.

Also, next to it you can find the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II. This is a great covered passage that looks beautiful. You can find here lots of luxury fashion stores.

Milan is one of the fashion capitals of Europe and it is a great place for shopping! There are lots of other shopping streets in the city.

There are also a lot of places of high cultural significance. For example, you can find here The Last Supper by Leonardo da Vinci, which is a very famous mural painting.

Also, there are lots of great parks in the city and there are good restaurants.

Because you can see the highlights of the city in a very easy way, spending 3 days in Milan is enough to cover it!

There are many other great places in Italy left to explore!

Venice (1 week)

After you went to Milan you should definitely go to another great place in Italy: Venice.

From Milan, it is easy to get to Venice by train or by bus.

Venice is a very special city and one of my favorite ones that I went to! It is such a gorgeous place!

In the city of Venice, there's water everywhere. The whole city is full of canals and bridges. This is also the only way to move around. There are no cars, so you can only travel on foot or by boat.

The canals look amazing with the blue water and lovely canal houses. Seeing these is a great experience when you are 3 months in Europe.

For example, the view of the Grand Canal from the Rialto Bridge will surprise you. It is so gorgeous to be there.

Furthermore, one of the best things you can do in the city is a gondola ride. This is a very famous and romantic activity. On board a gondola, you'll tour the canals of Venice and see the city from the water!

Another great activity in the city is going to St. Mark's Square. You'll find here the Doge's Palace and Saint Mark's Basilica. These places have incredible architecture and a very interesting to visit.

Besides seeing the famous things in the city, you should definitely get lost when you are in Venice. The little streets of the city are great to wander through and you'll stumble upon pretty places for sure!

There are also lots of great events in the city of Venice. When you happen to visit the city of Venice during March, you can see the Venice Carnival. This is a great festival with lots of dance, music, and incredible masks.

Florence, Pisa and Cinque Terre (1 week)

Now it is time to visit one of my favorite cities. Florence is another beautiful city in Italy. It is the capital of the region of Tuscany.

The city is all about the Renaissance and you can see that in all the buildings in the city. This makes the city very beautiful and very interesting.

The history of the city is what is very interesting. During the Middle Ages, it was a very wealthy and influential city.

Under the rule of the Medici family, the city flourished. Many people consider the city as the Renaissance's birthplace. Furthermore, many famous people lived here. These include Michelangelo, Galileo Galilei, Machiavelli, and Leonardo da Vinci.

The historic center of Florence is amazing to wander through. You can see beautiful buildings and monuments everywhere.

For example, the Palazzo Vecchio, the town hall of Florence, is amazing. Also, you'll find here the Loggia dei Lanzi, where you can see all kinds of historic statues for free.

Other notable sights in the city are Ponte Vecchio, Palazzo Pitti, and the Duomo. There is so much to see here!

Also, there are lots of great places for art in the city. The Uffizi Gallery is one of the best museums in Europe. You can find here lots of paintings that are wonderful to see.

Another great place for art is the Galleria dell'Accademia. You can find here lots of sculptures. The most famous object here is David by Michelangelo.

Furthermore, when you are in Florence you should also do a trip to Pisa and Cinque Terre.

Pisa is a lovely city that is especially famous because of the Leaning Tower of Pisa.

And Cinque Terre is a great collection of colorful seaside towns. The houses there are very picturesque and beautiful!

Rome (1 week)

The next Italian city on this itinerary for 3 months in Europe is Rome.

This city is very famous and you definitely already know about it.

Rome has a very interesting history and there are lots of great things to see and do here.

Rome was the capital of the Roman Empire and you can still see a lot of remains from that period in time.

Definitely, the most famous sight of the city is the Colosseum. This is an old arena from the Roman Empire where fights, plays, and more events took place.

What's incredible about the building is its size and age. Back in its days, the Colosseum could hold between 50,000 and 80,000 people, which is a lot. And the fact that a large part of such a large building survived is amazing!

Another one of the best sights in the city, near the Colosseum, is the Roman Forum. This was the city center of Ancient Rome. You can see here ruins of all kinds of buildings, such as temples. Furthermore, you can see here the houses of former emperors.

Furthermore, the Trevi Fountain is an incredible sight to see in Rome. This is a fountain in the middle of the city with lots of statues and decorations.

Close to this, you can also see the Pantheon. This is an ancient temple from the Roman Empire for the old Roman gods.

The Spanish Steps are another lovely thing in the city of Rome. This is a great spot with many shopping streets surrounding it.

Also, when you are in Rome, you should definitely visit Vatican City. This is the smallest country in the world and it is the place where the pope lives. You can find here the impressive St. Peter's Basilica.

Naples and Positano (1 week)

Another great place to go to during your Europe trip of 3 months is the city of Naples. When you are spending one week here, you can explore the city and some of the surrounding areas!

In comparison to other cities in Italy, Naples feels more authentic. There are fewer tourists, which makes this a great place to go!

There are many sights in the city. For example, there are lots of beautiful churches throughout the city. Also, there is a lot of beautiful architecture in the city. Naples is the perfect city for your 3 months in Europe if you love architecture. For example, Piazza del Plebiscito is great!

But wandering around in Naples is a great activity too!

Also, you should definitely try out pizza when you are in Naples. That's because Naples is the birthplace of Pizza! Experiences authentic pizza is a great experience for your 3 month Europe trip!

You can find lots of great pizzerias in the city. My favorite pizza restaurant is L'Antica Pizzeria da Michele. Their pizzas are very cheap and very delicious!

Next to Naples is the volcano Mount Vesuvius and the ancient city of Pompeii.

During the time of the Romans, the eruption of the volcano covered the city in ashes. All buildings and people of the city got frozen in time. Because of that, there are a lot of interesting things to see here!

Furthermore, visiting the volcano is great too! From there you have a wonderful view of the city of Naples and the sea. Also, you can see lava here.

Another great place near Naples is Positano. This is a small coastal town that looks incredible. There are many picturesque houses and beautiful viewpoints. Visiting this town is definitely worth it when you are in Naples as well!

Athens (1 week)

From Naples in Italy, you can fly to the city of Athens in Greece.

Athens is the capital city of Greece and it is an amazing place to visit.

The history of the city is very interesting and you can find remnants of it throughout the city center. Furthermore, the city looks very beautiful.

One of the best things to do in Athens is to visit the Acropolis. The Acropolis is an old citadel of Ancient Greece. Thousands of years ago, you could find here many important buildings. Nowadays, there are a lot of ruins left.

The most important building that you can still see a large part of here is the Parthenon. This is an old temple dedicated to the Goddess Athena, who was the patron of the city of Athens.

Another great thing to do in Athens is going to the Temple of the Olympian Zeus. Here you can see ruins of the ancient temple that focused on the God Zeus. When this temple was in use, it was the largest temple in the world.

When you are in Athens, you should definitely go to Ermou too. This is the main shopping street in the city that is great for shopping!

Also, Plaka is a great part of the city to visit. You can find here lots of boutique shops and restaurants serving delicious food. Wandering around here is great!

Another great sight in the city that is worth visiting is the Ancient Agora. You find here lots of ruins from Ancient Greece.

Besides that, the Panathenaic Stadium is also worth checking out. This is a very old stadium.

From Athens, you can visit the Greek islands. There are many of them, and from Athens, you can travel there by ferry in a quick way!

Santorini (1 week)

The last place you're going to visit if you follow this itinerary for 3 months in Europe is Santorini. Santorini is a beautiful island in Greece that's part of the Cyclades.

Santorini is one of the most popular destinations in the world for photography. That's because it's so beautiful!

Santorini is famous because of its magnificent blue domes and viewpoints. If you're going to visit Santorini, I'm sure the beauty of the island will amaze you!

You can find pretty villages in Santorini. As you're spending one week in Santorini, there's enough time to visit several villages!

The most famous place on the island is Oia.

Oia is a wonderful village where you can find the most gorgeous viewpoints, such as Oia Castle.

Furthermore, there are gorgeous blue domes and lovely shops.

Oia is definitely a must-see when you're on the island! It's is also the most popular place to take photos on Santorini.

Other great villages are Fira and Imerovigli.

Fira is the capital of the island. In Fira, you can find many great shops. Furthermore, it's also a place where many buses to other parts of Santorini leave.

Imerovigli is a wonderful village where you can also find great viewpoints.

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The Ultimate Packing Checklist For 3 Months Of Travel

Introduction.

Preparing for a three-month journey can be both exciting and overwhelming. From deciding what to pack to ensuring you have all the essential items, it’s important to have a well-thought-out packing checklist to make your travel experience smooth and hassle-free. This ultimate packing checklist will guide you through the process of selecting the items you need for your three-month adventure.

Before diving into the specific items, it’s essential to consider the climate and the activities you’ll be participating in during your trip. Will you be exploring the beaches of tropical destinations or hiking through mountains? Understanding the destinations and their weather conditions will help you pack the appropriate clothing and gear.

Another important aspect to consider is the size and weight limits of your luggage. Most airlines have weight restrictions, so you need to ensure that your bag and its contents meet those requirements. It’s also recommended to invest in a sturdy and reliable suitcase or backpack that can withstand the rigors of long-term travel and protect your belongings.

Now, let’s dive into the essential categories you should consider when packing for your three-month adventure:

Essential Documents

Before embarking on your three-month journey, it’s crucial to gather and organize all the necessary documents. These documents not only ensure smooth travel but also provide assistance in case of any unforeseen situations. Here are the essential documents you should bring:

• Passport: Check that your passport is valid for at least six months beyond your return date. Make photocopies of the main page and keep them separate from your original passport.
• Visas: Research and obtain any necessary visas for the countries you plan to visit. Some countries offer visa-on-arrival, while others require pre-approval.
• Identification: Carry additional identification, such as a driver’s license or national ID card, in case you need to leave your passport in a secure location.
• Travel insurance: Purchase comprehensive travel insurance that covers medical expenses, trip cancellation, and loss of personal belongings.
• Health documents: If required, obtain necessary health certificates or vaccination records for certain destinations.
• Flight tickets: Keep both digital and print copies of your flight itineraries, including any connecting flights.
• Accommodation details: Carry printed or digital copies of your hotel or hostel reservations to present at immigration if required.
• Emergency contacts: Create a list of emergency contact numbers, including local authorities, embassy or consulate details, and your next of kin.
• Travel itinerary: Write down a detailed travel itinerary with dates, locations, and transportation details. Share it with a trusted family member or friend.

Make sure to keep all these documents in a safe and easily accessible place during your travels. Consider using a travel document organizer or a secure wallet to keep everything organized and protected.

Remember, it’s always better to be over-prepared when it comes to essential documents. Keep digital copies of all your important documents stored in cloud storage or share them with yourself via email, so you can access them even if your physical copies are lost or stolen.

Clothing and Accessories

When it comes to packing clothing and accessories for a three-month trip, it’s important to strike a balance between comfort, versatility, and the weather conditions of your destinations. Here are some essential items to consider:

• Tops: Pack a mixture of short-sleeve and long-sleeve shirts in lightweight fabrics for layering. Choose versatile colors that can be mixed and matched.
• Bottoms: Bring a combination of pants, shorts, and skirts that are comfortable and suitable for different activities. Consider fabrics that dry quickly.
• Outerwear: Depending on the climate, pack a lightweight jacket, a sweater, or a hoodie for cooler evenings or unexpected weather changes.
• Undergarments: Don’t forget essentials like underwear, socks, and bras. Consider quick-drying and odor-resistant options for convenience.
• Footwear: Choose a pair of comfortable walking shoes or sneakers that are suitable for long walks and hikes. Include sandals or flip-flops for beach destinations.
• Accessories: Bring a sun hat or cap, sunglasses, and a lightweight scarf or sarong that can serve multiple purposes.
• Swimwear: If you’ll be visiting beach destinations or staying at accommodations with pools, pack a couple of swimsuits.
• Sleepwear: Don’t forget comfortable sleepwear or loungewear for relaxing in your accommodation.
• Laundry essentials: Consider packing a small travel-sized laundry detergent or stain remover, as it may be necessary to do laundry during your trip.

Remember to pack clothing based on the activities you plan to do during your trip, such as hiking gear, workout clothes, or formal attire if needed for specific events or occasions.

It’s important not to overpack and to choose items that can be easily mixed and matched to create different outfits. Opt for versatile clothing that can be dressed up or down depending on the occasion.

Lastly, consider the cultural norms and dress codes of your destinations to ensure that your clothing choices are respectful and appropriate.

Toiletries and Personal Care Items

When it comes to packing toiletries and personal care items for your three-month journey, it’s important to strike a balance between essential items and travel-friendly sizes. Here are some key items to consider:

• Toothbrush and toothpaste: Bring a compact toothbrush and a small tube of toothpaste.
• Shampoo and conditioner: Consider using travel-sized bottles or transferring your favorite products into reusable travel containers.
• Soap or body wash: Opt for a solid soap or a travel-sized bottle of body wash.
• Deodorant: Bring a small travel-sized deodorant or opt for a solid deodorant to save space.
• Skincare essentials: Pack travel-sized versions of your skincare routine, including cleanser, moisturizer, and sunscreen.
• Medications: If you take any prescription medications, make sure to bring an ample supply for the duration of your trip.
• First aid kit: Include essential items such as band-aids, antiseptic wipes, pain relievers, and any other personal medications or medical supplies you may need.
• Haircare products: If necessary, pack travel-sized bottles of your preferred hair products such as shampoo, conditioner, and styling products.
• Feminine hygiene products: Pack an ample supply of tampons, pads, or any other feminine hygiene products that you prefer.
• Razor or shaving kit: If you prefer a clean shave or need to maintain facial or body hair, pack a travel-friendly razor or shaving kit.
• Nail care kit: Include a nail clipper, file, and any additional nail care essentials you may require.
• Glasses or contacts: If you wear prescription glasses or contacts, make sure to bring an extra pair and any necessary cleaning solution or spare lenses.

Remember, you can often find travel-sized versions of many toiletries and personal care items at drugstores or online. This not only saves space but also ensures compliance with airline regulations regarding liquids in your carry-on luggage.

Consider packing these items in a clear, resealable bag for easy access during security checks at airports. Additionally, if you’re concerned about leakage, place liquids in individual ziplock bags to prevent any spills.

Lastly, make sure to check the regulations and restrictions of liquids and toiletries for each country you’ll be visiting, as they may vary.

Electronics and Entertainment

When packing for a three-month trip, it’s important to consider the electronics and entertainment items that will keep you connected, entertained, and organized along the way. Here are some essential items to include:

• Phone and charger: Bring your smartphone and its charger to stay connected with loved ones and access important information.
• Laptop or tablet: If necessary, pack a laptop or tablet for work, entertainment, or staying organized.
• Adapters and converters: Depending on your destinations, bring adapters and voltage converters to charge your devices in different electrical outlets.
• Power bank: Carry a portable power bank to ensure your devices stay charged when you’re on the go and don’t have access to electrical outlets.
• Headphones: Pack a pair of headphones or earbuds for listening to music, watching movies, or making calls without disturbing others.
• Camera: If you’re into photography, bring a camera and its accessories to capture the beautiful memories of your journey.
• E-book reader: If you’re an avid reader, consider bringing an e-book reader to have access to a vast library of books without adding the extra weight of physical books.
• Portable speaker: If you enjoy listening to music or hosting small gatherings, a compact portable speaker can enhance your entertainment experience.
• Travel adapters: If you plan to travel internationally, bring universal travel adapters that can accommodate different types of plugs.
• Portable hard drive or cloud storage: Back up essential documents, photos, and videos to a portable hard drive or upload them to a cloud storage service for safekeeping.
• Entertainment options: Consider bringing portable games, playing cards, or a travel-sized board game to keep yourself entertained during downtime or long flights.

Remember to pack these items in a secure and padded case to protect them from any damage during transit. It’s also advisable to keep a list of the serial numbers and make copies of the purchase receipts for valuable electronic items in case they get lost or stolen.

Before your trip, make sure to download any necessary apps, maps, or entertainment content to your devices to ensure that you have access to them even without an internet connection. This will be particularly useful during long flights or when visiting destinations with limited connectivity.

Lastly, be mindful of the weight and size of your electronics as they can quickly add up and contribute to the overall weight of your luggage. Choose the items that are essential to you and consider leaving behind any unnecessary gadgets to save space and reduce the risk of loss or theft.

Health and Safety

When traveling for an extended period, it’s essential to prioritize your health and safety. Here are some key items to pack to ensure you stay safe and well throughout your three-month journey:

• Prescription medications: Ensure you have an ample supply of any prescription medications you take regularly. Carry them in their original labeled containers.
• Over-the-counter medications: Pack a small travel-friendly kit with common medications such as pain relievers, antihistamines, and remedies for digestive issues.
• First aid kit: Include items such as band-aids, antiseptic ointment, adhesive tape, gauze pads, and any other supplies you may need for minor injuries or ailments.
• Insect repellent: Depending on your destinations, bring a reliable mosquito repellent to protect yourself against mosquito-borne diseases.
• Sunscreen: Protect your skin from harmful UV rays by packing a sunscreen with a high SPF. Opt for a travel-sized bottle to save space.
• Emergency contact information: Keep a list of emergency contacts, including local authorities, embassy or consulate details, and the contact information of your travel insurance provider.
• Travel insurance: Ensure you have comprehensive travel insurance that covers medical expenses, trip cancellation, and emergency evacuation.
• Reusable water bottle: Staying hydrated is crucial, especially in unfamiliar environments. Carry a refillable water bottle to help reduce single-use plastic waste and have access to drinking water throughout your travels.
• Face masks and hand sanitizer: In the current global health situation, it is advisable to carry face masks and hand sanitizer to protect yourself and others from any potential illnesses.
• Medical documents: If you have any pre-existing conditions or allergies, carry relevant medical documents or identification that can assist in case of emergencies.
• Safety devices: Consider bringing safety items such as a portable door lock, a money belt, or a whistle to prioritize your personal safety and security.

It’s important to research and understand the health and safety advisories of the destinations you plan to visit. Familiarize yourself with any necessary vaccinations, health precautions, or local safety regulations to ensure a safe and healthy trip.

Moreover, adopt good hygiene practices such as regular handwashing and following local health guidelines to minimize the risk of illness or infection.

Remember, prevention is key, so taking various measures to prioritize your health and safety will allow you to enjoy your three-month journey to the fullest.

Travel Gear

Having the right travel gear can greatly enhance your comfort and convenience during your three-month trip. Here are some essential travel gear items to consider when packing:

• Travel backpack or suitcase: Choose a sturdy and reliable backpack or suitcase that is suitable for your travel style. Consider factors such as size, weight, durability, and ease of maneuverability.
• Day backpack: Pack a lightweight and versatile day backpack for day trips and carrying essentials during your explorations.
• Travel pillow: Sleep comfortably on long flights or bus rides with a compact and inflatable travel pillow.
• Travel pillowcase and blanket: Bring a travel-sized pillowcase and blanket for added comfort and cleanliness, especially during long journeys.
• Travel locks: Ensure the security of your luggage by investing in TSA-approved travel locks for your backpack or suitcase.
• Travel adapter: Carry a universal travel adapter that can accommodate different types of plugs as you move between countries with different electrical outlets.
• Travel towel: Pack a quick-drying and compact travel towel that can be used for beach trips, swimming, or as a backup towel when necessary.
• Travel-sized umbrella: Be prepared for unexpected rain showers by carrying a small and portable travel umbrella.
• Reusable bags: Pack a few reusable shopping bags or foldable tote bags for carrying groceries, souvenirs, or storing dirty clothes.
• Travel-sized laundry detergent: Pack a small travel-sized laundry detergent or stain remover to do laundry on the go.
• Travel-sized sewing kit: Be prepared for minor wardrobe mishaps with a compact sewing kit that includes needles, thread, and small scissors.
• Travel gear organizer: Keep your travel essentials neat and organized by using packing cubes or travel organizers to maximize space and efficiency in your luggage.

Consider the specific needs of your trip and the activities you’ll be engaging in when selecting your travel gear. Lightweight and functional gear is ideal, as it offers convenience while minimizing the burden of carrying excessive weight.

Furthermore, remember to pack a good quality travel flashlight, a reusable water bottle, a portable charger for your electronic devices, and any other gear that aligns with your personal preferences and requirements.

Investing in quality travel gear not only enhances your travel experience but also ensures that your belongings are well-protected and easily accessible throughout your journey.

Miscellaneous Items

In addition to the essential documents, clothing, toiletries, electronics, and travel gear, there are several miscellaneous items that can come in handy during your three-month journey. Here are some miscellaneous items to consider packing:

• Travel journal and pen: Capture your experiences, thoughts, and memories in a travel journal. It’s a great way to reflect on your journey and keep a record of your adventures.
• Reusable water bottle: Stay hydrated on the go and reduce single-use plastic waste by carrying a reusable water bottle.
• Travel guidebooks or maps: If you prefer offline references, carry guidebooks or maps of the destinations you’ll be visiting to help you navigate and discover local attractions.
• Language phrasebook or translation app: If you’re traveling to a country with a different language, a phrasebook or translation app can be invaluable for communication and understanding.
• Cash and cards: Carry a mix of cash and cards for different situations. It’s essential to have local currency as well as international credit or debit cards for ease of payment.
• Reusable cutlery and reusable straw: If you want to minimize waste while eating on the go, consider packing a set of reusable cutlery and a reusable straw.
• Travel-sized sewing kit: Fix minor clothing mishaps with a compact travel-sized sewing kit that includes needles, thread, buttons, and safety pins.
• Earplugs and sleep mask: Ensure a restful sleep, especially during long flights or noisy accommodations, by packing earplugs and a comfortable sleep mask.
• Travel games or playing cards: Carry a deck of playing cards or compact travel games for entertainment during downtime or socializing with fellow travelers.
• Emergency snacks: Keep some energy bars or small snacks handy for long journeys or situations when finding food might be difficult.
• Travel insurance documentation: Keep a copy of your travel insurance policy and contact information easily accessible in case of emergencies or unexpected events.
• Small padlock: Secure your belongings in lockers or shared accommodation by bringing a small padlock to provide an extra layer of security.

While these miscellaneous items may seem small and insignificant, they can greatly contribute to your overall travel experience and provide peace of mind during your three-month journey.

Ultimately, the choice to pack certain miscellaneous items will depend on your personal preferences, travel style, and the specific needs of your trip. Take some time to consider what items will enhance your comfort, convenience, and enjoyment while on the road.

Preparing for a three-month trip requires careful planning and consideration. By following this ultimate packing checklist, you can ensure that you have all the necessary items to make your journey smooth and enjoyable.

From essential documents to clothing, toiletries, electronics, travel gear, and miscellaneous items, each category plays a vital role in ensuring your comfort, safety, and convenience along the way.

Remember to tailor your packing list based on the specific destinations you’ll be visiting and the activities you plan to engage in. Consider the climate, cultural norms, and any health and safety precautions that may apply.

Packing light and smart is key to reducing the weight and stress of carrying excessive luggage. Choose versatile items that can be mixed and matched, and always prioritize quality, durability, and functionality when selecting your travel gear.

Lastly, don’t forget to travel responsibly and respect the environment and local communities. Minimize waste, conserve resources, and be mindful of cultural sensitivities as you explore new destinations.

With proper preparation and a well-packed bag, you can embark on your three-month adventure with confidence, knowing that you have everything you need for an unforgettable travel experience.

Safe travels and enjoy your journey!

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26 Feb How much does it cost to travel Europe? Our three-month costs revealed!

How much does it cost to travel Europe? It’s true that the continent definitely isn’t the cheapest in the world, but here’s the good news: it can be done on a modest budget. We spent three-months road tripping around Europe in late 2017, heading from Amsterdam to Portugal , through Slovenia and Germany to Prague. Here’s how much our Europe trip cost, including a breakdown of transport, food, activity and accommodation prices.

Looking for more travel cost posts? We have detailed spending breakdowns of all our travel adventures here , these are a few of our most-viewed posts, including more about the cost to travel Europe:

Our Eastern European travel costs Spain travel costs Croatia travel costs How much does it cost to travel America? New Zealand travel costs

Europe Accommodation Costs

If you’re looking for the cheapest way to travel Europe, we’d definitely recommend housesitting. We use Trusted Housesitters to find our placements and have had amazing sits in London , Spain and Portugal (you can find out more about how to find great house sits in this post ). For this trip, we found a nine-night housesit in the Algarve looking after dogs and pigs. We stayed in a beautiful converted barn house in the countryside and fell in love with the animals, the sit also saved us a couple of hundred pounds in accommodation.

Aside from housesitting, we found Europe accommodation was cheapest on Airbnb (if you haven’t yet signed up, here’s £25 off your first booking ). We used Airbnb throughout our trip, as cheap hotels in Europe are hard to find, although we did start to wonder about the ethics of using the website , especially when renting apartments. Mostly we rented spare rooms in people’s homes, but when we were staying in Porto and Prague , we rented whole apartments. We generally stayed a little out from the central areas since we had a car and could easily get around most of the time. Less-central rooms tend to cost less.

We had quite a mixed bag when it came to our Europe accommodation costs. We averaged out at £22 per night, with our cheapest stay in Coimbra, Portugal, which cost just £16.47. Our most expensive night was in Halblech, Germany, where we visited the fairytale-like Neuschwanstein Castle  and paid £47.52 per night for a whole apartment.

Food Prices in Europe

Since we mostly stayed in apartments, we were able to keep our food costs pretty low by shopping at supermarkets and cooking our food at home. On travel days we didn’t eat all that healthily, we mostly ate snacks en route and then bread and hummus when we arrived somewhere for the night. Just before the trip, we transitioned to a vegan diet, which we feared might be a problem, but we actually managed to find plenty of options in the supermarkets (Prague was especially good). Here’s a typical grocery haul from Tesco in Prague, which cost £20.

We did eat out a few times on our Europe trip, especially when our families visited us in Prague or we hung out with friends in Porto, also in the few Airbnb stops where we didn’t have a kitchen. As always, we check Tripadvisor to find a decent vegan places to eat out. Here’s a vegan burger from one of our favourite discoveries, Vegan’s Prague, which cost £25 for two meals.

Here are some example meal prices: at Lehka Hlava , Prague, we had their daily menu (starter and main), the cold starter selection and two teas for £17.63. In Namaste Restaurant , Ljubljana, we had a selection of Indian dishes and drinks for £18.38 and in That’s Toast, Bruges, we spent £16.87 on a few slices of toast topped with avocados and other veg along with some drinks. We found food cheapest in Prague, most expensive in Germany and Belgium.

Europe transport costs

We deliberated quite a bit about the best way to travel Europe, should we fly and hire a car, should we use public transport, or should we buy a car and take it with us? Eventually we decided that the best way for us to travel around Europe was in our own car. We bought our car in the UK at the beginning of the summer for £900 (if you’re interested, it’s a 2002 Nissan Almera 1.5L petrol engine) and we used it to get around the UK before we left for mainland Europe. Our insurance policy allowed 90 days of use outside of the UK, so that really determined the length of our trip.

If you want to rent a car in Europe, to give you an idea of costs, we paid just £50 for a four-week rental in Spain back in January 2016 and £25 for a three-day rental in Split, Croatia .

Things like insurance, vehicle tax and fuel will really depend on the car, the way you drive and your car insurance history. Fuel costs varied quite a bit from country to country, Spain was the cheapest at just over £1 per litre, while the Netherlands was the most expensive at closer to £1.30 per litre. We avoided tolls as much as possible, this probably saved us quite a bit of money but cost us more time. Some journeys were twice as long because of this. In Austria, Slovenia and the Czech Republic we had to buy weekly or monthly vignettes so that we could drive on the motorways. Parking wasn’t too expensive and we made good use of Parkopedia to find the cheapest car parks.

We also used a fair bit of public transport when we were staying in big cities. Prague was the cheapest where we got a month’s ticket to use the metro,  trams and buses for about £23.50 per person. Amsterdam was the most expensive since we stayed about 20 mins out of the city in Weesp and had to pay about £7 for a day return per person. When our families visited us in Prague and there were four of us, we used Uber quite a bit, which was pretty inexpensive and much more convenient than walking, taking the bus, tram or metro.

Europe activity costs

Mostly all our sightseeing was free, including hiking and wandering around cities. We took ‘free’ walking tours, where you pay a tip rather than a fixed fee, in Amsterdam, Slovenia and Prague, which we paid between €5-7 each for. Our most expensive activities were Neuschwanstein Castle in Germany (definitely worth the cost) and watching a production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream at the Czech National Theatre. *Note that the Lisbon Tourist Card listed below was generously comped to us by Get Your Guide.

Cost to travel Europe – miscellaneous

The only miscellaneous Europe travel costs we had were for some new clothes, as we bought a couple of jumpers and some jeans while we were in Porto.

Total cost to travel Europe for three months

So, can you travel Europe on a budget? The answer’s yes, depending on what you define as budget. We managed to travel around Europe for under £50 per day for two people, which is only £15-20 more than we spent per day in Asia, for instance. We were pleased with all the amazing places we saw and had some incredible experiences, especially at the  excellent Christmas markets.

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How do you think we did? Did we travel around Europe on a budget you could use? Let us know what you think of the cost to travel Europe in the comments below.

13 Comments

Gilda Baxter

Wow…I am impressed with how well you have done. Having the car was a good idea since it has given you more freedom and flexibility. Brian and I like the idea of touring Europe in a motor home. Your food costs were very good indeed, cooking your own meals is best. I love eating out, but it can be expensive. I loved your itinerary and visiting these places during the Autumn has probably also further helped to stay in budget? Great post ?

Andrew Wyatt

Thanks Gilda, you’re right, visiting in the off-season probably helped keep some of our costs down too. I hope you and Brian get to travel around Europe in a motor home, that sounds exciting! 🙂

Did you look into buying a left hand drive car for Europe? We have a three month trip in France, Spain and Portugal planned and are thinking of buying a car in France. Not sure how easy it will be to insure though?

Hi Dan, good question, but no we didn’t even think about it. Since we’re from the UK and Amy’s dad works as a mechanic, he had some good connections and made sure our car was reliable too. It would be interesting to know how the car buying process goes for you in France though. Also I’ve driven a right hand drive car in mainland Europe before so I knew that wouldn’t be a problem for me. Enjoy your trip!

Just to update, it proved impossible to buy a car in France as a non-resident so we bought one off eBay in the UK and drove over instead. So far so good, it looks like we are retracing some of your haunts, going towards Porto from Lisbon on Thursday!

Hi Dan, thanks for the update, glad you managed to sort the car issue. Have fun in Portugal, we loved it and are looking forward to returning again in the autumn!

Neil Dimapilis

this is amazing! Thank you for sharing this with us. appreciate you disclosing this kind of information to us. did you bring bills on your trip or just used a card? i read in one article that you should bring less cash on trips to Europe?

Hi, we just used our overseas bank card, which doesn’t charge a fee for withdrawals abroad.

Can you please share list of cities you covered in 3 months?

Hi, we went to Amsterdam, drove down to Portugal, went to Lisbon, Porto and the Algarve. Then we drove up to Slovenia to Ljubljana, made a stop at Neuschwanstein castle in Germany and then stayed in Prague for a month. On the way back we stopped in Cologne and Bruges.

Barato Travels

Great Post and Stunning Pictures. Your tips were very useful for Europe traveler. Europe is an awesome place for roaming. I love Europe. I read your blog and really happy with your information on Europe traveling. Thanks for such post and please keep it up.

Thanks – glad you found it useful!

I loved you budge5 but as 1 person air bnb untenable I ve found I use dorm in hostel and when really tired tiny hotel. I should be like you and buy and prepare food. I also ho to museums and oay entrances. T3nd to book mini trips as asthmatic so cant hike uphill etc. Think will eventually head back to India as best for budget

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Detailed 3 Months Europe Itinerary + Costs (2024) : The Best of Europe in 3 Months

3 months in europe is a good duration to get to explore the best bits of europe. this 3 month europe itinerary has not just fun and adventurous activities but also tips and tricks to save money and the best places to stay and eat.

Spending 3 months in Europe allows you to delve deeper into the regions that interest you the most, whether you’re a first-time visitor or a seasoned traveller.

You can explore the blue-domed Churches in  Santorini , The black sand beach in  Iceland , the architecture in  Seville  or the mountains in  Switzerland . With so many destinations to choose from, the possibilities are limitless.

After spending about 10 years exploring what Europe has to offer, here’s the best tips and tricks to save money on your 3 month Europe itinerary and visit the best places in the continent.

Read along for a complete Europe itinerary 3 months to make the most of your trip to Europe.

If you’re planning your 3 months Europe itinerary at the last minute:

Here’s the top experiences and stays you don’t want to miss on your trip

Windsor Castle, Stonehenge & Bath Full-Day Tour

Lisbon: History, Stories and Lifestyle Walking Tour

From Amsterdam: Keukenhof Flower Park Trip with Transfer

Prague: Vltava River Night Cruise with Buffet

Florence: Chianti Wineries Tour with Food and Wine Tasting

Here’s where to stay on your 3 months in Europe itinerary

London – Fox and Goose hotel

Venice – Venice Maggior Consiglio

Amsterdam :   Hotel Nes

Florence: Soggiorno La Cupola Guesthouse

Budapest: Callas House

A detailed 3 months Europe itinerary

Here’s a comprehensive 3 months Europe itinerary that will take you on an unforgettable journey through some of the continent’s hidden gems, and breath-taking landscapes.

This Europe itinerary 3 months offers a myriad range of experiences that will satisfy even the most discerning traveller, so, grab a cup of coffee and prepare to be inspired by Europe’s magic and wonder.

Month 1 of your Europe itinerary 3 months

Western europe.

Welcome to the first month of your epic 3 month Europe trip!

This 3 months in Europe itinerary will begin in Western Europe, where you will have the opportunity to visit some of the continent’s most iconic and cosmopolitan cities covering the countries UK, France, Spain , Portugal and The Netherlands .

If you’d prefer spending more time here on your 3 months in Europe itinerary consider adding countries like Iceland , Ireland and the other regions of the UK like Scotland and Wales.

London, UK (5 days)

Starting your 90 days in Europe itinerary in London is an excellent way to immerse yourself in the city’s rich history, diverse culture, and iconic landmarks.

What to do in London during your 3 months Europe itinerary

A great way to explore London is to take this Big Bus Open-Top Hop-on Hop-off Sightseeing Tour , which covers almost all the major spots in the city.

Here are some of the things you could do in London:

Visit the Houses of Parliament , Big Ben and Westminster Abbey

Learn about the Tower of London’s history as a royal palace, prison, and fortress

Take a stroll through St. James’s Park to witness the Changing of the Guard at Buckingham Palace

Take this day trip to the charming town of Windsor and its castle, Stonehenge, and the Georgian city of Bath. Adding Bath to your 3 month Europe itinerary is a fab way to get a taste of the countryside in the UK

Attend a performance in London’s famous theatre district, the West End

Explore London’s many museums, including the Victoria and Albert Museum, British Museum , the Natural History Museum, and the Science Museum

Walk around Covent Garden, checking out the shops, street performers, and cafes

Explore Camden Town’s vibrant neighbourhood and bustling market

Visit the National Theatre or Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre to see a play or musical

Take a ride on the London Eye, a giant observation wheel offering panoramic views of the city

Visit the Royal Observatory and the Prime Meridian in the historic Greenwich neighbourhood

A rare find is the Fox and Goose hotel . It has a traditional pub and is close to the Underground and is about 15 to 20 minutes from the major attractions. Couples quite like it for the location and vibes!

Paris, France (5-7 days)

From London, take a train to Paris , France and spend 1 week out of your 3 month Europe trip itinerary,  exploring the City of Lights.

What to do in Paris during your 3 months Europe itinerary

You can visit the top sites in Paris by booking a  Hop-on Hop-off Discovery Bus Tour . Some of the things to do in Paris are:

Visit the iconic Eiffel Tower and take in the city views from the top.

Take a stroll along the  Seine River  and marvel at the numerous bridges and landmarks, including Notre Dame Cathedral.

See the magnificent Palace of Versailles, a magnificent symbol of France’s royal history. It’s a bit of a trek from the city centre, but worth the trip.

Visit the Luxembourg Gardens, a tranquil haven in the city’s heart or have a picnic in the beautiful Tuileries Gardens.

Explore the world-renowned Louvre Museum and its impressive collection of art and artefacts, which includes the Mona Lisa.

Take a walk through Montmartre’s picturesque streets, which are known for their bohemian vibe and artistic history. You can also book this  Montmartre Cheese, Wine & Pastry Guided Walking Tour  and indulge in some local cuisine, from croissants and pastries.

Enjoy a boat ride along the Canal Saint-Martin to discover the city’s charming waterways and hidden treasures.

See the impressive collection of Impressionist and Post-Impressionist art, including works by Monet, Van Gogh, and Degas. at the Musée d’Orsay.

Take  this day trip  to the Palace of Fontainebleau and Vaux-le-Vicomte to see its impressive collection of art and architecture.

Explore the trendy Marais neighbourhood’s many boutiques, cafes, and art galleries.

The People – Paris Belleville IEx Les PiaulesI , is a great budget stay option in Paris. This hostel, located in the Belleville district, offers both dormitory-style and private rooms at an affordable price.

French Riviera ( 5 days) – Nice, Eze etc.

Hop on a train or flight to Nice, France, to spend 5 amazing days from your 3 month Europe trip itinerary, exploring the gorgeous French Riviera.

What to do in the French Riviera during your 3 months in Europe Itinerary

Here are some suggestions on what you can do in the French Riviera:

Discover Nice’s beautiful Old Town, including the Place Rossetti, Cours Saleya, Promenade des Anglais and the magnificent Russian Orthodox Cathedral.

In Nice, see Take the bus or train to nearby Villefranche-sur-Mer, where you can explore the charming old town and waterfront.

Book  this half-day trip  from Nice to the hilltop village of Eze and the tiny principality of Monaco.

Spend a day in Cannes, which is famous for its opulent shopping, and beautiful beaches. Visit the Palais des Festivals, which hosts the Cannes Film Festival.

Take a train to  Antibes , a charming old town with a lovely marina and the famous Picasso Museum.

Visit Saint-Tropez, a glamorous and picturesque seaside resort town known for its beaches and lively nightlife.

Travel by train or bus to Marseille, France’s second-largest city, and explore its vibrant Vieux-Port and the magnificent Notre Dame de la Garde.

Take  this boat tour  to the Calanques National Park, a beautiful coastal area with clear waters and towering cliffs.

Stay at Nice at Locarno , a gorgeous property with free Wi-Fi and a breakfast buffet.

Barcelona, Spain + Montserrat, Sitges (5 days)

Next on this 3 month Europe trip itinerary, book a high-speed  train  to  Barcelona  to experience this vibrant and lively city that is known for its unique architecture, beaches, delicious food, and rich culture.

What to do in Barcelona during your 90 days in Europe Itinerary

Visit Antoni Gaudi’s iconic Sagrada Familia, an unfinished basilica designed by him.

Explore the vibrant  Park Guell  and take in the city’s breath-taking views.

Explore the Gothic Quarter, a charming neighbourhood filled with narrow streets, historic buildings, and cosy cafes.

Stroll down lively  La Rambla  and visit the Boqueria Market for fresh produce and local treats.

Soak up the Mediterranean sun on Barcelona’s sandy beaches, such as Barceloneta or Mar Bella.

Explore the nightlife in the El Raval and Gracia neighbourhoods.

Visit the Picasso Museum to learn about the famous artist’s work.

Book  this day trip  to Montserrat, a beautiful mountain range with a monastery and breath-taking views.

Try some of the local cuisine, including traditional tapas, paella, and the famous Catalan dish, calçots.

A fantastic to explore Barcelona is by booking  this Hop-on Hop-off Bus Tour .

Stay at  Praktik Bakery  in the heart of the city. The best bit? Enjoy traditional breads and pastries from the hotel’s bakery, fresh and hot! Also close to most attractions in the city!

Lisbon, Sintra, Cascais – Portugal (5 days)

Next, on your Europe 3 month itinerary you can take a flight to Lisbon, Portugal’s charming capital city, located on the Atlantic coast.

What to do in Lisbon during your 3 month Europe trip itinerary

A great way to explore Lisbon is by booking this  History, Stories and Lifestyle Walking Tour

Explore Alfama’s historic district, which is known for its narrow streets, traditional buildings, and picturesque city views.

Visit the Belem neighbourhood and its famous landmarks, such as the Belem Tower, the Jeronimos Monastery, and the Discoveries Monument.

Tram 28 is a historic tram that runs through some of the city’s most charming neighbourhoods and landmarks.

Visit the Sao Jorge Castle, a historic fortress with beautiful views of the city and the Tagus River.

Take  this day trip  to the nearby town of Sintra, and the beach towns of Cabo da Roca, and  Cascais .

Explore Bairro Alto, a bohemian neighbourhood known for its lively nightlife, charming cafes, and trendy shops.

Visit the Mercado da Ribeira, a historic market that has been converted into a food hall serving traditional and modern Portuguese dishes.

Take a walk along Belem’s waterfront and take in the views of the Tagus River and the 25 de Abril Bridge.

Visit the National Museum of Ancient Art, which has a large collection of Portuguese and European art dating from the 12th to the 19th centuries.

Hotel Alif Avenidas  is a great accommodation. It is located in Lisbon’s historic centre, with private and shared rooms, and a cosy lounge area.

Amsterdam, Netherlands (4 days)

Take a flight to the vibrant city of Amsterdam, your next destination in this  Europe itinerary 3 months.

What to do in Amsterdam during your 3 month trip to Europe itinerary

Apart from delectable Dutch cheese and stroopwafels, Amsterdam has plenty of activities to do, some of them being:

Take a walking tour of the city centre to see major attractions like Dam Square, the Royal Palace, and the A nne Frank House

Visit the Van Gogh Museum and the Rijksmuseum.

Take this  canal cruise  to get a different perspective on the city.

Discover the charming streets, cafes, and boutiques of the Jordaan neighbourhood.

For a tour of the famous beer brand’s brewery, visit the Heineken Experience.

See the famous window displays and learn about the area’s history and culture by visiting the Red Light District.

Explore the Museumplein neighbourhood, which is home to several museums, including the Stedelijk Museum of Modern Art.

Visit Zaanse Schans to see the traditional Dutch windmills and learn about the area’s history.

Visit nearby attractions such as the picturesque town of Haarlem or take  this guided tour  to  Keukenhof Gardens , which are well-known for their spring flower displays.

Visit local markets like the Albert Cuyp Market or the Noordermarkt.

Stay at  Hotel Nes  situated in one of the best areas in Amsterdam; a traditional canal house alongside the Amstel River. The restaurants are nearby and the rooms cosy! One of the best places to stay as per guests!

Month 2 of your Europe itinerary 3 months

Central europe.

Prepare for a whirlwind adventure as we embark on the second month of your 3 month trip to Europe, in Central Europe.

This month will be filled with art, culture, history, and delicious cuisine, from the trendy streets of Berlin to the picturesque city of  Prague , from the imperial charm of Vienna to the thermal baths of Budapest. Prepare for an unforgettable journey through Europe’s heart.

Berlin, Germany (5 days)

Hop on a train from Amsterdam to Berlin, the capital city of Germany. You can set aside 5 days in your Europe travel itinerary 3 months to explore Berlin.

What to do in Berlin during your 90 day Europe itinerary

Book this Hop-on Hop-off Bus Tour to visit Berlin’s top attractions.

Visit the iconic Brandenburg Gate, Berlin’s symbol and one of the city’s most photographed landmarks.

Explore the historic Reichstag building, which houses the German Parliament, and climb to the top of its glass dome for amazing views of the city.

Learn about the events that occurred at the iconic Checkpoint Charlie, the most famous crossing point between East and West Berlin during the Cold War.

Take a walk down Unter den Linden , one of the city’s most famous boulevards lined with impressive buildings and historical monuments.

Visit the Berlin Wall Memorial and East Side Gallery to learn about the city’s division and the difficulties that East Berliners faced during the Cold War.

Visit Museum Island, a UNESCO World Heritage site that houses five world-class museums displaying ancient artefacts, art, and cultural treasures.

Explore Berlin’s trendy neighbourhoods such as  Prenzlauer Berg and Neukölln,  known for their charming streets, boutiques, and cafes.

Take this boat tour along the Spree River to get a different perspective on Berlin’s history and architecture.

Learn about the history and culture of Jews in Germany by visiting the Jewish Museum, an architectural masterpiece and one of Europe’s largest Jewish museums.

Relax and take in the dazzling views of the city from the top of the Berlin TV Tower, Germany’s tallest structure and a symbol of the city’s skyline.

Stay at Hotel 38 located in the city centre – 100 yards from the Oranienburger Tor Tram Stop, each room is done differently and is in quite a popular area with easy access to transport.

Krakow, Poland (3-4 days)

Next on this Europe itinerary 3 months, you can take a train to Krakow, a Polish city, known for its rich history, stunning architecture, and cultural significance.

What to do in Krakow during your three month Europe itinerary

Here are some suggestions on how can you spend our 5 days in Krakow:

Visit the  Wawel Castle, a former residence of Polish kings that is now a museum complex.

Admire colourful buildings and street performers as you walk around the Main Market Square (Rynek Gówny), one of Europe’s largest mediaeval squares.

Visit Auschwitz-Birkenau, the largest Nazi concentration and extermination camp during WWII. The location is now a museum and a memorial.

Visit St. Mary’s Basilica and listen to the hourly trumpet call from the tower.

Explore Krakow’s historic Jewish quarter, Kazimierz, and see the Old Synagogue, Remuh Synagogue, and Jewish Cemetery.

Enjoy a traditional Polish dinner at one of Kazimierz’s many restaurants.

Explore the  Wieliczka Salt Mine with this tour , a UNESCO World Heritage site and one of Europe’s oldest salt mines. The mine contains underground chambers, lakes, and salt sculptures.

Take a  guided tour of the Schindler’s Factory Museum  to learn about Oskar Schindler and the Jewish prisoners he saved during WWII.

Visit the various museums in Krakow such as the  Krakow Museum of Contemporary Art or the Polish Aviation Museum or the Krakow Museum of History.

Visit the Tatra Mountains and explore Zakopane, a popular ski resort town with stunning Tatra Mountain views. For panoramic views of the surrounding area, take a cable car up to Kasprowy Wierch.

The Hotel Krupnicza 30  is a top-rated stay option in Krakow. It is located in the old town, 1 mile from the castle and has classy rooms. It is 4 star yet budget friendly!

Prague, Czech Republic (1 week)

Take a scenic train journey from Krakow to spend 1 week in Prague in your 3 month itinerary Europe.

What to do in Prague during your three months in Europe itinerary

There is a lot to  see and do in Prague  also called the  ‘Golden City’, here are some suggestions:

Visit  Prague Castle, one of the world’s largest castle complexes.

Explore St. Vitus Cathedral, a magnificent example of Gothic architecture.

Cross the famous Charles Bridge, which is lined with 30 saint statues.

Visit the Old Town Square and see the 600-year-old astronomical clock.

Visit the Sedlec Ossuary, a chapel decorated with human bones, by taking a  day trip to Kutna Hora .

Visit Wenceslas Square, a historically significant location that witnessed many of the city’s pivotal events.

Take a tour of Prague’s Jewish Quarter to learn about the city’s Jewish history.

Visit the National Museum to learn about the Czech Republic’s history and culture.

Take a  river cruise on the Vltava River  to see the city from a new angle.

Take a walking tour of the Lesser Town and enjoy the stunning views from the Petrin Tower.

Enjoy a soothing bath at one of the city’s well-known beer spas.

Explore the nearby Karltejn Castle, one of the most well-known castles in the Czech Republic.

Visit the lovely Konopit Castle, the former home of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria.

Savour traditional  Czech cuisine

Explore the art and architecture of the Municipal House, one of Prague’s most beautiful Art Nouveau structures.

Explore Kampa Island and see David ern’s famous sculptures.

Book your Prague stay at the  Hotel CUBE Prague , located quite close to Charles bridge and other attractions. It has clean rooms and great service with rooms that come with coffee machines. It is also quite budget friendly even in peak season!

Austria (5 days)

Take a 4-hour train journey to explore Vienna and enjoy a glimpse into the opulence of the Habsburg Empire during your 3 months travelling Europe. You can check out this amazing  5-day Austria Itinerary  if you want to explore more

What to do in Vienna during your 3 month Europe itinerary

Visit the famous  Hofburg Palace, a former imperial palace that now houses several museums and the famous Spanish Riding School.

Take  this guided tour  of the  Schönbrunn Palace and Gardens, the former imperial summer residence.

St. Stephen’s Cathedral, a stunning example of Gothic architecture, is a must-see.

Explore the Kunsthistorisches Museum, one of the world’s largest art museums, which houses a significant collection of European art.

Visit the Vienna State Opera, one of the world’s foremost opera houses.

Visit the Belvedere Palace, a stunning Baroque palace that now houses an impressive collection of Austrian art.

Visit the  Naschmarkt , Vienna’s largest outdoor market, which sells a wide range of food, beverages, and other items.

Attend a performance at the renowned Musikverein, which is home to the Vienna Philharmonic and one of the world’s most renowned concert halls.

Book  this day trip  to the nearby Wachau Valley, a scenic region known for its vineyards, castles, and charming towns

Have lunch at the historic  Demel bakery , which is famous for its delectable pastries and desserts.

You can stay at the MEININGER Hotel Wien Downtown Sissi . This hotel in Vienna’s Leopoldstadt district is within walking distance of the city centre and offers modern rooms with free Wi-Fi.

Budapest, Hungary (3-5 days)

Hop on a short train ride from Vienna to explore the ‘Paris of the East’,  Budapest .

What to do in Budapest during your 3 months Europe itinerary

Here are some  things to do in Budapest  during your 90 day Europe itinerary:

Book  this guided city tour  and explore the Buda’s Castle District, Gellért Hil, Heroes’ Square and the magnificent Hungarian Parliament Building.

Walk across the Széchenyi Chain Bridge and take in the view of the Danube.

Take in the panoramic views of Budapest from Castle Hill and Fisherman’s Bastion.

Visit the Matthias Church, a lovely neo-Gothic church in the Castle District.

Relax in a famous thermal bath, such as Széchenyi Bath or Gellért Bath.

Visit the Great Market Hall to try Hungarian cuisines such as goulash, chimney cake, and langos and buy local products.

Take  this Danube River cruise  and admire the cityscape from the water.

Visit the House of Terror Museum, which depicts the horrors of Hungary’s fascist and communist regimes.

Visit the Dohány Street Synagogue while strolling through the Jewish Quarter.

Take a stroll down Andrássy Avenue and pay a visit to the  Hungarian State Opera House .

Admire the Vajdahunyad Castle’s eclectic mix of architectural styles and the stunning art nouveau structure of Gresham Palace.

Visit Memento Park, an open-air museum displaying communist-era statues and memorials in Hungary.

Ride the Budapest Eye, a massive Ferris wheel located in Erzsébet Square.

You can book a room at Callas House , located right next to the Opera house, that’s close to most attractions. It is in one of guests’ favourite areas and the rooms are quite spacious!

Month 3 of your Europe Itinerary 3 months

Southern europe.

Welcome to Month 3 of your 90 day Europe itinerary! You’ve already travelled through Central and Western Europe, so it’s time to head to sunny and warm Southern Europe. Prepare to immerse yourself in Mediterranean culture, visit ancient ruins, indulge in delectable cuisine, and bask in the warm sunshine.

Athens, Greece (3 days)

Athens, the capital city of  Greece , is an ancient city rich in history, culture, and mythology. You can book a flight from Budapest o Athens, which will take around 2 hours. You can also explore  Athens in a day  and save other days for other gorgeous destinations.

What to do in Athens during your 3 months Europe itinerary

Take  a guided tour  of the Acropolis, Parthenon, & Acropolis Museum..

Explore the ancient Agora, a key centre of Athenian life during the classical period.

Visit the Temple of Olympian Zeus, Greece’s largest temple and one of the best-preserved ancient Greek temples, the Temple of Hephaestus.

Explore the historic Plaka district, which is known for its picturesque streets, shops, and restaurants.

Visit the National Archaeological Museum, the Benaki Museum, and the Museum of Cycladic Art

Visit the Panathenaic Stadium, where the first modern Olympic Games were held in 1896.

Explore the Roman Agora’s ruins, including the Tower of the Winds and the Gate of Athena Archegetis.

Explore the historic neighbourhoods of Psirri and  Anafiotika.

Climb Mount Lycabettus for panoramic views of Athens and its environs.

Visit the stunning Temple of Poseidon at Cape Sounion, which is known for its stunning sunset views.

Book this  Gourmet Food Tour  and explore the bustling Athens Central Market (Varvakios Agora), and enjoy traditional Greek food.

Arethusa Hotel  located next to the Plaka is close to the Metro station and is tastefully decorated. There’s a roof garden with great views and its close to most attractions!

If you’re planning to explore the Greek islands, Santorini is perfect with direct flights from Athens. Mykonos is also a fab option!

Dubrovnik, Croatia (5 days)

Dubrovnik, also known as the ‘Pearl of the Adriatic’ is a stunning Croatian coastal city. There are plenty of things you can do in the city during your Europe itinerary 3 months, some of them as follows.

What to do in Dubrovnik during your 3 month Europe itinerary

Walk along Dubrovnik’s city walls, which provide stunning views of the city and the Adriatic Sea.

Explore the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Dubrovnik’s historic Old Town by booking  this guided walking tour  and visit Dubrovnik Cathedral, and Rector’s Palace among other major spots

Take a boat ride to Lokrum, a nearby island with a beautiful botanical garden and a 12th-century Benedictine monastery.

Take the cable car up Mount Srd for sweeping views of Dubrovnik and the surrounding countryside.

Take a sea kayaking tour of the coastline and caves of Dubrovnik.

Explore the exhibition War Photo Limited and the Dubrovnik Maritime Museum

Take a day trip to Ston, a nearby town known for its ancient walls and salt pans.

Relax on Banje Beach, a popular swimming and sunbathing destination.

Explore the Dubrovnik Synagogue, the world’s oldest Sephardic synagogue still in use.

Take  this Game of Thrones-themed tour  to see some of the popular TV show’s filming locations.

Stay at  boutique Villa Dorma , located in a quiet area of Dubrovnik’s Old Town, just a few minutes walk from the city walls and major attractions.

Venice, Italy (3 days)

Next on this 3 month tour of Europe, take a flight to the  ‘Floating City’, Venice and explore its intricate canals, stunning architecture, and rich culture.

What to do in Venice during your 3 month Europe itinerary

Book  this guided tour  of St. Mark’s Square and the Doge’s Palace.

Take a gondola ride through Venice’s canals to see the city’s unique waterways.

Visit the Peggy Guggenheim Collection, a modern art museum containing works by Picasso, Pollock, and others.

Go on a  tour of the island of Murano to see the famous  Murano  lass being made and the island of  Burano  to see its colourful houses and enjoy seafood

Visit the Basilica di Santa Maria della Salute, a stunning Baroque church at the Grand Canal’s entrance.

Explore the Cannaregio neighbourhood’s quiet and picturesque backstreets.

Visit the Gallerie dell’Accademia, an art museum specialising in Venetian Renaissance art.

Spend the evening watching the sunset over the Grand Canal.

Stay at the Venice Maggior Consiglio , located in the Cannaregio neighbourhood, just a 10-minute walk from the Rialto Bridge.

Florence, Italy (5 days)

The last destination on this 3 month Europe travel itinerary  will be the Italian city of  Florence, renowned for its Renaissance art and architecture.

What to do in Florence during your 3 months Europe itinerary

Book  a guided tour of the Accademia Gallery  to see Michelangelo’s David statue.

Visit the Florence Cathedral, Giotto’s Campanile, and the Baptistery as you walk around Piazza del Duomo.

Explore the Uffizi Gallery, one of the most famous art museums in the world.

Take a walk across the  Ponte Vecchio , a famous bridge lined with jewellery stores.

Visit Pitti Palace and Boboli Gardens, which were once home to the powerful Medici family.

Discover the Mercato Centrale, a bustling indoor market filled with vendors selling local food and wine.

Take  this guided tour  of the famous Chianti vineyards for some food and wine tasting.

Visit the Basilica di Santa Croce, the world’s largest Franciscan church and the final resting place of many famous Italians, including  Michelangelo  and Galileo.

Soggiorno La Cupola Guesthouse is a beautiful stay option in Florence, featuring stylish rooms with free Wi-Fi.

Tips for travelling around Europe 3 months

Backpacking Europe 3 months can be an exciting and rewarding experience, but making the most of your trip requires careful planning. Here are some suggestions to help you make the most of your three months in Europe:

Plan a rough Europe itinerary 3 months ahead of time, but be willing to change it as you go.

Pack lightly and wisely, opting for versatile clothing that can be mixed and matched.

Stay in low-cost accommodations such as hostels.

Take public transportation, such as trains, buses, or metros, to get around.

Look into free or low-cost activities such as walking tours or visiting local markets.

For low-cost meals, try local street food or local supermarkets.

Don’t be afraid to meet new people and make new friends.

Stay safe by being aware of your surroundings, avoiding dangerous areas, and keeping your belongings secure

You’ll be prepared for your 3 month trip to Europe if you follow these tips. Enjoy the journey.

Big Bus Open-Top Hop-on Hop-off Sightseeing Tour in London

Lisbon: Pena Palace, Sintra, Cabo da Roca, & Cascais Day Trip

Amsterdam: Classic Boat Cruise with Cheese & Wine Option

Berlin: Hop-on Hop-off Bus Tour with Live Commentary

Berlin: 1-Hour City Tour by Boat

Krakow: Auschwitz-Birkenau Tour

Krakow: Oskar Schindler Factory Guided Tour

From Prague: Kutná Hora and Ossuary Tour

Vienna: Schönbrunn Palace & Gardens Skip-the-Line Tour

Vienna: Wachau, Melk Abbey, and Danube Valleys Tour

Budapest: Grand City Tour with Parliament Visit

Budapest: 1-Hour Sightseeing Cruise

Athens: Acropolis, Parthenon, & Acropolis Museum Guided Tour

Athens: Gourmet Food Tour

Dubrovnik: Old Town Walking Tour

Dubrovnik: The Ultimate Game of Thrones Tour

Venice Doge’s Palace & St Mark’s Basilica Skip-the-Line Tour

Florence: Skip-the-Line Accademia Guided Tour

• The People – Paris Belleville IEx Les PiaulesI

The Loft Hostel ,

Home Lisbon Hostel

St Christopher’s Inn Berlin Mitte

Bubble Hostel

Hostel EMMA

MEININGER Hotel Wien Downtown Sissi

City Circus Athens

boutique Villa Dorma

With its stunning natural beauty, rich history, and diverse cultures, Europe offers a wealth of experiences that are both unique and unforgettable that can only be experienced if you spend 3 months in Europe.

3 month Europe itinerary FAQs

How to travel europe for 3 months.

The best way to Travel within Europe is by train. These are fast and more affordable than flights.

Can I take a 3 month Europe road trip?

Yes, you can take a three-month road trip through Europe, but you must carefully plan your three month Europe itinerary, ensure you have all necessary documents and permits, and budget for fuel, tolls, and parking fees.

What is 3 month Europe trip budget?

The approximate cost of a 3 month vacation in Europe for budget travellers would be €50-€70 per day for lodging, food, and transportation. This would bring the total cost of the trip to between €4,500 and €6,300. It’s also important to consider extra costs like sightseeing activities, travel insurance, and visa fees (if applicable).

Award-winning Analyst, multi-nominated digital content creator and photographer Lavina Dsouza's words capture stories about culture and tradition mainly through its food and people. She has written and contributed to publications such as The Washington Post, Lonely Planet and Matador Network, to name a few. She is the editor of UntraditionalHumans.com, a non-profit created to share inspiring stories from women of colour who break free from traditions and choose happiness.

She's also a speaker passionate about DEI and champions solo travel. She has collaborated with numerous renowned brands such as Intrepid Travel, TripAdvisor, Travel and Leisure and Adobe, to name a few.

She can be found on Twitter and Instagram.

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Long-Term Travel Guide for 2023: The Ultimate Packing List for a Month

3 Packing Tips for a Long Trip

Before anything else, you need to know a few tips before packing for a month-long trip. Always keep in mind these 3 tips!

✓ Hand wash the delicates - For a month-long trip, you won’t be able to get away without washing certain clothing pieces. We’re referring to underwear, socks, bras and under shirts. Doing a quick wash in the sink will help hold you over if you don’t have access to laundry. Watch this video to see how to wash clothes in the sink when traveling .    

✓ Pack less pants, more shirts  - Pack 3 to 4 pairs of pants or shorts that can be paired with almost ALL your shirts. That way you can create many different outfits (just change the shirts, shoes, jewelry) with one pair of pants! Stick to classic, comfortable and neutral pieces that you can re-wear over and over.

✓ Use clear packing cubes to stay organized - Staying organized is hard enough when traveling, so do yourself a favor and don’t think twice about packing cubes. They will save you time, energy and stress over where you packed what. Give the kids their own color so they feel special (and color code them for your sanity). These clear packing cubes are great because you see what’s inside each cube, without having to take everything out. When arriving at your various destinations, no need to unpack. Place the cubes into drawers or on top of a table - just like traveling drawers!

The ultimate packing list for a month of travel

Below is a list of the essential items you need to pack for a month-long trip. We cover all the items that must be packed inside your checked luggage . We have also divided the clothing packing lists for each member of the family. Enjoy!

✦ CLOTHES & SHOES ✦

CLOTHES FOR MOM

Underwear / Sleepwear

✓ Panties - Bring at least 10 pairs so you don’t need to wash during the first week of your trip. Pro-packing tip: Avoid packing white or light-colored panties, as well as lace material ones which are more prone stains and tears .

✓ Bras - Bring at least 3 to 4 bras (bring the most comfortable ones you own). You can get away with bringing fewer bras if you’re going to a colder region (less sweaty).

✓ Socks - Bring at least 10 pairs of socks. A few ankle socks, a few no show socks, and a few high socks (especially for boots or colder weather).

✓ Pajamas / Cotton Shorts - Bring lightweight pajamas and shorts. Three pairs will be enough since you’ll only use them for lounging or sleeping.

✓ Comfy Shirts - Bring at least 3 comfy shirts you can use for sleeping or lounging.

Casual Clothes

✓ Cotton Shirts - Bring at least 5 cotton T-shirts or tank tops you can easily pair with leggings, jeans or shorts. Pro-packing tip: Opt for neutral colored shirts so you can easily match all your clothing items together. Also, bring a few darker colored shirts (easier to re-wear if you have a small stain).

✓ Dressy Tops / Blouses - Bring 3 to 4 dressy tops for nice dinners, going out for the night or unexpected dates.

✓ Jeans / Leggings - Bring at least 2 pairs of jeans and 2 to 3 pairs of leggings. Maybe bring one pair of blue jeans and one pair of black jeans? It’s nice to have some variety with your outfits. Leggings are very lightweight, easy to dry and go well with a wide range of tops - they’re also the comfiest bottom for moms! Pro Tip: Use leggings for the occasional workout or pair with a T shirt, sneakers and jean jacket for a day out.

✓ Skirts - If you’re a fan of skirts (meaning you wear them at home) then bring your favorite two skirts. If you never wear them at home, you probably won’t wear them while traveling, so leave them at home.

✓ Shorts - Bring 2 to 3 different types of shorts especially if you’re traveling to a tropical destination. Denim shorts are a must for every day sightseeing - they can be paired with almost any shirt.

✓ Dresses - Bring at least 1 to 2 of your favorite dresses that you could wear during the day or at night. A  black maxi dress is perfect for dressing down with sandals or dressing up for a night out! If you’re not a fan of long dresses, try a  simple and comfy dress  for an everyday casual look.

Cold or Winter Wear

✓ Windbreaker - Bring at least 1 windbreaker that can withstand both wind and rain.

✓ Tights / Thick Leggings - If you’re traveling to a very cold destination, bring 1 to 2 tights or base layer leggings to double layer underneath your pants.

✓ Sweater / Jacket - Bring at least 1 warm sweater or down jacket that you can use when sightseeing in the cold, for night time brisk walks or even while on the flights (the AC gets cold).

✓ Scarves - Scarves are versatile pieces you can use for protection against the cold or sprucing up a basic outfit, bring at least 1 to 2 of your favorites. Also, make sure they are neutral so they match with most of your outfits.

✓ Gloves / Beanie - Optional pieces you can bring if you’re going to a very cold destination.

✓ Swimsuits - You can get away with just 1 to 2 swimsuits while traveling.  Make sure you bring suits you love wearing. Pro-packing tip: Try purchasing a reversible swimsuit like this one .

✓ Cover Up - Bring at least 1 cover up that you can use when lounging on the beach. Pro-packing tip: Pack a versatile cover up that can double as a top or dress . If you don’t want to bring a cover up or a sarong to save space, you can use one of your scarves as a wrap!

Active Wear / Workout Gear

✓ Quick Dry Shirts - Going trekking or hiking? Quick dry shirts are your best friend as they can dissipate sweat more easily than regular cotton shirts. Bring at least 2 quick dry shirts , depending on how much trekking you’re planning to do. Pro-packing tip: Quick dry shirts can be washed in the sink and be ready to wear the morning.

✓ Jogging / Yoga Pants - For a very active trip, it’s a must to stay comfortable while moving around. Bring at least 1 to 2 jogging pants or yoga pants.

✓ Baseball Hat - Bring at least 1 hat to help protect you against the rays of the sun while staying active. Bring a neutral color that will go with all your outfits!

✓ Sports Bras  - Sports bras are a must when traveling, to double for workouts and busy days sightseeing. Bring 4 to 5 sports bras that you love wearing.

✓ Walking Shoes  - Bring 1 pair of comfortable walking shoes, either comfy sandals or athletic sneakers. We love these affordable Adidas sneakers that can double as workout shoes as well as everyday walking shoes with jeans and a T-shirt.

✓ Wedge Heels - Depending on the type of trip you’re taking, don’t bring heels at all if you don’t normally wear them. If you do love dressing up for a night out every couple days, bring 1 pair of comfy wedges  you can throw on with a casual dress or jeans.

✓ Sandals - You’ll need a comfy pair of sandals that will last you all day. We suggest bringing a pair that has back (not slip on with open back). These will give you more support and be comfier throughout the day. For beach or pool days, you can wear these as your flips flops. No need to bring an extra pair!

CLOTHES FOR DAD

✓ Briefs / Boxers  - Bring at least 10 pairs so you won’t need to wash during the first week of your trip. Pro-packing tip: Try merino-fabric types, which are moisture-resistant and dry very quickly.

✓ Socks  - Bring at least 3 to 4 pairs of regular high-ankle socks and a few ankle socks for your athletic shoes.

✓ Sleeping Shirts - Bring at least 3 sleeveless shirts you can use for sleeping or for lounging around.

✓ Cotton Shirts - Bring at least 5 cotton shirts which you can easily pair with jeans or shorts. Pro-packing tip: Darker-colored and plain shirts are ideal because stains are less likely to show up and they are easier to pair with other clothing items.

✓ Dress / Collared Shirts - Bring at least 2 dress or collared shirts for  dinner, going out and fancy occasions.

✓ Jeans / Trousers  - Bring at least 2 to 3 pairs of pants. For men, you’ll be wearing jeans a majority of the time so bring a couple options.  

✓ Shorts  - Bring 2 to 3 different types of shorts, especially if you’re traveling to a tropical destination. You can bring denim shorts, patterned shorts and black shorts for versatile outfit planning.

✓ 1 Windbreaker  - Bring at least 1 windbreaker that can withstand both wind and rain. Also, that doesn’t take up too much space in your luggage.

✓ Sweatpants  - If you’re traveling to a very cold destination, bring 1 to 2 warm sweatpants for lounging or for a casual day in the cold.

✓ 1 Warm Jacket  - Bring at least 1 warm sweater or down jacket that you can use when sightseeing in the cold, for chillier nights or even while on the flights (the AC gets cold).

✓ Gloves & Beanie - Optional pieces you can bring if you’re going to a very cold destination.

✓ Swim Trunks / Board Shorts - Bring at least 2 swim trunks, since these items barely take up space.

✓ Rash Guard - Are you planning on hitting the surf while traveling? Boogie boarding? Just want to protect your skin? Try this lightweight rash guard , perfect for any day in the sun.

Active Wear

✓ Quick Dry Shirts  - Same with mom, quick dry shirts are also perfect for dads. They dry quickly as you sweat or as quickly as you wash them! Pack 2 to 3 shirts.

✓ Jogging / Jogger Pants  - Bring at least 1 to 3 jogging pants or opt for jogger pants which can also be used for lounging.

✓ Baseball Hat  - Bring at least 1 cap to help protect you against the rays of the sun while staying active. Make sure it’s neutral and goes with all outfits!

✓ Sports Socks  - Bring 1 to 2 pairs of sports socks, depending on how active you plan to be on the trip.

✓ Everyday Walking Shoes - Bring 1 pair of walking shoes, which can double as workout shoes as well as everyday shoes.

✓ Sneakers / Night Shoes - You will pretty much get away with wearing your athletic shoes during the day. You’ll want to bring another pair of nicer sneakers or shoes for going out at night. Pro-packing tip: Opt for darker-colored or neutral-colored sneakers so they can be used for day and night, and also won’t get as dirty on the trip.

CLOTHES FOR KIDS

✓ Panties / Briefs  - Bring at least 10 pairs so you won’t need to wash kiddie panties and briefs during the first week of your trip. Pro-packing tip: With kids, expect the unexpected, you might have to wash clothes earlier than planned.

✓ Diapers  - If your kid is still wearing diapers, bring at least 15 to 20 pairs in your checked luggage. Once you arrive at your first destination, find a pharmacy and buy some more. Pro-packing tip: Research prior to your trip if the country you’re visiting has the specific variant of diaper your child is using.

✓ Socks  - Bring a combination of regular high-ankle socks and low-ankle socks for sneakers. Bring at least 7 to 10 pairs.

✓ Pajamas - Bring a few combos of pajamas, some for the cold and some for hot weather. Bring 2 to 3 outfits so you can switch off without doing laundry.

*Pro Tip: Lay out all the kids clothes on the bed. Have them “choose” 5-10 of their favorite outfits. Bring those and a few more options. On the trip, there is no excuse for not wanting to wear the outfit they chose, right?

✓ Cotton Shirts - Bring at least 7 cotton t-shirts which can be easily paired with jeans or shorts.

✓ Button Up Shirts / Dresses / Skirts - For girls, bring 3 to 4 nicer outfits, maybe a couple dresses, skirts and a few nicer tops. For boys, bring 2 to 3 collared shirts or button-up shirts. 

✓ Jeans / Leggings - For girls, you can bring 2 pairs of jeans and 2 leggings. For boys, bring at least 3 jeans which they can use many times.

✓ Shorts - For girls, denim and colored shorts can spice up any outfit. Boys can also bring knee-length, denim and khaki shorts. Depending on the weather, bring 2 to 3 pairs of shorts (add an extra if all summer weather).

✓ Windbreaker (With Hood)  - Bring 1 good windbreaker (with a hood) that can work for both wind and rain.

✓ Layered Leggings (For Cold Weather)  - Children are easily affected by temperature changes, so if the weather will be cold make sure to bring 2 to 3 pairs of base layer pants or leggings for them to go underneath their regular pants.

✓ Jacket & Sweater  - Find 1 quality sweater they can wear everyday . If the weather will be extra cold, they’ll need a second layer of  warm and puffy down jacket .

✓ Gloves / Beanies - Optional pieces you can bring if necessary for weather.

✓ Swimsuit / Board Shorts  - Bring at least 2 swimsuits for girls and boys. If one is dirty or wet from the previous day, they’ll have a second one to use.  

✓ Rash Guards  - Kids are at a higher risk of getting burnt, so make sure to lather the sunscreen, wear a rash guard, and a hat. There’s also very cute options for long sleeve swimsuits, like this ruffled pink and blue duo . Keeps them protected, but they’re still in their swimsuits!

✓ Everyday Walking Shoes  - Bring 1 to 2 pairs of shoes they can wear everyday for walking around. Make sure one pair is closed toed, to keep them less dirty and protect those little toes.

✓ Sandals with a strap  - Bring s andals with a strap  that are perfect for beach days. It’s important your kids shoes have a strap so they don’t end up missing one of their shoes half way through the day.

For Pains/Headaches

✓ Advil / Tylenol / Motrin - Useful for both bodily pains and headaches.

✓ Fever Relievers for Kids - Bring kids Motrin for relieving fevers and pains for kids.

Prescription Medications

✓ Prescription Medications - Make sure you don’t forget your specific prescription medications, as well as a sufficient amount for the trip! Pro-packing tip: If you will be away for over a month, you may need to ask your doctor for extra meds before leaving.

✓ Decongestants / Antihistamines  -  For relieving sinus pain or pressure, make sure you bring a kiddie version as they are at higher risk for developing colds.

✓ Antacids - For those prone to acid reflux disease, though you can also easily get these from local pharmacies.

✓ Motion Sickness Medication - To avoid getting dizzy or nauseous while on the road, plane or boats.

✓ Anti-Diarrhea Medication - For those times when your system just isn’t cooperating.

FIRST AID KIT

Prepare for the Kid’s Occasional Fall

✓ Antibiotic Ointment - Pack a mini Neosporin for falls and scratches.

✓ Band Aids  - For kids, pack cutely colored and patterned bandages to lessen their anxiety after a fall.

✓ Tweezers  - Tweezers can help in removing splinters that might have gotten caught in the skin or in the wound.

✓ Alcohol  - Great for disinfecting before touching the wound.

✓ Hand Sanitizer - Milder than alcohol and ideal for sanitizing kid’s hands.

✓ Wipes - Great for disinfecting hands, face and even areas you want to sanitize like the dining table or sink area.

✓ Thermometer - Must have for determining and tracking body temperature of kids, best to opt for a digital thermometer .

✓ Gauze Pad and Medical Tape - Better option for larger and deeper wounds.

✦ TOILETRIES & OTHER BODY ESSENTIALS ✦

✓ Travel Size Shampoo, Conditioner and Soap - Bring travel-sized versions of your favorite shampoo, conditioner and soap. If you’re very low maintenance, hotels usually provide for these items. Or you can buy these products locally.

✓ Toothbrush and Toothpaste - Again, some hotels provide disposable toothbrushes and mini toothpastes. You can bring your own to be on the safe side.

✓ Deodorant - A must have especially when traveling to a warm, tropical region. Deodorant sticks  are more ideal since they last longer and won’t leak.

✓ Face Moisturizer  - Transfer your favorite facial moisturizer in a small plastic bottle to save space in your luggage.

✓ Sunscreen - There are travel-size sunscreens you can opt to bring like this one from Coppertone. They have packs of 6 which are perfect for the family!

✓ Body Lotion or Cream - Pack a mild body lotion or cream that the entire family can use with trusted brands like Cetaphil or CeraVe .

✓ Razor - Make sure to bring a separate facial razor for dad and a body razor for mom!

OTHER ESSENTIALS

✓ Insect Repellent Lotion - If you’re traveling to a tropical destination, it’s a must to bring an insect repellent lotion. Opt for natural scented ones that won't have that toxic smell  (especially harmful around the kids).

✓ Contact Lens and Solution - Can’t forget these babies… Also a must to bring an extra contact lens case just in case!

✓ Nail Clippers - Long nails are more prone to germ infestation! Make sure you bring a small but good quality nail clipper that the entire family can use. You are allowed to bring these on airplanes too!

✓ Pads / Tampons - For moms out there, don’t forget to bring at least one pack of sanitary pads or tampons in case your visitor of the mont h comes during the trip.

✓ Hair Tools - Hair brush, comb, hair ties and leave in conditioner are all the essentials for a month long trip. Optional: Consider bringing a mini hair dryer  and travel straightening iron  perfect for slipping in the side of your suitcase. Pro-packing tip: When traveling to a different country, do NOT stick either of these items into the plug without a converter . Read more here about which countries need converters.

✓ Cosmetics - It’s ideal to store cosmetics and makeup in a  clear makeup bag . Only bring makeup items that you can’t live without. In tropical regions, it’s not recommended to wear thick foundations, but instead to opt for tinted moisturizers. Pack an everyday lip, natural blush and mascara for going out at night.

✦ ELECTRONICS & ACCESSORIES ✦

✓ Laptop  - It’s not recommended to bring a laptop unless you have work to do or your work is remote. Opt for a tablet if you can! Pro Tip: Find out if there is a safe in the places you’ll be staying. You might need to leave important items in there when going out for the day .

✓ Disposable / Waterproof Camera  - Only bring your “real” camera if you must! Phones will do the trick for the most part, and you’ll save space in your luggage without the heavy gear. Bringing a disposable or waterproof camera is a great idea for water sports, days at the beach, or just fun days to capture moments without a phone.

✓ Chargers  / Power Bank  - With all the different phones in the family, one is bound to be dead before the end of the day. Pro Tip: Always be prepared and bring a  mini power bank in your bag each day (make sure it’s charged the night before).

✓ Headphones / Kiddie Headphones  - Bring the least bulky headphones you have for yourself and hubby, and get the kids their own colored ones.  Putting on their favorite show will keep them occupied (and quiet) for a good chunk of time.

✦ COMMONLY FORGOTTEN ITEMS ✦

✓ Portable Water Bottle - Sure you can opt to buy bottled water once at your destination. You could save money and stay more hydrated when you each have your own bottle. Pro-packing tip: Bring one portable water bottle for each member of the family, designate a specific color for each individual. Pack the bottles into the side of everyone’s backpack before leaving for the airport. Make sure they are empty for TSA Security check! After getting through, you can all fill up your bottles at the water fountain.

✓ Sunglasses and Extra Glasses - Don’t be that person who left their sunglasses in the car! Pack these (in a case) the night before. It’s also a great idea to bring an extra pair in case you lose or break them. Bring  kiddie sunglasses  for your kids to protect their sensitive eyes.

✓ Entertainment for Kids - You can bring small toys such as blocks, miniature cars, paper dolls and small character figures so kids can be entertained while on the road. Crayons are also must-bring entertainment items since they can easily entertain a kid for a few hours. For older kids, try magnetic or portable games like a  chess travel set .

✓ Vitamins / Birth Control / Retainers - These items are all a must! Make sure to check these items off your list before leaving the house.

How to organize your one-month packing list

Now that you have a complete packing list for month-long trip, what’s next?

The next step is organizing your essentials in a way that each member of the family can easily find what they need, when they need it.

Our favorite travel product has to be our Complete Bundle . This set comes with 12 different items, clear packing cubes in various sizes, and additional fun accessories like laundry and shoes bags.

Thanks to Paula from Beauty Through Imperfection for this awesome photo of her kids organization!

You can pack smaller clothing items in the medium packing cubes while larger clothing items can go in the large packing cubes . The small packing cubes can be used for thin shirts, underwear & socks or cosmetics/toiletries.

Thanks to Aimee from The Crazy Craft Lady for sharing how she organizes her kids backpacks for the plane!

You can even split one suitcase with your partner or child. Opt for two different colors and designate one color for yourself and another color for your husband or kid. These cubes are perfect for organizing the kids toys in their backpacks (shown above). It’s the ideal set for families going on a month-long trip! If you need more packing cubes, you can buy them separately to add to your complete bundle.

Color coding and organization has never been easier with clear packing cubes !

Not sure how to organize your luggage using packing cubes? Check out this Ultimate Guide on How to Use Packing Cubes for Suitcases for more goodies.

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How to Plan a Trip: A Month-by-Month Guide

Trip planning can be a daunting task. Flights, insurance, gear, itineraries, accommodation, and so much more all need to be considered and sorted out before you go.

It’s easy to get overwhelmed , especially when you haven’t done something like this before.

After over close to twenty years of traveling the world, I’ve planned countless trips and vacations for myself, friends, and family, even group tours. In the beginning, it was trial by fire. I learned a lot of lessons the hard way . However, that helped me develop an efficient checklist that ensures I don’t miss anything important during the trip-planning process.

One big question I get asked a lot is when to start planning. To answer that question, this post breaks the planning process down into month-by-month steps so you can plan your next trip with ease.

Here’s how to plan a trip:

Table of Contents

12 Months Out: Decide on Your Destination(s)

12 months out: start collecting points & miles, 8 months out: visa requirements, passports, and vaccines, 4-6 months out: book your flight, 3-4 months out: book your accommodation, 2 months out: plan your activities, 1 month out: get travel insurance, 7 days out: pack.

If you already have a dream destination in mind, great! If not, here are some posts to help you get started:

• 11 Cheap Places to Visit on the US Dollar
• 10 Places to Travel on a Budget
• The Best Tropical Islands in the World
• My Favorite Cities in the World
• My 31 Favorite Places to Visit in the USA

But, this far out, the real thing you want to do is start saving money and figuring out your costs. Accommodation and flights are the obvious ones, but how much do restaurants, attractions, and other activities cost? Knowing these costs will allow you accurately estimate how much money you’ll need. Here is how to research costs:

• Buy a guidebook
• Check out my free travel guides (we break down all costs for each destination)
• Skim the cost of living on Numbeo.com
• Google prices for major activities you want to do, such as scuba diving, winery tours, etc. ( Get Your Guide is a good place to start)
• Use Skyscanner or Google Flights for flight prices and sign up for alerts to get emails if the price changes
• Use Discover Cars to price out (and book) a rental car if you need one
• Use Booking.com and Hostelworld to research accommodation costs

That may seem like a lot but you just want to get a general idea of how much you need to save. You can head to this page to see all my articles on how to save money for your trip .

These days, most cards have welcome offers of 60,000-80,000 points (some can be as high as 100,000) when you meet their minimum spending requirement (generally $2,000-5,000 USD within a 3–6-month time frame). That’s enough miles for a free round-trip economy flight to Europe from the East Coast of North America.

For more information on this subject, check out these posts:

• Points & Miles 101: A Beginner’s Guide
• How to Pick the Best Travel Credit Card
• My Favorite Travel Credit Cards
• How to Earn Points by Paying Your Rent
• The Ultimate Guide to Points & Miles
• How to Collect Points & Miles in Canada

In addition, get a fee-free ATM card. I use Charles Schwab, but there are lots of other banks that don’t charge ATM fees (don’t forget to check your local banks and credit unions too). Here’s how you can avoid bank fees while traveling .

While you likely won’t need a visa to your desired destination, you should still check to make sure. If you’re a US citizen, use the State Department’s search tool to learn about your destination’s entry requirements. (Canadians can use this search tool .)

Additionally, make sure that your passport is valid for at least six months after your trip ends. Many countries require this for entry. Passport application and renewal wait times can be long (the standard is 6-8 weeks in the US), so do this as soon as possible.

Also, research if you need any vaccines for your trip as many countries require vaccines to enter (and I don’t mean COVID). You can learn more about country requirements and recommendations at the CDC’s website . They can help you find a clinic near you as well (if you’re in the US).

Here are two articles on how to score a cheap flight:

• How to Always Find Cheap Flights
• 5 Steps to Booking a Cheap Flight

If you’ve signed up for a travel credit card and received your sign-up bonus, use your miles to book your flight and/or hotel. The further out you book, the more availability there will be. Use tools like Point.me and Awayz to help you find the best redemptions on your points (for flights and hotels, respectively).

But even if you aren’t using miles or didn’t find a cheap flight deal, there are still many ways to avoid being the person on the flight who paid the most for their ticket. My two favorite sites for finding cheap airfare are Skyscanner and Google Flights .  

Here are my go-to sites when it comes to finding the best deals on accommodation:

• Hostelworld – Hostelworld has the largest selection of hostels and is my go-to site for finding affordable hostels.
• Booking.com – Booking.com is the best overall platform for finding budget hotels and guesthouses.
• Agoda – Agoda has the best results if you’re heading to Asia (though it sometimes has good US deals too).

I recommend checking the cancelation policy of wherever you book. I like having the flexibility to cancel if something comes up.

If you’re on a tight budget or you want to connect with more locals during your travels, consider joining platforms like Couchsurfing or BeWelcome . These communities allow travelers to stay with residents for free as a sort of cultural exchange.

Long-term travelers can also try housesitting or WWOOFing as well, as they both offer free accommodation (in exchange for pet sitting or farm work, respectively).

Now it’s time for the fun part of travel planning! That means reading books about your destination, learning general travel tips, connecting with online communities, and pre-booking any necessary activities.

Pre-booking ensures you don’t miss out on things that you really want to do on your trip. If you’re going to a popular destination, tours and activities fill up quickly, and if you’re going to a smaller place, activities or tours might only run on certain days and have limited availability.

Either way, Get Your Guide the best place to search for and pre-book activities, tours, and tickets. Local tour operators and attractions can list their offerings on this online marketplace, so you can find tons of stuff here, from food tours to museum tickets with skip-the-line entry.

Get travel insurance . That way, these purchases are protected should something happen that makes you cancel your trip.

A lot of people think, “I’m healthy. I don’t need travel insurance.” But travel insurance is much more than just medical protection. It covers you when your camera breaks, your flight is canceled, a family member dies and you have to come home, or something gets stolen. (That’s why you’ll also want to familiarize yourself with any common travel scams to look out for, as well as how to conduct yourself in order to blend in to avoid looking like a target for petty theft.)

Yes, it’s an added expense. But it’s always better to be safe than sorry. I never leave home without it, because I’ve seen firsthand just what can happen on the road.

I never thought I would pop my eardrum while I was scuba diving in Thailand, break my camera in Italy, or get knifed in Colombia.

Unfortunately, bad things can happen when you’re traveling. True, these events are few and far between. But they can cost tens of thousands of dollars. If you’re not prepared to pay out of pocket, buy travel insurance.

Here are some posts on travel insurance to get you started:

• How to Buy Travel Insurance
• The 5 Best Travel Insurance Companies
• The Best Travel Insurance for Seniors

I never leave home without travel insurance. You shouldn’t either.

I travel with a 45L REI bag and then a smaller day bag. Here’s my suggested packing list to help you take just the right amount of stuff and avoid overpacking ( here’s a list for female travelers ).

Additionally, bring any prescriptions you need for the duration of your trip. Try not to rely on filling those abroad (though bring a prescription and doctor’s note just in case).

With everything taken care of, it’s time to go on your trip and have fun! Make a list of last-minute items you need to pack the day of (your toothbrush, glasses, phone charger, etc.) and check in online beforehand (you can do so 24 hours in advance). (If you’ve got lounge access through a premium travel rewards card , you might find yourself looking forward to getting to the airport early.)

If you’re feeling nervous, don’t worry. That’s perfectly normal. Feeling anxious or unsure is something every traveler experiences. But you’ve made it this far. Trust your planning and follow your instincts. You’re about to have the trip of a lifetime.

Book Your Trip: Logistical Tips and Tricks

Book Your Flight Find a cheap flight by using Skyscanner . It’s my favorite search engine because it searches websites and airlines around the globe so you always know no stone is being left unturned.

Book Your Accommodation You can book your hostel with Hostelworld . If you want to stay somewhere other than a hostel, use Booking.com as it consistently returns the cheapest rates for guesthouses and hotels.

Don’t Forget Travel Insurance Travel insurance will protect you against illness, injury, theft, and cancellations. It’s comprehensive protection in case anything goes wrong. I never go on a trip without it as I’ve had to use it many times in the past. My favorite companies that offer the best service and value are:

• SafetyWing (best for everyone)
• Insure My Trip (for those 70 and over)
• Medjet (for additional evacuation coverage)

Want to Travel for Free? Travel credit cards allow you to earn points that can be redeemed for free flights and accommodation — all without any extra spending. Check out my guide to picking the right card and my current favorites to get started and see the latest best deals.

Need Help Finding Activities for Your Trip? Get Your Guide is a huge online marketplace where you can find cool walking tours, fun excursions, skip-the-line tickets, private guides, and more.

Ready to Book Your Trip? Check out my resource page for the best companies to use when you travel. I list all the ones I use when I travel. They are the best in class and you can’t go wrong using them on your trip.

Got a comment on this article? Join the conversation on Facebook , Instagram , or Twitter and share your thoughts!

Disclosure: Please note that some of the links above may be affiliate links, and at no additional cost to you, I earn a commission if you make a purchase. I recommend only products and companies I use and the income goes to keeping the site community supported and ad free.

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Home » Blog » My 90 Day Travel Packing List

My 90 Day Travel Packing List

Since my last venture to a foreign country left me in a mad packing daze in which I forgot socks, toothpaste, jeans and going out shoes, I thought I would actually make a packing list of things I wish to bring this time. That last trip was only 9 days, this one will be 3 months long.

First thing to remember, I will be packing mainly for summer weather; however, from my previous experiences in New Zealand I have learned to be prepared for everything.

90 day packing list:

• Osprey Farpoint 70 without the day bag.
• LowePro Photo Sport
• Frye Foldable Purse  (Europe)
• Sling Day Bag (Southeast Asia)
• Running Shoes
• Everyday walking shoe
• Wedge (Europe)
• Fancy Sandals (Southeast Asia)
• Bags to place them in so they don’t get bag dirty

Accessories

• Rain bag cover
• Water bottle 
• Laundry Bag
• Laundry powder
• Pillow Case
• Microfiber Body Towel
• Microfiber Face Towel
• First Aid Kit
• Travel Blow Dryer
• Travel Hair Straightener
• Toiletries Bag
• Swiss Army Knife
• Travel Cutlery Set
• Cleaning Wipes
• Jewelry Bag
• ROBOCOPP   Safety Personal Alarm 
• 2x Multi-country Electrical Adapters

Everyday Clothes

• Packing Cubes
• 1x Active Shirts
• 1x Active Shorts
• 3x T-Shirts
• 1x Long Jumper (Hoodie)
• 1x Fancy Long Sleeve Shirt (Europe)
• 2x Summer dresses/rompers
• 2x Longer Sleeve rompers/dresses
• 2x Nice evening shirts
• 1x Beach Shorts
• 1x Beach Shirt
• 1x Temple(Baggy) Pants (Southeast Asia)
• 1x Shirt and Shorts (sleep wear)
• 10x Underwear
• 2x Sports Bras
• 2 Swimming Suits 
• Waterproof Cover
• Pocket Language Guide
• Passports plus holder.
• Important Documents
• External Hard drive
• 2x Sunglasses
• Face Powder
• Spare Battery Pack to charge USBs
• All Chargers

For more packing tips & advice check out my eBook , 259 pages of all the travel advice you’ll need for planning, packing and travelling around the world!

Alright, see you in New Zealand!!

24 comments

I’m very amazed you made all that fit in those 3 bags lol… and thank you for reminding me that the seasons are opposite in NZ and Australia! … this is something I somehow had yet to think about for planning my trip this summer lol fail. Thinking I would rather go somewhere that is also summer…. hmmm more planning necessary! I’m so excited for your videos and stuff tho… seeing all the nice summery weather will be a nice change from Canadian winter! :)

This came at the perfect time, I’m preparing for a 4 month study abroad. Infinitely useful!

Glad I could help :)

Yeah Girl!!!!!!!!!

Tiger Lily such a noob.

Hey Nadine! You should definitely use the mike! You are sometimes a bit hard to understand, especially when there is wind. That packing video made me really excited for the vlogs u are going to make! Have fun and be safe!

zomg! only 1 scarf! ;-)

Have a great adventure Nadine =)

How much it all weight ?

“Underwear(lots)” Don’t forget to turn them inside out for that extra day of freshness! LOL

Have a great trip! :)

Very well thought out- would be interesting if you could follow up after your trip with “things I wish I would have brought” and “things I wish I had left behind” Thanks for sharing–look forward to the videos!!! BYE

This is such a great video! I watched all 21 minutes. I have no idea how I am going to pack for roughly 45 days – I don’t know how you did 90 days. :)

How was 4 pairs of socks enough? Do you wear flip flops a lot?

• Pingback: First Mock Pack :D | Entirely Away From Home

Part 1 Chapter 34

They’ll move you, if you give them ear, no doubt,

I’m getting ready to live in Spain for 3 months! I can across your packing list and made a few minor adjustments for the region I’ll be living in. Thanks for the list!

• Pingback: Packing for 3 months?! Help! | Nuevas aventuras

Hey Nadine! I am planning a similar trip in January and this list is super helpful. I will be travelling with the exact same Osprey Ariel pack and am wondering if you were able to carry your pack on or if you had to check it? Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks! Sarah

Very informative, thank you!

During your trip, was there anything you wished you had brought?

I’m leaving for a 90-day trip to Australia, New Zealand and Fiji in less than three weeks and would find this information very helpful. Thanks!!

I loveee your blog. Thank you for posting so interesting information. I am going to visit France next week. I am going to follow your method of packing precisely. Thank for sharing it. Greets!

Great information for solo travel

What toiletry bag do you use?

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Hey Nadine, loved the video, you are so funny and it’s always helpful to see how other people do it. ( Packing for a 3 month trip)

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Our 3 months in South America Itinerary

Our first big trip together, besides a couple of weekends away, was to South America. We planned our 3 month South America travel route together, something I’d been wanting to do for years but was saving until after graduation.

If you’re hoping to spend some time backpacking South America, I’ve put together our South America itinerary for 3 months below.

It was such a fun backpacking South America route and I can remember it so vividly; a sign of a great trip I think!

We travelled South America as a couple – our first backpacking trip – and now we’re married so I think things worked out pretty well, wouldn’t you agree?

We visited Peru, Bolivia, Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay (well, we got the stamp!), Ecuador and the Galapagos Islands . We had an amazing time and have since then taken other big trips together including a 3-month cross-USA road trip route in our self-converted campervan, and have moved to Canada.

Our South America travels are perfect for first-time backpackers to South America hoping to see the main bucket list South America sites but also do some unique activities too.

Whilst I wouldn’t change much of our South American itinerary, I’d look to add Colombia to the end of our trip. Before we went to South America I’d not heard much about this country (& what I had heard wasn’t exactly positive).

However, once we landed in Peru many of the backpackers we met told us how much fun they’d had there. Just an excuse for us to go back, hey?

Table of Contents

Our South America Travel Route – A 3-month South American Itinerary

When you start planning your South America trip and looking up how long it takes to get between places, you’ll quickly notice just how MASSIVE South America is. After all, it is a continent and each of the countries within that continent is pretty big!

Deciding on where to go, which country to start in, and how to get from place to place can be a tricky task. You’re probably going to want to do everything but in most cases, time and money (let’s be real) won’t allow for absolutely everything.

That’s the situation we were in. Though we’d graduated and were doing some part-time jobs to save up for our trip, our overall budget was pretty modest. It was also the first time either of us had done such a long trip. My longest before then was a month spent visiting Australia’s East Coast.

This South America travel blog post will help you decide where to go and how to get there, what to do and give you an idea of how much money you’ll need. If you’ve still got questions, feel free to leave them in the comments at the end and I’ll get back to you!

Have you got travel insurance? I’ve been using SafetyWing for a while and it’s incredibly easy, affordable and overall hassle-free! Make sure you check them out before your trip (or after, you can subscribe even if the trip has already started!). They offer subscription-based travel insurance which is great for digital nomads. It allows you to claim medical expenses, and you can add travel coverage to cover your for lost or stolen belongings or additional expenses due to delayed travel.

3 month South America itinerary

This South America backpacking route starts in Lima, Peru. Peru was our favourite country in our whole South America trip. The food was great, the people were friendly, the country has everything from beaches to mountains, rainforest to deserts AND it was one of the cheaper countries too.

We’ll then head from Peru down into Bolivia, across to Brazil, into Argentina and down to Uruguay then back into Argentina, across to Peru and north to Ecuador and the Galapagos Islands.

I’ve linked to other South America travel guides where relevant so you can find more information about some of the most popular destinations to visit in South America.

A South America map of our travel route and the places we visited. Click the image to view the interactive map which you can save to your phone!

Here are the places we visited in Peru and some links to more detailed posts about them. Make sure to add these activities to your Peru bucket list for your South America travel route!

Lima is the capital of Peru and sits on the coast. It’s full of beautiful buildings and has plenty of museums to explore too so that you can get to know more about the fascinating ancient history of Peru.

The best area to stay in Lima is Miraflores which is the more touristy area, but also the safest and one with the most restaurants and things to do.

Some of the best things to do in Lima, Peru are:

• Swim with Sea Lions in the Pacific Ocean
• Take a Peruvian food tour
• Experience the Lima Magic Lights Circuit & the Catacombs

A few hours down the coast from Lima is Paracas. Paracas is often called ‘the poor man’s Galapagos’ as it’s a great place to do some nature watching.

It’s home to blue-footed boobies (a type of bird) and many more animals that are best viewed by taking a boat ride out to the islands.

The boat rides out to the islands are the best things to do in Paracas by far. If you’re not planning on visiting the Galapagos I’d recommend taking a boat tour.

Boot a boat tour in Paracas.

Not a city or really even much of a town, but a VERY fun place to spend a day or two. Huacachina is super popular with backpackers in South America due to the sand dunes which surround the little oasis that is Huacachina.

Here you can go sandboarding , or take a dune buggy ride both of which I recommend!

Book a sunset sandboarding and dune buggy tour

You may have heard of the Nazca lines before, if you’re taking PeruHop you’ll stop off here and have the chance to climb a tower to view these mysterious lines from above.

However, the only true way to see them is by taking a flight above them which is pretty expensive for backpackers. Having said that it’s definitely the only way to really see them, the tower doesn’t offer you much in the way of views of the Nazca Lines.

Book a Nazca Lines flight

Honestly, I’d save your money for something else and wouldn’t make a special trip to stop here unless you were nearby.

Arequipa is a city with beautiful architecture and a place to stop off at if you wish to visit the Colca Canyon.

Colca Canyon

One of the world’s deepest canyons, the Colca Canyon is a well-known trekking destination. It’s a habitat for the giant Andean condor which is the largest flying bird in the world!

Book a Colca Canyon trip

Cusco is one of the most popular stops for travellers to South America as it’s the gateway to Machu Picchu. This town is at 3,339m above sea level so it’s a good idea to spend the best part of a week here to acclimatise to the altitude before heading off to Machu Picchu.

If you didn’t book a trekking South America tour in advance you may be able to find a last-minute opening by walking around the tourist companies.

Otherwise, you can take trips to the Lost City, or head up to Sacsayhuaman (pronounced “sexy woman”) another Inca city within walkable distance from Cusco centre.

Another cool thing to do in Cusco is a day trip to Rainbow Mountain . This wasn’t an option when we visited back in 2014, but it’s now one of the best things to do in Cusco.

Book a trip to Rainbow Mountain here.

The Humantay Lake trip is also really special. You’ll head out to a beautiful alpine lake similar to those found in Canada in terms of colour!

Visit Humantay Lake on this guided tour.

Machu Picchu & Aguas Calientes

Whether you hike or get the bus or train, Machu Picchu is an absolute MUST-see in Peru. This famous Lost City of the Incas is absolutely stunning.

It’s one of those places that lives up to your expectations, even when your expectations are ridiculously high. We took the Salkantay trek to get there. 

However, you can also take day trips to Machu Picchu from Cusco with return transport if you don’t want, or don’t have the time, to hike.

Read more about how to get to Machu Picchu.

Lake Titicaca & Puno

From Cusco, we headed to Lake Titicaca and the town of Puno. There’s not a whole lot to see in Puno, it’s basically where people stay the night before getting an early bus to Bolivia or north into Peru.

Lake Titicaca , however, is worth seeing. This high-altitude lake is home to a community that makes their houses and the islands they live on out of reeds.

Find out more about Lake Titicaca.

Once we flew from Buenos Aires back to Lima, we headed north up the coast to Mancora. This beach town was entirely unexpected by us during our backpacking South America trip.

I never realised Peru has such beautiful beaches! Pocitas Beach just outside the town was our favourite.

While this town has grown hugely in popularity, we loved spending a relaxing week at the beach, drinking Mancora milkshakes and relaxing.

Iquitos & the Amazon Rainforest

From Mancora, we took the long route to Iquitos in the Amazon rainforest (and went piranha fishing in the Amazon !). Most visitors to Iquitos fly there from Lima, but we floated down the Amazon river on a cargo ship and this is perhaps one of the most memorable experiences of our entire trip.

The boat to Iquitos is one adventure I think about often (even though it’s been almost 10 years since then!)

Sure, it took a long time but it was such a cool thing to do.

Bolivia was our least favourite country during our backpack in South America. Probably because we both got very ill. But, it was by far the cheapest (a 3-course meal for £3!) and we still had some very cool experiences here.

Many people love exploring the wild landscapes of Bolivia and the colourful cities.

If you’re travelling from Peru, Copacabana is the first town you’ll get to as it’s right across the border. There’s not a whole lot to do here other than wait for the next bus out.

La Paz is one of the highest-altitude capital cities in the world and it’s a bustling city. There are tonnes of street markets (including the Witches’ Market) which are fun to explore.

It’s home to super cheap lunch menus (look for “menu del dia”) and nowadays there’s a cable car that will take you to the top of the mountain walls that surround the city.

You can also get tours from La Paz to cycle down Death Road . Less scary these days than it used to be, but still an exhilarating experience you’ll cycle down this notoriously dangerous road on (pretty old) mountain bikes.

There’s now a cable car in La Paz and this tour of the city includes a cable car trip which is such a unique way to view this incredible city.

Salar de Uyuni

The largest salt flat in the world, and one of the top places to visit for any Bolivia backpacker, the Salar de Uyuni is an amazing place.

The best way to visit is to book a tour. You can book one that drops you off in Northern Chile if that’s your next stop, or you can book a circular route.

Check out this guide to the best salt flats tours including how to see the salt flats at sunset!

From Bolivia, we worked our way across land via Santa Cruz in Bolivia to Corumba in Brazil to Campo Grande and the Pantals (a wetland home to jaguars and many, many species of wildlife) and then to the Brazilian coast and inwards again to Iguassu Falls.

The Pantanals

The Pantanals were an unexpected surprise. We hadn’t planned to go here but had a great few days chilling out and taking trips out to see wildlife.

Iguassu Falls

Amazing waterfalls and the meeting point of three countries (Argentina, Brazil and Paraguay).

Though we enjoyed visiting from the Brazilian side the most, it’s worth visiting from both the Brazilian and Argentinan sides to get the full experience.

On the Brazilian side, you can do a super fun (and wet) boat tour to get closer to the falls.

Book your ticket to Iguassu Falls with a boat ride here.

Also, if you’re looking to get another stamp in your passport, you can cross the bridge into Paraguay from the Brazilian side (just don’t do it after dark as it can be quite dangerous!).

We loved visiting Ilhabela. It was our first ever Airbnb experience and our hosts took us with them to their friends to watch Brazil play in the World Cup, to a local school fundraiser and for ice cream. It was such a nice way to get to know the island.

Ilha Grande

Ilha Grande is a small island (don’t let the name fool you), that’s home to beautiful beaches and forest. Take walks, swim and hang out in a hammock. There are no cars on the island here making it even more chilled out!

This beautiful town is extremely photogenic and has plenty of beaches and islands to explore.

You can also book a boat from here to Ilha Grande in advance of your trip.

A huge Brazilian city, Sao Paulo is full of skyscrapers and museums. There are also cool places like Batman Alley to explore too.

Take a tour with a local to see the main sights.

Rio de Janeiro

You’ve definitely heard of Rio before and you can’t go backpacking to South America without visiting Rio! Honestly, it’s a must on anyone’s 3 month South America itinerary route!

This party city has plenty to see and do including Christ the Redeemer ; the giant statue of Christ that looks over the city.

This 6-stop highlight tour of Rio is a great way to experience the city.

Though it was cold and very wet during our visit, I enjoyed exploring Uruguay a little. It was a country I’d never really heard much about but thoroughly enjoyed. To get to Argentina we took the ferry from Montevideo to Buenos Aires.

The capital of Uruguay, Montevideo , is home to over a 1/3 of the country’s population. This coastal city is home to the 10-mile Rambla, a walkway between the beach and the city, and some great food markets too.

Be sure to take a tour of Punte del Este while in Montevideo which is full of beauty and luxurious housing.

If you’re travelling around South America and looking for something different, check out Montevideo. It was a pleasant stop on our South America itinerary 3 months plan.

Tacuarembó – Cowboy camp

Another of our more unique backpacking experiences in South America was spending time on a cowboy ranch . We rode horses, saw armadillos and skunks and had a great time despite the pouring rain!

Our first steps in Argentina were at Iguassu Falls where we viewed the falls from the Argentinan side . This was one of the big things we wanted to tick off during our 3 month itinerary in South America.

We then skirted down the eastern side of the country all the way to Uruguay before crossing back into Argentina from Uruguay and spending a few days in Buenos Aires.

If you have more time, consider visiting Mendoza and Argentina wine country.

Buenos Aires

Buenos Aires is a beautiful city. Though it’s probably the most expensive one on this South American backpacker route, it’s still worth visiting.

It’s a great city to add to your South America trip itinerary.

Some of the best things to do in Buenos Aires include:

• Enjoying dinner with a tango show
• Taking a guided tour of the city

From Argentina, our South America trip planner saw us fly back to Lima, go north to Iquitos then fly to Quito.

We didn’t spend a huge amount of time in Ecuador; just a couple of days in Quito and then off to the Galapagos Islands where we stayed for a week.

I’ve listed a couple of other Ecuador destinations that are popular with backpackers and worth visiting if you have space in your South America 3 month itinerary.

The capital city of Ecuador, near Quito, is where you can find the equator at Mitad del Mundo , explore historic buildings and take the teleferico (cable car) up to the high point of the city.

Cotopaxi National Park, Ecuador

This beautiful national park is home to the 5,900 m high volcano, Cotopaxi. If you’re a keen hiker taking a tour of the volcano is well worth adding to your 3 months South America itinerary.

Baños

A popular backpacking town, Baños is famous for its beautiful natural surroundings, the swing on the edge of a cliff and for being a base for outdoor adventures!

Popular Ecuadorian riverside town that is full of beautiful colonial buildings and hipster cafes.

Galapagos Islands

When travelling south America, a visit to the Galapagos Islands is definitely bucket list material.

The Galapagos Islands aren’t cheap but you can still visit the Galapagos Islands on a budget. You don’t need to book a cruise (in fact I’d advise against it), to see the wildlife.

It’s truly everywhere, and day excursions will get you out into the sea for diving and snorkelling opportunities.

Ideas for a longer backpacking route in South America

There are obviously ways to shorten the route by just visiting one of two countries from the itinerary above while travelling in South America.

You could also lengthen the route by visiting countries like Columbia and Chile, or spending more time in Argentina and Ecuador.

When we travelled to South America, Columbia was only just becoming a popular destination for backpackers and I’d love to go back one year and see what it’s like.

I’d also  love to go back and explore the numerous hiking routes of Patagonia on another trip travelling South America.

How much does it cost to backpack South America?

Our south america travel budget: £3500/£4000.

Our budget for this South America travel itinerary was roughly £3500 for 3 months travel in South America including flights to and from the UK and a couple of internal flights (Brazil to Peru, Peru to Galapagos Islands). It doesn’t include the cost of travel insurance, gear or vaccinations.

This is based on staying in cheap private rooms in hostels and hotels. Hotels in South America are often cheaper than hostels if you’re splitting the cost between two since you split the price of one room rather than paying for two beds. Ie. this was the cost to travel South America on a budget.

We also opted for overnight bus journeys since that saved on the cost of hotels and we’d have to pay for the transport anyway.

It also included the cost of activities such as our Salkantay trek, day excursions during our stay on the island of Santa Cruz in the Galapagos Islands and others.

However, we’re not big drinkers, and are more than happy to save on food; either cooking for ourselves or eating cheaply when eating out.

While we were travelling we stuck to a budget of about £35 a day ($45US). Some days we spent more, some days less, but overall it was around this amount a day.

How long to spend backpacking South America?

This itinerary for South America is based on spending three months on a South America travel route. We moved pretty quickly and fit a lot into a short amount of time but it was totally worth it.

If you have longer to spend (/more money to spend!) then anywhere between 4-6 months will allow you to see places more slowly and visit additional countries such as Colombia and Chile.

To plan or not to plan?

If this is your first big trip you maybe someone (like me) who’s tempted to plan EVERYTHING.

I’d advise you not to.

Hear me out. Some places you’re going to love and want to stay longer exploring. Other places you’re going to just not gel with and want to get away from as quickly as possible. If you’ve booked 1 night in the former and 4 nights in the latter you’re not going to be happy OR you’re going to lose money on non-refundable deposits.

Having said all that some things you’re just going to have to book, or  should  book to have a much more relaxing backpacking trip in South America.

Things we booked before travelling to South America

We booked our flights to Lima, Peru from the UK and then left from Quito in Ecuador (via Lima) back to the UK.

We also booked our Salkantay trek to Machu Picchu . The Inca Trail was already booked up (we booked at least 3 months in advance), but I’m actually so glad we took this trek instead!

We also won tickets in the lottery for World Cup football games in Brazil which meant we had to be in Brazil by a certain point.

And, since we knew we wanted to visit the Galapagos, we booked a flight from Argentina to Peru (to get us back on the west coast after Brazil) and to the Galapagos Islands, and back from Quito.

Our itinerary was a bit back and forth, but it worked for us.

Skyscanner is what I use to find cheap flights.

The best time to go to South America

If you live in the northern hemisphere, then remember that South America’s seasons are the opposite to what you’re used to. The northern countries are best visited May-September and the southern ones from October-April.

Our trip was from May to August.

Do I need travel vaccinations for South America travel destinations?

It’s likely you will need some South America travel vaccines. The requirements change from time to time so it’s worth checking at least 3 months before you go.

The  Fit For Travel website by the NHS  is full of useful advice.

When we travelled we made sure to get our Yellow Fever vaccination since countries such as Brazil said they’d check your certificate at the border.

We also got Malaria tablets to take with us since we were spending time in the Amazon Rainforest.

Additionally, if you’re worried about altitude, you may want to take Diamox, or a similar drug to help mitigate the effects you can get from altitude sickness. While I took this in the Himalayas, we didn’t take it during our trip to South America.

What visas do you need to backpack South America?

If you’re from the EU, chances are you won’t need to get any visa in advance. Most countries in South America will give you a 90-day visa upon entry.

Check each country’s government travel advice pages to see what the visa requirements are before you travel to South America.

How to get around South America?

With such a big continent, how will you know how to get around? Here are the methods we used!

Buses in South America

The best way to travel South America is to get buses from place to place.

You’ll likely be spending A LOT of time on overnight buses as you backpack South America. It’s by far the cheapest and easiest way to travel across the continent and you’ll be pleased to know that the buses in South America are actually pretty luxurious. I think the longest stint we did on back-to-back buses was 26 hours!

Depending on what class seat you book, you can enjoy fully-reclining seats, meal service (like aeroplane meals) and onboard entertainment! However, I  would  recommend packing a blanket or plenty of warm clothes as some of the buses, especially in Bolivia and other high altitude areas, do get VERY cold overnight.

In Peru, we used  PeruHop  which had just started as a company a few months before we used it. It’s a bit like the Oz Experience for road tripping on Australia’s east coast.

While it is a hop on hop off bus, typically you’re travelling with the same group of people for a week or so since people move places at roughly the same speed. If this is your first extended travelling experience, I’d recommend doing Peru Hop as they’ll organise hotels for you too but it’s not a bus tour in the sense that they’re then guiding you around each of the cities and stops you make. You also have the option to book your own accommodation.

When we travelled in South America back in 2014, Peru Hop only went from Lima to Cusco but I believe they’ve expanded their service to include many other stops (& other countries too).

Buses throughout South America tend to go from one big bus station in the town or city you’re in. This station will be pretty hectic with people shouting out the name of the town their bus company is going to next.

There’ll be several different bus companies going to the same place and their prices will vary. Sometimes not by much, but sometimes by a lot. Some buses will also take longer.

At first, this experience may be a little stressful, but you’ll get the hang of it! Oh, and don’t forget to haggle, chances are you can get the price down much lower than they’ll tell you to begin with.

If you want to be more prepared, you can book buses in advance, and get an idea of the prices of the tickets, by using  Busbud

Flights in South America

While you can do some internal flights as we did, they’re more expensive and honestly travelling by bus between places is actually pretty fun. You’ll meet other travellers and get to see the scenery as you drive past it.

Getting around cities in South America

You’ll likely use these three forms of transport when getting around the larger cities in South America.

Collectivos

Collectivos are likely doing Uber Pool but without the Uber app. They’re typically a standard car that will drive faster, and make less stops than a bus.

They’ll only go when they’re full, so this may mean the driver won’t leave the station for a while until they’ve drummed up enough customers to fill the car. OR, they’ll drive slow through the city shouting out the destination hoping someone will hop in.

We only used these in areas where there were no buses going where we needed to go. This was mostly in northern Peru as we tried to navigate from  Mancora to Iquitos .

While some of the larger cities in South America likely have Uber now (it didn’t exist when we travelled there!), more often you’ll be using local taxi companies. Once the drivers realise you’re a foreigner they’ll likely up the price that a local would pay.

For this reason, it’s a good idea to agree on a price  before  you get in the taxi. Sometimes they’ll insist on using the metre but the metre will be set to a higher rate or perhaps you insist on using the metre but then they turn it off and tell you it’s not working and just make up a (usually very high) price you now need to pay.

Smaller city buses

Cities also have smaller minivan-style buses that work much like a bus system anywhere in the world. We used these city buses in Lima to get between museums and around the city. The ticket is usually a flat fee so you just need to remember where to get off.

FAQs on South America Travelling

How to travel south america.

Travelling in South America is very popular with backpackers. While it may seem daunting most backpackers visit the same cities and attractions so you’ll meet plenty of people along the way. I think it’s a great destination for backpackers looking for adventure! The information above will help you plan how to travel South America.

How long to travel South America?

Three months is a great amount of time to experience South America. In this time you can do many of the bucket list things as well as explore several countries.

How to travel around South America?

The easiest and cheapest way to travel around South America is by bus. If this is your first backpacking trip I’d recommend using a company like Peru Hop. Otherwise, you can find plenty of domestic and international long-haul bus companies in South America. They’re usually pretty comfortable with reclining seats and meals served onboard too.

How to plan a trip for South America

You’re starting well by reading this blog post of our 3-month itinerary for South America. Make a list of the places you want to travel to, look up the things you want to do and get an idea of costs. See what fits within your budget and then book those flights!

About backpacking in South America

Often referred to as one of the most diverse continents on Earth, South America is home to hundreds of beautiful natural sites and history.

This continent is where you’ll find the 2nd highest mountain range in the world, the largest rainforest and the world’s driest desert.

No matter how long you have to visit South America, you’re sure to come across something that truly takes your breath away. Each country is unique and offers a different history, culture and natural sights. You’re set to have a fantastic time!

Backpacking in South America is favoured since it’s a pretty cheap place to travel when compared to North America or travelling in Europe in particular. Whilst not as cheap as South East Asia, you’ll still be okay with a relatively modest budget to cover your food, accommodation, travel and activities.

Our 3 months in South America, including the return flights there and back to the UK, cost us around £3500/$3800US in 2014. This included a couple of internal flights that could be avoided and we didn’t stay in shared hostel dorms much either.

There’s more information about a 3 months in South America budget below.

Last Updated on November 8, 2023 by Hannah

Hannah started That Adventurer after graduating back in 2013 and has documented all of her adventures since then. From backpacking South America to city breaks in Europe , a 3 month road trip across the USA in a self-converted van and 6 years living in Canada , you’ll find posts on all of this.

Hannah specialises in active travel and on That Adventurer you’ll find hiking, walking, biking, skiing and all sorts of active travel guides to allow you to see a destination in an adventurous way.

Now back in Europe, you’ll find new guides as Hannah and her husband spend the next year ‘digital nomading’ from Norway to Portugal, Switzerland to Scotland and places in between.

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Hi! I will be heading to South America for 3/4 months next summer. Where did you start?! It looks like you fit a lot of places in!

We started in Lima then headed South, overland to Brazil, then to Iguassu, overland to Uruguay, ferry to Buenos Aires, flight back to Peru then North into the Amazon and over to the Galapagos.

We definitely fit a lot in, but there’s SO much to see. Our route was a bit weird to make sure we were in Brazil for the World Cup!

Would recommend visiting Columbia, we didn’t, but every one we met said it was a fantastic country. If you’ve got more questions you can always email me, I’d love to help anyway possible! x

Hi!! A friend and I are heading to South America for 5 months from July but we’ve got so many questions and are feeling a little out of place! Where did you start?? Your trip looks amazing! 🙂

Hey Jodi! Wow, 5 months? That’s going to be amazing! Do you have any idea of where you want to go?

I’d love to help you with any questions you may have! Just send me an email at [email protected] .

I started in Peru and went South to Bolivia, then overland to Brazil (rio, sao paulo and Ilhabela, Ilha grande), flew from Rio to Iguassu went by bus from Iguassu to Uruguay then boat from Uruguay to Argentina. From Argentina flew back to Peru and this time went North and into the Amazon. From the Amazon we flew to Ecuador and the Galapagos then back to England!

Look forward to hearing from you! x

Hey Hannah,

I have been thinking about visiting South America for a long time now – do you know how much you spent during your time in South America, so I can get an idea of a budget to work towards.

Roughly speaking it was probably £3,500 (excluding flights), maybe a bit less/bit more! But we did everything we wanted to including the Galapagos. We were there for 3 months, so I guess a budget would depend how long you want to go for too. If you’ve got any questions feel free to send me an email 🙂 [email protected] x

Hi I love this post so much! I graduate college in December so plan on treating myself to a trip around South America since I am a Spanish minor and it’s been a dream to see Machu Pichu and other places. When you say backpack do you mean you guys set up tent or just that you traveled around the countries? Did you at all have to rent a car to get to these places or were the buses enough to rely on? While I dont plan on going to Brazil and instead want to tack on Patagonia and possibly parts of southern Chile, I also do not have a set time line.

Hi Virginia, I just mean we travelled with a backpack rather than tent camped! Buses were definitely enough to get around. There are so many and they’ll go between all major cities. Long distance bus journeys in South America were actually quite nice. They generally have reclining seats (if you pay a bit more they’re fully reclining like a bed) and you can even get meal service on some of them – like being on a plane!

I too would love to go to Patagonia one day!

GREAT ITINERARY AND DETAILS!

Hi, love the post. Can I ask if your budget of 3500 was combined or was it each? Thanks

It was each

3 Months in Southeast Asia Budget | How Much I Spent?

Categories Asia , Cost of Travel

I love Southeast Asia and have spent over a year backpacking Southeast Asia in total over multiple trips. For this 3 months in Southeast Asia trip, I travelled it on a backpacker budget and kept notes of how much I spent in Southeast Asia whilst visiting 4 countries in 3 months !

I wasn’t on a super strict backpacker budget for these 3 months in Southeast Asia but I didn’t spend a lot of money either. So here is a break down of how much I spent which I hope shows you that you can visit Southeast Asia on a budget too!

3 Month Southeast Asia Budget

• Related Posts:
• 60 Things To Know Before Going to Thailand!
• 2 Week Bali, Gili Islands and Lombok Itinerary for Indonesia!
• 5 Must Visit Places in Vietnam!
• How To Spend One Day in Singapore!

Days Spent: 25 Money Spent: £600.00

Days Spent: 13 Money Spent: £237.00

Days Spent: 32 Money Spent: £1180.00

Philippines

Days Spent: 15 Money Spent: £453.00

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Cost of Countries in South East Asia

Overall I was really happy with how much I spent. Vietnam was definitely the cheapest Country , followed by Myanmar which I was pleasantly surprised by.

I knew the Philippines was going to be a bit more expensive than other South East Asian Countries but I thought I’d spend more than I did.

I was in Thailand over Christmas and New Year so I paid more on accommodation than normal plus I had a lot of nights out which increased how much I spent but that’s what I was there for so it was ok!

Tips for Southeast Asia on a Budget

The total costs for Vietnam and Myanmar includes their visa costs- £40.00 for Vietnam and £34.00 for Myanmar .

I visited Thailand over Christmas and New Year so accommodation was a lot more expensive than I would have usually paid so on any other month other than December this would be a fair few hundred pound less.

In all countries I could of done the accommodation cheaper, I barely stayed in hostels and instead shared a private room with friends which cost a bit more.

In the Philippines, I paid for 4 internal flights which are included in the above cost and in Vietnam I paid for return internal flights to Phu Quoc island from HCMC which are also included in the above price.

The above totals do not include flights between countries, I  was pretty flexible with the dates I could go and only booked them a week or so before I left but if they had been booked further in advance they could have been cheaper.

Cost of Flights in Southeast Asia

HCMC, Vietnam- Yangon, Myanmar : £43.00

Yangon, Myanmar- Bangkok, Thailand : £50.00

Phuket, Thailand- Manila, Philippines : £75.00

Manila, Philippines- Bangkok, Thailand : £70.00

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Monday 22nd of January 2024

Great article. I'd also recommend a good tip on money in SE Asia. Atms are usually the better way of getting cash and you can use apps like ATM Fee Saver - it helps finding the fee-free and lower fee Atms in the region along with withdrawal limits for foreign card holers. worth adding to your list of tricks!

10 STEPS TO PACKING FOR A LONG TRIP

To help simplify the packing process, we’ve created this 10 step packing guide for a long trip.   Make this your first stop when planning your next trip.  And don’t forget to  download your free packing checklist !

How do I Pack for an Extended Trip?

Packing for a long trip is daunting but it’s not impossible. The trick to packing for long periods of time is to pack one week’s work of clothing. Why? You’ll just  do laundry  once a week!

It’s true. No matter the length of your trip you can pack for one week and have everything you need. Don’t stress! We’ve put together all the best tips from the entire blog so you can easily access everything in one easy location. Follow these tips for stress free packing for your vacation:

Start by reading how I pack as a  long term traveler ,  blogger , and  digital nomad  too! These packing tips can help you travel carry-on only if that’s your goal. I do!

To master the art of packing light, you’ll need a  capsule wardrobe that is an essential concept to understand in order to create a minimal yet highly functional (and fashionable) travel wardrobe. Read this  packing ebook  to help you create the perfect travel wardrobe for your trip.

If you feel extremely overwhelmed at the idea of packing light or have a complicated itinerary, review this  packing course  which shows you specific techniques to plan around limited clothing choices, varying climates, and other unexpected life situations. I walk you through my personal step by step process as I prepare for my own long term travels. Pack like a pro!

Check  weather.com’s  extended forecast in advance and 3 days before you leave.  Think about how many days you will be in warm vs cold weather.

If you have a 10 day trip and will be spending 7 days in the cold and 3 days in warm weather, plan for 70% of your travel wardrobe to be for the cold and 30% to be for the heat.

If you are only spending a short amount of time in cold weather or if you’re unsure if you will encounter cold weather on your trip, pack only the essentials: two outerwear PLUS two additional items: long sleeve top and leggings.

Use any of our  International packing lists  to find clothing ideas to dress appropriately for your destination. You may especially find these regional backpacking packing lists useful:  Europe ,  Southeast Asia ,  South America , and  Central America .  Use the guidelines from TFG’s  Signature Packing Lists  to help you customize your travel wardrobe.

If you don’t see your destination listed, post a question on  TFG’s Facebook Group .

Think you need to pack your entire closet? Take a look at how to create  3 weeks worth of travel outfits  with less than 10 pieces of clothing. For more travel outfit ideas including what to wear on flights, visit  TFG’s Pinterest Page .

Depending where you’re traveling,  you might encounter cold weather even in the summer. Always check the weather for your countries to get the most accurate idea about what to pack.

Because many people visit multiple destinations, it’s very common to experience mixed weather on your trip any time of the year. Or if you’re traveling somewhere like the UK in summer, you might experience all four seasons on the same day!

The key to packing for multi-season trips is to pack a travel wardrobe that coordinates so you can layer as needed. Review this  Round the World Packing List  and this  Travel Wardrobe for Mixed Weather  for an interchangeable capsule wardrobe that will take you from cold to hot with ease.

For tips on choosing clothing and shoes for trips with different types of weather, please read  this packing guide .

I’ve created this easy three part guide on  how to pack for cold weather  to help you stay warm while packing light.

Knowing how to pack for cold weather travel can be quite daunting especially if you want to pack light. If you’re traveling in winter, bundle up!

There is one major difference between being at home in the winter and traveling when it’s cold: the amount of time you’ll spend outdoors. When you’re traveling, you’ll likely spend extended periods of time outdoors sightseeing. Don’t be unprepared. Consider layering lightweight clothing such as the ones featured in this  winter packing list  to minimize the need for bulky sweaters and coats.

Avoid bringing a thick heavy coat when possible and opt for a  packable down jacket instead.  Thermals  are also key to keeping you warm without having to pack thick sweaters. Don’t skip these!

You can even wear  leggings  or tights under jeans or pants for extra warmth. If you’re not used to the climate, add additional layers until you feel warm. Don’t forget essential winter accessories like a scarf, hat, and gloves!

Picking the best shoes for travel will be one of your biggest challenges so start by   reading this 10 step guide to packing the  best travel shoes  for any trip.

Choosing the right shoes for a trip is challenging and long term travel makes it even more difficult but it’s not impossible! Review this post on the  best travel shoes for long trips around the world . The main thing to remember is that comfort is king – you can’t enjoy your trip to the fullest extent if you’re in pain and can’t walk. While the ideal shoes will be both comfortable and fashionable, style will have to take a back seat if it means you can’t wear a pair of shoes for hours at a time.

Bring no more than three pairs opting for shoes that match all your clothing.  Pack one pair for sightseeing (walking), one pair of any special activities you have planned, and then a third pair to either dress up your outfits or one that’s appropriate for a change in weather.

These are the best  shoes for sightseeing in the cold  and these are the best  shoes for sightseeing in the heat . Black ankle boots like  these  are the most recommended shoes when dealing with either cold or mixed weather.

Please note:  ballet flats  are a popular travel shoe option when you want a dressier look but they are NOT recommended for long hours on your feet sightseeing.

Choose one of these  cute and comfortable walking shoes  instead – they’re the options most recommended by our readers!

It’s important to note that people in any country generally wear the same things that everyone else does around the world – the only difference is HOW they wear them.   People value simplicity, clean styling, and a  good tailored fit  above anything else.

In general, day-to-day European style is more dressy than American style. This DOES NOT mean business clothing. Think dressy top (or the type of top you’d wear to work) plus nice jeans (dark colors are always a good choice).

Read this ultimate  Packing List for Europe , which is a five part guide offering general packing information for Europe along with what to wear in spring, summer, autumn, and winter.

Southeast Asia  is an interesting place in the sense that cultural considerations in most countries encourage residents (and visitors) to wear modest attire but some times you will see locals wearing shorts, dresses, and other clothing that doesn’t seem to follow this ideal.

You’ll 100% need to cover your shoulders and knees when visiting temples in all countries, but you don’t necessarily have to do this when you visit other places unless you’re in a Muslim country such as  Malaysia  or Indonesia.

Read these tips about choosing clothing for  conservative countries .

In any destination, remember to pack for the environment. Are you spending your time café crawling in the cities or getting lost in the wilderness? As with most destinations, practical sense applies. Leave the beachwear on the beach because it doesn’t translate well to streetwear in the city.

The same goes for gym wear; unless you’re actually headed to the gym, don’t dress in your gym attire.

One of the most important aspects about packing efficiently is using  luggage organizers .

Watch this packing video to learn  how to use packing cubes  to maximize space and never check a bag again. These are the top 12 reasons why I prefer  packing cubes  to other organizers.

Start with luggage.  If you don’t already own a suitcase, choose one wisely. Read these tips on  how to pick a suitcase  and consider one of these  top brands . Make your life easy with our  best suitcase recommendations .

For long term trips,  backpacks tend to be a better option than wheeled bags . Why? Because the chances are you’ll be traversing through lands far and wide. In fact, many time, the greatest destinations hardly have a path at all! If you’re going on an adventurous trip, learn  how to choose the best travel backpack .

Use packing organizers.  Do you want to know the ultimate tool to travel in a carryon?  PACKING CUBES ! They changed everything for me and thousands of other travelers. See  my packing tutorial  on how to use them! Trust me, they are a must!

Use tried and tested packing strategies.  For a summary, read our top  75 packing tips .

I’ve recently taken on a few extreme packing challenges to show you that packing carry-on only is possible for any trip. If I can pack like an ultra-minimalist (with style of course) then you can pack more comfortably in a regular carry-on. Watch these packing videos to learn more:

• Luggage Free Travel: One Week in My Favorite Purse
• What’s in My Bag: 4 Weeks Carry-on Only

Watch all my packing videos  here !

The biggest mistake travelers make with toiletries is not considering how much product they actually use. There are five key steps when it comes to downsizing your toiletries properly for a trip:

• Find combination items . You can find two-in-one shampoos and conditioners, body cleanser that can double as shave gel, a foldable brush with a mirror attached on the handle, and  multi-use makeup products .
• Purchase empty containers  of various shapes and sizes and DO NOT default to choosing “travel size 100ml or 3oz” options. These are the  best travel containers .
• Stick to the basics . Simplify your skincare and pampering routine and bring a  capsule makeup collection . It’s only temporary.
• Replace liquid beauty products with solids.  While  solid toiletries  may not help you downsize they will help you meet the carryon  3-1-1 liquids rule .
• Choose the right toiletry bag.  These are the  best toiletry bags  and these are the  best  hanging  toiletry bags .

For useful tips such as downsizing toiletries and choosing the best travel makeup, read our  Ultimate Guide to Packing Toiletries . It includes a free printable checklist!

Don’t forget about safety:  Be cautious about where you stash your cash. The safest place for your passport is locked in your accommodation. Carry a photocopy or other ID when you’re sightseeing or are out at night.

Keep your valuables safe with these anti-theft products:

• Money Belts and Anti-theft Accessories
• Best Anti-theft Bags for Women
• Are these Safe Travel Items Worth Taking
• 10 Tried and Tested Tips to Avoid Theft While Traveling

Read these tips on  how to keep your passport safe  when you travel!

Sign up for Travel Fashion Girl’s monthly  newsletter  and get instant access to free packing templates, downloadable checklists, ebooks, and more!

BONUS SECTION: TRAVEL TIPS

Accommodation.

For accommodation, we love  Airbnb  for accommodation in Italy and other parts of Europe.  Sign up here  for a free $40 credit!

I prefer to to book “the entire home” instead of opting for shared accommodation on Airbnb. Aside from safety, I also like to feel like I’m living in the destination. It’s a small taste of local life plus you get more amenities than you would at a hotel such as a kitchen and washing machine.

Read these  Airbnb tips  for more info!

If you prefer the convenience and comfort of a hotel room, I like using both  Agoda.com  and  Hotels.com . Tip: Hotels.com gives you a free night for every ten nights you book!

For flights, I like booking through  Travelocity  or  Cheapoair  (whichever one’s cheapest). Although I prefer Travelocity because they have a 24 hour money back guarantee.

To maximize your vacation time, fly into the city where you’re starting your trip and out of the city where your trip ends. Many times it’s the same price and saves you from having to spend extra time and money to go back to where you started your trip.

For hostels, we recommend  Hostelworld  and  Hostelbookers . Always read the reviews before booking to get the best idea if the hostel is right for you. Some are quiet and family friendly while others are known for their party atmosphere.

As a personal tip, if you’re backpacking, instead of booking all your nights in advance, maybe just book one or two so you can first get a feel for the place without overcommitting. Of course, should you be traveling during a special event or holiday, book in advance.

Not sure about staying at a hostel?  Read this.

Travel Insurance

For travel, I recommend  Travel Guard , which saved me over $800 in hospital bills on my round-the-world trip. As a scuba diver, I also recommend using DAN, which helped me rearrange my and my husband’s flights at no extra cost when we had a dive incident.

Tours are a great way to travel if you’re not ready to travel alone. A few top choices include  G Adventures  or  Intrepid Travel . While I haven’t traveled through Europe with G Adventures, I did go to South America and Africa with them as a new traveler in 2008 and enjoyed my experiences!

For more city tours,  New Europe  has excellent tours and the best part? They’re free! All you have to do is tip your guide.

GET THIS FREE EBOOK!

Suggested Travel Resources

Suggested Packing ebooks:

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ARE YOU READY TO STOP OVERPACKING?

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How Much Does It Cost To Travel Southeast Asia For 3 Months?

Keeping track of all of my expenses for three months wasn’t easy. But I did it. Now you can use it as budget guide!

Have you heard that Southeast Asia is cheap? I definitely did. But how cheap I wondered. Especially since, let’s face it, I’m thirty years old and sometimes I will pay for nicer things. Now I think I definitely still “backpacked.” I stayed in hostels, ate cheap food, and, yes, traveled with a backpack. And now that I’m back, I want to help you figure out just how much it costs to travel to Southeast Asia for 3 months.

Now, confession, I only went to three countries. So I didn’t “backpack” like some people I met did. They often would hit up Laos, Cambodia, & Vietnam as well. But this will at least show you what a 3 month budget could look like. And since I went to the most expensive places, this will hopefully show you the top end. So where did I go?

Thailand, Malaysia, & Bali. Oh and Hong Kong. And I’ve broken each of these countries down below so you can see my budget for each one.

I also spent about 11 days in true vacation style and I’ve separated that out below as well.

Budget Breakdown

• Backpacking: 90 Days
• Vacation: 11 Days

Pre-Trip Expenses

• Hong Kong: 5 Days
• Thailand: 50 Days
• Malaysia: 11 Days
• Bali: 20 Days

Read Next: 10 Days In Costa Rica: How Much Does It Cost?

Backpacking for 90(ish) days.

I started with roughly $50/day. And then started to build up my categories from there. And though I ended up with a daily budget over $50, it gave me a good starting point to think about.

My Monthly Budget was $2,050:

• Accommodation: $750
• Transportation: $500
• Excursions: $300
• Alcohol: $100
• Shopping: $100

Which meant my budget per day was about $68:

• Accommodation: $25
• Transportation: $17
• Excursions: $10
• Alcohol: $3
• Shopping: $3

So how did I do?

Actual Expenses

These are all of my backpacking expenses. The time I spent in vacation mode has been removed. Which left me with almost exactly 90 days left (basically 3 months). The other big expense missing is my flight from/to the United States. My “Pre-Trip” expenses are detailed below if you’d like to see what those were.

This is what I spent on the ground in Southeast Asia for 3 months.

• Accommodation: $1,177
• Transportation: $1,371
• Excursions: $831
• Alcohol: $229
• Shopping: $708

Total Cost: $5,138

Budget Vs. Actual

So how did I stack up? Well I basically spent almost $1,000 less than I thought I would. Most of this in accommodation. But I only exceeded my budget in one area: shopping. And I should have budgeted more here because I like souvenirs. Plus I had two big unforeseen expenses (like a new phone and a doctor visit).

And my final cost per day? $60

Here are two tables (sexy I know) of my expenses. Total and cost per day:

Vacation For 11(ish) Days

So that was backpacking. But what about my YOLO 11 days that I spent in vacation mode? Well I didn’t create a separate budget, so let’s stick with the one above and see just how much more I actually spent.

Total Cost: $1,597

My Cost Per Day: $145

Now as a note I spent these days in Hong Kong and Thailand. And anything related to these days I stuck here.

Below you’ll see where I spent this money and just click on each heading to expand it to see the details about the actual expense.

1. Accommodation: $270

Now this doesn’t look too bad…until you realize that it only covers 7 nights. So what was this breakdown?

(Also it’s important to note that this is my share only…so the real cost of these rooms is x2.)

– Hong Kong Hotel – 1 night: $74 – Sabai Corner (Koh Yao Noi) – 4 nights: $81 – Baan Khaolak Resort – 2 nights: $115

2. Food: $159

We just ate at slightly nicer places. Less street food and more sit down dinners with good seafood. Plus I had a tendency to skip lunch…and didn’t do that during these days.

And again this is only the meals on like 7 of the days.

3. Transportation: $462

This is only expensive because of the two flights I took. One to Hong Kong. And one back to Thailand. And then a sort-of expensive taxi ride from a boat pier on Phuket to Khao Lak.

4. Excursions: $40

This is just a motorbike rental and one snorkeling trip to the islands around Koh Yao Noi. But our “big” excursion I broke out into its own category…

5. Liveaboard: $595

This was our 4 night Liveaboard trip. With 12 dives spread out among those 4 days. And…I didn’t even scuba dive due to my ear injury. So this was my snorkeling cost. Here’s the exact breakdown:

– Snorkel Price for the Trip: $534 – National Park Fees: $32 – Tip for the Crew: $19 – Beer Money Onboard: $10

6. Alcohol: $40

Basically beers and cocktails at a few nice bars in Hong Kong will really set you back.

7. Shopping: $30

This is basically a few supplies we bought in preparation for the liveaboard. And a small painting in Hong Kong.

Now what about before my trip? And that pesky international, transpacific flight?

These are what I classified as my pre-trip expenses. Things that were definitely related to my trip but aren’t reflected in the costs I listed above (or in the country sections below).

• Travel Insurance: $251
• New Backpack from REI: $186
• Amazon Supplies (like locks, flashlight, etc.): $66
• Vaccinations: $253
• Roundtrip flight from Atlanta to Hong Kong: $434

Total: $1,190

Okay so I got a flight that cheap because I waited till a sale and then planned my trip around that. If that flight hadn’t landed in my inbox, I wouldn’t have gone on this trip . But I was waiting for a sale like that. And I booked it that night.

Hong Kong For 5 Days

I started and ended my trip in Hong Kong. Just a couple days on either side. This is definitely an expensive city so keep that in mind if you plan on coming here!

Total for Hong Kong: $470

Costs Per Day: $93

1. Accommodation Total: $143

For my first three days I got a private room ( Elog ) and then my last night I just stayed in a hostel, but had such a late flight I stored my bag for the day.

– Elogg Inn (3 Nights): $120 – Urban Pack Hostel (1 Night): $16 – Bag Storage: $6.50

2. Food Total: $129

I ate pretty cheaply but I had a couple of more expensive meals. I had Dim Sum twice at about $15 for each meal, some amazing ramen for $13, and a nice last meal for about $28.

3. Transportation Total: $187

Flight to Hong Kong (from Thailand): $128

The rest of the money here went to Octopus Top-Ups. Because I spent most of my time just exploring Hong Kong.

4. Shopping Total: $11

This was my Hong Kong sim card.

Thailand For 50 Days

This was where I spent most of my time. And even most of that was spent in southern Thailand, because I fell for a couple of places and didn’t coordinate very well. I could have easily cut this time way down by just planning a bit better. Oh and plus I wanted to be in Koh Tao for Songkran but needed to get my certification from there before then…and ended up going twice.

Plus I had a few unexpected expenses (like a new phone). And the flight back to Thailand from Bali was not exactly cheap.

Total for Thailand: $2,991

Costs Per Day: $60

1. Accommodation Total: $721

My cost per day on accommodation was just $14. I stayed in mostly hostels or cheap guesthouses. Occasionally I had to stay somewhere nice. (Like the resort after I discovered my guesthouse had bedbugs and everywhere else I checked was full. But that was $50 well spent to get out of there.)

2. Food Total: $406

So all of my meals were cheap. Food is where you’ll save money here. I had literally only 3 meals that were over $10. And one of those was in an airport.

Cost per day on food: $8

3. Transportation Total: $648

This is mostly minivans, ferries, buses, tuk tuks, taxis, and trains. So why the high cost? I spent about $400 on two flights to Thailand. The one to Chiang Mai from Bali was particularly expensive.

4. Excursions Total: $651

This is mostly motorbike rentals, snorkel trips/rentals, and entry fees. Except for a few big splurges listed below.

– Open Water Padi Certification (Scuba Diving): $296 – Overnight Lake Tour to Khao Sok National Park: $80 – Elephant Nature Park (Overnight): $180

5. Alcohol Total: $114

I didn’t actually plan for this and that was a big mistake. Mostly because I like to drink and go out. So if you’re going to do this (even just a little bit), make sure you plan for it!

Though I did drink very cheaply. Think beers purchased mostly at hostels and minimarts. And then maybe one out at the bar. Sometimes it pays to be a bit of a lightweight.

6. Shopping Total: $451

This expense was SO much more than I thought it would be. And this makes it look like I purchased a lot of things. And while this does include sim card data plans, souvenirs, and a lot of supply replenishment on the road (think sunscreen), there are two very large expenses here.

The first being the new phone I had to purchase in Bangkok because my old one broke. And then the clinic visit and medicine for my ears when I injured them scuba diving.

– New Phone: $217 – Clinic Visit & Medicine: $70

Malaysia For 11 Days

I was not planning on heading to Malaysia. And there’s so much more to do here than simply exploring the western coast of the peninsula. I’ve heard great things about the islands off the east coast. But I wanted to go to Bali and knew I needed several weeks there. So this was just a short stopover, but I had a great time nevertheless.

Total for Malaysia: $434

Costs Per Day: $39

1. Accommodation Total: $77

My cost per day on accommodation was just $7. My cheapest country by far to stay in. But again I picked mostly hostels. And one of those hostels was a 12 bed dorm…and I stayed there for 5 nights.

2. Food Total: $96

Cost per day? $11. I basically did two big things in Malaysia. Eat and drink. Though be warned! Malaysia food was definitely the spiciest. Even for basic things like rice and noodles.

3. Transportation Total: $157

Other than my flight to Malaysia and one very nice train ride from Penang to Kuala Lumpur, the rest of this is very cheap ferries, buses, and subways. Oh and Grabs. (This is the equivalent as Uber and was my main way of getting around on Langkawi.) They were super affordable (especially when split).

4. Excursions Total: $40

This is just a couple of items including going to the top of Penang Hill ($8), half of a scooter rental ($4), the cable-car on Langkawi ($14), and a mangrove boat tour ($13).

5. Alcohol Total: $39

See! I really just ate and drank here. But I met some amazing people. And we’d go out and have fun. Sometimes that’s all you need to have a great time.

6. Shopping Total: $26

This is basically some laundry, a few souvenirs, and my sim card.

Bali For 20 Days

In the back of my mind I knew I wanted to go to Bali. I mentioned it to my friend as a possibility months before I left. And when I spotted a cheap flight from Kuala Lumpur, I booked it. I told myself I was going for only 2 reasons: surfing and sea turtles. But I ended up having an amazing time and doing so much more than that. Bali is beautiful.

Total for Bali: $1,081

Costs Per Day: $54

1. Accommodation Total: $237

My cost per day on accommodation was about $12. All hostels like normal. But some of these were a bit nicer. And I did usually spring for the deluxe type of rooms (because A/C). And  Bong Hostel on Nusa Lembongan was “expensive” at about $15/night. But I loved it.

2. Food Total: $192

Cost per day? $10. I didn’t love the food in Bali. So I usually spent my time doing other things. And I occasionally did spring for some healthy and western food at this point. Because by this point I was getting a little tired of rice and noodles.

3. Transportation Total: $217

My two big costs here was my flight to Bali (~$100) and my fast boat to/from the Gilis (~$50). The rest of the boats/vans/grabs were relatively cheap.

4. Excursions Total: $140

This is mostly entrance fees and motorbike rentals. But a few things did push this much higher.

– Private Surf Lesson: $43 – Mt Batur Sunrise Hike: $22 – Snorkeling Trip from Nusa Lembongan: $25

5. Alcohol Total: $75

I exceeded my budget here a little bit. But I’m happy to do it if I get to meet amazing people. And I definitely did.

6. Shopping Total: $220

Yep I exceeded my budget here by $150. So why?

I did a lot of souvenir shopping in Bali. Think lots of earrings. Plus I had to buy a sweatshirt for the hike up to Mt. Batur for sunrise. And cheap sweatshirts don’t really exist because it’s usually hot as hell. So I got one from Hurley. That was expensive, but I do like it so I’ve re-worn it.

Oh yea! And I mailed home a box of stuff. That postage fee was more expensive than any of the souvenirs in the box.

Okay that’s it! Keeping track of every single expense I made for 3 months was not easy. So I hope you all find this helpful!

Related posts.

Rent A Motorbike: One of the Best Things to Do in Koh Lanta

Kelingking Beach, Nusa Penida: What You Need To Know

Similan Islands Diving: Why Sea Dragon Is The Best Liveaboard Trip

One thought on “ how much does it cost to travel southeast asia for 3 months ”.

Hey question! I read that you booked that cheap roundtrip flight from ATL to Hong Kong and it sounds like you didn’t hop on that second half of the roundtrip flight where you returned back home. I myself found have booked a cheap roundtrip flight into the Philippines in January but I will be missing the returning flight home as I am not planning on coming back to the US at that time.

I have a few concerns about missing that returning flight and was wondering if you could give me some advice! At any time, did you let the airline know you were not going on the returning flight home? Did you face any penalties for not getting on the return flight?

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2024 Summer Travel Report

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The days are getting longer and hotter, and millions of Americans are making plans for summer vacation. According to NerdWallet’s annual summer travel survey, nearly half of Americans (45%) plan to take a trip that requires a flight or hotel stay this summer, and they’ll spend $3,594, on average, on these expenses. That’s over 118 million Americans spending a total of more than $424 billion on airfare and hotel stays in summer 2024.

The survey of more than 2,000 U.S. adults, conducted online by The Harris Poll and commissioned by NerdWallet, asked those traveling this summer how they plan to save on trip expenses and whether they plan to rack up credit card debt on their vacation costs. Of those surveyed, 931 say they plan to take a trip that requires a flight or hotel stay this summer; they’ll be referred to as “summer travelers” throughout this report.

Key findings

One-fifth of summer travelers plan to go into debt for vacation: 1 in 5 summer travelers (20%) say they’ll use a credit card to pay for their travel expenses, but won’t pay off the balance within the first billing statement. Instead, they’ll carry over the balance, possibly racking up costly interest charges.

Travelers are taking steps to save: The majority of summer travelers (91%) are taking action to save money on their travel expenses, like driving instead of flying to their destination (42%). This is up since 2023 when 35% of summer travelers said this, perhaps due to falling gas prices over the past couple of years.

Some nontravelers are opting out due to inflation: Of Americans who say they aren’t taking a summer vacation that requires a flight or hotel stay this year, more than 1 in 5 (22%) say it’s because inflation has made travel too expensive. Last year, 23% of non-summer travelers said this, suggesting that the high inflation of 2022 is still weighing on consumers.

Events are taking some out of town this summer: We asked Americans who are spending at least one night away from home this summer what they’re traveling for. Of them, 12% say they’ll travel for a concert, 8% for a wedding and 4% for a bachelor or bachelorette party.

“Millions of Americans are hitting the road this summer, with many opting to drive to their summer destinations, which may be a more affordable option than flying,” says Sally French, a NerdWallet travel expert and spokesperson. “But the high cost of travel due to inflation is still holding some back.”

Some going into debt to pay for summer travel

The majority of summer travelers (83%) plan to pay for at least part of their vacation expenses — airfare or hotel stays — with a credit card, but not all of them have plans to pay it off right away. According to the survey, 20% of summer travelers plan to use a credit card for these expenses but won’t pay off the expenses in full within the first billing statement.

The most recent data from the St. Louis Fed shows that average credit card interest on accounts assessing interest is 22.75%. To put that in perspective, for each $1,000 you carry on a credit card per year, that’s around $228 in interest.

Aim to reduce interest charges

There are still a few months before summer, so even if you’ve already charged some of your travel expenses, there’s still time to reduce those interest costs. Scour your budget to see where there’s room to cut back, and divert extra money toward paying off travel expenses already on your credit card or saving up the cash to pay those future credit card charges.

If it’s not possible to get interest down prior to your trip, and you aren’t considering changing your travel plans, figure out how you can pay the charges as quickly as possible. Credit card debt is some of the most expensive consumer debt you can carry, and the high interest rates can make it more challenging to pay off.

“To pay off debt faster and minimize interest charges, make a plan you can reasonably stick to,” French says. “If possible, bump up your monthly payments. Even a small increase, like rounding your payment up to the nearest hundred dollars, or taking money received as gifts or from side hustles and applying it to debt, can help.”

Travelers are taking action to save money on summer vacation

There are plenty of options for getting trip costs down, and most summer travelers (91%) are taking steps to do just that. The top two money-saving measures are driving instead of flying to their destination (42%) and choosing a hotel/motel/resort based on price instead of amenities (39%).

More than a third of summer travelers (35%) will use credit card points/miles to cover expenses. This can be a great option to save money and use up accumulated points that might otherwise lose value over time.

Assess points and make a plan to use them

It’s tempting to save up your travel rewards for your dream vacation. But if that’s not in the near future, it’s a good idea to look at the points and miles you have and use them sooner rather than later. Over time, rewards can become less valuable, so if you’re saving them for a nebulous future trip, you may get less bang for your point.

“NerdWallet recommends saving in most scenarios — but saving travel rewards points is not one of them,” French says. “Points inflation is very real. Unless you’re saving for a specific redemption, it’s generally best to spend them on travel you’d otherwise pay cash for now.”

If you’re looking to rack up points for next year’s summer vacation, you may want to look into travel rewards credit cards with sign-up bonuses . Credit cards can be a great tool to earn rewards that make travel cheaper, but only if you plan to pay them off by the due date. Carrying credit card debt for the points generally results in paying more in interest than you’re earning in rewards.

Some nontravelers cite inflation as a reason for staying home

2022 was a year of high inflation, and while the U.S. inflation rate is getting closer to the targeted 2%, the dramatic price increases are still having an impact on consumer spending. Among those who aren’t planning on taking a summer vacation that requires a flight or hotel stay, more than one-fifth (22%) say it’s because inflation has made travel too expensive. Nearly as many nontravelers (19%) say that inflation has made their other expenses too expensive, so they can’t afford to take a summer vacation.

Around 1 in 6 nontravelers (17%) are still planning on getting away this summer, just not in a way that requires a flight or hotel stay. We asked what sorts of events are taking Americans away from home for at least one night this summer.

Some are traveling for concerts, weddings this summer

The vast majority of Americans (88%) say they’ll spend at least one night away from home this summer, whether or not this trip requires a flight or hotel stay. For many, this means a vacation with others or solo, but some are also traveling to attend events, like a concert (12%) or wedding (8%).

A hefty 22% of Generation Zers (ages 18-27) plan to travel at least one night away from home this summer for a concert. Perhaps they’re making plans to attend a summer music festival, or maybe they’re jetting off to Europe for the ongoing Eras Tour .

Start saving for next year’s summer vacation plans

No matter what your travel plans are, it’s a good idea to save up in advance to avoid going into credit card debt. If you can estimate what next year’s travel expenses will cost you, you can use a savings goal calculator to determine how much you need to save each month. You can also earmark a windfall — like a tax refund — specifically for summer travel plans.

Methodology

This survey was conducted online within the United States by The Harris Poll on behalf of NerdWallet from Jan. 30 - Feb. 1, 2024, among 2,092 U.S. adults ages 18 and older, among whom 931 will take a vacation that requires a flight or hotel stay this summer. The sampling precision of Harris online polls is measured using a Bayesian credible interval. For this study, the sample data is accurate to within +/- 2.5 percentage points using a 95% confidence level. For complete survey methodology, including weighting variables and subgroup sample sizes, please contact [email protected] .

Summer travel is defined as June, July and August 2024, for the purposes of this survey.

NerdWallet disclaims, expressly and impliedly, all warranties of any kind, including those of merchantability and fitness for a particular purpose or whether the article’s information is accurate, reliable or free of errors. Use or reliance on this information is at your own risk, and its completeness and accuracy are not guaranteed. The contents in this article should not be relied upon or associated with the future performance of NerdWallet or any of its affiliates or subsidiaries. Statements that are not historical facts are forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties as indicated by words such as “believes,” “expects,” “estimates,” “may,” “will,” “should” or “anticipates” or similar expressions. These forward-looking statements may materially differ from NerdWallet’s presentation of information to analysts and its actual operational and financial results.

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I’m a Travel Agent: 3 Times I Always Travel To Save Money

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Frequent and infrequent travelers alike are often on the hunt for the timing “sweet spot” when it comes to planning out a travel itinerary. Whether you travel solo or with a group or family members, uncovering the best time of year to travel is critical for sticking to budgets and making memories that will last a lifetime.

What would a travel expert do? GOBankingRates spoke to two travel professionals to find out some of the best times to travel to save money. Here’s what they said.

Shoulder Seasons

Jeff Lanno has been in the travel industry for over 20 years. As the founder and CTO of Hola Weddings , a travel agency dedicated to destination weddings, Lanno personally recommends traveling during shoulder seasons. These timelines include May, early June and mid-October to November.

“These periods boast pleasant weather, reduced crowds and lower prices, often 20% to 30% cheaper,” said Lanno. 

For even more affordable flights, Lanno said to prioritize early to mid-week departures.

Right Before Major Holidays

Traveling before national holidays, like Thanksgiving and Christmas, comes with an “if” caveat. Travelers can find incredible deals, if they’re prepared to handle heavy crowds and possible flight delays or cancellations due to bad weather. 

There are even more incentives to traveling before major holidays if you’re based outside the United States. 

Casey Halloran, co-founder and CEO at Costa Rican Luxury Vacations , personally loves to travel right before big holidays.

“I think mid-December, right before Christmas, is one of the most underrated times to travel,” said Halloran. “The crowds are significantly smaller, the prices are 25% to 30% cheaper than peak season rates and in the case of my region (Central America) the weather is fantastic.”

Last-Minute in September or October

Let’s say someone wants to book a cheap getaway in the Caribbean. When would be the best time for them to do it while saving the most money possible? 

According to Lanno, travelers would want to book last-minute in September or October. The pros of doing so include rates dropping significantly on resorts and flights and being able to find tons of unbeatable prices and last-minute deals.

Now that the secret’s out, why doesn’t everyone book trips to the Caribbean in September or October? The one condition travelers need to be aware of before booking, Lanno said, is this is the Caribbean’s hurricane season.

Some travelers may decide to roll the dice and take advantage of these deals while others wait it out. 

Lanno, who has previously lived in Mexico and the Caribbean, said hurricane season is not as scary as it sounds. He told GOBankingRates sporadic rainfall is guaranteed daily, but it tends to last anywhere from 30 minutes to a few hours at most. Most of the rainfall also happens towards the end of the day.

Still, Lanno understands if travelers choose to err on the side of caution. Those that choose to go for it may enjoy the benefits of the idiom of fortune favoring the bold.

“It’s not for everyone, but for people that can deal with the risk, it’s certainly a money saving bargain.”

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U.S. Job Growth Much Stronger Than Expected

Employers added 303,000 jobs in March, the 39th straight month of growth. The unemployment rate fell to 3.8 percent.

• Share full article

Monthly change in jobs

+303,000 jobs

+300,000 jobs

March ’23

March ’24

Talmon Joseph Smith

Here’s what to know about the jobs report.

Another month, another burst of strong job gains. Employers added 303,000 jobs in March on a seasonally adjusted basis, the Labor Department reported on Friday.

It was the 39th straight month of job growth and a much larger gain than forecast. The unemployment rate fell to 3.8 percent, from 3.9 percent in February.

The continuing strength, labor market analysts say, may increase confidence among investors and the Federal Reserve that the U.S. economy has reached a healthy equilibrium in which a steady roll of commercial activity, growing employment and rising wages coexist.

It’s a remarkable change from a year ago, when top financial analysts were largely convinced that a recession was only months away.

From late 2021 to early 2023, inflation was outstripping wage gains, but that also now appears to have firmly shifted, even as wage increases cool from their peak rates of growth in 2022. Average hourly earnings for workers rose 0.3 percent in March from the previous month and were up 4.1 percent from March 2023.

Revisions to employment data in recent months showed a total uptick of 22,000 jobs.

Some analysts were worried about a trend in one of the two surveys that the government uses to track the labor market: out of step with most other data on job growth and layoffs, it showed weak hiring rates that, if correct, would have probably indicated an economy “already in recession,” according to the economic research team at Bank of America.

But even that worrying bit of outlier data improved in the latest report.

“The vanishingly few areas to criticize this labor market are melting away,” said Andrew Flowers, a labor economist at Appcast, a recruitment advertising firm.

Some have worried that as the booming labor market recovery transitioned into a slower expansion, job growth would mostly narrow to less cyclical sectors like government hiring and health care. Gains in health care — including hospitals, nursing and residential care facilities and outpatient services — led the way in this report, but job growth, for now, remains broad-based.

The private sector added 232,000 jobs overall. Construction added 39,000 jobs in March, about twice its average monthly gain in the past year. Employment in hospitality and leisure, which plunged during the pandemic, continues to bounce back and is now above its February 2020 levels.

The “continued vigor,” said Joe Davis, the global chief economist at Vanguard, has come from “household balance sheets bolstered by pandemic-related fiscal policy and a virtuous cycle where job growth, wages and consumption fuel one another.”

Data analysts note that better-than-expected gains in business productivity and work force participation have added fuel, too. Businesses large and small have had to navigate an obstacle course this decade: a pandemic, inflationary pressures and a steep rise in the cost of credit. But recently released data from the Bureau of Economic Analysis shows corporate profits have reached a record high.

Officials at the Fed, which rapidly raised interest rates in 2022 and early 2023 to combat inflation, have expressed cautious optimism that they are approaching their goals of low unemployment and more stable prices.

Inflation has fallen drastically from its peak of 7.1 percent, according to the Fed’s preferred measure . But it ticked up in February to 2.5 percent, still a half-percentage point away from the Fed’s target. And some worry that rising oil prices or geopolitical chaos could upend the delicate state of affairs.

Sal Gilbertie, the chief executive at Teucrium Trading, which covers commodities markets, said he thinks that energy prices could do a “touch higher on oil if Ukraine keeps the pressure on Russia and economic numbers remain healthy.”

Joe Rennison

U.S. government bond yields, which underpin interest rates throughout the economy, are higher, with the 10-year Treasury yield up 0.07 percentage points, to 4.37 percent.

Expectations for rate cuts have also come under pressure, with investors dialing down the prospect of a rate cut in June.

The S&P 500 rose 0.5 percent in early trading. It seems investors are continuing to focus on the signs of a robust economy that could support corporate profits, rather than on stubborn inflation keeping interest rates elevated for longer.

S&P 500

And while the stock index is still on course for its worst weekly performance since October, after a drop on Thursday, it remains close to its record high.

Advertisement

Jeanna Smialek

“While I don’t see the economy overheating, the Fed knows how to respond if it does,” Thomas Barkin, president of the Richmond Fed, said during a speech following the jobs report. He noted that the fresh data reaffirmed that the job market is strong.

Lydia DePillis

As Jeanna noted earlier, immigration has been a strong undercurrent in the labor market over the past year. For a few months, it was starting to look as though unemployment was rising among immigrants — potentially a sign that new arrivals were having a hard time finding jobs — but it sank back down in March and now sits below the unemployment rate for native-born workers.

President Biden declared the report a “milestone,” noting that the economy has created 15 million jobs since he took office. He also noted the length of time unemployment has been below 4 percent, which is generally seen as a threshold of full employment. “We’ve come a long way, but I won’t stop fighting for hardworking families,” he said in a statement, ticking down a list of his administration’s actions to lower costs for consumers.

Economists think that the job market can sustainably add more jobs these days because immigration has been really strong, adding to the supply of available workers. But 303,000 is still quicker than most of those estimates: Brookings has suggested the sustainable level is in the ballpark of 160,000 to 200,000, and even optimistic calls like Morgan Stanley’s 265,000 are lower than the March hiring increase.

J. Edward Moreno

Despite the strong jobs data, some companies that reported earnings in recent weeks have said they are pulling back on hiring because of the high cost of labor. Paychex, a payroll software company, said its clients were struggling to find the right talent.

“Our clients tell us they still can’t find qualified employees and are not willing to hire just anyone at higher wage rates, especially in areas with recent minimum wage increases and aggressive legislative changes,” said John Bradley Gibson, chief executive of Paychex.

Indeed, as Edward mentioned, companies have been talking up their “rightsizing” measures. According to S&P Global Market Intelligence this week, “Profitability mentions may be related to cost cutting measures, as talk of layoffs (and related terms) increased by 24 percent.”

Ben Casselman

One concern about the job market lately is that hiring has been concentrated in a few sectors: leisure and hospitality, health care and social assistance, and government. Those accounted for two-thirds of the gains in March, but construction and retail also added a substantial number of jobs.

Hiring jumped across industries

Change in jobs in March 2024, by sector

+88,000 jobs

Education and health

Leisure and

hospitality

Construction

Manufacturing

Leisure and hospitality

Business services

Thomas Simons, a U.S. economist at Jefferies who has been expecting further deceleration in the labor market, was frank in a note to clients. “The data leaves us borderline speechless,” he wrote. “We don’t want to overreact to one single data release, especially one that has the reliability issues and revision risk that this one does, but this calls our bear case for the economy into question.”

The Labor Department’s broader measure of unemployment, which includes people who are working part-time for economic reasons and want a job but aren’t actively looking, remained stable at 7.3 percent. But in one of the more concrete signs that the labor market isn’t as tight as it was a year ago, that’s substantially above where it was last March, at 6.7 percent.

The Fed has recently welcomed strong jobs gains as labor supply picks up.

Year-over-year percentage change in earnings vs. inflation

+4.1% in March

+3.2% in Feb.

Consumer Price Index

Avg. hourly earnings

Federal Reserve officials spent much of 2022 and 2023 worried that the job market was too strong to be sustainable. Employers were racing to snap up a limited supply of workers, the logic went, leading to rapid wage gains that would eventually prod those companies to raise prices to cover their labor costs.

But instead of viewing rapid job gains as a potentially inflationary problem, the Fed has recently embraced them.

That is because strong hiring has come alongside a marked pickup in labor supply. Immigration has been much stronger than expected, and millennial men and women in particular are trickling into the labor force, enabling companies to hire without having to compete too fiercely for employees. Wage growth has been strong but not gangbusters, and inflation has cooled across a range of purchases, including those in service categories that are typically sensitive to labor costs.

Data released Friday showed that a lot of those trends persist. Hiring was very strong in March, and that wages climbed at a solid clip but continued to moderate somewhat on an annual basis. Average hourly earnings climbed by 4.1 percent last month compared to a year earlier, a tick down from 4.3 percent in February.

Overall labor force participation picked up slightly, meaning that a greater share of adults were working or looking for jobs, and employment among foreign-born workers continued to climb — a hint that immigrants may have accounted for some of the solid job increase.

The question now is how long policymakers will remain willing to tolerate such strong hiring without worrying that it will cause consumer demand, economic growth and inflation to pick back up. Job gains at the pace seen in March is faster than what most economists think is sustainable, even accounting for increasing labor supply.

But in recent speeches, central bankers have mostly signaled comfort with the vigorous labor market.

The job market is “strong but rebalancing,” Jerome H. Powell, the Fed chair, said in a speech this week . He noted that job openings had come down and that employers were reporting in surveys more ease in hiring.

A balanced but robust job market is good news for the Fed. If businesses are managing to find workers to hire, it means the economy can grow at a solid pace without overheating and generating a lot of inflation. And that means that the Fed can squeeze the economy a little bit with higher interest rates — something it is doing to wrestle inflation under control — without slamming on the brakes.

In fact, the recent surprising jump in worker supply is a big reason that the central bank might pull off a “soft landing,” in which it sets the labor market down gently and without causing a painful recession. Mr. Powell noted this week that immigration was a big reason that the economy blew through forecasters’ expectations for growth last year without generating inflation.

In fact, price increases cooled from 6.4 percent headed into the year to 3.3 percent at its conclusion, even as consumer spending consistently beat predictions.

“Our economy has been short labor, and probably still is,” Mr. Powell said, but immigration “explains what we’ve been asking ourselves, which is, ‘How can the economy have grown over 3 percent in a year where almost every outside economist was forecasting a recession?’”

Still, the current pace of jobs growth is strong even once rapid immigration is accounted for, which could keep Fed officials wary that the economy is still at risk of overheating if hiring continues at this pace.

Economists think that as immigration adds to the labor supply, job growth can remain strong without overheating the economy. A Brookings Institution analysis recently estimated that employers could add 160,000 to 200,000 jobs per month this year without a big risk of wages spiking and inflation rising. Without all of the immigration, that would have been more like 60,000 to 100,000.

And some Fed officials have already been questioning whether the central bank should cut rates at a time when inflation is proving stubborn and the economy looks like it might be heating back up.

Fed policymakers have been suggesting for months that they could soon cut borrowing costs, which are now set to about 5.3 percent. But as inflation has hit a sticking point after months of deceleration, investors have been steadily pushing back their expectation for when that might happen, and now expect the first move in only June or July.

Neel Kashkari, the president of the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis, even suggested this week that if price increases get stuck, it may make sense to leave interest rates at the current high level all year. While Mr. Kashkari does not vote on policy in 2024, he does have a seat around the discussion table at rate-setting meetings.

“If we continue to see inflation moving sideways, then that would make me question whether we need to do those rate cuts at all,” Mr. Kashkari said during an interview with Pensions & Investments, noting that the economy has a “lot of momentum.”

The average workweek got slightly longer, and now sits at 34.4 hours, the same as it was in March of last year. At the end of 2023, the shrinking workweek had been starting to look like labor demand was weakening even as hiring remained stable.

Stocks are still up in premarket trading, though by less than before the data was released. The 10-year Treasury yield is rising as investors appeared to interpret the jobs data as a confirmation that the Fed won’t rush to cut rates.

The strength of the labor market and stubborn inflation is likely to support the Fed’s “cautious approach to monetary easing,” said Joe Gaffoglio, president of Mutual of America Capital Management.

The Black unemployment rate rose 0.8 percentage points to 6.4 percent, the highest since August 2022. The monthly numbers can bounce around, but the big jump is certainly concerning.

In a landmark, the leisure and hospitality industry returned to its employment level in February 2020, and now sits at about 16.9 million jobs.

The other big sectors powering the gains, as has been common in recent months, were health care at 72,000 jobs and government at 71,000. Construction continued its surprising strength, adding 39,000.

This is starting to look like not a slowdown. Last month’s gain is now substantially above the previous 12-month average of 231,000 jobs.

The household survey, which had been showing much weaker job gains (and even outright losses) in recent months, was much stronger in March. Nearly half a million more people were employed last month, according to that survey.

After some wild revisions in the last few months, they were relatively tame this month, adding a collective 22,000 jobs over January and February.

U.S. employers added 303,000 jobs in March, and the unemployment rate ticked down to 3.8 percent.

Stocks are nudging up in premarket trading as investors await the jobs data. Futures for the S&P 500 are up 0.3 percent, and up 0.4 percent for the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite.

Beyond jobs, economic data continues to look rosy.

It isn’t just the job market that has been exceeding expectations. Pretty much the whole economy keeps doing the same.

Forecasters went into last year expecting a recession. Instead, the economy gained momentum, ending the year with back-to-back quarters of unusually strong growth in gross domestic product. Revised data released last week showed that G.D.P. growth in the fourth quarter was stronger than initially reported, and that an alternative measure of economic output — which had been telling a more pessimistic story — accelerated at the end of the year.

This year has started out on a similar note. Consumer spending slumped in January but roared back in February . Income growth has been strong as well. And sectors of the economy that struggled last year amid high interest rates, like manufacturing and housing, have recently shown signs of life.

A model from the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta estimates that overall economic output grew at a 2.5 percent annual rate in the first quarter — a slowdown from the end of 2023, but still a long way from a recession.

“We’re still plowing along,” said Sarah House, senior economist for Wells Fargo. “Things are hanging in, if not even looking a little bit firmer.”

There has been one important shift: Inflation, which eased steadily for most of last year, has looked more stubborn recently, rising faster on a month-to-month basis in January and February than in late 2023. That will probably lead the Federal Reserve to delay cutting interest rates until the summer, if not later, and has given new life to fears that inflation has not been fully tamed.

At the same time, there are hints that parts of the economy might be weaker than headline figures suggest. Consumers have been pulling back spending on discretionary items, and more borrowers have been falling behind on credit card payments and auto loans — signs that some Americans may be feeling the pinch of continued high prices and interest rates.

“You certainly have a portion of households that are really feeling these higher rates, and it’s affecting how much they can spend,” Ms. House said.

Jordyn Holman and Jeanna Smialek

Will A.I. boost workers’ productivity?

Wendy’s menu boards. Ben & Jerry’s grocery store freezers. Abercrombie & Fitch’s marketing. Many mainstays of the American customer experience are increasingly powered by artificial intelligence.

The question is whether the technology will actually make companies more efficient.

Rapid productivity improvement is the dream for both companies and economic policymakers. If output per hour holds steady, firms must either sacrifice profits or raise prices to pay for wage increases or investment projects. But when firms figure out how to produce more per working hour, it means that they can maintain or expand profits even as they pay or invest more. Economies experiencing productivity booms can experience rapid wage gains and quick growth without as much risk of rapid inflation.

But many economists and officials seem dubious that A.I. — especially generative A.I., which is still in its infancy — has spread enough to show up in productivity data already.

Immigration is helping to meet hiring demand, and may explain data mysteries.

Immigration has been robust over the past two years, creating a flood of potential workers that is both supercharging the job market and leading to surprises and quirks in closely watched economic data.

The Congressional Budget Office estimates that net immigration will total about 3.3 million people this year, matching the 2023 number and far exceeding the 900,000 that was normal before the pandemic.

The jump has come as legal migration and border apprehensions surge, and while the jump in immigration is politically contentious , the resulting pop in population is also fueling strong hiring.

But because immigration flows are uncertain, estimates of that “break even” employment level vary widely. Goldman Sachs puts it at 125,000, while economists at Morgan Stanley think it could be as high as 265,000.

And immigration may help to explain a recent data mystery: a big gap between two primary employment measures.

Each month, the government releases employment figures based on two surveys. The “establishment survey,” compiling data from businesses and government agencies, is used to measure overall job gains. A second measure, drawing on surveys of households and Census Bureau population estimates, is the basis for the unemployment rate and for most demographic information.

Hiring has surged in recent months in the establishment survey even as the household survey has shown it falling. Such a huge divergence is unusual, and it has left analysts scrambling to figure out which survey is giving a reliable read.

Immigration could be behind at least some of the divide. Companies typically report hiring workers of all types, including immigrants, in real time. That explains the strong job gains in the establishment survey. Census estimates, on the other hand, are likely to pick up the recent surge in immigration only with a delay.

For the household survey, “the immigration data that feed into the estimate lag by a year and a half,” Morgan Stanley economists wrote. “In contrast, we think the payroll survey is probably closer to correct.”

How the Fed learned to stop worrying and love strong job gains.

But instead of viewing rapid job gains as a potentially inflationary problem, the Fed has learned to embrace the increase.

That is because recent strong hiring has come alongside a marked pickup in labor supply. Immigration has been much stronger than expected, and millennial men and women in particular are trickling into the labor force, enabling companies to hire without having to compete too fiercely for employees. Wage growth has been strong but not gangbusters, and inflation has cooled across a range of purchases, including those in service categories that are typically sensitive to labor costs.

In fact, the surprising jump in worker supply is a big reason that the central bank might pull off a “soft landing,” in which it sets the labor market down gently and without causing a painful recession.

Mr. Powell has greeted the development as good news. He said this week that the Fed would not rule out further supply improvements, and he noted that immigration was a big reason that the economy blew through forecasters’ expectations for growth last year without generating inflation.

Today's jobs report shows economy added booming 303K jobs in March, unemployment at 3.8%

Can anything slow down the U.S. labor market?

Hiring accelerated in March as employers added a booming 303,000 jobs despite high interest rates , stubborn inflation and growing household financial stress.

The unemployment rate fell from 3.9% to 3.8%, the Labor Department said Friday.

Economists surveyed by Bloomberg had estimated that 213,000 jobs were added last month.

Payroll gains for January and February were revised up by a total 22,000, portraying an even more robust picture of job growth early this year. January's were bumped up from 229,000 to 256,000 while February's were downgraded modestly, from 275,000 to 270,000.

The blockbuster report bolsters the view that the economy is on track for a "soft landing," a scenario in which the Federal Reserve wrestles down inflation without triggering a recession. But the resilient labor market could prompt the Fed to push interest rate cuts to later in the year to ensure inflation is subdued before acting, economists say.

Are wages going up faster than inflation?

Average hourly pay rose 12 cents to $34.69, pushing down the yearly increase from 4.3% to 4.1%.  

Since hitting a high of 5.9% in March 2022, average wage growth has slowed as labor shortages have eased, but it’s still above the 3.5% pace Federal Reserve officials say would align with their 2% inflation goal.

Many Americans, meanwhile, are benefitting because typical pay increases have  topped inflation the past year, giving them more purchasing power.

What will interest rates do in 2024?

Fed Chair Jerome Powell has said recently that officials are no longer worried that strong job growth will overheat the economy and reignite a sharp run-up in prices. It’s more significant that pay increases, which could fuel inflation, continued to moderate last month.

Still, the sizzling report may assure Fed officials that the economy is at little risk of weakening significantly or slipping into recession, delaying the first rate cut past the June timeframe that markets are anticipating.

“The blockbuster 303,000 nonfarm payrolls in March supports the Fed’s position that the resilience of the economy means it can take its time with rate cuts, which might now not begin until the second half of this year,” economist Paul Ashworth of Capital Economics wrote in a note to clients.

Since March 2022, the Fed has hiked its key short-term interest rate from near zero to a 23 year-high of 5.25% to 5.5%, but it's held it steady since last July as inflation has eased. Officials have forecast three rate cuts this year, goosing the stock market, but that timetable could shift if inflation softens more gradually or the economy and job market stay hot.

The Fed’s preferred inflation measure ticked up to 2.5% in February, leaving it above its 2% goal but well below the four-decade high of 7% it hit in mid-2022.

What is the stock market doing today?

Investors appeared to warm to the combination of big job gains and moderating wage growth that could keep the Fed's rough forecast of three rate cuts this year intact. In early trading, the Dow Jones industrial average rose 82 points to 38,679 and the S&P 500 index climbed 0.54% to 5,174.

Which sectors added the most jobs?

Last month, health care and social assistance led the job gains with 81,000. The public sector, mostly local governments, added 71,000; construction, 39,000; and leisure and hospitality, which includes restaurants and bars, 49,000.

Ashworth said the payroll gains “still look a little lopsided,” with government, health care and leisure and hospitality doing the heavy lifting. Those sectors also drove job growth late last year, sparking forecasts of a labor market that would downshift dramatically in coming months.

In March, job creation in leisure and hospitality and construction could have been spurred by relatively mild weather, That could mean less hiring in those industries in the months ahead. And professional and business services added just 7,000 job last month and manufacturing payrolls were flat.

What is the labor force participation rate?

In March, the labor force − which includes people working and job hunting – swelled by 469,000, boosting the share of all adults in that group from 62.5% to 62.7%, just under the post-pandemic high but well below the pre-COVID’s 63.3%.

A bigger labor supply helps contain wage growth, assuring the Fed that job growth can stay strong without triggering inflation.

Is the job market still strong?

Job growth has slowed gradually after a post-pandemic hiring burst in 2021 and 2022 but not nearly as much as anticipated, with employers adding well over 200,000 positions a month over the winter. Economists pointed to unseasonably warm weather in December and low layoff totals in January after fewer holiday workers were brought on in the fall.

Also, net job gains have been bolstered by employers’ reluctance to let workers go after grappling with two years of COVID-related worker shortages. Hires, though, have dropped below pre-pandemic levels amid high borrowing costs and uncertainty about the economy's course in a presidential election year.

As a result, some forecasters expect the forces that have propped up payroll growth will fade, resulting in fewer than 100,000 job gains a month by mid-year.

The delayed effects of the Federal Reserve’s aggressive interest rate hikes to fight inflation are likely to dampen business spending and hiring. Americans’ COVID-related savings largely have been depleted. And low- and middle-income households are feeling the strains of record credit card debt.

But Goldman Sachs believes a huge influx of immigrants will continue to boost the labor supply and juice hiring this year, noting the number of job openings is still well above the pre-crisis mark. Last month, immigration could have lifted job growth by as much as 50,000 to 290,000, Goldman said.

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Stocks end the day higher even as blowout jobs report pushes some Fed officials to consider another rate hike

From CNN's Alicia Wallace, Elisabeth Buchwald, Krystal Hur and Nicole Goodkind

Stocks rally Friday but end week lower after hot jobs report

Stocks rallied Friday after the latest jobs report came in piping hot.

The Dow rose 307 points, or 0.8%, after climbing more than 400 points at the day's highs. The S&P 500 gained 1.1% and the Nasdaq Composite added 1.2%. Still, all three major indexes ended the week lower, starting the second quarter of the year on a sour note.

While the latest jobs report supports the idea that the US economy is holding strong against interest rates at a 23-year high and could avoid a recession, it also puts into question when the Federal Reserve will begin its long-awaited rate cuts.

The US economy added 303,000 jobs last month, according to data released Friday by the Labor Department. That blew past expectations for 205,000 job gains, according to FactSet consensus estimates.

"This jobs report should indicate that there is no rush and no need for the Fed to save the labor market, especially if it will just reignite inflation down the road," said Mike Sanders, head of fixed income at Madison Investments.

As stocks settle after the trading day, levels might change slightly.

Black unemployment rate jumps to 6.4%

Friday's jobs report was mostly positive: Employment gains were a robust 303,000 in March and the jobless rate dipped to 3.8%, extending a historic streak of unemployment below 4%.

However, the report also included a continuation of a more concerning streak: Black unemployment rose for the third consecutive month, rising sharply to 6.4% from 5.6% in March. It's the highest that rate's been since August 2022. The unemployment rate for Black women rose 1.1 percentage points, to 5.9%.

As of March, the Black unemployment rate is now nearly double that of the White jobless rate of 3.4%.

The household survey that feeds into the jobs report is typically much more volatile than the establishment survey, so it's possible that this leap may be exaggerated; however, it could be a worrying sign, Elise Gould, senior economist for the Economic Policy Institute, wrote Friday.

An analysis from the Bureau of Labor Statistics showed that the increase in Black unemployment "is more likely signal than noise," wrote Bill Adams, chief economist for Comerica Bank, in a note.

"In historical business cycles, Black workers have been the last to be hired during the expansion and first fired during the contraction, so an increase in the Black unemployment rate is eye-catching to forecasters," he wrote.

"But the rest of the jobs report shows the labor market to be in quite good shape, so the data point is unlikely to be a sign of broader weakness this time," Adams said.

Immigration has increased the size of the job market

The 303,000 jobs added in March brings up the 2024 average to 276,333 jobs per month. That's more than what was seen last year (average of 251,000 jobs) and well above pre-pandemic averages (183,000 from 2010-2019; 125,000 jobs from 1939-2019).

It does bring up the question: How much of this growth is sustainable?

Prior to the pandemic, it was thought that adding between 60,000 and 100,000 jobs each month would be enough to keep up with population growth (and account for the rising Boomer retirements).

However, a report last month from the Brookings Institution speculated that the sustainable employment growth range should be much higher — to the tune of 160,000 and 200,000 jobs per month.

“Thanks to stronger immigration flows, the economy’s capacity has been increased,” Greg Daco, chief economist at EY-Parthenon, told CNN.

As of March, the number of employed foreign-born workers climbed to a fresh record high of 31.1 million, according to BLS data. Foreign-born workers' labor force participation rate was 65.9% last month. Comparatively, the participation rate for native-born workers was 62%.

“[Net immigration growth] is adding to the pool of American workers, and those immigrants are bringing some productivity gains with them in technological innovation and refinements,” Brett House, professional practice professor at the Columbia Business School, told CNN. “That’s an important piece of data in an election year, when immigration is under a lot of scrutiny … The United States unambiguously is benefiting from an increase in net immigration.”

Leisure and hospitality industry returns to pre-pandemic employment levels

The onset of the Covid-19 pandemic quickly devastated a major economic engine: The US leisure and hospitality industry saw its employment quickly halved, losing more than 8 million jobs in the span of two months.

The lockdowns, the waves of variants and the shifts in technology as well as Americans' migration, working and spending patterns cast doubt on when — or if — those jobs would return .

It took four years.

In March, the leisure and hospitality industry added an estimated 49,000 jobs, bringing overall employment to 16.905 million and finally surpassing February 2020 levels.

Leisure and hospitality, along with health care and government, have been the primary drivers of job growth during the past year. For leisure and hospitality, it has been a virtuous cycle: The service sector has benefited greatly from experience-seeking consumers who have been spending heartily in part because of a strong labor market and wage gains that are not being completely eroded by inflation.

Think rate hikes are off the table? Think again, warns top Fed official

It's been almost a year since the Federal Reserve raised interest rates. For a while, Fed officials were signaling the current level of interest rates, the highest in 23 years, was sufficient to rein in inflation and it could become appropriate to consider cutting rates.

But now, some Fed officials are floating the possibility of hiking interest rates.

“While it is not my baseline outlook, I continue to see the risk that at a future meeting we may need to increase the policy rate further, should progress on inflation stall or even reverse," Fed Gov. Michelle Bowman said Friday.

The progress in inflation over the past year came from supply chain improvements, a higher supply of workers due in part to immigration and lower energy prices, she said.

"It is unclear whether further supply-side improvements will continue to lower inflation," Bowman said Friday, speaking at an event hosted by the Manhattan Institute. At the same time, she's concerned that geopolitical conflicts and fiscal spending could put more pressure on prices.

Bowman's remarks echo those of Minneapolis Fed President Neel Kashkari one day earlier. He said rate hikes are "certainly not off the table." But he said they aren't likely. Kashkari is not voting on monetary policy decisions this year.

Most Fed officials do expect to eventually cut rates this cycle — but will need to see more convincing data that shows inflation is on the path to the Fed's 2% goal. Strong jobs data doesn't necessarily work against that, given inflation has been coming down concurrently, Fed Chair Jerome Powell said earlier in the week. But it's certainly something officials are monitoring.

New inflation data is set to be released next week.

Dow pops more than 400 points midday Friday

Stocks rallied Friday midday following a brutal week of trading, as investors parsed the latest jobs report.

The Dow rose above the 39,000 level again Friday, gaining 422 points, or 1.1%. The S&P 500 gained 1.3% and the Nasdaq Composite added 1.6%. Still, all three major indexes are on track to end the week lower, after tumbling on worries that the Federal Reserve will cut interest rates later than expected.

"It’s hard to find anything wrong with the March jobs report," wrote Steve Wyett, chief investment strategist at BOK Financial, in a Friday note. "The strong labor market should continue to support the US consumer and keep the Fed on hold for now. We still expect the next move from the Fed to be to lower rates, but there is little sense of urgency at the moment."

CNN's Fear & Greed Index , which measures seven barometers of market sentiment, rose to a "greed" reading from "neutral" at the prior close.

Treasury yields climbed after fresh data showed the US economy added a staggering 303,000 jobs in March. The yield on the 10-year Treasury note rose to 4.37%.

Another Fed official questions whether rate cuts are needed this year

Dallas Federal Reserve President Lorie Logan joined the growing bloc of Fed officials questioning whether rate cuts are appropriate at all this year.

"I believe it’s much too soon to think about cutting interest rates," Logan said Friday, just hours after the blowout jobs report was released.

A chief concern of hers is that inflation will get stuck at a level above the Fed's 2% target, she said. Recent inflation readings have put her on high alert for that possibility, she added, though it is not her baseline expectation.

Most Fed officials expect to cut rates three times this year, according to projections from last month's meeting. But the timing for the first of those cuts is incredibly uncertain given inflation is still above 2% and the labor market is remarkably strong. That's why officials aren't in a rush to cut rates.

On Thursday, Minneapolis Fed President Neel Kashkari rattled US markets when he said: "If we continue to see inflation moving sideways, then that would make me question whether we need to do those rate cuts at all." However, he still thinks the central bank will cut rates twice this year. Neither Kashkari nor Logan are voting members of the Fed's rate-setting committee this year.

Atlanta Fed President Raphael Bostic, who is a voting member, has said he believes the central bank should cut once this year.

Acting Labor Secretary says jobs report shows US has the "strongest economy in the world"

From CNN's Samantha Waldenberg

Acting Labor Secretary Julie Su told CNN Friday that the March jobs report shows that the US is the “strongest economy in the world.”

“The president described it himself, it's the strongest economy in the world. And the numbers certainly tell that story,” Su said. “So the idea here is that overall a strong economy is good for everybody. But under President Biden's policies, they're especially good for working people and that's exactly what we want to see.”

The economy is a critical issue for the president as he seeks a second term.  A new poll from the Wall Street  Journal asked voters in the seven swing states who they think would best handle the economy, and former president Donald Trump leads Biden by double digits in all seven. 

Pressed on why Biden’s economic approval numbers have not improved along with the strong jobs numbers, Su said that it’s a sign that “we have more work to do.”

“I think that consumer sentiment is also changing, but we also take it as a sign that we have more work to do and will continue to do it until every American feels that sense of security that the president talks about. We want a good job not just to be a good paycheck, but also to provide some breathing room,” Su told CNN’s Sara Sidner.

AI will shrink workforces within five years, say company execs

From CNN's Anna Cooban

The use of artificial intelligence will reduce the number of workers at thousands of companies over the next five years, according to a global survey of C-suite executives published Friday.

The wide-ranging poll of 2,000 executives, conducted by Swiss staffing firm Adecco Group in collaboration with research firm Oxford Economics, showed that 41% of them expect to employ fewer people because of the technology.

The survey’s results provide another indication of the potential for AI and generative AI — which can create original text, images and other content in response to prompts from users — to revolutionize employment and the way people work.

Read more here.

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Solar eclipse: When to leave Cincinnati, Columbus to reach the path of totality

[ Note: This story has been edited for clarity. ]

In order to view the upcoming solar eclipse’s path of totality in Ohio, you might need to beat traffic. 

Check that. You almost certainly will need to beat traffic to view total darkness unless you live in the path of totality.

On April 8, Ohio residents will have a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to view a total solar eclipse. The moon will pass between the earth and sun, completely blocking the sun’s rays from anywhere between 10 seconds to nearly four and a half minutes during the longest time of totality in north-central Mexico. The moon will appear to be the same size as the sun, leading to a period of darkness that will last several minutes.

It's a unique event, and Ohio officials are planning for anywhere between 150,000 to 575,000 visitors when the total solar eclipse casts its shadow over Ohio on April 8.

2024 solar eclipse: Where could Ohio traffic be bad during the solar eclipse? See the map from ODOT

The 124-mile-wide path of totality will cross the state from southwest to northeast, briefly blanketing cities like Dayton, Mansfield, Akron, Cleveland and Toledo in darkness. Cincinnati and Columbus are just south of totality, only able to view a partial solar eclipse.

The total solar eclipse visits Ohio at 3:08 p.m. with the final exit of the Moon's shadow from the state at 3:19 p.m.

To view the path of totality, those in Columbus, Cincinnati and the southeast portion of the state will have to head north. Here is what the Ohio Department of Transportation predicted.

Eclipse traffic starts to worsen when traveling from 9-10 a.m.

A good few hours before the eclipse, drivers can expect mixed traffic patterns, beginning from moderate to heavy.

Rush hour traffic around Cincinnati and Columbus will remain later in the morning. Based on predictions, Interstate 71 north is expected to begin the morning with main state roads straining to handle increased volume. It could lead to having fewer vehicle able to access the highway portions of ODOT's network. 

Ohio traffic could snarl before the eclipse when traveling from 1-2 p.m.

You could get on the highway an hour or two before the eclipse begins, but you probably won’t make it in time to your destination to see it, depending on how far you have to drive.

The ability for the major highways to handle the expected traffic surge is expected to get even lower as the day continues. Based on projections, the chances are Interstates 71, 75 and 77 may look more like parking lots than expressways. 

Ohio's largest highways could be at a standstill around 5-6 p.m., hours after the eclipse

As drivers travel back home after witnessing the solar eclipse, they might not be going anywhere fast. ODOT predicts the volume of traffic will be at its peak in the early evening, and cars may remain at a standstill on highways based on predictions. 

View this eclipse traffic forecasting map by Ohio Department of Transportation to get a glimpse of traffic patterns that may be caused by crazed eclipse viewers who will be traveling to see it. Plan ahead, be alert on the roads and drive safely!

2024 solar eclipse: How long will solar eclipse darkness last in Ohio cities? Explore these interactive maps