• By: Riyanka
• Apr 04, 2025
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Pros & Cons Of Long Term Travel: What I Learnt From My Journeys

Almost six years ago, when I started backpacking solo and embraced long term travel, some people had an expression of awe on their faces. Even before their inquisitiveness flowed out of their mouths, I could see it in their eyes!

“What are you going to do in Bhutan for a month?”

“You’ll be in Kenya for a month? Is it even safe?”

Well, the feeling of wanderlust was too strong for me to stop myself from embracing the adventures. With time, I realized that long-term travel can bless us with the most enriching experiences and teach us some of the best lessons in life. Long-term traveling was a boon for digital nomads like me, who have flexible work hours and can work from anywhere!

However, with time, I also understood that traveling isn’t just about a holiday laced with fun and frolic but comes with challenges and woes. While I got to meet some of the most wonderful people on the roads, learned about different cultures, spent nights under the starlit sky, and walked on seldom visited trails, I appreciated the beauty of slow journeys and came to terms with the adversities of long-term traveling.

If you’ve been dreaming of living out of a suitcase for some time now, then it’s time to fulfill those dreams. Embarking on a long-term journey can be intimidating and overwhelming, but trust me when I say this: It’ll change you forever!

The Pros of Long Term Travel

Let’s focus on the advantages of long-term traveling and how it’ll benefit you.

1. Getting to know more about the place, people, culture & history.

While holiday itineraries are mostly packed with things to do and places to visit, a long-term trip gives us a chance to pause, look around, and soak in the local vibes of the place. Beyond the touristy things, there’s a scope to explore the offbeat trails, and we tend to discover the hidden gems that are seldom visited.

There’s immense scope to befriend the locals, learn about their history and culture, listen to stories from the natives, and truly appreciate the difference between you and them. If you opt for a homestay, your hosts might ask you to join them in attending local festivals, teach you to cook local delicacies, and, of course, help you learn their language. Can anything get better than this?

2. Traveling will be cheaper!

It might sound odd, but long-term travel isn’t as expensive an affair as it looks! For example, if you plan a trip abroad for a week, the cost of your flight tickets will be the same if you plan it for a month or more. Regarding accommodation, there’s no dearth of backpacker hostels or budget hotels worldwide, and it’s almost always cheaper to rent a place for a few weeks or months instead of a few days.

Once you stay longer in a place, you’ll get to mingle with the locals and figure out the best yet affordable restaurants to eat at. Also, your new friends might be willing to show you around their country or guide you to explore in the most pocket-friendly manner. The possibilities are endless!

3. Traveling becomes more relaxing.

Shorter trips can be hectic as we try to squeeze in all we wish to do in a considerable period! It’s more like ticking things off the bucket list than soaking in the real vibes of the place. On the contrary, long-term traveling allows us to slow down, relax, and go at our own pace, leading to better experiences and connections.

Needless to say, there’s enough scope for spontaneity as well. You can hitchhike with a fellow traveler you meet at a hostel or join a day trip with strangers. And when you don’t feel like doing anything, you can give yourself a break, sit at a cafe with a book, watching people walk in and out while enjoying your favorite cappuccino! 

4. Learn the true essence of minimalism.

Traveling longer will change how you see your material things and redefine your attachment to them. Long-term travel isn’t possible with hefty luggage for obvious reasons! Once we set out with a rucksack full of essentials, we tend to realize that more than half the things we’ve accumulated over time aren’t necessary at all. Hitting the roads will help you realize that minimalism is the key to a good life, and the less you possess, the less you’ll have to worry!

With time, you’ll also realize that some of the things you carry aren’t used often, and you wouldn’t mind leaving them behind. You’ll understand the true meaning of less is more, and this decluttering isn’t just good for your back and mind! 

5. An opportunity to nurture new emotions, every day!

Being away from home, you’ll wake up to new adventures every day. There would be new things to look forward to, new faces to greet, new lanes to walk down, and new experiences to cherish. Long-term traveling will make you more patient and change your perspective to see the world.

Living with diverse people in different places with various cultures, languages, religions, and traditions for a considerable period will make you a more compassionate and mature person, nurturing your overall growth and making you a better human being. While volunteering at a childcare centre in Kenya for a month, I realized that the language barrier is a myth and that emotions can be the best means of conversation.

Traveling long-term will have a huge, positive impact on your personal life. As they say, ‘You’re never the same after seeing sunsets in different parts of the world!’

The Cons Of Long Term Travel

While the advantages of long-term travel are endless, there’s another ‘not-so-rosy’ side to this coin! Before you set out for that ‘life-changing journey, ‘ know that it’ll not always be a cakewalk, and things might get downright awful.

There are risks. And you must be aware that things won’t always go as planned!

1. Traveling for weeks will make you exhausted.

Travel fatigue is real, and there’s no escape from it. While hopping from one place to another might seem delightful initially, the excitement will eventually die out at a certain point. You’ll lose the zest for waking up to catch the sunrise or feel too tired to hit another cafe. You’ll crave homemade comfort food, feel like seeing familiar faces, and want to get the next flight home!

There have been times when I also felt tired from the journeys and quite disgusted with wearing soiled clothes for days – all I wanted to do was get back home and sleep in a fresh pair of clothes!

2. Constant budgeting can take a toll on you!

Let’s accept that we all must keep tabs on our finances when traveling for a long time. No matter how much you try to cut down on expenses, your bills will start to rack up—accommodation, food, transport, and other miscellaneous things must be taken care of daily. There might come a time when you’ll think it’s much cheaper to stay home, and you won’t have to worry about the constant budgeting! 

3. Health issues might be bothersome.

Traveling for days can often affect your health (especially for those with underlying health issues). Whenever we are in a new place, we love to try new things – and food is an important part of our journeys. But sometimes, eating too much junk food daily or eating irregular food might lead to health issues. Eventually, you’ll inevitably get sick, and your appetite and love of street food will die!

Too much traveling can lead to headaches (from overexhaustion) and body pains. Also, you might miss out on your regular health check-ups if you’re traveling around places where the healthcare facilities aren’t up to the mark. If you’re traveling abroad for a long time, you must get Medical Insurance beforehand to avoid any hassles when you are sick or unwell and need assistance.

4. Travel buddy tensions!

If you’re on a solo trip, you won’t face this problem. But if you’re traveling with someone else, no matter how much you love them or enjoy their presence, there will be situations where you don’t feel comfortable around them! You might not want to do a particular activity or visit a place they want to try or go to. Sometimes, you won’t be on the same page, which might lead to resentment.

Traveling as a couple can lead to frustrations when your partner fails to give you enough space or doesn’t share the same vibe as you do! (There’s no shame in asking for some space to take a day to yourself – to regain your sanity.) If you’re traveling with a group of friends, then be sure that everyone will have their opinions (and would want them to be heard) – so clashes would be inevitable, ruining the travel experience!

Thus, consider these things before planning a long-term journey with your travel buddies!

[Also Read: Solo Trips vs Couple Travel – What’s Better?]

5. You’d miss out on a lot of things that happen back home!

I was on a month-long trip with my friends, exploring the Himalayan towns in Ladakh, and missed my nephew’s birthday. All I could do was gaze at the happy faces over a video call – and for a moment, I wished I could be at home, celebrating with my family!

Let’s get this straight: Many major events will happen back home in your absence, and you’ll miss them. Life never stops for anyone, and you’ll realize this even more when you’re away from your friends and family, embracing adventures! So the next time you pack your bags and leave, make sure that there are no big events at home or prepare your mind not to regret if you miss anything.

Like everything else, traveling is also like a coin with two sides. While these are the pros and cons of long-term travel that I’ve experienced, I’m sure you’d have your share of stories too. No matter what it is, let nothing stop you from seeking new experiences.

To put it in the words of H. Jackson Brown Jr., “Twenty years from now, you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails.”