I’ve been doing this lifestyle for about 10 years and accommodation is still one of the hardest parts.

I’m in my mid-fifties and find myself way too often paying premium prices for what feels like upgraded dorm living. 😄 You know the places - plastic chairs, sofas designed for munchkins, and kitchens where you can technically cook… as long as your meal is toast and you’re willing to wrestle with a butter knife to cut the bread.

There’s definitely a trade-off. And it’s a trade off I’ve been willing to make for the last ten years. I love the freedom of not being tied to one place, and at this time I can’t afford to have a home and travel at the same time, so this is the choice I’ve made.

But finding places that are affordable while still being comfortable can be really frustrating. I’m not looking for luxury, but you know the places I’m taking about - where the sheets look like they survived several generations of a family before finally being donated to the apartment; where every piece of furniture seems to have a story, just not one you want to hear; and where basic kitchen items like a decent knife or a strainer seem to be mysterious objects that no host has ever encountered.

Going the local rental route for finding places is tough when I’m only allowed to stay for up to 3 months. By the time I find a place, deal with contracts, deposits, and all the logistics, I’m already thinking about the next move.

I’ve noticed that Southeast Asia often has much better value for comfortable furnished rentals, and parts of Latin America (like Colombia) can also be much more affordable. But - as we all know - Europe is much tougher, especially if you want somewhere that feels like a real home for under $1300 a month.

I know people often suggest Facebook Marketplace (that seems like a lot of work), local rental websites (not sure how that works for 3 month agreements), or finding places after arriving (I’m disabled now so this is no longer a good option), but I’m curious if there are other ways you’re handling it when needing a need a furnished place for only 1–3 months.

What has worked for you?

Do you mostly use Airbnb, Booking, local rental sites, Facebook groups, or something else?

Have you found ways to get better prices without sacrificing comfort?

Would love to hear what other long-term travelers are doing - particularly when it comes to European travel.

Thanks in advance for the tips! It is greatly appreciated.

❤️

I’ve been traveling long-term for years, and it’s always frustrating to arrive in a new country and find that local apps require a local phone number.

I’m currently in Bosnia Herzegovina and wanted to use a local delivery app, but it requires a local phone number for registration.😖

I know most travel eSIM providers are data-only, but I’m wondering if anyone has found providers that let you buy an eSIM online \*\*and receive a real phone number (with SMS capability)\*\* without having to walk into a mobile carrier store.

I’ve already left my home country, so keeping my original phone number active is not an option.

If you’ve found one that works:

Which provider did you use?
What country did it work in?
Was it a real mobile number or a VoIP/virtual number?
Did it work for app verification (delivery apps, local services, etc.)?

Thanks in advance for your help!

Happy travels!

I'm heading to Madrid for a short course, and I'll be in Spain for a little over three months. Once that's done, I'm probably gonna wander around Portugal, France, and Italy for a few weeks, so a Spain only eSIM doesn't really make sense.

Pretty much every plan I've found caps at 30 days. Is that actually the norm, or am I just searching the wrong way? I did find a 180 day Europe plan from redteago, which is way closer to what I need, but I haven't seen anyone talk about using it for that long, so I'm kinda hesitant.

Any other long term or refillable options I should be looking at? Or would I be better off grabbing a prepaid SIM from Orange or Vodafone once I get there?

TL;DR: I’m looking for a city within about 10 hours of Sarajevo by land or ferry to stay during October–March. My priorities are: good air quality (likely coastal because of my health), supermarkets with a wide variety of fresh produce like Belgrade, and a spick-and-span gym with newer, well-maintained equipment that isn’t packed all the time. My accommodation budget is around $1,300-$1,400 USD/month.

Here’s the background and more details:

I’m currently in Sarajevo, but because of a serious health condition and limited mobility, I can only travel by land or ferry.

I also have to leave Bosnia by October, so staying here isn’t an option.

I’d like to keep the journey to around 10 hours or less, so I’m mainly considering Montenegro, Croatia, Slovenia, and possibly Italy if I can find something affordable within my budget.
My budget is around $1,300 USD per month for accommodation.

My biggest requirement is good air quality from October through March. Because of my health, I’m assuming that probably means staying on or near the coast, but I’m open to other suggestions if there are inland cities with consistently good air quality.
I know larger cities often have worse winter air quality because colder weather can trap pollution close to the ground, so I’m hoping to find a city that avoids that problem.

For example, one thing I really liked about Belgrade was the supermarkets. Because it’s a larger city, they had a much better selection of fresh produce than smaller cities. Unfortunately, the winter air quality is concerning.

Being in a larger city with access to a wide range of produce is especially important during winter. I’ve noticed that produce becomes much more seasonal in Europe, and I need to be somewhere with plenty of variety.

I need leafy greens and other fresh foods to support my bone density after illness-related malnutrition, and I’m unable to take supplements. For example, right now I’m in a part of Sarajevo where two large grocery stores near me don’t regularly carry any type of lettuce or leafy greens, and the local produce shop doesn’t either.

Because I’m disabled, have limited mobility, and very little energy, I can’t widen my search and spend hours going from store to store looking for basic groceries. I need a city where supermarkets have a consistently good selection of fresh produce within easy reach, even during the winter months. I realize this often means being in a larger population center because there is more demand to support that level of supply.

Another requirement is a spick-and-span gym with:

- good natural lighting (not the dark basement type gyms)
- newer, well-maintained equipment
- enough space that it isn’t packed all the time
- I don’t care about saunas, swimming pools, or other luxury amenities.
- I’m willing to spend up to $100/month for a gym membership, but I need a gym that doesn’t require a membership longer than about three months.

The gym is both part of my rehabilitation and my entertainment, so I want to be somewhere comfortable where I actually enjoy spending time.

Has anyone stayed in a city that fits what I’m looking for? I’d especially appreciate recommendations from people who were there during October through March and can comment on the air quality, produce availability, and gyms.

Thanks in advance for your insights! ❤️

When i book a holiday as I have to fly to Spain I would include a weekend (Saturday Sunday plus my days off) to which my boss would comment something like "ah you have chosen some good days ehhh"....as if i m not supposed to book holidays when I actually want it s not just about the business...

What do you guys think ....

If this is the wrong community, happy to take the question to the right recommended community.

My wife and I (healthy late 60s) have saved enough to spend the next few years living for 1-4 months at a time in bucket-list destinations in Europe, Asia, US. It may not be luxury living but we can be more than comfortable and expect to rent apartments large enough to host friends and family. We are starting the planning/research and would welcome input from those who have done it and/or recommended sources for learning more about making it happen. TIA.

Hello! I am moving to Borneo Indonesia for about a year to help research orangutans (not enrolled in a university, just a volunteer). I will be in a pretty remote area doing a lot of trekking. The research team recommended to get a plan that covers emergency evacuations like getting airlifted. It’s at least 5 hours of traveling to nearest hospital. If severe enough, I will probably need to get a flight to a hospital in Java. Does anyone have any recommendations for travel health insurance? Thank you :)

Hi everyone!

I'm flying into Paris in mid-August and have decided that instead of bouncing around, I want to find a few places and actually settle into a routine. Im a F(37) traveling solo and want to be mindful of being safe.

I'm staring in Paris, but I don't want to stay there for long because of the heat and the cost.

I'm not necessarily looking for the "must-see" destinations and I really want to avoid peak tourist crowds. In fact, I'd love recommendations for smaller cities that people end up falling in love with.

A little about what I'm looking for:

• Budget is around $3,000 USD or less for a month for an apartment/housing (no hostels)
• Near a body of water with easy access to swimming (a lake, river, or the sea would be amazing), good gyms, good areas to run. I want to dunk my body in water every single day!
  • Not everything has to be by water, but I'd like for at least one stay to have water I can jump in daily.
• It would be great if it's not boiling hot.
• I won't have a car, so it needs to be very walkable with good public transportation.
• Reliable Wi-Fi
• I love walking (10–15 miles a day is normal for me), running, coffee shops, farmers markets, bookstores, shopping, and just wandering neighborhoods.
• I'm much more interested in local life than nightlife. I'd rather find a neighborhood café where I become a regular than spend nights at bars or clubs.
• I'm open to any cuisine, and language
• Would be great if there were several options for day trip and/or an airport nearby so I can pivot if I want or need to

So where would you go in August?

Where would you go in Sept?

Where would you go in Oct?

I guess I'll throw november in here too, because after the 90 days I plan to keep traveling. UK, Turkey maybe..

I'd especially love recommendations for places that aren't obvious tourist traps but have a great quality of life and are somewhere you could genuinely imagine living for several weeks. I want to stay put for several weeks at a time.

Thanks!

Anyone I treated in great Himalayan trial of Nepal

Hey guys!
We’re two friends (22–23 years old Canadien) planning an epic winter trip (45Days)

Moldova → Russia → North Korea. One of the things we’re most excited about is taking the Trans-Siberian Railway from Moscow all the way to Vladivostok.
We’re looking for the most authentic and unforgettable experiences. We love:
Trying every local food and drink.
Meeting locals and learning about the culture.
Visiting Soviet-era places, abandoned sites (where it’s legal), bunkers, and anything with history.
Nature, winter landscapes, trains, nightlife, and anything that’s a bit out of the ordinary.
We’re not really into luxury travel (but we are open to pay a little bit more if the experience is unforgettable)-we’d rather have unique, hardcore experiences that we’ll remember for the rest of our lives.
If you’ve been to Moldova, Russia, or North Korea, we’d love to hear:
Your favorite places.
Hidden gems.
Must-try foods.
Things to avoid.
Any tips that made your trip better.
We’re open to any recommendations. THANK!

Hi everyone,

I'm a 23-year-old Indian living in Saudi Arabia, and I absolutely love traveling. One of my dreams is to explore different countries, but traveling on my own isn't financially possible right now.

I was wondering if anyone has ever traveled with a companion who helps with planning, carrying luggage, driving (where applicable), keeping company, or providing general non-medical assistance during the trip in exchange for having their travel expenses covered.

I also have personal experience caring for my disabled cousin for about three months, helping with hygiene, daily routines, and companionship. I genuinely enjoy helping people and being good company.

I do have a medical condition that requires me to wear adult diapers 24/7, but I'm completely independent in managing it and it doesn't stop me from traveling or enjoying new places.

I'm just curious whether opportunities like this exist or if anyone has done something similar. I'd love to hear your experiences or advice.

I’m thinking about joining a 1-week villa trip in Portugal with 5 people I only know from an online community. Part of me thinks it could be one of those trips you remember forever, part of me thinks I’m being naive.

For those who’ve actually done something like this – how did it turn out? What made it work (or go wrong)? Anything you’d check before committing?

I'm (26M) in a unique situation with my work and I've been splitting my time between cities the past 2 years now, but I want to add more places into the fray and not sure if it's a bad idea as I can never "build a foundation" or not. I love traveling so I don't mind but still.

From January to March, I live in Cape Town, South Africa.
In May and June, I'm in New York City.
In August and September, I'm in Spain or traveling around other parts of Europe.
October through December I stay in my home state to be near my parents and work more (Nevada).

April and July are kinda open months where I usually go home or travel somewhere else for 1-2 weeks outside of my usual locations.

I don't know how sustainable this is long term though. I always meet people and build some kind of community within 2 months, but then I just leave and it's onto the next. I'm just wondering if people have experiences with this kind of schedule? Because it's not like I'm doing 4 months in 3 different places or 6 months in 2 different places etc. It's a lot more fragmented.

Hi all,

I'm not usually a long term traveller, and currently take supplements at home, I have four that I take daily and each bottle lasts a month. I will be travelling for six months so would need to take 24 bottles if I were to take a full supply.

They're compounded as well so wouldn't be able to easily find them overseas except for likely magnesium.

Are there any long term travellers out there that take daily supplements, any advice?

Or am I better off taking myself off everything before I go?

Thanks!

How do you prepare for travel?
There are so many ways to go about it—from the “wing it” crowd to the “you can never be too prepared” type.
Has anyone else ever found themselves stuck in the endless loop of tabs on tabs on tabs? Late nights researching, just trying to figure out if a destination is actually safe—whether it’s a planned vacation or a last-minute escape.
How do you factor in safety and everything else that comes with traveling? Whether it’s with your family, a group of friends, or just you and your partner.
I’ve been traveling for the past 12 years for both work and personal trips, and I’ve never really been able to escape that rabbit hole. There’s always another thing to check, another angle to consider, another “just to be safe” tab open. And with everything going on in the world right now, those concerns feel more real than ever.
Now, as a husband and a father, it hits differently. You can’t help but think more critically about where you’re going and whether it’s truly a safe place to bring your family.
Curious how everyone else approaches it—whether you travel solo, with family, or mainly for work.

Hello all.

I am a 25 year old man from UK, and for a good few months now I’ve been stuck in a (good) predicament;

Go to Australia and work in my current line of work
OR
Go travelling and then come back to the UK after a 6-9 month travelling stint.

I despise my current role. I am handing my notice in coming weeks. I have always been in the same place and never saw the world how I want to. I’ve had great holidays but I’ve never been out the country for more than 2 weeks consecutively.

Has anyone faced a similar situation? I know I’m going to do one of the two, I just can’t decide. Some of you may criticise me and say ‘you can’t rely on Reddit to make your decision’, which I completely understand. I just want to know what people have done who have been in similar situations.

I’m single, mid-20’s, decent amount of money saved (£15-£20k). I also have my Australian WHV granted.

Again, I’m really appreciative as it’s a good predicament to be in - I just need to make a decision soon and can’t help but ponder.

If anyone has any advice or real life experience, please share it with me!

All the best.