6 months traveling around the world – Costs and Secrets

Some of our links are affiliated, we will earn a commission when you buy a service or product. This will have no extra cost for you. For further info please refer to our Privacy Policy

Travelling around the world 1

Time flies when we are having fun! This quote has never been so true! We are celebrating 6 months of traveling around the world. Our Love and Road Travel Project turned into a life-changing experience. 183 days of happiness, fears, smiles and tears.

Half of a year is gone and after the celebration (October 24th) we decided to put some numbers together and make our first traveling around the world spreadsheet. Prepare to be amazed by some figures, scared about some details, and laugh at our misadventures.

ItÂŽs time to reveal our secrets! Keep reading because at the end we share our costs of traveling and how it was cheap to see the world for 6 months then live in Brasil. 

 

Traveling the world kick-off

On April 24th we left Brazil for an open plan long-term trip. Just one-way ticket, savings, some secrets to budget backpacking, and lots of dreams. The idea to start a travel blog was born a couple of months before and thatÂŽs how Love and Road began.

Travelling around the world 2

Love and Road 6 months journey

Continents – Africa, Asia and Europe

Countries – Croatia, France, Italy, Monaco, MoroccoPortugal, Spain and Turkey

(during this trip just 8 countries, but in total, we already visited 29 countries since 2006)

Cities – 57

Different Languages – 7 (Arabic and Croatian are damn difficult)

Travelling around the world 3

How we traveled during these 6 months?

To cross all the 8 countries we traveled by different modals.

By Boat – 2 times

By Bus – 14 times

By Car – 2 times

By Flight – 6 times (we use Skyscanner to check the best fares)

Hitchhiking –  8 times

By Train – 6 times (EURAIL Pass is awesome!!! BOOK HERE!!!)

Travelling around the world 4

Where did we stay during these 6 months around the world?

We are big fans of Comfy + Clean + Well Located & Cheap Accommodation. Following these features we stayed in:

Campervan -1 time

Car – 1 time

Flat/Studio – 2 times

Friend’s house – 3 times

Hostels –  2 times

Hotel –  4 times (Booking.com and Agoda are our choices for searching and booking hotels)

House sitting – 2 times

Shared House/Apt – 13 times

Tent – 2 times (Moroccan Desert and SONUS Festival)

Travelling around the world 12

What did we buy during this period?

Apart from accommodation, transportation and food, there were some essentials (and non-essentials) that we must buy, and here are they:

New clothes:

Rob – 1 T-Shirts + 2 pair of jeans + underwear + socks + 1 jumper

Nat – 2 tops + 1 pair of flat sandals + 1 skirt + 1 pair of jeans + 1 legging

Electronics:

1 Notebook Asus F200M

Toiletries:

As usual, we had to buy soap, shampoo, body lotion, toothbrush, and all the stuff we need to be clean and beautiful. Talking about beauty, I will make a confession: we bought anti-aging for the first time!! We are not getting any younger so we invested in a Day & Night Clinique Face Care! I loved it and Rob… He doesn’t want to talk about it! 

Gear

1 small Backpack

2 Dry Fast Kingcham Towels

We are traveling around the world with a big backpack and a small front bag. ThatÂŽs what fashion calls a minimalist style! So everything we bought was to replace some old items. What did we do with our used stuff? We donated. We made some bags and give them to homeless people in Istanbul.

Getting sick! More painkillers, please!

Rob says that is the weather, but I keep annoying him that heÂŽs getting old and weak. Botton line, we got sick and hurt ourselves a couple of times in these 6 months traveling around the world. Nothing major, but bad enough to make us homesick and meh.

Sickness Scores:

Rob – 5 (2 times flu, cold sore crises,  diarrhea, and a twisted ankle)

Nat – 6 (I win!!! Back pain, mosquito bites allergy, urinary infection, keen injury, flu, and diarrhea)

All the problems were sorted out with medicines we bought at the local pharmacy. We do have travel insurance but didn’t need to use it. To avoid getting sick we are trying to eat healthily, drink lots of water and do some exercise.

Travelling around the world 7

Talking about travel insurance, here is a guide about long-term travel insurance. We listed the companies we use and recommend, plus what you need to know before buying insurance and using it. 

 

What did we LOVE during this worldwide trip?

Food – Italian (we both agree that Italians are masters in cooking and eating)

City – Barcelona and Izmir. We couldn’t decide between these two sunny cities.

Beach – For me is Cala San Pedro, Rob chose Playa dos Muertos, both are located at the Cabo de Gata Park, Spain.

Best Party – Hard to pick just one party, but definitely was the week we spent in Barcelona. The summer parties were better than the Sonus Festival we attended in Croatia.

To see all the pictures about these places check our Instagram!

Travelling around the world 8

Beautiful Strangers and the amazing people we met!

We met awesome people in these 6 months of traveling around the world. Old friends, former work colleagues, new friends, and a bunch of nice strangers crossed our way. Each one made a special contribution to our story. The moments we spent together are recorded in our hearts and souls.

Thank you guys! You are amazing! After meeting all these new people we can say:

Most handsome Men – Turkish, especially from Istanbul. (Believe me, girls, they are stylish and good-looking)

Most beautiful Women – French (Rob wanted to include the Russians and Polish, but they are out of this trip.lol)

Friendly People – Italians

People that talk to themselves – Porto, Portugal

Party Animal People – Spanish (I love them!!)

Worst moment of long-term traveling

For us, the worst moment was when we got the news that my cat had passed out. That was our first loss while traveling, the first moment we talked about going back home.

Travelling around the world 9

Best moment of our 6 months traveling

So far the highlight of our trip is the Moroccan Desert. Such a unique experience, a dream that came true!

Regrets

ItÂŽs not a regret, but we would organize our Moroccan Tour in a different way. Would spend more money to get a private tour around the countryside and desert.

Also, I regret we didn’t start the Love and Road blog before traveling. ItÂŽs hard to manage time between travel, work and study.

We are Proud of

We are proud and happy of catching up with old friends. During these 6 months of traveling around the world, some of the meetings were meant to happen others were by destiny.

It was awesome to see you guys: Dariia Makarova (4 times we ran into each other), Hudson, Paulinho, Belem & Haiko, Captain Dario, Paolo, Senem, Saoro and Mehmet.

Lessons

You can live a simple life because at the end of the day you will miss the people you love not the things you bought.

Travelling around the world 10

Relationship vs Traveling

Not easy to live together 24 hours, seven days per week
 I think we didn’t kill each other because Rob is super patient and I am great fun! 😉

Work Hard, Play Hard

The Love and Road blog is part of our life project, however, we didn’t imagine that it would be so time-consuming and tiring. We are doing it with love and IÂŽm really enjoying it, but itÂŽs hard work. Actually, blogging is a full-time job and if you want to know more, our friends Nick & Dariece put together great tips on how to start a travel blog, click here to read it.

We know there are lots of details that we have to improve on the website, however for four months (the blog was launched in July) I think itÂŽs going pretty well!

What do you think? Leave your opinion in the comments! 😉

 

How much does it cost to travel for 6 months?

With a tight budget and expensive tastes, we are courageously traveling around the world. Not easy but totally possible. After checking our spreadsheet and here are our expenses figures:

Travelling around the world 11

Accommodation – USD 3.902,00

Attractions – USD 1.201,49

Eating out – USD 3.329,57

Groceries – USD 1.856,21

Party – USD 1.231,46

Pharmacy – USD 390,87

Purchases – USD 651,13

Souvenirs\Post  – USD 122,75

Transport – USD 2.901,00

WC – USD 13,55

Average per person / per day: USD 53,95 (thatÂŽs less than we used to spend per person per day in our daily life in Brazil).

If read until here you might want to have a look at our travel budget for 1 year and 2 years traveling the world. Right?

1 Year around the world – Travel budget and saving tips

2 Years around the world – costs, tips and how we live a nomad life

 

In the beginning, I thought it would be boring to write this article, but actually was an amazing way to remember our story. Six months traveling around the world doesn’t sound like too much, but if you start thinking about moments, feelings, memories it becomes an eternity.

Crazy Lovely Life. At this same time last year, I was at our home in Brazil, maybe working or organizing the house, dreaming about travels. Today I’m writing this post inside a night bus, leaving Pamukkale and heading to Cappadocia in Turkey.

Travelling around the world 13

Rob is already sleeping beside me, outside pouring rain and darkness. No big plans for the future just some booked destinations, and I never been so happy. I’m so grateful for these 6 months of traveling around the world, and hope our journey won’t finish soon!

Lots of LOVE from the ROAD!

 

42 thoughts on “6 months traveling around the world – Costs and Secrets”

  1. This is a well written article and very informative. So seldom do travelers include actual costs and in such detail. I know I didn’t/don’t even keep such accurate records, but probably should. Thanks for sharing!

    Reply
  2. Thanks Dale!!

    The idea is to show how it is possible to travel the world without being rich, and have tons of fun! As we have a tight budget we have to keep everything under control. We take notes of our daily costs so we can organize our money.

    Keep following us because weÂŽll be posting how much we spent in each country we visited. So far we already talked about Portugal, and there are plenty of new information to come! https://loveandroad.com/how-much-does-it-cost-to-travel-in-portugal/

    All the best and safe travels!!

    Nat 🙂

    Reply
  3. Olå! Esse é o primeiro post que leio do blog e adorei. A forma como é organizado, bem escrito e engraçado. Impecåvel. Parabéns.
    Planejo largar o emprego e fazer o mesmo, sozinho, em março do ano que vem. Vamos ver se consigo manter a coragem. hehe

    Sucesso com o blog!

    Reply
  4. OI Renan!!

    Fico super feliz em saber que curtiu o post e o blog!! 🙂
    Se tiver algum dica ou dĂșvida para organizar sua viagem pode contar com a gente. E parabĂ©ns pela coragem!! Largar tudo Ă© “Viver a Vida” Ă© para poucos… Muitos usam a desculpa da falta de dinheiro, mas na verdade sĂł Ă© preciso ter sonhos e acreditar!!!

    Tudo de melhor! E quando estiver na estrada manda notĂ­cias!

    Nat 😉

    Reply
  5. Great post! It’s fun to see other travelers post the details about their travels and budgets. Were your costs per person or as a couple?
    We lost some weight too, but not as much as you did – great alternative to a diet, hey?

    Happy travels!

    Reply
  6. Hey Landon!

    Glad that you liked the post! That is a 100% true… Not easy to keep all the records, but I think it’s worth!
    I®d say travelling is an amazing diet! Good for your body and soul! 😉

    All the best!
    Nat

    Reply
  7. What a great way to recap your six months! And very interesting to see what it can take to get away and travel like that by looking at what it costs – on average – per day.

    Great photos and I’m looking forward to reading more about your travels!

    Reply
  8. Hey Patricia!!!.

    So glad you enjoyed reading the post… The truth is that you don`t need lots of money to travel, you just need to organize your priorities and save some cash… There are plenty of ways to travel on a budget and have tons of fun!
    Happy Holidays!

    Nat 🙂

    Reply
  9. You guys are fab and inspiring! Intend to travel around the world for 6 months. Just trying to get all the right destinations and Stack up a little more cash. It is on my bucket list and I guess an adventure to remember for eternity!

    Reply
    • Go for it Clavier!!!

      Travelling is one of the most rewarding things you can do in life!
      We just celebrate one year on the road, and no regrets at all!!
      All the best to you and if you need any tip just let us know.
      😀
      Nat

      Reply
  10. Wonderful to read your story and experience while traveling. Your details of people you met, times you were sick, and costs tell your story in an intricate and meaningful way.

    Reply
  11. Heyyy,Heyyy !!! 🙂
    Both of you are awesome! I am following your adventures as much as I can and thinking of you sometimes,hope all is ok…

    When I see my name & Izmir on the article ,I really feel very very happy! Thanks for that!

    Crossed my fingers to see you both again, somewhere, somehow…

    Good luck

    Reply
  12. What a cool article. I’m glad you did what you did. It feels great to travel and we have done the whole NZ like that in 6 months with absolutely next to nothing. We had so much fun like you did with no regrets. Keep up the great work.

    Reply
  13. Que delícia de post! Estou voltando a Portugal agora, ao final de fevereiro, e ficarei 3 meses pelo menos pela Europa! Jå larguei meu trabalho antigo e,finalmente, iniciei uma nova jornada na minha vida: criei o trabalho que amo e virei nÎmade digital! Bora viver! Vou acompanhar o site de vcs. Parabéns ao casal! !

    Reply
    • Que bom que gostou do post 🙂
      E parabĂ©ns pela iniciativa! Bom ver mais e mais “almas livres” rodando o mundo.
      Pode fuçar o blog que vai achar matérias sobre a Europa, Ásia e África.
      Beijos e boas viagens!

      Reply
  14. Hey Nat
    Thanks for sharing…I’m going to leave my life behind for 6 months to travel yayyy. I don’t have a travelling companion. Are there any countries you think are unsafe for me as a single female?
    Thanks Lisa

    Reply
    • Hi Lisa,
      It’s hard to list the countries that are unsafe, I have friends that have travelled alone in India, Marocco, Turkey and never had a problem, even though these countries are on the list of “not so safe for women travelling alone”. I would say, to go wherever you want to, just be careful. Read about the place and the costumes before travelling, dress respectfully and look after yourself. There are way more good people in the world than bad ones.
      Happy Travels,
      Nat

      Reply
  15. Gostei muito do site e da coragem de vocĂȘs de viajar pelo mundo. Fiz um pouquinho isto com meu marido, mas apenas por Marrocos numa autocaravana e gostaria de dar umas dicas para uma prĂłxima viagem por lĂĄ. Para viajar bem por Marrocos nĂŁo precisa de muito dinheiro. O CĂąmbio favorece o DĂłlar e atĂ© o Real, mas acho que a melhor maneira Ă© ir de autocaravana. Viajar sem destino, comprar comida nos lugares pĂșblicos, fazer a sua comida. O turismo lĂĄ Ă© muito forte em quase todo o paĂ­s e o turista Ă© muito bem tratado. Se fizer amizade com alguĂ©m lhe levam para casa e comem com eles. É um lugar mĂĄgico onde cada cidade tem seu jeito de viver e antes de tudo muito respeito a sua cultura. Acho que esta Ă© a dica para viver bem em qualquer lugar. Em muitos locais Ă© bom cobrir o cabelo, evitar roupas decotadas, estar sempre junto do marido. Os marroquinos acediam muito uma mulher sozinha. Curiosidade…. O Ășnico problema para um casal viver uma vida nĂŽmade assim sĂŁo os filhos. Se isto nĂŁo estĂĄ nos seus planos ok. Caso pensem. AtĂ© os primeiros 5 anos eles podem estar todos os dias consigo. Depois precisam ir para uma escola formal. Conheci muitos casais nĂŽmades, que chegou o momento que o filho pediu aos pais para ter uma vida dita normal e isto era mesmo importante para seu desenvolvimento como pessoas. Passado a fase escolar, pĂ© na estrada novamente. Boa sorte e que continuem com muitas histĂłrias para contar.

    Reply
    • OI Divane!!
      Obrigada pelas dicas, o Marrocos Ă© realmente um paĂ­s incrĂ­vel! Imagino que viajar de caravana tenha sido um experiĂȘncia maravilhosa!
      Pois Ă©, filhos ainda nĂŁo estĂŁo nos nossos planos, quem sabe no futuro. Por enquanto seguimos viagem, fazendo amigos e conhecendo novos lugares.
      Tudo de melhor para vocĂȘ, abraços
      Nat

      Reply
  16. Hi Rob or Nat

    My partner and I (uk) are thinking of doing this but after her studies in forensic anthropology and archeaology so we’re looking at working our way around countries. I am 59 so would be 60 but have a military background dee is 51 so would be 52 worked all her life bringing up daughter and spent last 3 years doing degree.

    How would be the best way to begin looking into this as I’ve seen Kenya Cyprus Falklands and quite a few others but dee has never been abroad due to not having a pp. As this will be a gap year were looking at student accommodation and working or researching are way around so as dee can pick up info for her masters.

    Any ideas pls

    Reply
    • Hello Keith,

      Sounds like you guys have an exciting year ahead!

      The key is to decide the for how long you want to be on the road and the itinerary. From there you can start checking the accommodation options. Pay attention on the Visa requirements, some countries have different policies for researchers/students.

      Cheers

      Reply
  17. I have been wanting to do this for a while now, busy with business and child raising but the closer they get to graduating high school the more I know I have to do this. Where should I start to do this research of where to go first? And is a woman by herself even recommended? Are you guys still doing this? Thanks

    Reply
  18. Hi there! I’m about to leave on a 6 month journey abroad, on my own. I leave the USA in 12 days. I just wanted to let you know that your post pumped up my excitement to get going!

    Reply

Leave a Comment