Best Gap Year Ideas 2024
The possibilities are endless, but you can discover our best gap year ideas to make the most of your time. Adventure awaits…
Travelling the world? Volunteering with a good cause? Getting stuck into farm work? If you have a gap year ahead of you, the world is your oyster. But with so much on offer it can actually be a bit overwhelming figuring out what it is you want to do with your time.
With so many options to choose from, the journey is half the fun! But your gap year can also set yourself up for success at university and your career later down the line, so embrace the excitement! You’ll find our best gap year ideas and top tips from recent graduate Ellie, who loved her gap year so much, she travelled the world before AND after uni.
In this article:
- What is a gap year?
- Gap year destinations
- Best gap year activities
- What do I need for my gap year?
- Should I take a gap year?
What is a gap year?
A gap year is a year-long break that you’ll usually do between sixth form/college and starting university. It’s a chance for you to explore the world, learn new skills or even take up an internship that will help your career.
Gap years have had a reputation in the past for being elitist and sometimes exploitative, if anyone’s old enough to remember one of the OG viral ‘gap yah’ skits by Matt Lacey.
But there’s so much more to gap years than drinking too much and upsetting the locals. If you take the time to plan out your year, you can gain work experience, see the world and discover new cultures, and even learn some things about yourself too.
Gap year destinations
If your first thought is that you want to jet off as soon as you get your A-Level results, then who can blame you? Some of the most popular countries to travel to in your gap year in are:
- Australia
- Africa
- America
- New Zealand
- Thailand
- Japan
Backpacking, interrailing, and visiting different countries and learning about other cultures can help broaden your mind and understanding about the world. We spoke to Ellie, who travelled for 4 months before she started uni and then again for 4 months after graduating:
“I really wanted to explore more of the world and experience different cultures. It was also a great way to put me out of my comfort zone and make me try new things! … It definitely helped me grow up a lot quicker and gain some life experience too.”
Best gap year activities
Whether you’re planning a trip around the world, broadening your work experience or getting to grips with real world issues, there’s so many activities you can explore during your gap year.
Au pair
If you love children and want a way to explore new places while making money, then being an au pair could be a great opportunity during your gap year. You’ll normally help with the day to day taking care of children, possibly while teaching them English at the same time. Depending on who your host family is, you could end up with a very flexible schedule that means you can soak in the sights and traditions and make incredible memories.
The bonus to being an au pair is that you’ll usually live with your host family, so you’ll save money on accommodation, food and travel too. But this can sometimes mean personal and work boundaries get blurred, so being aware of where your boundaries lie is important.
Conservation
What could be more rewarding than trying to take care of the planet and the animals in it? Conservation work is loved by many on their gap year, with loads of wildlife projects to choose from, including animal care and marine conservation.
You can explore beautiful parts of the world and learn about the fragile ecosystems that need our help. You’ll often work for free, or even have to pay to be a part of a project, as these costs go towards conservation efforts. But exploring the world and helping be a part of the change? Sign us up!
Farm work
If you’re an outdoorsy-type, then farm work is a great way to spend time in nature and soak up the sun. There’s plenty of places around the world looking for extra hands when it comes to farming. From cattle farms in Australia, orchards in France, or sheep farms in New Zealand, there’s lots of ways to get agricultural experience.
Internships
For the forward thinking CEOs of the future, internships can be a great way to get that sought-after experience during your gap year. Bonus points if you can travel to an exciting destination.
It’s no joke that some graduate roles want you to have experience when you’re meant to have been studying for 3 years. So getting an internship under your belt during your gap year means there’s less pressure to squeeze it in between your studies.
Adventures and travel
Seriously though, who doesn’t want to roam about exploring new countries and having the time of your life?! Not to sound like a cringe motivational poster, but life is all about experiences.
So whether you dream of an adrenaline junkie rollercoaster ride around the world, or prefer to sun yourself on as many different beaches as you can, gap years are a great time for some adventure.
Teaching English abroad
If you want to travel but are also keen to brush up on your teaching skills (especially looking at you, future teacher undergrads) then teaching English abroad could be the one for you. There are lots of courses and certifications out there to help you qualify, but the TEFL course is probably the most popular option.
It’s a short course that will give you all the information you need to learn the basic requirements of teaching English. This will give you opportunities to travel the world and earn money while you’re doing so.
What do I need for my gap year?
You’re ready to go, but just how spontaneous should you be when planning your gap year? Before you book the next flight out, there’s a few things to think about, plus Ellie’s here to share some of her top tips for planning your travels.
Important travel essentials
Probably the most important thing you should do before you leave is make sure you have all your important travel documents if you need visas, or travel insurance. Totally boring, but totally essential. If you’re backpacking, you’ll need specialist travel insurance so always double check your policy.
Serious travel docs aside, there’s some less important but equally practical things you should pack if you want your travels to go smooth sailing. If you’re staying in hostels, ear plugs and eye masks might just save your sanity. Easy to dry/store things like microfibre towels and shampoo/conditioner bars instead of bottles mean you’ll have more room in your luggage too.
Think about your money and budgeting
It’s not a sexy subject, but money and budgeting is, for most of us, a really important part of our gap year planning.
Ellie says, “Both times I went travelling, I worked full-time for about 4 months to save up as well as using money I had saved from previous work/general savings. I organised money into different pots on my banking app which helped keep me in control of my finances. For example, some hostels only take a deposit and you have to pay the rest on arrival so keeping that money aside means you don’t accidentally spend it beforehand!”
If you can save up for your gap year before you go, then you’ll have less worries and stress when you’re enjoying the trip of a lifetime.
What to buy before you leave
If you’re planning to travel the world, then one thing that Ellie says is an absolute must-have is suncream! “It can be really expensive in places like Asia, and it is hard to find brands that don’t add whitening ingredients”. Another essential item is sanitary products as they can be hard to find, especially tampons. But Ellie adds, “most toiletries were super easy to find and they had all the recognisable brands.”
Booking your travel
It’s so tempting to take off without booking your travel – nothing like a travel itinerary to harsh your free spirit mellow. But if you’re looking to save money on your gap year, then budgeting and booking websites will become your second language. They’re great if you want to do more group trips or just want to structure your plans, and have knowledgeable guides that can help you with your itinerary.
For solo travellers, booking your travel ahead of times mean you can take some of the pressure off if you’re solely responsible for where you’ll be staying. It also means you can do a bit of research on the best (and safest!) solo travel destinations. Places like Booking.com make it easy to find places to stay around the world, and you’ll usually find generous cancellation policies too.
Should I take a gap year?
If you’re trying to weigh up whether to go for a gap year still, then we’ve got you covered.
Benefits of doing a gap year
There are lots of different benefits to doing a gap year that could put you in good stead for your future. These could include:
- Help you explore your potential career plans and paths
- Experience other cultures
- Gets you out of your comfort zone
- Gives you life experience when looking after yourself
- Helps you learn how to budget, save and spend your money
- Gives you opportunities to add experience to your CV
Are they any disadvantages to doing a gap year?
Gap years give you a great opportunity to explore the world, expand your horizons, learn new skills and experience different cultures. But with this comes a few things to think about to make sure you’re not at a disadvantage by doing your gap year.
The cost of taking a gap year can be a lot – some people fundraise for their experiences, or work full-time. But getting into debt can have knock-on effects so it’s important to understand if you can afford your chosen gap year activity.
If you want to save money when planning your gap year, then check for a student discount when you buy – Student Beans travel discounts cover everything from hotels to flights to experiences, and everything in between. Check out more essential travel trips for your next adventure.