How Long Does It Take to Prepare for a Sabbatical?
Deciding to take a sabbatical is a monumental undertaking. Long-term travel isn’t right for everybody. How do you know you need a sabbatical rather than a vacation? How do you know if you’re ready to quit your job and travel? Even if you’re sure you want to pursue long-term travel, the questions keep coming. How long does it take to prepare for a sabbatical? The short (and probably frustrating) answer: it depends. Your timeline can vary based on your finances, necessary paperwork, and how much planning you actually want to do before departure. Based on my experience taking my own year-long round-the-world trip and helping my clients plan their career break adventures, here’s how to figure out how long it will take you to prepare for a sabbatical.
My Recommended Timeline for Sabbatical Planning
For most people, I consider 6 months the sweet spot for preparing for a sabbatical. This gives you enough time to:
- Save some money: You might not be able to go from zero to $20,000 in a few months, but 6 months is enough time to put some amount of money in a dedicated savings fund.
- Plan your itinerary: Research destinations, draft a plan (even if it’s a rough draft!), and book your first accommodations and flights while prices are low.
- Take care of paperwork: Need to renew your passport, get screened for Global Entry, or apply for a visa from your home country? 6 months is ample time.
- Get vaxxed: Some vaccinations need to be spread out in multiple doses over a period of months. Talk to your doctor about your travel plans.
- Put your life at home on hold: Sell furniture, sublet your apartment, cancel utilities, sort out mail and taxes…there are a lot of life logistics to manage before you can get on that one-way flight.
A 6-month timeline to prepare for a sabbatical means you can tackle all these to-do items and more at an easy pace.
When You Need More Time to Prepare for Your Sabbatical
While 6 months is what I recommend for most folks, it’s not realistic for everyone. You might need a year or more to prepare for your sabbatical. This is totally normal! I took two full years to save up my starter travel fund. Here are some reasons you might need to spend more than 6 months preparing for your sabbatical.
- Financial: Saving enough money for a sabbatical can take a long time – this is completely normal. Most of us aren’t trust fund babies!
- Special plans: If your itinerary includes major festivals or destinations with permit requirements and limited availability, you may need to book some things several months in advance. Safaris and Galapagos Island cruises are just two kinds of trip that often benefit from extra planning time.
- Big life changes: Selling a home, finishing out a lease or employment contract, or transitioning out of other commitments might require more time.
- Simple personal preference: My client Molly probably could have started her 4-month adventure in Asia sooner, but taking one last temp contract meant having even more money for her trip and waiting until January meant spending the holidays with family.
Spending a year or more preparing for a sabbatical is a long haul. But, difficult as it can be to stay motivated, this approach can make long-term travel accessible to more people.
The “Speedrun” Version of Preparing for a Sabbatical
What if you’re ready to leave yesterday? If you have the money and don’t need as much time for specific paperwork or vaccinations, you can fast-track your preparations and be on a one-way flight in just two months. My Round-the-World Roadmap student Erin did just this in 2023! She joined the program in June and flew to Spain in August where a hike along the Camino de Santiago kicked off 3 amazing months in Europe. Here’s how we did it:
- Focus on essentials: As long as your passport is up to date and you don’t need special visas, you can just book your first flight.
- Simplify finances: Use an amount you already have saved and let that guide where you go and how long you stay.
- Front-load logistics: Normally, I encourage my clients and Round-the-World Roadmap students to get their travel plans together before worrying about things like phone plans and storage units. If you’re speedrunning, you want to jump straight on some of those logistical to-do items. With Erin, we spent about an hour together customizing her prep to-do list.
Which Timeline Is Right for You?
Ultimately, the time it takes to prepare for a sabbatical depends on your unique circumstances. If you’re not sure what’s best for you, click here to book a free call with me. I’m always happy to talk travel goals and help you figure out the best next steps.
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