To ask if you did a long (up to a year) trip travelling after children how did you do it?

[AbeSimpsonsWhiskeySour]

I've always wanted to do a road trip across North America; spending a lot of time in each place so I can really get a feeling for the place. Perhaps six months?
I've been trying to work out how I can do it. I have two children, no partner and a pretty poorly paid full time job. I own a house I can rent out.
I would like to do it when they're around 11 and 12 so in three/ fours time. But then that's when they're starting secondary school? I think they'd enjoy it. We've done lots of travelling in Europe on a budget.
What sort of things can I start planning now? I think my work would allow me a sabbatical so I would have a job to return to.
Just trying to work out how I can do it financially.
How did you support yourself? Did you do some remote work.
Obviously I won't do it if kids aren't on board.

Is their dad involved and if so how would it affect the children not seeing him for a year? I know they can Zoom call him, will that be enough?

I know you can now only travel in Europe for 90 days. Presumably there will be similar requirements that prevent you just deciding to move to america for 6 months.

I've had a longer think

Yes, it would be cheaper if you waited until your mortgage was paid off & you could travel alone or with a partner & you are not paying for 3 children

I forgot to add that you will need access to emergency money if you travel

Another alternative is to buy yourself a caravan or camper van. Travel Europe for 180 days (Brexit) plus more time in non European countries eg Morocco, Turkey
Plus travel locally at weekends

But wouldn't that be people waiting to be housed who would be put there, if the LA would be renting it from you? Have you thought about the moral implications of letting a family settle in your home for 18 months and then making them potentially homeless again? Wouldn't it be better to do a short term let to someone over here on a year's work contract or something?

Another option

You share a bedroom with your children

You rent out your bedroom, while you are still living there. You can earn approx £7500 tax free. Info is on www.gov.uk. You then use this money to travel in the holidays or pay off your mortgage early & travel alone.

Rent out your loft

Rent out your parking space

Some working people only need a base Mon to Thursday, if they are working in the local area

https://www.gov.uk/rent-room-in-your-home

If you are away for a whole year, are you still expecting to be paid child benefit & perhaps universal credit ?

I am unsure if you can still claim child benefit

https://www.gov.uk/child-benefit/eligibility#:~:text=You%20can%20claim%20Child%20Benefit%20if%20you%20have%20sufficient%20resources,Pension%20Credit%20or%20Universal%20Credit.

This is usually the sort of dream where fantasy rarely lives up to reality.

Single with no responsibilities? YOLO- go for it.

Pre teens, a job, home and financial constraints? Hmm, needs meticulous planning and a realisation that it may not live up to expectations.

Good point

There is the B1 visa to the US but it’s for maximum 6 months (not a year as OP said) and applicants have to provide details of their income, ties to their home country, travel plans and financial ability to support themselves while travelling. Essentially they want to check you aren’t going to move there or work there illegally and it may well get refused if they aren’t confident about this. Or awarded but for a shorter period.

OP, have a look at TravelMadMum on Instagram (they’ve now got four children) for total inspiration. There’s posts explaining how they do it etc. Her children are amazing and have been in different learning environments over the years. Good luck, sounds exciting for your children.

How about house swapping and working a year in the US and sending your kids to school there. It’s not quite travelling but would be a good and more affordable alternative. I had relatives who did this every few years and their kids loved it and are all very successful. There used to be agencies who set this up, not sure if they still exist or not.

I would suggest a shorter 6 week trip first in Europe.

Travel to central/ Eastern European zone where it’s likely to be better value for accommodation etc. Something like Poland, Czech Republic, Austria and Slovenia road trip. Could stay a 5 ish days in 8 locations if you did 6 ish week trip (or long in less stops). It’s also possible to do by train if you prefer. Fly in to start destination and out of end.

It would still cost a fair amount doing a 6 week trip (say £1k a week approx), but wouldn’t affect schooling and you can see how you all get on with a long trip in general

I wouldn't do it. If you can save up money I would think it's better to save for your future and an emergency fund.

You also don't want to put your job at risk.

Sounds like a pipe dream & not really in the best interests of your children. It would also be horrendously expensive.

Travelling can be a fantastic part of education! Anyway, you know what's best for your kids OP.

It sounds like you could make it work money-wise, but to take some financial pressure off it might be worth considering spending some of the time in Europe or SE Asia instead? If US trip is the dream though I agree with the campervan idea.

When travelling long-term I always kept up some occasional online freelance work, just a few hours here and there to keep a little bit of money coming in. Is that an option for you? I also used workaway and house-sitting platforms though not sure how viable that is with kids!

If this is what you really want to do you will make it work somehow, even if it means borrowing (with a sensible repayment plan obviously.) Travel is always, always worth it, and you never know what the future holds (as we all learned during Covid...) so just go for it I say!

https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/usa/getting-help

There are lots of home educators who do this. Look up 'world schooling'
I think it sounds brilliant. It's something we've been looking at too. My DH wfh and can work remotely from anywhere. Our children are already home educated.
There was a family on TV recently doing exactly this. They'd hired a massive motor home and were touring America.
The actual cost of doing it for a year, still works out at tens of thousands. Salary to live on, plus extra for the motor home hire etc.
If you can work out the finances, it's an amazing opportunity for the children.
My DS is also autistic and also thrives on having unscheduled adventures.

I think the best time to go would be when the eldest is in the last term of yr 6. It's just school play, transitions, school trips then. Yes, important but not really in the grand scheme of things. They would already have a secondary place sorted. You could then go for 5 months from Easter to September.

Costs will be £££. Travelling N America is not cheap and you'd need to bear in mind it will be hot and humid from June onwards. If your kids will be roughly 10/11 then they might get bored with long days travelling. Better to plan 3-4 places and spend a good amount of time there? National parks, Cali coast, Canada, Alaska? I think you'd need to budget up to £30k. Flights and motor home/motels alone will be ££.

We have costed up a 3 week trip in the summer , two adults and one teen with car hire and cheap motels but a bit more budget for the national parks and it's coming in at nearly £7k. We'll need to add food, excursions, insurances, petrol etc to that figure.

I did a four week summer holiday USA road trip as a single parent with three kids (two were teens and also autistic)
It cost me £10k and we travelled mainly around the west and focused on national parks - I drove and we stayed in hotels as this was cheaper than hiring a campervan .

We all loved it and was the holiday of a lifetime - but there is no way my kids would’ve wanted to miss their schooling.
also you can only stay 3mths without a visa .

i think it’s harder to travel long term with older kids as you can’t just do what you want - you have to consider their wishes, education, friends and family too .
And it’s also very expensive !