Where to go and what to do

Taking a career break for travel is becoming a popular choice for people who want to escape the rat race and go for the gap year they never had. It's an opportunity for life changing experiences and there has never been a better time to do it. If you are having difficulty finding a new job, do not have major commitments at home and can afford to finance a trip, career break travel could be the right thing for you to do.

All you need to decide is where to go and what to do. Of course that's easier said than done. There's an overwhelming choice of options, so making a wise decision means you really need to think about what you want to get out of the break and spend some time on research.

Is it right for me?

It's worth weighing up the pros and cons of taking time out to travel. On the plus side it's a new experience, great fun and you could learn things that improve your job prospects when you return. And naturally it's more satisfying to do something than stay at home waiting for an elusive new job. You rarely get the chance for such a long break so consider taking the opportunity while you can.

But on the other hand taking a career break means putting your life 'into storage' which is difficult if you own property or have a family to support. You will also be out of the job market for some time which could mean missing out on a job were to come along. And finally you will need to pay for the trip.

What do you want to do?

There is an enormous range of travel experiences available to you. The simplest thing to do is just travel: go places, see the sights and enjoy the freedom and novelty of the experience. But many people want something more involved and sign up for organised courses and activities. There are numerous charities and commercial organisations that are geared up to providing these kind of gap year and career break activities.

To give you some ideas, some of the more popular options are:

• Round the world - buy a round the world air fare and see how many countries you can clock up
• Adventure - join an organised tour. Hike in the Amazon or climb Kilimanjaro
• Volunteering - offer to help with a community or conservation project in the developing world
• Learning - study a language or learn other skills overseas
• Passions - follow your interests. If you like dancing learn salsa in Venezuela or if art is your thing do an art history course in Italy

Many people combine these things: do a bit of travel on their own then join an organised activity. See the blog of Sarah-Jane who has gone to Argentina to travel and do voluntary work.

Where should you go?

Most parts of the world are now accessible to visitors, so where you go depends more on what you want to do, how much you want to spend, how you want to travel and your appetite for adventure. You could go for the popular backpacker destinations such as Austrialia, South Africa, New Zealand, India, Peru and Mexico. These countries are good if you want to meet fellow travellers but not so great if you want to meet the locals. If you're more adventurous try somewhere more remote like Ethiopia, Belize or Nepal.

The next question is how to join up your destinations. You could go for a round the world trip, travelling by air and stopping off in each country. Alternatively, you could travel by rail and bus, travelling through nearby countries.

Money will also be a consideration. A day week in Thailand could cost less than a day in Switzerland so you need to think about your budget. See our 'Around the world on a budget' article.

So what next?

To get going with your research and to start booking see 'The pick of the travel sites'.