Planning a Big Trip?

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Trekking up Warmiwanusca Pass on day two of Inca Trail trek to Machu Picchu.

• Anthony Pidgeon
• Lonely Planet Photographer

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You can resist it no longer. The call of The Big Trip. The world is out there and the time has come to get out there and eat it up. But where to start? What do you need to know? We’ve assembled a few choice articles to get you going.
Essential backpacker trails: The classic journeys that continue to inspire both new and seasoned travellers. There’s a reason people take to these routes – they’re incredible. See which ones tweak your wanderlust.
Greatest historical journeys: If you want to follow in the footsteps of history’s movers and shakers, use these ideas for inspiration.
Travel on a shoestring: Here you’ll find budget-stretching guides to a bunch of cities (including some famously pricey ones) as well as thrifty hints from the forum to keep your big trip in the black.
Australia on a shoestring: a bumper guide: Australia’s a popular destination for backpackers – its sheer size and range of landscapes lends itself well to a good, long trip. These tips will help you get the most out of your Australian adventure.

Long-term travel as a couple: Where you go can be almost as important as who to go with. If you’re travelling as a twosome, here’s some handy advice.
Cool working holiday jobs: One way to make your trip a truly big trip is to take on some work while you’re on the road. It plumps up your budget for further travel and gets you meeting some interesting people and gaining some skills at the same time. Here’s a selection of viable travel jobs.
Responsible volunteering: You might want to help out while you’re travelling – here are some tips for how to be most helpful and what to look out for when choosing an organisation to work with.
How to travel light: When you’re travelling long-haul, you need to get pretty lean with your packing because an overstuffed bag can get very heavy very quickly. Here’s how to travel feather-light.
10 essential stops for Europe first-timers: If you’re not sure how to tackle such a varied continent, this is a good starting point.
Long-haul FAQs: Our forum is a bottomless cup of hot travel knowledge – here are the most frequently asked questions revolving around living and working abroad.
Gap Year and Round-the-World travel FAQs: The forum shares its ideas and advice on these chunky trips.