‘Around 200,000 young people from the UK aged between 17 and 28 will take a year out of their education or vocational careers to work, volunteer or travel – doing something completely different for 12 months.’ That’s the word from gap-year specialists, www.gap-year.co.uk.

But it’s not just the under-28s who are raring to take a break and see a bit more of the world. Intrepid ‘gappers’ include men and women well into their retirement years and even families who want to explore new experiences and ways of living.

So how do you make the best of your year out? Whether you want an all-action adventure in Australia, volunteer in Africa or even spend your time learning new skills at home, there’s plenty of advice to help you plan.

Where shall I go?
The world is your oyster, as they say. Everyone has their favourite places or dream destinations but it can be worth paying attention to travel company trends, if only to avoid following the crowds! A recent survey by The Year Out Group (www.yearoutgroup.org) predicted that India was the hottest destination of all for 2007 bookings along with Peru, Tanzania and China. India has always attracted the intrepid traveller owing to its varied landscape and opportunities for new experiences.

However, countries like China are pulling more weight thanks to publicity and activities surrounding the Beijing Olympics in August 2008. Countries such as Canada, South Africa and Australia were also high on the list, reflecting an ongoing trend for Brits to head for English-speaking countries where they can more easily work. Pick up travel brochures and books or look online to get an insight into a country – www.lonelyplanet.co.uk has a good destination overview. Or speak to specialists like Sta Travel for more ideas on where to go, including multiple country or round-the-world trips.

What shall I do?
Information about gap years has never been in such abundance. A good start is The Gap-Year Guidebook 2008 from www.gap-year.com. Highly recommended by The Sunday Telegraph and The Guardian, it gives tips on everything from working around the world to volunteering and sports courses. Other helpful reads include Taking a Gap Year and Work Your Way Around the World by Susan Griffith from Crimson Publishing (www.crimsonpublishing.co.uk), and Lonely Planet’s The Gap Year Book: The Definitive Guide to Taking a Year Out by Joe Bindloss and Charlotte Hindle (www.lonelyplanet.com). Websites such as www.gapyearjobs.co.uk,  www.gapadvice.org and www.realgap.co.uk also offer ideas for work and active pursuits where you can book a ready-made break or gap year to suit you. The government also recently launched a new Global Fellowship scheme for school leavers. It’s designed to send 18-year-olds on six-week trips to emerging economic powerhouses including India, China and Brazil and then report back about their experiences. Visit www.globalgateway.org to find out more and apply next year.

You may also find our own feature with advice on working abroad useful.

Who shall I go with?
Travelling alone can be as much fun as going with friends – you’ll be surprised how many people you can meet on a year out, both fellow travellers and locals, especially if you’re on a placement, staying in one area for a while or visiting popular gap-year destinations.

If you find yourself without a travelling partner and don’t want to brave it alone, then finding a travel mate before you go isn’t as hard as you think. The website www.gap-year.com has a special service that allows you to post details of your trip and advertise for someone to travel with. Similarly, you can find someone who may have posted up a similar itinerary to you. There have been some great success stories where travel partners who met this way have travelled together for the whole year. The top tip in this case is to meet first, make sure you get on, and if it doesn’t work out during the trip, then go your separate ways.

How do I keep in touch?
How do I not keep in touch could be more to the point! Email, phone, text messaging and numerous networking sites such as Facebook, Myspace and Bebo make it easy to stay in contact and in the loop if you’re missing home. You could also sign up to a specialist trip planner such as www.tripit.com. Each time you book a flight or hotel room on the net, simply forward your confirmation emails to the new service and it automatically creates an account and starts to build your personalised travel itinerary. You can then share this information with people back home so they know where you are, or use it to link up with travelling companions en route.

If you’ve really got something to write home about then why not start an online travel journal too? At www.travelblog.org you can sign up for a free page on the site and update friends and family on your adventures whenever you get the urge.

With a Direct Line Discoverer policy, which is travel insurance for long trips, you can also make sure you are adequately covered for the duration of your trip. Simply gather all the details of your journey – where you are going, what you are doing, and when – then apply for a travel insurance quote today.

Related information:
Advice on working abroad – find out more about the possible options for working holidays and how to stay insured on your travels

Student travel insurance – read more about Direct Line’s Discoverer travel policy for extended trips

Staying secure abroad – important advice for avoiding crime while you are on holiday