Best place to travel abroad for an American? (how much, hotels)

[Polospy]

Hello!

I am 21 years old about to turn 22 and really need a break from The United States!

I have not yet finished my college degree and I will not for another 2 years but I need to take a break and travel around.

So where's the best place to go if you're an American? I want to work over seas for a year doing ANYTHING! Maybe working at a bar in Britain or Amsterdam. Or doing field work in New Zealand?

What is the best opportunity available for someone like me? and how much would I need to save up to get the ball going??

Thank you very much !

[DannyBanany]

Try Australia or New Zealand. They're some of the friendliest people and they love Americans, which is rare in the world. I've never heard a bad story from an Australian vacation.

[vatics]

try taking your vacation in bantayan island, cebu, philippines. it's very cheap to go to this island. the beaches are white sand at par with boracay, known as the best beach in the world.

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[Huckleberry3911948]

yes you need money and working is the best way to travel and "know" another country. otherwise you just "know" a lot of hotels and airports. club med is very superficial.
it's a zen thing.

[Mississippienne]

It sounds like BUNAC - Work and travel abroad and volunteer programs for students and young people would be right up your alley.

[hkgal]

Hi there, if this is going to be a working holiday as opposed to just a vacation, you will need to consider which countries will allow you to work legally. Australia would be fantastic if you have enough money to support yourself without working, but US citizens are not eligible for the working holiday visa program which Canadians, Brits and Europeans can enjoy.

For Oz/NZ you would need to budget a bare minimum of around US$60-$100 per day for food, lodging and travel. Unfortunately they are expensive destinations and the US dollar exchange doesn't go far these days.

If budget is an issue then I would suggest you try SE Asia. There are a LOT of backpackers travelling through Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, etc. From my experience it is very easy to travel around these countries - they are cheap, relatively safe and geared up for travellers. It is also quite a small area so you can see a lot in a short period of time. You meet lots of people on the road there if that's your thing. For these countries a bare bones budget would probably be about US$30 per day. When I was last there decent guesthouses were around US$10-$15 and food/travel is ridiculously cheap.

Hope that helps.

[trzlucky]

Go visit your local Marine recruiter. Good pay, three hots and a cot, and plenty of travel to wild and exotic locations!

[fjtee]

Originally Posted by trzlucky

Go visit your local Marine recruiter. Good pay, three hots and a cot, and plenty of travel to wild and exotic locations!

Brilliant!!!!

[Mississippienne]

Originally Posted by trzlucky

Go visit your local Marine recruiter. Good pay, three hots and a cot, and plenty of travel to wild and exotic locations!

Yeah, like an all-expenses paid trip to ancient and exotic Iraq! I think our friend here is looking for a few months of fun, not a four-year military commitment. Although s/he might consider Peace Corps if s/he's interested in something a bit more involved that just bartending or backpacking.

[MJay]

Definitely Prague!