Setting off on a trip around the world for several months or moving abroad temporarily quickly raises a very practical question: What should you do with all your belongings while you’re away?
When we were planning our around-the-world trip and then our tour of Europe in a motorhome, we had to ask ourselves exactly the same question. Between furniture, clothes, souvenirs, computer equipment, and even administrative documents, it’s obviously not possible to pack your entire life into a backpack or a camper van. Here are a few ideas for storing your belongings during a long trip or when moving abroad.
Renting a storage unit: the most flexible solution
For travelers who have a lot of furniture or who are leaving for an extended period, renting a storage unit is often the most practical storage solution while traveling.
The main advantage is security. The goods are stored in a dedicated, secure, and accessible space when necessary.
This solution is particularly appealing to people who are moving abroad, traveling around the world, or embarking on a long-term trip without knowing exactly when they’ll return.
Another advantage is flexibility. You may also find yourself extending your stay or making changes along the way. With a storage unit, it’s generally easier to adjust the length of your storage period without having to ask friends or family for help.
Storing your belongings with family or friends: the most economical solution
During our trip around the world, we chose the simplest solution: dividing our belongings among several members of our family.
Some boxes ended up in a garage, others in an attic, and still others in a barn.
This solution has one obvious advantage: it usually costs nothing.
It works especially well when you don’t have a lot of furniture to store. That was the case for us—we lived in a 40-square-meter apartment in Paris and had very little furniture.
For a few boxes of mementos, computer equipment, or personal belongings, this is often still the most economical option.
On the other hand, this option quickly reaches its limits if you have bulky furniture or if your trip is expected to last several years. You also need to make sure that your loved ones are actually available to store these belongings for the entire duration of your stay and that the storage location is safe and clean.
Keeping Your Home or Sublet: Sometimes a Good Option
In some cases, it may be easier to leave your belongings right in your home.
That’s exactly what we did during our several-month-long motorhome trip through Scandinavia. At the time, we were subletting a place on the island of Oléron and were able to leave some of our belongings there while we were away.
This solution means you don’t have to move all your belongings out of your home before you leave and then move them back in when you return. It can be a good option when you’ll be away for a relatively short time (a few months in our case) or when the cost of housing remains reasonable.
However, it’s important to carefully compare the costs. In some cities, keeping a home vacant for several months costs much more than using a dedicated storage solution. A quick calculation usually makes it clear which option makes the most financial sense.
Sort through your things before you leave: probably the best advice
Before our trip around the world, we thought we’d have to pack a lot of stuff. In reality, we hadn’t used most of our belongings for years.
Preparing for a long trip is a great opportunity to declutter (even if it’s never a walk in the park). Before we left, we sold our couch, some of our IKEA furniture, and several appliances on Le Bon Coin; we donated several boxes of clothes; and we recycled many items that were just taking up space. This allowed us to significantly reduce the amount of stuff we needed to store—and thus the associated costs.
We also recommend scanning as many documents as possible: contracts, invoices, warranties, and administrative paperwork. Today, most of these documents can be stored in a secure online space rather than in boxes.
Our advice is simple: if you haven’t used an item in several years and it will likely still be useless when you return, it might be time to get rid of it.
What should you do with your valuables and important documents?
Some items deserve special attention before departure.
We recommend that you keep the following with you or in a very secure location:
- passports and identification documents;
- important events;
- computer backups;
- items of great sentimental or financial value.
For computers, cameras, or other expensive electronic equipment, it may be a good idea to take extra precautions against moisture and dust, especially during long-term storage.
Also, be sure to keep a list of the items you’re storing, along with a few photos showing their condition before you leave. This will make things much easier if you need to take any action later on.
Our tips for traveling with peace of mind
Looking back, we realized that the hardest part wasn’t finding a place to store our belongings, but rather deciding what we actually wanted to keep.
The more you reduce the amount of stuff you need to pack before you leave, the easier it is to get organized. Selling what you no longer use, giving away certain items, and keeping only the essentials often saves you time, money, and a lot of stress.
We also recommend that you clearly label each box, create a list of its contents, and leave a copy of this information with someone you trust. If you ever need to retrieve a document or item from a distance, this can be very helpful.
Ultimately, packing your belongings is an integral part of preparing for a long trip. Once that’s taken care of, it becomes much easier to focus on what really matters: enjoying the adventure that lies ahead.
