Travel Tips: The Best Destinations to Live in - Part Two

Welcome to Part Two of Travel Tips: The Best Destinations to Live in!

In my previous post, I wrote about the places I've lived so far, and what I liked and disliked about each of them.

And in this one, I'll be writing about the places where I'd most like to live, and also taking a look at the cities that have been judged to be the most liveable in the world.

To be honest, there are a lot of places around the globe I'd be happy to try living in for a few months or even a year, but when it comes to choosing somewhere to put down roots permanently, it's a much harder decision. Everyone has different preferences, and I'm pretty sure about mine at this stage. I know I'd like to live in a big, global city, preferably somewhere not too remote from other countries. It would also be nice to be located close to the sea, if possible.

Here are six places that I think fit the bill pretty well!

My Dream Places to Live...

London (or the surrounding area), UK

Pros

- One of the centres of the world, both in terms of business and culture

- Lots of job opportunities

- A beautiful city, filled with incredible historic landmarks, modern skyscrapers and plenty of green spaces

- So much going on there - West End theatre is what excites me most, but there's something for everyone

- Close to mainland Europe - France, Belgium and the Netherlands are only a train ride away

- Huge public transport network

- Several airports make it easy to travel abroad

Cons

- Cost of living is the obvious one!

- Crowded and over-touristed

Why I'd Like to Live There

Hopefully, this will be where I live next! If my partner Claudio's visa application is approved, we want to make a go of things in London. We plan to work within the city itself, but we're thinking that we'll probably choose to live either on the outskirts of Greater London or a little further out. Living just outside London is not as expensive as one might imagine, and the extensive public transport network makes it easy to get into the city.

Growing up, I actually always wanted to live in London (and work as a musical theatre performer - that sadly didn't happen!), but then in my later teenage years, I became really interested in the idea of living abroad. And then as I got older, I was lucky enough to have some chances to both live and spend long periods of time in various foreign countries. I've really enjoyed all those experiences, and I hope that I'll have other similar opportunities in the future. 

But as a couple from two different countries, it's hard enough bureaucratically for Claudio and I to be able to live together in one of our own countries, let alone in a different one. London is quite a good compromise for me, as it's such a big, exciting, global city, and so different from the rest of the UK, that it kind of feels like being abroad.

Should Claudio's visa application be successful, we'll have 2.5 years in the UK. I hope that by the end of that time period, he'll have an Italian passport and I'll have an Irish one, so we'll have more options open to us. But I think we could potentially end up spending our lives in London - I feel a real excitement about the prospect of living there that I certainly didn't feel before moving to Bristol. 

Who knows what the future holds, but we're really looking forward to (hopefully) starting our London adventure very soon!

DACH region (especially Vienna) or Benelux region

Pros

- Better infrastructure and standard of living than in the UK

- Salaries are better aligned with cost of living

- Good work-life balance

- Central position within Europe makes it easy to travel all over the continent

- Lots of beautiful places to visit, from charming cities to lakes and mountains

Cons

- Not the best weather - either the same weather as England or very cold and snowy in winter, depending on the country/region

- Culturally a little less warm and welcoming than other parts of the world, so harder to integrate into

Why I'd Like to Live There

Along with the Nordic countries, the DACH and Benelux regions of Europe are considered to have some of the highest living standards in the world. While the Nordic countries are a bit too cold and dark for me, I think I'd be quite happy living somewhere like Austria or Switzerland. In fact, I did live in Austria before and made it through the winter more easily than I thought - it helps that the milder climate of the Mediterranean is only a train ride away!

Though I lived in a more rural area of Austria before, Vienna would definitely be my first choice of city in this part of the world. Other places that intrigue me are Geneva (speaking French rather than German would make life easier!), Zürich, Munich and Brussels (also French speaking).

However, Claudio is not quite so enamoured with the Germanic parts of Europe as I am. He has felt much more at home visiting the UK and France than visiting Sweden and the Netherlands, for example. So we probably won't end up living in this part of the world in the future, but I still think it's a nice option.

Spain (especially Barcelona)

Photo by AXP Photography from pexels.com

Pros

- Warm, sunny weather most of the year

- Lots of nice beaches

- Good infrastructure

- Lower cost of living than in the UK

- More relaxed lifestyle

Cons

- Lower salaries than in northern Europe

- Very unwilling to hire foreigners

- Heatwaves in summer, which are getting worse due to global warming

- Many cities, including Barcelona, are very over-touristed

Why I'd Like to Live There

People have often suggested that Spain would be a good option for me and Claudio, as it's not far from the UK and it's a Spanish-speaking country, which would suit both of us.

Although I've been to Spain several times in my life (to Menorca, Málaga, Valencia and Madrid) and enjoyed all those trips, I've never loved it the way I have other countries, like Italy, for example. However, I've always felt it would be a good place to live - it's a country that has invested a lot in its infrastructure, so has very good public transport, among other things. Plus, I speak the language, and enjoy the warmer weather.

Though I've never been to Barcelona, it's the city in Spain that appeals to me the most as a place to live. (I did once take a connecting flight there, and saw the W Hotel and Barceloneta Beach (pictured above) while coming in to land at the airport - it looked amazing!) What I like about it is that it's a big, global city with some beautiful neighbourhoods to explore and plenty of great beaches. I really like the idea of living in a city right on the beach, and being able to go swimming and sunbathing after work!

However, although Claudio and I both applied for various jobs in Barcelona, neither of us managed to get even one interview. I actually spoke to a careers advisor about this, and she explained that Spain (followed by France) is probably the European country that is least open to hiring foreigners, particularly in the kinds of industries that we work in (marketing and finance). She said that our best bet would be to get our EU passports (easier said than done) and actually go out there and look for jobs within the country itself. Even then, it would be a challenge, as they would still choose to hire Spanish people in most cases.

Maybe a digital nomad visa would be a good option, but with our plans to live in London now pretty much set in stone, it's an idea we've put to the side for the time being.

France (especially Paris)

Pros

- France is a beautiful country with many different types of landscapes, from snowy mountains to Mediterranean beaches, and Paris is one of the most beautiful cities in the world

- Known for its good food and cultural influence

- Good infrastructure compared to the UK

- Good work-life balance

- More relaxed lifestyle

Cons

- Not as efficient as countries like Germany (there are often train strikes, for example)

- Very bureaucratic

- Not very willing to hire foreigners

Why I'd Like to Live There

When I first started thinking about living abroad, France was the country at the top of my list. While studying for my GCSE in French, I fell in love with the language and culture, and dreamed of one day living in a cute apartment in Paris or a villa by the sea in the south of France.

Then I went off to study languages at university, and spent time in both the north and the south of the country for my Year Abroad, which I wrote about in my previous post. The French part of my Year Abroad was a bit of a mess - I wasn't able to get a decent work placement through my university, and so had to resort to finding more casual kinds of placement by myself. In summer 2017, I went to work as an au pair in the south of the country, and a year later, I started a placement at a holiday park in the north. For different reasons, both were pretty awful experiences, and I had to leave early. Both times, my mum quickly sorted something out for me using Halsbury Travel (now called Blue Stamp Travel) - in 2017, I did a language course in Montpellier, which I absolutely loved, and in 2018, I did two work experience placements and a language course in Rouen, which I didn't enjoy quite so much. Prior to that, I also spent a week in Paris, unsuccessfully looking for a placement and accommodation. 

The chaos of that year, and the fact that it was so difficult to find decent work, did make me a lot less enthusiastic about living there in the future. But then last year I started my current job, in which the work itself is based in France, although I work from the UK, and it made me start thinking again about moving back to France someday. And then in December, we had a wonderful trip to Paris, and I couldn't help dreaming about what it would be like to live there.

Unfortunately, France isn't much better than Spain for hiring foreigners, but I haven't quite given up on the idea just yet!

Australia

Photo by Belle Co from pexels.com

Pros

- Great weather

- Beautiful beaches

- Huge country with unique flora and fauna

- Good base for exploring places like Southeast Asia, the South Pacific and New Zealand

- High standard of living

Cons

- Very difficult to emigrate to

- High cost of living (though salaries are also high)

- Very far away from most of the rest of the world
- Danger of climate-related disasters, like wildfires

- Spiders!

Why I'd Like to Live There

Again, as with Spain, I'm really attracted to the idea of living in a big city by the beach somewhere hot. (Sometimes I wonder why I ended up being born in a rural area in the west of England!) Sydney is the Australian city that appeals to me the most, but I also like the idea of living in Melbourne or Perth. Australia is known as the lifestyle capital of the world, and I definitely have this image in my head of living a really active, outdoorsy kind of lifestyle there and spending lots of time at the beach.

I think, if I hadn't met Claudio, I probably would have gone out there after university, either to travel around for a few months or to do a year's working holiday. In fact, we were thinking about doing a working holiday there together at one point, but unfortunately, Chileans have to be under 30 in order to get a working holiday visa (pretty unfair, given that British people can get one at under 35!). New Zealand would have been an option for us, but it doesn't hold quite the same appeal for us as Australia does, though I know it's a lovely place.

I once applied for a job that was based in London but which also had offices in Sydney, so employees had the opportunity to go and work out there for a few months if they wished. I actually feel that a position like that would really be the dream, perhaps even more so than actually living in Australia permanently. So it would be brilliant to land an opportunity like that sometime in the future!

Canada

Image by Nextvoyage from pexels.com

Pros

- High standard of living

- Very friendly and welcoming people

- Lots of amazing areas of natural beauty

Cons

- Very long, cold winters

Why I'd Like to Live There

Though I haven't bothered to get my passport yet, I'm actually a Canadian citizen, because my mum was born there. Funnily enough, she only has an Irish passport now, and we have way more family roots in Ireland than in Canada, yet I don't automatically have Irish citizenship. I used to think it was much more unique and interesting to be Canadian than to be Irish, but since Brexit, I've definitely changed my mind about that!

Having said that though, I know I'm very lucky to have the option to go and live in Canada if I wish, and it is something I've considered. In summer 2010, we went on a family holiday to Toronto, Montréal and the Niagara Falls, and I absolutely loved it. The people there are the friendliest out of every country I've ever been to, and it's such a beautiful place. The only thing that puts me off are the winters!

I do think that if life doesn't work out as planned for me and Claudio in the UK, Canada will most likely be our next destination.

The Most Liveable Cities in 2024

1) Vienna, Austria

2) Copenhagen, Denmark

3) Zürich, Switzerland

4) Melbourne, Australia

5) Calgary, Canada/Geneva, Switzerland

7) Sydney, Australia/Vancouver, Canada

9) Osaka, Japan/Auckland, New Zealand

The 10 cities listed above have been chosen as the most liveable in the world in 2024. It's interesting to see which places are objectively judged to be the best to live in. A lot of them are ones that I've already mentioned in this post, which I suppose makes sense.

But at the end of the day, it's hard to tell how good a place is to live in unless you've actually tried living there yourself. That's why I'm looking forward to moving to the London area and seeing what life is really like there. I'm hoping it will be just as good if not even better than I imagine!

Check out the rest of my travel tips here!

Country Guide: Spain

Name: Spain (in Spanish: España)

Continent: Europe

Capital (and Largest) City: Madrid

Language: Spanish

Currency: Euro

Drives on the: Right

Time Zone: Central European Time

Adaptor Types: Type C and Type F

Description: Spain is a country in southwestern Europe which is known for its warm weather and Mediterranean beaches. It is also famous for its food (including tapas and paella), wine, flamenco dancing and success in football. Spain borders France, Portugal and Andorra, and its territory includes the Balearic Islands, Canary Islands, and two cities in North Africa.

Why You Should Visit: Many UK tourists visit Spain every year for its beaches and nightlife, with popular destinations being Benidorm and Magaluf. But there is a lot more to it than that! Spain has an array of beautiful cities to explore, in addition to picturesque rural villages, and the Pyrenees mountain range. Personally, I've been to several different parts of the country (including Madrid, Valencia, Málaga and Menorca), but there's a lot I still want to discover on my future travels!

Fun Fact: Spain actually has five official languages: Spanish (or Castilian), Catalan/Valencian, Basque, Galician and Aranese.

My Blogposts About Spain

Charlotte's Travel Adventures

- Madrid

- The Night Train From Madrid to Lisbon

- Travel Tips: My Top Ten Nature Destinations (Montanejos)

- My Gap Year 2014-2015 (Valencia)

- UNESCO World Heritage Sites (Paseo del Prado and Buen Retiro, Madrid)

- Charlotte's Travel Adventures is 5 Years Old! (Madrid)

- Travel Tips: The Best Destinations to Live in - Part Two (Barcelona)

Clockwise starting from top left: Santa Catalina Tower, Valencia; City of Arts and Sciences, Valencia; Palacio de Cristal del Retiro, Madrid; Plaza de la Villa, Madrid; Montanejos Hot Springs

Check out the rest of my Country Guides here!

My Gap Year 2014-2015 (Plus Gap Year Tips)

Taking a Gap Year was a decision I took fairly late. From the age of 15, I'd wanted to study languages at university, so I knew I'd have a Year Abroad and all the travel and freedom that comes with it to look forward to. Therefore a Gap Year didn't really seem necessary.

However, my final year at sixth form college was a difficult one for many reasons, and choosing a university just wasn't a decision I was in the right frame of mind to take. And I certainly didn't feel ready to actually move out and start university. So taking a year out was the natural thing to do while I figured out what to do next and focused on things outside of studying for a while.

I hadn't really planned any of the year properly before it started, so it's no surprise that it didn't turn out how I'd imagined it would! It definitely didn't resemble the stereotypical image that most people have of a Gap Year - I didn't go backpacking in Southeast Asia, nor did I go and work in a bar in Australia. Despite this, it was still a great year, during which I achieved a few important goals in life and travelled to various places, including three countries I'd never visited previously.

So in this post, I'm going to break down the different things I did during the year, and I'll also share some tips on how to make the most of a Gap Year.

Work and Volunteering

My original plan was to spend the majority of the year working as an au pair in either France or Spain in order to practice my language skills and to experience life in another country. So after I'd finished my final exams, I applied for an au pair programme based in Spain that had been recommended to me. It was a voluntary exchange programme, and something I didn't believe you could be rejected for, and yet I ended up being rejected, which was pretty disappointing and humiliating. This put me off the au pair idea, which in hindsight was a good thing. (I actually ended up au pairing in France during my Year Abroad and had an awful experience, so it's not something I'd recommend doing.)

Afterwards I made a new plan, which was to find a job close to home for most of the year, save up money, and then travel somewhere new and exciting. Several of my peers were able to easily carry out similar plans, quickly finding work in supermarkets and shops, and then jetting off to places like Thailand and Australia. However, when I was a teenager, many things just didn't come as easily to me as they did to other people, and finding work was one of those things. Although I spent hours painstakingly working on job applications, I never heard back from most of the companies, and on the rare occasions that I did get an interview, I wasn't successful.

So it's fair to say that my Gap Year didn't get off to the greatest start! But in September 2014, things took a turn for the better. I realised that I needed to start doing something with my time - I couldn't spend the whole year constantly applying for and getting rejected from entry-level jobs. In the summer between my first and second years of A-Levels, I'd volunteered for a few hours every week at my local Red Cross charity shop, and so I decided to go back and volunteer there again, which I did once or twice a week from September through to January. This made a huge difference to my mental health, as I was getting out of the house, interacting with other people, and doing something with a purpose. The Red Cross is an amazing organisation which provides emergency aid to people all over the world, and it was really rewarding to play a small part in that process.

At the start of October, I decided to take on some further voluntary work and started spending one day a week helping out at my local primary school, which I continued with for the rest of my Gap Year. Not only was working there fun and rewarding, it was also very valuable work experience. It gave me a taste of what teaching is like as a career, and clearly I liked it, as I'm now working as an ESL teacher!

Volunteering was a great experience, but naturally I also wanted to save up some money too! Fortunately, in the middle of October I finally had some luck in this regard. I had heard about a local recruitment agency that offered various bits of work to young people, which I applied for and got accepted for! Soon I was working different jobs (mostly waitressing and cleaning) around the local area and earning my own money for the first time. Although I wasn't earning as much as I would have done with a stable full-time job, one of the advantages was that I got to try working in various places, including a university, a hotel and a golf club. I could also turn jobs down if I wasn't available, meaning that I had the flexibility to fit work around other things like travelling and volunteering. 

I was very happy to finally get my working life started, and luckily it had started just in time for me to have something to write in the "paid work" section of my UCAS application...

Education, Hobbies and Other Projects

As I already had my A-Level results, the process of applying to universities was a lot easier than it would have been if I'd done it a year earlier. I received unconditional offers for all 5 of the universities I'd applied for, and decided on Nottingham as my final choice (more on that later!)

There were a couple of other important goals I finally achieved during my Gap Year. One of them was passing my Grade 8 piano exam - something that I'd worked towards for 10 years. The other one was passing my driving test (and the Pass Plus), which was actually an even bigger challenge. Driving was another thing that didn't come as easily to me as it did to other people, but it was something I needed to do, as I lived in a small village without any public transport. Most people I know passed their test after a few months of driving lessons, whereas I needed nearly two years, so I definitely felt frustrated and demoralised at times. But when I finally got my licence, it was such a relief! It gave me the freedom to take on a lot more work with the recruitment agency, as well as to go and meet friends or go to the sports centre when I wanted. And although I've barely driven since 2015, I'm still glad to have the ability to drive, which may come in useful in the future.

During the year, I kept up with my French and Spanish studies, albeit in a much more relaxed and enjoyable way than during my A-Levels. I also had the opportunity to focus on hobbies, such as cooking, exercise, reading and watching movies.

But by far one of the most important things about my Gap Year was the fact that I got to spend lots of time with my cat Pickle, who was just the best cat ever. She died a few months into my first year at university at the age of 19, so I'm really glad I was with her for the majority of her final year. ❤

Travelling

One of the most exciting things about doing a Gap Year is having the chance to do plenty of travelling, or even living abroad. For me, the main focuses of my year were working, volunteering and learning to drive, so I never spent any extended periods of time travelling, although I did go on many great day trips and holidays. In hindsight, I don't think I was ready at the age of 18/19 to do something like working abroad or going backpacking on my own, and living at home was absolutely the right decision for me at the time. Part of me regretted a little bit that I didn't travel outside of Europe during the year, but I did visit various places around England, as well as five other European countries, and had some great travel experiences.

As this is a travel blog, it seems like a good idea to write a little bit here about some of the best trips I had! (Unfortunately, my photos are not the greatest - that's partly due to the Nokia phone I was using, and partly due to my own lack of photography skills at the time. I'd like to think I've improved a lot since then!)

July 2014: Slovenia and Austria

The first trip abroad of my Gap Year was a family holiday to Lake Bled in Slovenia, a country none of us had been to before. Although I was unlucky enough to be ill during the holiday and had to have an emergency minor operation there, it was still an enjoyable week. Bled is a really beautiful part of the world, with a fairytale castle and a little island in the middle of its lake, which we rowed to. 

One day we visited the picturesque town of Kranjska Gora and nearby Lake Jasna.

We also enjoyed exploring Slovenia's capital Ljubljana, a very attractive city featuring colourful architecture and a castle!

During the holiday, we went on a day trip to Austria, another country that I hadn't been to before. Here we visited Klagenfurt and Velden am Wörthersee in the Kärnten region. I didn't know it at the time, but I would end up living in the region three years later as part of my Year Abroad!

October 2014: Cannes, France

The second trip abroad of my Gap Year was to the city of Cannes in the south of France, where my Granddad used to live. Famous for its film festival, Cannes is a very flashy and expensive place, but it also has a beautiful beach. I spent a few days out there with my mum, and particularly enjoyed swimming in the sea.

October 2014: Sheffield and the Peak District, England, UK

Later that month I went up north with my parents to visit my sister, who was living in Sheffield. Then the four of us visited the Peak District National Park, including Chatsworth House, a stately home which has appeared in several films. Sadly, my picture of the house itself came out terribly, so here's one I took of the grounds.

November 2014: Birmingham, England, UK

Birmingham is the second largest city in England, so you'd think it would be something of a tourist destination. However, it's actually considered to be one of the ugliest cities in the country, so for most of the year no one visits! But at Christmas time, the city transforms into a winter wonderland, when the Frankfurt Christmas Market comes to town. It's the largest traditional Christmas market outside of Germany and Austria, and it really makes you feel like you've stepped into one of those countries. It was great fun to visit the market back in 2014 and to look around all the stalls selling things like gingerbread, beer and Glühwein. But I have to say my personal highlight was the singing moose (it's definitely a must-see)!

February 2015: Nottingham, England, UK

After I got into the University of Nottingham, I was invited to an offer holders' day to get to know the university better. I'd already visited the campus on an open day the previous year, but this time we stayed overnight and did some sightseeing in the city centre. Nottingham is not exactly known for being the most attractive city in the country, but it does have some interesting sights including Ye Olde Trip to Jerusalem (the oldest pub in England), the Robin Hood statue and Nottingham Castle.

March-April 2015: Valencia, Spain

One of the two biggest highlights of the year was my trip to Valencia in Spain. I spent a week studying Spanish at a language school and stayed in the home of a really nice lady (and a sausage dog!), so it was quite an authentic Valencian experience. I had every afternoon free to go sightseeing, which I enjoyed a lot, as the city is very beautiful.

One of the most interesting parts of Valencia is the City of Arts and Sciences (Ciutat de les Arts i les Ciències/Ciudad de las Artes y las Ciencias). It's a cultural and architectural complex, consisting of various museums and exhibition spaces, that looks incredibly futuristic and makes you feel like you've stepped into the year 3000!

May 2015: Blenheim Palace, England, UK

One of the most elaborate palaces in England is Blenheim Palace in Oxfordshire. Both its interior and its exterior are incredibly grand, and the grounds of the palace are also very picturesque. I had a great day out there with my parents, and I'd love to go back again in the future.

June 2015: London, England, UK

I think my favourite day trip of the year was when I went to London to visit the Olympic Park. Here I swam in the Aquatics Centre, which is one of the best swimming pools I've ever been to (and surprisingly cheap). It was amazing to swim in the same place where the Olympic Games had taken place three years earlier. The Olympic Park is also a great place to walk around, as it's so futuristic and interesting to look at.

August 2015: Bruges, Belgium

The other main highlight of my Gap Year was my trip to Bruges, also known as Brugge. I'd never visited Belgium before, and it had been one of my dream destinations for many years, so I decided to use the money I'd earned from my work with the recruitment agency to take my first proper solo travel trip. I travelled there by Eurostar and then spent the next few days exploring the cobbled streets, canals and museums of the city. It's definitely one of the best cities I've ever visited; the architecture is so beautiful and it has a real fairytale atmosphere. I really hope to return there in the future.

September 2015: Newark Park, England, UK

Newark Park is a nice National Trust property in Gloucestershire, which features a pretty Tudor house surrounded by the Cotswold countryside. I went there with my parents towards the end of my Gap Year, and remember meeting a very sociable peacock who lived on the estate!

September 2015: Nice and Cannes, France

I finished my Gap Year travels with another foreign trip, returning to the south of France with my mum. We visited my granddad in Cannes again, but this time we stayed in the nearby city of Nice. Unfortunately, I was ill while we were there and had to spend a whole day staying in the hotel room. However, I recovered by the end of the holiday, and we had a really nice day exploring the historic centre of Nice.

 

Gap Year Tips

The great thing about doing a Gap Year is that it can be whatever you want it to be! Unlike a university Year Abroad, you don't have to fulfill any specific requirements, so you can choose what you want to focus the year around. However, one thing I would definitely recommend is to have some idea at the start of what you want from it. It probably won't go entirely to plan, but that's part of the fun! 

Here are a few of my tips on how to make the most of your Gap Year:

• Decide on your goals for the year. Most people associate Gap Years with travel, but they don't have to revolve around travel (though I do think it's nice to take the opportunity to see a bit of the world). They're also a great chance to achieve other milestones. For example, a lot of people leave school with no work experience whatsoever, so a Gap Year is a ideal time to start building up a CV. You can also use the time to work towards other qualifications, whether that's passing your driving test or getting a vocational qualification. I did my TEFL (teaching English as a foreign language) certification after graduating from university, but come to think of it, it would be the perfect thing to study during a Gap Year, as it opens up a world of job opportunities to you, even if you don't have a degree.
• Be wary of scams! It goes without saying that when you're looking for work or volunteering opportunities, particularly abroad, you're likely to find plenty of scams online. In addition to this, there are other offers, which while not illegal, may not be exactly what they seem. I think au pairing is particularly bad for this; although many au pairs have a great experience, there are also a lot of horror stories out there. Unfortunately, it's inevitable that some host families will be exploitative and will demand that the au pair does a lot of work for very little (or no) pay. So it's important to make sure you research any job offer carefully before committing to it, and if you have a bad feeling, it's best not to pursue it any further.
• Consider volunteering. It's not easy for everyone to find paid work, so volunteering is a good alternative. Often volunteering opportunities are more interesting than the job opportunities that 18 and 19 year-olds can realistically aim for, and they can be a great way of finding out if you'd like a career in a particular sector. And of course they'll give you experience that will help you to find paid work in the future. 

Finally here's a list of a few organisations that might be useful: 

• Blue Stamp Travel. Previously operating as Halsbury Travel, this organisation offers work experience, language school courses and home-stays in France, Spain and Germany. I used them to book my Gap Year trip to Valencia as well as several other trips before and since.
• The TEFL Academy. This is the best organisation if you want to get TEFL qualified. Their Level 5 TEFL certificate is reasonably priced, can be completed online, and is officially recognised by both the UK and US governments.
  
• Angloville. This is another organisation I worked with after finishing university, but I think it would be a great thing to do during a Gap Year. It's a volunteer programme that's mainly based in Poland and other Eastern European countries, during which you help people to learn English through conversation practice. In return you get free accommodation in hotels of varying quality, a city tour at the start of the programme, and another tour halfway through the programme. Each programme lasts a week, but if you like, you can join two or more programmes together and get to know various regions and countries. It's a very full-on experience involving long hours of talking, but it's a lot of fun!
  

Overall, I really enjoyed my Gap Year, and when it ended, I felt like I'd done pretty much everything I'd wanted and needed to do in those 15 months. It wasn't the most adventurous year in terms of travel, but to be honest, I wasn't really ready for major travel adventures. 

Fortunately, three years later I definitely was ready! From 2017 to 2018 I undertook a Year Abroad as part of my languages degree, during which I lived in both Europe and South America, and travelled on a very regular basis. It really was an incredible experience in many ways, and I plan to write a series of posts here on this blog about the highs and lows of a Year Abroad and how to plan an amazing one!