Do you have a plan for after the trip ?

Do you own your house and have a pension that you can retire on ?

Throwing in a good job and coming back skint and having to start fresh in your late 50's may not be the wisest move.

__________________
Did some trips.
Rode some bikes.
Fix them for a living.
Can't say anymore.

We are planning to buy a place in France, somewhere with a couple of gites we can rent out. I have a HGV license (although I’m not working as a driver anymore) and lose plan when we return is to semi retire letting the gite and drive agency 3/4 days a week. Obviously won’t be able to cash the pension in until I get to that age.
I just don’t want to wait until I’m 65(ish) and then go travelling as I may be too old/unable/unfit etc….

Thanks for all the comments guys, really appreciate the input.

The way things are going with HGV drivers at the moment you could take on a job for a month and that'll finance your travel

Retiring to France certainly seems like the way to go although the path isn't as easy post Brexit for Brits as it used to be. There's a lot more paperwork hoops to jump through. We bought a place in the mountains there about fifteen years ago and that's rented out (through a local agency) for about six months of the year (ski rental in the winter and cycling fanatics in the summer). The rental income just about pays the bills. The up side is that it hasn't cost us anything (except during Covid) and the place has risen in value through house prices going up and the pound going down. The down side is that even with a captive market for rental clients the yearly income hasn't been fantastic. That may be easier if you're living above the shop so to speak but if you're doing it yourself marketing costs and time are going to be considerable.

Don't write off life post 65 quite yet I know people vary in how age treats them and you can be unlucky with your share of the gene pool, but with a bit of care - diet / exercise/ not smoking etc, 65 is rapidly becoming the new 50. Not good news for the pensions industry as they have to pay out for longer but post retirement motorcycle gap years are perfectly feasible. My plans are based on it.

I totally understand not wanting to wait. It only ever gets harder the older you get. And I think you should definitely do it whilst you can.

I threw away many careers and spent all my savings throughout my 20's and 30s for travel. I Saved for 1-2 years then travelled for six months etc. On and on...

Coming home from those trips penniless was almost suicidal. And incredibly difficult to adapt to, even though I had the benefit of youth, ignorance and boundless energy. The older I got the harder it became. To the point in my early 30's when I had to stop. The travel didn't justify the fallout. It ruined travel for me somewhat. And I had to start planning for my future and retirement.

I've been static for ten years now and I'm close to being able to travel again without having to come back to nothing.

I would never long term travel now without a surefooted exit strategy and return plan. Borrowing money is a huge stress. Looking for work is a huge stress.

Will you be able to enjoy your trip if you're constantly worried about it ending ?

Plan your return before you plan your trip. Have everything (almost) in place for your return. And then it can all be a great success.

__________________
Did some trips.
Rode some bikes.
Fix them for a living.
Can't say anymore.