Everything we recommend

The single most important thing to sort before you go. These are the 9 nomad and long-stay policies we check, each against its own terms. Which one fits depends on your age, where you live and whether you go to the US, so run the comparer before you buy.

• Travel medical

  SafetyWing Essential

  Medical cover: US$250,000. Excess: no deductible.

  From US$62.72 every 4 weeks, ages 18 to 39; other ages on SafetyWing's calculator.

  See the policy

• Full health insurance

  SafetyWing Complete

  Medical cover: US$1.5 million a year, on its Complete page. Excess: no deductible.

  From US$177.50 a month, ages 18 to 39; other ages on SafetyWing's calculator.

  See the policy

• Travel health

  Genki Traveler

  Medical cover: €1 million. Excess: €50 per case, outpatient only.

  From €52.50 a month, age 24, with US and Canada cover limited.

  See the policy

• International health insurance

  Genki Native

  Medical cover: €1 million (Basic) or €3.5 million (Premium) a year. Excess: €0, €500 or €1,000 a year, outpatient only.

  From €189 a month, Basic, age 24, no deductible; Premium is €285; the health questionnaire can change it.

  See the policy

• Travel insurance

  World Nomads (UK)

  Medical cover: £5 million (Standard) or £10 million (Explorer). Excess: £100.

  Get a quote on its site.

  See the policy

• Travel insurance

  World Nomads (US)

  Medical cover: US$125,000 to US$250,000, by plan. Excess: not found on the pages we read.

  Get a quote on its site.

  See the policy

• Travel insurance

  True Traveller

  Medical cover: £10 million. Excess: £35 to £125, by tier.

  Get a quote on its site.

  See the policy

• Travel insurance

  Heymondo Long Stay

  Medical cover: Up to US$2.5 million. Excess: US$250 on medical claims.

  From US$162 for 90 days, worldwide excluding the US, before add-ons; US$296 including the US; age and residence not stated.

  See the policy

• Travel medical

  IMG Patriot International Lite

  Medical cover: US$50,000 to US$1 million under 65, lower after. Excess: US$0 to US$2,500, your choice.

  Get a quote on its site.

  See the policy

Most high-street debit cards add about 3% to everything you spend abroad. These cards add nothing.

• UK debit card

  Monzo, Starling or First Direct

  No fee on card payments abroad. Cash machine limits and fees still apply.

  Compare it with your card

• US debit card

  Charles Schwab debit card

  No foreign transaction fee, and cash machine fees refunded worldwide.

  Compare it with your card

An eSIM gets you online the moment you land, without hunting for a shop. If you work from a hotspot, the daily limits matter more than the headline price.

• eSIM

  Airalo

  Unlimited plans: full speed for the first 3 GB a day in most countries; after that it slows to 1 Mbps until your 24 hours reset.

  Prices vary by country.

  Go to Airalo

• eSIM

  Saily

  Unlimited plans: full speed for the first 5 GB a day in most countries; after that it slows to 1 Mbps or less until the 24 hours reset.

  Prices vary by country.

  Go to Saily

• eSIM

  Holafly

  Unlimited plans with no daily slowdown stated, but hotspot sharing is limited to 1 GB a day.

  Prices vary by country.

  Go to Holafly

• eSIM

  Nomad

  Unlimited plans: full speed for the first 2 GB a day in most countries; after that it slows to 512 kbps until your 24 hours reset.

  Prices vary by country.

  Go to Nomad

Furnished places for a few weeks to a few months. Book the first month on a platform, then look locally once you're there.

• Rentals

  Flatio

  Furnished flats in Europe for a few weeks to a year, on a proper contract.

  Shortest stay: from five days; each host sets their own. 10 of our cities.

  Go to Flatio

• Rentals

  Spotahome

  Booking a checked flat or room from home, without a viewing.

  Shortest stay: set by each landlord; the listings we saw started at a month. 4 of our cities.

  Go to Spotahome

• Rentals

  HousingAnywhere

  Lets of a month or more, with your first payment held until you move in.

  Shortest stay: set by each landlord. 4 of our cities.

  Go to HousingAnywhere

• Rentals

  Blueground

  Fully furnished, hotel-standard flats in big cities, at a premium price.

  Shortest stay: varies by city: from 4 nights in Bogota to 30 days in Athens and Prague, and 91 nights in Singapore. 11 of our cities.

  Go to Blueground

• Rentals

  Sakura House

  Foreigner-friendly Tokyo flats and share houses, with no Japanese guarantor needed.

  Shortest stay: generally one month. 1 of our cities.

  Go to Sakura House

• Rentals

  Oakhouse

  Share houses and flats in Tokyo, with a social side.

  Shortest stay: one month. 1 of our cities.

  Go to Oakhouse

• Rentals

  Outsite

  Coliving houses built around remote work, with people to meet from day one.

  Shortest stay: from two nights. 1 of our cities.

  Go to Outsite

• Rentals

  Booking.com

  Aparthotels and serviced flats for a first month while you look around.

  Shortest stay: monthly rates on stays of 28 nights or more, where the property offers them. Every city we cover.

  Go to Booking.com

• Rentals

  Airbnb

  Usually the widest choice, and often the main option where local sites are thin.

  Shortest stay: its monthly search shows stays of a month or longer. Every city we cover.

  Go to Airbnb

A few weeks of lessons before you fly makes the first month far easier. A tutor is the only real option for the rarer languages.

• Tutors

  Preply

  Private online lessons with a tutor you choose.

  Tutors set their own rates, from a few dollars an hour. Free to try: no; you pay per lesson.

  Go to Preply

• Tutors

  italki

  Private online lessons with teachers and community tutors.

  Teachers set their own rates; trial lessons from US$5. Free to try: no, but trial lessons are cheap.

  Go to italki

• App or course

  Pimsleur

  Thirty-minute spoken audio lessons, good for walking or commuting.

  All languages for about US$130 to US$165 a year. Free to try: first lesson free.

  Go to Pimsleur

• App or course

  Babbel

  Short structured lessons in an app.

  About US$9 to US$15 a month, depending on the plan. Free to try: first lesson of each course free.

  Go to Babbel

• App or course

  Rocket Languages

  Audio-led online course, bought once per level.

  About US$150 a level, often on sale for less. Free to try: free trial lessons.

  Go to Rocket Languages

• App or course

  Mondly

  Short game-style lessons in an app.

  Monthly or yearly subscription. Free to try: one-week free trial.

  Go to Mondly

• App or course

  Ling

  Game-style app strong on smaller languages.

  About US$15 a month or US$80 a year. Free to try: some lessons free.

  Go to Ling

• App or course

  uTalk

  Words and everyday phrases in over 150 languages.

  From about US$4 a month per language. Free to try: starter words free.

  Go to uTalk

• App or course

  Innovative Language (Pod101)

  Audio and video lessons, one site per language.

  From about US$4 a month. Free to try: free account with some lessons.

  Go to Innovative Language (Pod101)

• App or course

  WaniKani

  Learning kanji, the Japanese characters, by spaced repetition.

  US$9 a month or US$89 a year. Free to try: some levels free.

  Go to WaniKani

Know where you'd go before you need it. The healthcare page has the numbers to call and the English-speaking hospitals in each city.

• Doctor app

  Air Doctor

  Finds and books vetted local doctors for travellers, for a clinic, home or video visit.

  Paid per visit.

  Go to Air Doctor

Keep training without signing a year's gym contract.

• Gym day passes

  TrainAway

  Buy a pass for a gym near you in the app, show it at reception, train. No membership and no subscription.

  Best for: short stays, and trying a few gyms before you join one.

  Go to TrainAway

• Monthly credits for classes and gyms

  ClassPass

  A monthly plan of credits you spend on classes, gym time and wellness at partner studios, in every country it runs in.

  Best for: classes such as yoga, reformer Pilates and cycling, and stays of a month or more in Asia or Dubai.

  Go to ClassPass

• A monthly multi-sport membership

  Urban Sports Club

  One membership for gyms, classes, swimming and more, checked in with the app, in seven European countries.

  Best for: a month or more in Lisbon, Barcelona, Madrid or Berlin, if you want variety.

  Go to Urban Sports Club

A food tour in your first week is the quickest way to learn what to order and where locals eat.

• Food and drink

  Viator

  Food tours, cooking classes and tastings, with long review histories.

  Go to Viator

• Food and drink

  GetYourGuide

  Food walks, classes and wine tastings in most of our cities.

  Go to GetYourGuide

• Food and drink

  Eatwith

  Dinners in local people's homes, run by individual hosts on set dates.

  Go to Eatwith