The Sabbatical Countdown: 12 Steps to taking your Sabbatical.

Starting to think about your sabbatical early on will help the planning go smoothly. Looking at the process in 12 steps can make preparing for a sabbatical a pleasure rather than a second job.

How to plan a sabbatical: 12 steps

1) 24+ months out: think about timing

Sabbatical eligibility doesn’t always arrive at the ideal moment. If the children are very young, it may be worth waiting: trips are generally far more rewarding, and logistically easier, once they’re around seven or eight. A clash with GCSEs or A-levels is also worth thinking through early. The year you become eligible won’t necessarily be the right year.

2) 24 to 12 months out: loop in work and school

If your partner needs to secure time off, sooner is better for their HR team. A word with the headteacher about a possible extended absence is worth having early too: many schools will consider reducing or waiving term fees for a trip of this kind, given the right notice.

3) 24 to 12 months out: start scoping destinations

A conversation with your partner, and the children if they’re old enough to have a view, is a good starting point. Longlists can be refined over time as priorities become clearer. Some of the most memorable sabbaticals we’ve planned have involved learning or doing something entirely new along the way: sailing in Belize, volunteering at a turtle sanctuary in Costa Rica, or learning Bizen pottery in Japan.

4) 12 months out: make it official

Submit the request to HR once the timing is clear. Most firms ask for a year’s notice to arrange cover and balance leave across the department. Let the school know the dates at this point too, and ask them what, if anything, they’d like covered while you’re away.

5) 12 to 6 months out: talk to a sabbatical specialist

A sabbatical is a different beast from a two-week holiday: the logistics, the pacing, the balance of activity and rest across several months all take experience to get right. A good planner will want to understand what’s made previous trips memorable (or miserable), and will propose places and routes you may not have considered, alongside a guide budget.

6) 12 to 6 months out: work out the schooling

For primary-age children, most parents find the practical education of travelling more than compensates. Where exams are underway, the options are online classes in your time zone, tutoring the children yourselves, or taking a tutor along. LiNGER families have done all three, and none; what works is entirely personal.

7) 12 to 3 months out: refine the itinerary

A good planner will share a draft and work through the options with you over the coming months. Once the itinerary is settled, they’ll take a deposit and confirm flights, accommodation, guides, activities and transfers.

8) 3 months out: passports and logistics

Worth checking: a minimum of six months’ validity on your passport from the date of arrival in the last country on your trip; two blank pages per country visited; and that passports are less than ten years old if you’re travelling through Europe. At work, cover should be taking shape. At home, a few practical arrangements will need sorting: a gardener and a neighbour to feed the cat; letting your banks and home security operator know you’ll be away.

9) 2 to 1 months out: the unexpected

On rare occasions, a major deal will mean a postponement. From a travel perspective, a well-designed itinerary can generally be pushed back without too much disruption.

10) Under a month out: packing

Children grow fast. Check shoes and clothes still fit, and work through the kit list your planner has put together.

11) On sabbatical

In each destination, you’ll generally have a dedicated guide and driver, and a direct line to both your trip designer and the team on the ground. Most people find the practical side takes care of itself.