From volunteer experiences in India, to Europe on a shoestring - youth travel operators Contiki and Busabout suggest how British school leavers can spend their gap year.

Euro Gap Year on a Shoestring: Hop-on Hop-off travelling across Europe with Busabout (www.busabout.com)

What is it?

• Busabout is the ultimate flexible travel network for independent travellers via its unique Hop-on Hop-off coach network. Busabout's modern coaches link up 46 of the best European destinations across 15 countries, giving independent travellers the freedom to Hop-on and Hop-off as they please, and create their perfect itinerary.
• Coaches depart each destination every other day between May and October – so the travel opportunities for Gappers are endless!
• Expect to be munching on pintxos in San Sebastian, hurling tomatoes at La Tomatina, sailing along the Adriatic coastline, tobogganing with views of Lake Bled or bar hopping in Sarajevo  – the choice is up to the traveller!

Why?

• This is the ultimate way to do a Gap Year on a budget, as you can travel for as little or as long as their budget permits. As accommodation is exclusive of the price, travellers can select their own accommodation according to their budget (although Busabout does recommend hostel accommodation in each city and town).
• Gappers can choose from an Unlimited Hop-on Hop off Pass (priced from £905 per person), or The Stop Pass (minimum of three stops) priced from £299 per person. Students are eligible for special discounts too.

Forget a Gap Year, try a WaP Year (Work and Play), plus add a volunteer experience: ME to WE volunteer extension in India with Contiki (www.contiki.com)

What is it?

• Wappers (or Work-and-Play Gappers) use their gap year to add to their CVs, gain some work experience, and stack some moolah so that they can see a bit of the world during their year off. Any why not add a volunteer experience to bolster that CV?
• Travellers aged 18-35 years can extend a Contiki adventure in India with an unforgettable volunteer experience in the rural countryside of Udaipur. 
• Contiki's 12 day Eternal India takes travellers on an unforgettable journey through Delhi, Agra, Ranthambhore, Jaipur, Udaipur, Mumbai and the beach paradise of Goa. They can choose from a range of excursions including a sunrise safari in Ranthambhore National Park, a cooking demo and local family supper in Jaipur, a Bollywood tour in Mumbai and a Yoga class on the beach in Goa.
• After this 12 day adventure, Contiki travellers can sign up to a ME to WE volunteer experience in Udaipur, working alongside community members on a development project.
• The four-day volunteer extension involves helping the local community build infrastructure as part of a development project – this could be digging a well, laying the foundation for a new classroom, or whatever else the community may need most that day.
• Contiki travellers will surround themselves with the sights and smells of a culture rich in history, through spending time with women of the community to understand what daily life in rural India is like, meeting a local farmer to learn about his agriculture challenges, participating in morning yoga, joining nature hikes through the Aravalli Mountain Range and trying your hand at age-old traditional crafts like tie-dying and block-printing.

Why?

• It's the perfect trip for independent young travellers that aren't quite ready to navigate India themselves, but want to tick this magical country off their bucket list, and do their bit for the local community too!    
• Pricing:
  • The four-day ME to WE India Volunteer Extension with Contiki is priced from 1,095USD (£842) per person and includes three nights' accommodation, all meals and drinks, all activities, and ground transportation throughout the trip.   
  • The 12-day Eternal India itinerary is priced from £1,605 per person and includes 11 nights twin-share hotel accommodation, 11 breakfasts, one lunch and one dinner, entry into four UNESCO World Heritage Sites and two internal flights (from Udaipur to Mumbai, and Mumbai to Goa), an experienced Trip Manager and Driver team, modern, air-conditioned coach transportation and sightseeing tours of all major cities.