Updated: 2017-03-27.
A gap year, also known as a sabbatical, is a time set aside to travel, usually while transitioning between life stages, such as after earning a degree but before starting a career. A gap year may also refer to a year taken off from university to travel abroad; this began in the UK in the 1960s, where a student might take a year off to see the world or volunteer abroad while still young.
A backpacker who travels on a gap year is often called a gap-packer.
See also: Flashpacker.
