round the world travel guide

Here's what you need to know to plan a trip around the world

Dec 29, 2021 • 6 min read

Don't start planning your round-the-world trip without reading this guide © Getty Images

In 1924, a team of aviators from the USA successfully completed the first-ever circumnavigation of the globe by airplane, a feat that took 175 days, 76 stops, a cache of 15 Liberty engines, 14 spare pontoons, four aircraft and two sets of new wings. This achievement ushered in an era of international air travel, and nearly a century later, travelers are still creating their own round-the-world itineraries. 

You might not have the same worries as those early aviators, but planning a round-the-world trip has never been a more complex process. As COVID-19 continues to alter world travel , heading out on a multi-country trip might be more complicated than it has been in decades. While it might not be the right time to hit the road, luckily it's never too early to start figuring out the logistics of a trip around the globe. After all, who doesn't have a lot of pent-up wanderlust at the moment? 

When it comes to booking your trip, there are several options for booking your airfare, as well as flexibility on timing, destinations and budget. But don't let that overwhelm you – start here with our handy guide on how to plan that round-the-world trip you’ve always dreamed of.

Where and how to get a round-the-world plane ticket

The most economical way to circumnavigate the globe is to buy a round-the-world (RTW) plane ticket through a single airline alliance. These are confederations of several different airlines that make it simple to maximize the number of places you can travel and pay for it all in one place or with points. There are three primary airline alliances to choose from: Star Alliance, OneWorld and Skyteam.  Star Alliance is a coalition of 26 airlines that fly to 1300 airports in 98% of the world’s countries.  OneWorld includes 14 airlines traveling to 1100 destinations in 180 territories.  Skyteam is made up of 19 airlines that serve 1000 destinations in 170 countries.  

Read more:   How to save money when you're traveling

Once you pick an airline alliance, whether because of a loyalty program you’re already a member of or because you like its terms, conditions and destination list, you can purchase a single RTW airline ticket made up of several legs fulfilled by that alliance’s partners. The RTW ticket rules vary between each of the airline alliances, with particulars like Star Alliance’s rule that a RTW ticket can include two to 15 stops. But there are some general principles that apply to most RTW tickets, no matter which airline group you go with. 

You typically must follow one global direction (east or west – no backtracking); you must start and finish in the same country; and you must book all your flights before departure, though you can change them later (though this could incur extra charges). Typically you have one year to get from your starting point to the finish line.

How long do I need for a round-the-world trip?

You could whip around the world in a weekend if you flew non-stop, especially with the advent of new ultra-long-haul flights that can clock in at 20 hours of flight time. However, the minimum duration of most RTW tickets is 10 days – still a breathless romp. To get the most out of your round-the-world ticket, consider stock-piling vacation days, tagging on public holidays or even arranging a sabbatical from work to take off at least two months (but ideally six months to one year). Because most airline alliances give you up to a year to use your ticket, you can maximize your purchase if you plan well.

When should I travel on a round-the-world trip?

The weather will never be ideal in all your stops, so focus on what you want to do most and research the conditions there. In general, city sightseeing can be done year-round (escape extreme heat, cold or rain in museums and cafes), but outdoor adventures are more reliant on – and enjoyable in – the right weather.

Research ahead of time if any must-see destinations or must-do activities will mean facing crowds. For example, if you’re hoping to be in Austria for the famous Salzburg Festival, you’ll want to plan ahead and book your tickets months in advance. If you’re hoping to fit a shorter thru-hike into your round-the-world trip, you’ll want to make sure you’re going in the correct season and starting in the right spot. You won’t get far or have as enjoyable an experience if you’re, say, attempting the Tour du Mont Blanc during the dates of the annual winter marathon or headed northbound on the Pacific Crest Trail in July, missing most of the warmer months. 

Accept youʼll be in some regions at the "wrong" time – though this might offer unexpected benefits. For example, Victoria Falls has a dry season each year , which means a slightly less thunderous cascade, but it does open up rafting opportunities and a chance to swim right up to the lip of the falls in The Devil’s Pool. Going to Venice in the winter might mean grayer skies but fewer crowds. Heading to Kenya and Tanzania in April is likely to mean fewer humans, but not fewer chances to spot wildlife, all while saving money on safari.  Also keep in mind that mom-and-pop locations have their downtime and holiday seasons as well; don't be too surprised if your local bakery in Paris is closed for a holiday week or two in August.

Where should I go on my round-the-world trip?

The classic (and cheapest) RTW tickets flit between a few big cities, for example, London – Bangkok – Singapore – Sydney – LA . If you want to link more offbeat hubs ( Baku – Kinshasa – Paramaribo , anyone?), prices will climb considerably. The cost of the ticket is also based on the total distance covered or the number of countries visited.

Remember, you donʼt have to fly between each point: in Australia you could land in Perth , travel overland and fly out of Cairns . Or fly into Moscow , board the Trans-Siberian railway  and fly onwards from Beijing.  Pick some personal highlights and string the rest of your itinerary around those. For instance, if youʼre a keen hiker, flesh out a Peru ( Inca Trail ) – New Zealand ( Milford Track ) – Nepal ( Everest Base Camp ) itinerary with stops in Yosemite , Menz-Gauassa and the Okavango Delta .

If budgetʼs an issue, spend more time in less expensive countries and plan budget city breaks along the way. You’ll spend more in metros like Paris, Dubai and San Francisco than in Nusa Tenggara , Budapest  and Buffalo . 

Tips, tricks and pitfalls of round-the-world tickets

Talk to an expert before you book a round-the-world ticket: you may have an itinerary in mind, but an experienced RTW flight booker will know which routes work best and cost least. A few tweaks could mean big savings in time and money. Hash out a budget well ahead of time, not only for your RTW ticket, but also for the whole trip. Reach out to friends or travel bloggers who have done a round-the-world trip or are full-time travelers because they can offer tips on how to budget for a trip around the world .

Be flexible: moving your departure date by a few days can save money. Mid-week flights are generally cheaper, as are flights on major holidays such as Christmas Day. Avoid days and times popular with business travelers to escape higher prices and more crowded cabins.

Think about internal travel: it can be cheaper to book internal flights at the same time as booking your RTW ticket, but with the global increase of low-cost airlines, you may find it better (and more flexible) to buy them separately as you go.

Be warned: if you donʼt board one of your booked flights (say, on a whim, you decide to travel overland from Bangkok to Singapore rather than fly it) your airline is likely to cancel all subsequent flights.

You might also like: 10 destinations perfect for solo travel Can visiting lesser-known places offer a better travel experience? 6 things I learned from flying 6 days in a row

This article was first published Mar 20, 2012 and updated Dec 29, 2021.

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Round the World Tickets: The Ultimate Guide (Updated 2024)

Y ou've probably heard about round the world tickets, a one-stop shop approach to cross-continental flying. But let's be real: it's never been easier to book flight tickets yourself, and round the world tickets are pricey. So why do people book round the world tickets, and are they  actually worth the cost?

The quick answer is, it depends . If you're pressed for time, have a seriously fixed itinerary with many international stops to make, it can be cost-wise. However, if you have a whimsical, budget-conscious trip in mind, or are focusing on just one part of the world, there are cheaper options out there that you should know about  (like finding fares yourself on Skyscanner on Kiwi.com ).

So, here's everything you need to know about round the world tickets, followed by our DIY approach that could save you even more money!

• 1 How do Round The World tickets work?
• 2 How to book a round the world ticket
• 3 What are the restrictions and/or setbacks?
• 4 The alternative: book separate flights yourself
• 5 How to book your own round the world trip
• 6 So, what's the cheapest option?
• 7 A Thrifty Case Study: A Round the World Trip from New York City
• 8 What are the alternatives?
• 9 So, is a round the world ticket worth it?

How do Round The World tickets work?

Round the world (RTW) tickets are flight packages that let you visit a number of destinations around the world for one price. These tickets are offered by airline alliances like SkyTeam, Oneworld, and Star Alliance. All the flights in your itinerary must be served by airlines within the chosen alliance.

RTW tickets require you to select your destinations and departure dates in advance. This means you prepay for the pass and book all of your flights before your trip. Note: you don't have to actually fly “around the world” with these tickets , they're also sold as multi-city flights, continent-based travel, or by miles.

The perk of RTW tickets is the ability to book all flights at once at a discounted price, plus ensures a mass accumulation of frequent flyer miles since you'll only be flying partner airlines. You can even purchase part or all of your RTW ticket with relevant miles, where permitted.

How to book a round the world ticket

Round the world tickets can be purchased directly with airline alliances or via  travel agents .

Airline Alliances

• OneWorld Alliance
• Star Alliance

Each alliance offers an online trip planner that allows you to put in every stop of your itinerary and get a price quote. It also makes it easy to work around the restrictions of round the world tickets, warning you when your planned route doesn't meet the requirements. All alliances offer online booking, or you can call one of the participating alliance airlines directly.

Travel Agents

• AirTreks (U.S. – our top choice & has 32+ years experience in RTW planning)
• Liberty Travel (U.S.)
• Flight Centre ( Australia , U.K. , Canada )
• RoundAbout Travel (Australia)
• Student Flights (Australia)
• A travel agent local to you

Travel agents have exclusive access to flight deals, plus receive discounts accessible only via their IATA code. They also save a great deal of time and money whilst adhering to your budget and needs. Find an agency that specializes in round the world tickets, so they're aware of the restrictions and can secure the best price.

What are the restrictions and/or setbacks?

RTW tickets often more expensive than a DIY approach (covered later), especially given they exclude budget airlines. Furthermore, there are restrictions to follow, so ensure you've read the fine print. Such restrictions typically include:

• A minimum number of flights to book (typically three), as well as a maximum
• Flights usually must be within the same airline alliance. This can sometimes result in obscure stopovers to stay with partner alliances.
• Restrictions on the direction of travel (e.g. East to West only) and/or requiring you to cross both the Atlantic and Pacific oceans at least once
• All flights must end in the city you started from and connect from city-to-city (i.e. you can't fly into London, then take a train to fly out of Paris)
• A minimum number of stopovers
• Additional surcharges for itinerary changes and/or flying to certain destinations
• Missing a flight in your itinerary could result in the remaining flights being cancelled, even if days or weeks away

Whew! Though there are many restrictions, most will come up when making your booking . Simply use the round the world ticket planners provided by each alliance, put in your desired destinations, and the options and costs will be presented automatically.

The alternative: book separate flights yourself

The value of a round the world ticket depends on the route you're taking and the flexibility needed. More often than not, you'll find it's cheaper, easier, and more flexible to book your own round the world trip online across several bookings using multi-destination flight search engines like Kiwi.com  and Skyscanner . You also can mix and match airlines, and aren't confined by the restrictions that accompany an actual RTW ticket.

Credit card points programs also allow multi-city flight bookings, effectively allowing you to book your own round the world trip via points or a combination of cash and points. You can readily rack up a significant amount of miles just by hitting the minimum spend within a set time. The Chase Sapphire Preferred is our top pick as a beginner card. On hitting its minimum spend, you can earn up to 60,000 points worth $750 – more than enough for an international flight .

Flight deal subscriptions like Scotts Cheap Flights compile discounted airfare to your inbox, based on the desired departure airports. Whilst this doesn't include RTW flights, this could help you cover some of the legs of your trip, as it has majorly discounted international flights departing the U.S. For those outside America, similar services exist in the U.K. ( Jack's Flight Club ) and Canada ( Next Departure ).

The only major drawbacks with booking a RTW ticket yourself is the time and patience needed to make the booking. Additionally, you may end up with frequent flyer miles spread across a variety of programs, without enough miles in any program to use them. Most likely though, you'll come out ahead financially doing it yourself.

How to book your own round the world trip

Kiwi.com  and Skyscanner are the two flight search engines we recommend for booking your own tickets for a round the world trip. They include budget airlines and let you search multi-destination flights, letting you see prices for your entire itinerary at once.

The key difference between the two is that Skyscanner prefers results from partner airlines , while Kiwi.com will always  mix and match airlines (including budget airlines) for the cheapest price . Either booking site can be beneficial depending on your trip, so to get the best price, be sure to compare results and follow these tips:

• Experiment with  the order of your destinations for the best price. Just because a flight is shorter doesn't mean it will be cheaper.
• Experiment with the  dates of each flight . This can be time consuming, but if you're dedicated, you can shave hundreds of dollars off your total cost by simply finding the cheapest dates for each flight.
• Multi-city and  return flights are often better value than booking many one-way flights when they can all be fulfilled by the same airline/alliance. For example, Virgin Atlantic has routes from New York to London, London to Shanghai, and Shanghai to New York, so making one multi-city booking with this single airline will be cheaper than several individual bookings with different airlines.
• Skyscanner prefers partner airlines that can fulfil the entire itinerary you submit, which doesn't always get you the best price on complex itineraries. So if you have a lot of destinations, split your searches into 3-4 destinations at a time . For example, instead of submitting New York > London  > Paris > Beijing > New York as a single search, try searching New York > London > Paris as one search, and Paris > Prague > Beijing > New York as a second search. You don't have to worry about this on Kiwi.com , which always mixes and matches airlines to get the best results.

So, what's the cheapest option?

In our tests, the DIY approach is always cheaper, but it depends on the kind of trip you're taking. Round the world tickets can cost anywhere from $1,500 USD to $20,000 USD . The price varies greatly, and depends on your departure point, number of flights, distance flown, continents flown to, and flight class.

On the other hand, regular flight ticket prices are all over the map, dependent mostly on supply and demand. Sometimes a flight across continents can be even cheaper than a flight within your own country. Since regular flight tickets include budget airlines , sale and error fares , and you can still take advantage of discounts with partner airlines,  booking your own flight tickets has always been cheaper for us .

The only way to know for sure is to compare. Use the links provided in this guide and see what gives you the best result!

A Thrifty Case Study: A Round the World Trip from New York City

As an example, let's find the best price for the following round the world trip:  New York City > London > Paris > Prague > Beijing > Hong Kong > New York City . We want to go in  April and May , and we are booking now in  January . We'll start on Tuesday, April 10, and schedule each consecutive flight for the following Tuesday.

Option 1: A round the world travel agent

Booking with AirTreks also gives you a team with over 32 years of experience in RTW planning, all your tickets in one spot (instead of many confusing separate bookings), 24/7 support, and better routes (less layover time, more baggage, etc.) If you do find a cheaper fare yourself, let them know – AirTreks tells us they're confident they could beat it!

Option 2: A round the world ticket booked directly with airline alliances

Putting in the same itinerary into each of the airline alliances' round the world trip planner gives us the following totals:

• OneWorld: $3,738.86 USD
• SkyTeam: $3,904.28 USD
• Star Alliance: $4,543.84 USD

Not exactly thrifty, and up to 3x the advertised price of the travel agent! True round the world tickets require strategic planning, so using a travel agent's expertise can save you time and money. But let's take a look at booking regular airline tickets yourself…

Option 3: Book your own tickets using Kiwi.com and Skyscanner

Using the Kiwi.com multicity search feature, we enter our full itinerary, and within minutes, we have a variety of options from $1,390 – $1,434 USD .

As we mentioned, Skyscanner usually just shows results from  partner airlines that can fulfill a ticket for the entire route. This route is pretty complex, and it's unlikely one airline alliance could fulfill it all, so let's  break it up .

After half an hour of trying different combinations of multi-city and one-way searches, the cheapest combination I could find for these dates was

• New York City > London > Paris > Prague: $390 USD
• Prague > Beijing: $283 USD
• Beijing > Hong Kong: $119 USD
• Hong Kong > New York City: $493 USD
• TOTAL TRIP COST: $1,285 USD

This is the cheapest option, beating Kiwi.com by only $105. What's going on here? In short, trial and error. The first batch of airlines aren't partners, but Skyscanner sometimes lets you mix and match airlines by using Kiwi.com for booking. And although there are partner airlines to fulfill the rest of the route, Hong Kong Airlines is an independent budget airline with competitive pricing, so it ended up being cheaper to book the flights separately in order to include their fares.

You can take this even further by testing different dates in your itinerary, as well as the order of your flights. As you can see, the process can be time consuming, but a little time rewards you with hundreds or thousands of dollars saved!

What are the alternatives?

Regional flight passes.

While not a round the world ticket in itself, this type of flight pass might be more sensible for your trip, depending whether you'll be flying a lot in one region versus globally. For instance, if you are planning to take more flights around South America than across continents, then you may be better off investing in one of their regional passes (check our guide here ).

Some examples of regional flight passes include:

• OneWorld single-continent passes: available for Africa, Asia, Japan, Australia & New Zealand, Malaysia, South America, Europe, North America, Middle East, South Asian Sub-Continent
• OneWorld multi-continent passes: rather than flying all the way around the world, these passes let you fly in a circle around one smaller area of the world
• SkyTeam regional passes : available for Asia & Southwest Pacific, Africa, Asia, Europe, Greater China, Russia, and USA & Canada
• Independent airline passes in South America : these work within specific South American countries (check our comprehensive list and guide here )
• Qantas Explorer pass : a flight pass for exploring Australia and New Zealand

Building your own stopover

A stopover – that is, an extended layover where you can actually leave the airport for 1 or more days or weeks – can be added for cheap or free to any trip, all by yourself. Our how-to guide here explains exactly how to do this.

Essentially, you find a flight fare that includes a layover, but instead of rushing to your connecting flight, you spend days or weeks in the layover destination, visiting 2 destinations for the price of 1. Whether you go round the world or not, it's a great way to squeeze more travel value out of your flight costs.

So, is a round the world ticket worth it?

In short, for most travellers, the answer is probably no. There are a certain set of criteria where it could be more cost-effective, and some travellers may prefer the ease of having all of their tickets booked in one pass anyway. However, the fixed timing, many restrictions, and high price are likely to be unappealing to those who are seeking a thriftier approach, especially when it's so easy to book yourself for less with Kiwi.com and Skyscanner .

The Thrifty Gist

• Round the world tickets are usually pricier than self-booking, but offer peace of mind and a pre-set itinerary
• A dedicated RTW agent such as AirTreks can save you a lot of time, with the added benefit of 24/7 support, having all of your flights in one place, established airlines with shorter routes, and over 32 years of experience in RTW planning. AirTreks tells us they're confident they could beat the other prices in this post, so if you find a cheaper fare yourself, let them know!
• Round the world tickets can be booked with airline alliances or travel agents, while self-booking regular flight tickets can be booked using the multi-destination features of Skyscanner and Kiwi.com
• Self-booking is usually the cheapest approach to a round the world trip, but can also be more tedious
• Reasons to self-book include the abundance of available error/sale fares , budget airlines, the ease with which self-booking can be done, and that stopovers can easily be added to any trip

Our website contains some affiliate links in relevant areas. This means we get a small commission, at no extra cost to you, for recommending a product we personally use, trust, and own.

trying to fin d the cheapest country to start a Oneworld 4 continent ticket July 2022, it used to be South Africa or Jordan, any update links?

Please send complete information for my round the world travel for 2 – up to a year.

Skyteam RTW tickets are not available currently, and haven’t been since the start of COVID. The Star Alliance RTW business ticket I just booked was half the price of using the DIY method.

I booked a OneWorld RTW ticket in 2015. The huge benefits were: – change any arrival/departure date at any time with no fee or fare difference – email with a dedicated RTW agent who manages your itinerary during the trip – mileage credit for using AA-linked credit card for the fare and the trip itself

My agent was great. She helped me out on a critical date change that I had no control over, and fixed a problem created by a gate agent that deleted the entire rest of my trip!

I’m planning another RTW Sep 2024 – Feb 2025 and will price out all of the options you’ve listed above, but my gut tells me to go with OneWorld again.

The Star Alliance site is filled with 403 Forbidden pages that the site is not usable. I want to use them for my RTW tickets since I bank my mileage with UA but the site is so broken.

looking forward to trying this amazing experience all over the world.Next summer would like to do eastern europ and south-east Asia!

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The Ultimate Guide to Planning the Round the World Trip of a Lifetime

After planning 10 around the world trips, I’ve learned a few things. Here’s how to plan your dream RTW vacation, from Round the World flights to choosing your Bucket List itinerary.

Let’s face it, the pandemic was a punch to the gut for travel lovers around the world.

Never did I think I’d see a day when I couldn’t just bebop onto a transatlantic flight. Or just, say, leave my own home. But there we were.

When I (literally) dusted off my passport in early 2021, the thin layer of dust accumulated was borderline soul crushing.

But thankfully, the pandemic era is finally in the rearview mirror and international travel has rebounded with a heart-warming zeal in the years since!

Note: This post may contain affiliate links. If you choose to book through these links, I receive a small commission, which I will undoubtedly blow on more flights (it’s a vicious cycle).  All of this internet voodoo takes place at no additional cost to you. 

So now what?

You’ve got some lost time to make up for, that’s what.

And there’s no better way to do it than with a life-changing, Bucket-List-crushing, dream vacation around the world .

Take my word for it…I’ve done 10 around the world trips, visiting more than 175 countries on all 7 continents along the way.

And you can, too.

But I probably don’t need to waste my time selling you on the idea of a trip around the world. You found this site. I suspect you’re on board.

So let’s start with the basics.

What is a Round the World Trip?

Simply put, a Round the World (RTW) trip is a circumnavigation of the globe, either in an eastward or westward direction. Start in one city and continue east or west until you get back to it. That’s all there is to it!

Tip: West is best for combatting jetlag, while East saves time and hotel nights ($$) with overnight flights. (I’m cheap and usually short on time, I fly East. )

Read More: 8 Reasons to Stop Dreaming & Start Planning a Trip “Around the World in 30 Days “

Of course, while the concept of round the world travel is simple, the variables are far more complex.

For example, you may be wondering…

How many days do I need for a Round the World trip?

What you’ve probably seen on YouTube and Instagram from round the world travelers is true.

Most quit their jobs, sell their possessions, and hit the road for a year or more with big dramatic flair. Of course, that kind of nomadic commitment is not for everyone.

And I’m living proof that there are other options.

My first 9 RTW trips were approximately 30 days each. The lone exception was RTW #10, my honeymoon , which clocked in at a pretty incredible 3 months.

I’ve also done 30-day trips focused on various regions of the world like Europe , Central America , Oceania , the Balkans , and the Himalayas (a great option if there’s a specific part of the world that interests you or you just hate jetlag).

For me, a month is the ideal amount of time to travel.

Long enough to truly disconnect and explore.

Yet short enough that I’m unlikely to throw my carry-on (we’ll get to that) suitcase out the nearest train window because I’m tired of every single thing in it.

There’s no right answer to how long your round the world trip should take. I know someone who went around the world in 5 days (zero stars, do not recommend) and someone else who started 10 years ago and is still going strong.

So, two weeks, a month, or even 6 months to travel around the world? It’s totally up to you.

The bottom line: Take as much time as you can, anywhere from 2 weeks to 2 months will do. If 2020 taught us anything, it’s that you never know if you’ll have the chance to do it again.

A trip around the world sounds amazing, but how do I get the time off?

When I wrote the first edition of The Grown-Up’s Guide to Globetrotting 12 years ago, this topic was a central focus and the largest hurdle to taking a career-friendly trip around the world.

After all, most Americans are stuck with a measly 2 weeks of annual vacation leave (the horror!).

So, how do you travel around the world without tanking your career?

Amazingly, on this front, the COVID-19 pandemic gifted us with one gleaming silver lining:

WORK. FROM. HOME.

Yes, even the stuffiest of Fortune 500 corporations have finally come around to the idea that work from home can (and does) work – with the right employee.

This revelation is especially thrilling to me as someone who has been working from home (combined with business travel) for more than 20 years.

In fact, my friends will tell you that my life mantra has always been:

If you can work from home, you can work from Rome. Jenny McIver Brocious

Or Paris. Or Bangkok. Or wherever floats your boat.

You get the idea.

There’s a lot more to making this work successfully from exotic locales – time zone challenges, reliable internet, etc. (I go into that in detail in the book) – but I can assure you, it can be done.

And it beats the pants off working from your dining room table.

The bottom line: You can use the WFH option to increase your available time for travel. Add days or weeks onto your trip or schedule a trip just to work from somewhere inspiring.

What’s on your Bucket List?

And now we come to the fun part. This is where the magic happens.

Where in the world do you want to go?

I speak from experience when I say that there are few things more thrilling than sitting down in front of a giant foldout map of the world and plotting out your dream vacation .

Maybe you already have a dozen exotic destinations in mind. Or maybe there are places in the world you never considered visiting because they always seemed too far away.

The beauty of going around the world is that the entire world becomes just a short flight away.

How many destinations should I choose?

The answer will directly correlate to how much time you plan to take. My 4 week round the world trips have ranged from an uber-ambitious 15 stops on Round the World #1 to a more relaxed pace with 8 stops on Round the World #2 .

Here’s a simple, 3-step plan to crafting your round the world trip itinerary:

• Make your wish list.
• Compare it to the number of days you have to travel.
• Adjust accordingly.

Critically evaluate how long you actually need to see each desintaiton on your wish list.

For some (like me), 2-3 days per destination can be a good rule of thumb. Devote more time to your “ Top 5 ” must-see destinations and maybe just spend one day exploring the city you only added to the itinerary because it was right there and you couldn’t just skip it (you laugh, but I guarantee a few of these stops will sneak their way onto your itinerary!).

Remember that a 4 week round the world trip, however incredible, is not going to be an in-depth cultural experience at every stop.

Think more Amazing Race and less Under the Tuscan Sun .

It IS, however, a terrific way to get a taste of new and exciting places and start building a new wish list for future trips.

Depending on your interest level, you may not need a week to see the Pyramids , I did it in an afternoon and it was magnificent. A full day at the Taj Mahal and a morning walk along the Great Wall of China were enough to fulfill my dream of seeing those world wonders.

But that’s me. And I’ve been told I can be a little, ah, overly-energetic when I travel.

You do you.

Need some destination inspiration? Here are 30 of my favorite travel experiences around the world:

Around the World in 30 Extraordinary Travel Experiences

And here are the Top 50 places I think should be on every Travel Bucket List:

50 Amazing Places for Your Travel Bucket List (2024)

Round the World Flights: The RTW Ticket (your new best friend)

I am fortunate that my years of excessive business travel have one nifty little side benefit, I have a crap ton of airline miles.

So when I discovered the magical world of “ Round the World airline tickets ” years ago, those Delta miles not only afforded me the opportunity to take that first RTW trip but to take it in first class with Delta’s Skyteam Alliance.

Sadly, the days of booking a RTW ticket with miles went the way of the dodo bird in 2015. I won’t lie to you, I wept openly when Delta first announced it (followed quickly by United and American).

But all is not lost if you’ve been hoarding miles like pandemic toilet paper. All major US airlines now allow one-way award booking. This means you can still use your miles to route yourself around the world, one one-way flight at a time!

And honestly, the old mileage RTW tickets were a deal but they were a BEAR to book and had zero flexibility. One-way award booking gives you a ton more flexibility plus the option to mix economy and business class legs (for longer flights) on your journey.

This is a BIG perk.

Here are a few more tips for you “ Up in the Air ” business travelers out there with miles & points to burn:

How to Use Points & Miles to Redeem Your RTW Dream

No miles, no problem

Two of the three major airline alliances do still offer paid RTW ticket options. Delta’s Skyteam Alliance is the exception, they discontinued the RTW ticket option completely a few years ago.

There are pros and cons to booking a round the world ticket with an airline alliance:

• Cons – Airline alliance RTW tickets are not cheap and you’ll spend extra time connecting through hub cities to get where you want to go.
• Pros – You can earn a ton of miles (and airline status) as you travel and those extra cities can be fun stopovers. Plus, if you already have status with an airline in the network, you’ll get lots of extra benefits like free checked bags and early boarding.

If that option interests you, start here:

• Oneworld – World Travel (American, Alaska)
• Star Alliance – Round the World (United)

The affordable RTW ticket…

If redeeming (or earning) miles isn’t your jam and you truly just want the most affordable way to see the world, skip the airline alliances and head straight to:

• Airtreks – This site is more service oriented, you enter a proposed itinerary and a travel planner will contact you to create the perfect customized itinerary.
• BootsnAll – This one is more DIY. You can create and book an itinerary yourself online.

Unlike the airline alliances, these two round the world airfare specialists utilize all airlines to create your dream itinerary. This will often yield both the best price and the most direct routing for your trip.

WARNING: Once you start playing around with the trip planners on these two sites, you may become addicted to the global possibilities.

Tip: You guessed it, I’ve covered all the ins and outs of booking RTW tickets in the book.

Hotels vs. Airbnb – Where to stay?

Once again business travel rewards can be handy when planning trips around the world.

My Marriott and Hilton points have been offsetting the costs of my round the world trips for years. Not to mention affording me swank rooms at hotels and resorts that were WAY outside of my round the world budget, like these:

But if you don’t have points, not to worry!

I am a firm believer that a quality, affordable hotel can always be found, even in the most expensive destinations. My go-to hotel site (when I’m not using points) is Booking.com .

Tip: If you’re not a member of any hotel frequent guest programs, sign up for all of them before you go. It’s free and you’ll earn points as you travel. Many also offer perks during your stay, just for being a member.

If you’re not a fan of chain hotels or if you’re going to be in one spot for more than 3 or 4 days, I’d highly recommend an apartment rental. They can be considerably cheaper than even the most economical hotel, and having a kitchen can also be a tremendous cost-saver.

Not to mention it’s just fun to live more like a local!

One of my favorite apartment rental sites is Airbnb but I’ve also found that more and more apartment rentals are also listed on Booking.com (and the fees there are often cheaper than Airbnb). That said, I’ve booked with Airbnb all over the world (including the Tuscan villa we used for our wedding – below!) and never had a bad experience.

Who should I travel with on an around the world trip?

If you’re married, it would probably be rude to go without your spouse (try it at your own marital peril).

But if you’re single, this is a question that deserves serious consideration. If you’ve never traveled solo, your gut instinct may be to find a friend or family member to travel with.

But before you do that, consider this…

A solo trip around the world is perhaps the best gift you can ever give yourself, especially for women. It’s empowering, it’s safe and it just might be the best travel experience of your life.

Read More: Why Every Woman Should Travel the World Solo (at Least Once) & How to Stay Safe Doing It

So yes, it’s perfectly fine (and perhaps even preferable) to travel round the world solo.

No matter what you decide, choose carefully.

How to pack (carry on only!) for an around the world trip

Yes, you read that right. I just casually floated the idea of traveling around the world for a month or longer with nothing but a carry-on bag.

If you’re a guy, you were probably not at all alarmed by the previous paragraph and thought, “ Couple of t-shirts, some shorts, underwear, got it. ” You can scroll down to the next topic, this section is not about you.

Now, for my globetrotting ladies. I’m going to ask you to trust me on this one. We’ve known each other for 10 or 15 minutes now and I feel like you get me.

With so many flights involved in an around-the-world itinerary, carry-on is truly the only option.

Reuniting with a lost bag can quickly become a logistical nightmare when you’re changing cities every few days. (And I can assure you that no one at the lost baggage desk understands what “ RTW ticket ” means.)

If you don’t believe me you can read all about the one time I broke my own rule and ended up spending an entire day at baggage claim in Paris on Round the World #4 . (Actually, don’t. It’s mind-numbing reading and definitely not my best work.)

You can do this. You don’t need all the “ stuff ” you think you do!

(For the things you do need, here’s all the Stuff I Love most!)

I have traveled for as long as 3 months out of just a carry-on (and in case I forgot to mention it, I’m a girl!). I do freely admit, however, that I was over just about every item of clothing in that suitcase by the end.

I also confess I checked a bag to Antarctica. Because Antarctica .

How do I do it? This excerpt from “ The Grown-Up’s Guide to Globetrotting ” is guaranteed to help you overcome your RTW packing challenges:

How to Travel Around the World with Just a Carry-On: A Girl’s Guide to Traveling Light

What else do I need to know for a RTW trip?

We’ve covered the big-ticket items – how long to travel, how many places to visit, with who, how to find RTW tickets, where to stay, and what to pack.

So what’s left?

Well, a LOT actually. But hey, that’s where my book comes in (insert shameless plug here).

I’ll end with a hit list of other tips, tricks, and things to consider when planning your once-in-a-lifetime (or maybe more!) round the world trip:

• Apps : For currency conversion, I like the Oanda app. And Google Translate is also a life saver.
• Thoroughly research entry requirements for ALL countries you plan to visit well in advance. Almost all visa applications can now be completed online.
• A good universal power adapter & converter is a must. More than one is a plus if you have lots of devices (and don’t we all these days?).
• Check with your doctor for any immunizations you may need for your destinations. I got the works before my first trip and haven’t had to worry about it since (other than the occasional prescription for malaria pills).
• Consider purchasing travel insurance, for a trip of this magnitude, it’s a must! Especially in the post-pandemic era. Here’s a good independent review of the benefits of travel insurance and the options available: 10 Best Travel Insurance Companies
• Make sure your passport is valid for at least 6 months after your planned date of return because all countries have different requirements on this.

And finally…

Get the Book!

For more comprehensive advice on planning your around the world itinerary, booking Round the World tickets, and everything else you ever wanted to know about travelling around the world, get the ultimate Round the World trip planner:

Round the World in 30 Days: The Grown-Up’s Guide to Globetrotting

Now get out there and start planning the around the world trip of your dreams!

As Phil Keoghan says at the start of every season of the Amazing Race,

“The world is waiting for you!”

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Destinations

Experiences.

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Plan Your Trip

Plan your rtw trip.

Finding the right round the world trip planner can be difficult. This is first and foremost because many such tools on the internet are only for planning (and, in some cases, booking) RTW flights. The truly difficult part of planning a trip around the world is deciding where to go, how long to stay and how to arrange your trip, so the content deficit (let alone how rare it is to find a quality world trip planner) is frustrating for many travelers.

The good news? Whether you want to travel all around the world, or simply want to visit multiple continents during a single trip, this guide covers all the bases you’ll need to hit as you plan your trip.

Of course, I’ll also touch on the particulars of buying a RTW ticket, including a somewhat contentious recommendation on my part. I’m about to share a great deal of information with you, but I promise: Planning a RTW trip is much, much easier than it looks.

Booking Round the World Flights

Many a round the world trip planner (which to say, any airline alliance website create for the purpose of selling flights) will tell you that booking a single RTW ticket is essential for a round the world trip. However, I don’t agree with this. In addition to the fact that having a single travel the world for a year itinerary (even a flexible one) can lock you in on a trip that will be anything but predictable, it’s often more cost effective to book individual segments, particularly if you have some miles or points to play with.

Let’s say, for example, that you live in the United States and want to fly around the world westward. After taking advantage of a rock-bottom one-way flight from the US to Japan or China , you can take advantage of low-cost flights as you explore Southeast Asia and Australia , then gradually make your way to Europe (and from there, Africa ), flying to South America before returning home, often for only a few hundred dollars per segment. A round-the-world ticket, on the other hand, which often only includes long-distance flights, can easily cost between $2,000-3,000. And that’s without the fees you’ll certainly have to pay to change it as your plans evolve.

How Long Does a Round the World Trip Take?

Whether or not you work with an around the world trip planner, you should keep in mind that as you plan a round the world trip, the issue of timing can be surprisingly far in the back of your mind, particularly if you’ll be traveling to regions of the world you’ve never visited. While two weeks traveling through Japan or Western Europe can allow you to cover a lot of ground, it’s woefully insufficient in places like India , Africa or even much of South America. In general, it’s safe to assume you’re probably underestimating how long you’ll need to devote to your trip.

Broadly speaking, I’d say the best round the world holidays last a minimum of six months, though I have personally taken epic trips in a shorter amount of time than that. On the other hand, I’d caution against traveling for longer than a year at a time, as being away from your “real life” for such a period can have other impacts on your well-being, ones you might not be able to anticipate right now.

How Much Does a Round the World Trip Cost?

Another deficiency of many a round the world trip planner (which is once again to say a flight booking tool) is that it provides only a piece of the cost puzzle—your round the world trip isn’t only going to cost a few thousand dollars. Generally speaking, the average cost of traveling anywhere in the world is between 50-150 USD per person, per day, which means that a conservative estimate for the cost of the ultimate around the world itinerary for a six-month trip (without your “big” flights) is between $9,000-27,000. Not cheap!

Of course, there are ways to decrease the cost of a travel around the world itinerary, whether you manage to find the cheapest round the world ticket, take advantage of opportunities for free or discounted stays (whether you couch surf or do some sort of volunteer program) or simply keep your dining out and shopping to a minimum. In general, however, I’d recommend over-estimating your budget than under-estimating it, if only so you don’t end up as a “begpacker.”

When to Take a Round the World Trip

When you travel around the world will depend upon where you want to go. While most of the sample round the world routes I’ll recommend in the next section are fairly evergreen, some destinations are better during certain months than others, and planning according to this can influence the rest of your travel trajectory.

For example, let’s assume you want to see the cherry blossoms in Japan , probably the world’s most famous seasonal spectacle. Whether you choose from my round the world trip ideas below or commission a custom 6 month travel itinerary, you’ll want to arrange the rest of your RTW trip to optimize the weather in all your destinations. You might head to Nepal after Japan, for instance, to trek when the country’s famous rhododendrons are blooming, or visit Australia and New Zealand before Japan to catch the tail end of warm weather Down Under.

Round the World Trip Ideas

The best of six continents.

Most round the world trip planners will want to see the “whole world” on their trips—all six inhabited continents, and potentially even Antarctica. Regardless of where your RTW travel originates, the general path you will follow is North America-Asia (Australia/New Zealand)-(Middle East/India) Europe (Africa)-South America-North America, or maybe in reverse depending upon where you start and what time of year you’re traveling.

In terms of a general flight path, this might look something like the following: Los Angeles-Vancouver- Tokyo – Bangkok – Sydney – Dubai – Paris -Cairo-Cape Town-London-Buenos Aires- Bogota -Houston. Needless to say there are countless variations, from a 6 month round the world trip to ones much longer!

Wonders of the World

Rather than taking a comprehensive approach (which can lead to a year or even longer on the road—again, not an option for the majority of travelers), you can start your world travel planner based on a finite list of world wonders, be it classic ones you find on an Asia trip planner like the Great Wall or ones you designate yourself, such as Barcelona ‘s Sagrada Familia church or Ethiopia’s “Door to Hell.”

Assuming you take a more classic route for your around the world itinerary, you might go about planning a round the world trip between wonders as follows. From Chicago to Beijing (for the Great Wall), then to Delhi (for the Taj Mahal), to Cairo (for the Pyramids ), to Athens (for the Acropolis), to London (for Stonehenge), to Rio de Janeiro (for Christ the Redeemer) to New York (for the Statue of Liberty). Again, this is highly customizable!

The Backpacker’s Trail

I’ve taken great pains within this round the world trip planner to be honest and sober about the cost of traveling around the world, but this is still a sort of trip that people on the backpacking spectrum can take. Specifically if you decide to string together affordable destinations like Southeast Asia, India, Eastern Europe, Andean South America and Central America.

For instance, if you’re seeking a cheap around the world itinerary, you might fly from Denver to Kuala Lumpur (via China, as Chinese airlines are the cheapest), then fly to Mumbai or Delhi for a month or two there. From there, head to Ukraine or Poland to begin a month or so backpacking Eastern Europe (I particularly like the Balkans ), before taking a flight (probably a multi-leg one) to Lima (where Peru and Bolivia await) or Cancun, from which can you head south to affordable Honduras, El Salvador and Nicaragua.

Five-Star Frolic

On the other end up to the spectrum for a world trip itinerary, travelers without a set budget can enjoy a round the world business class (or even first class) romp that pulls out all the stops. Rather than focusing on a set range of destinations, you can plan your trip based on luxurious hotels and experiences, be it a Tanzania safari from the opulent Four Seasons Serengeti , sampling award-winning in-flight products and services from airlines like Qatar Airways and Singapore Airlines or dining in foodie capitals like Tokyo and Paris.

If you’re planning a luxury round the world trip, it makes sense to enlist the help of a professional (me or someone else), since the price of such assistance (usually between $100-200 per week of travel) is minimal compared to the overall cost of such a RTW trip.

Other FAQ About RTW Travel

How many stops do you get on a round the world ticket.

Whether you’re planning a 6 month round the world trip or plan to stay on the road for years, I am a proponent of piecemeal booking of air travel, rather than committing yourself to a RTW ticket. Therefore, I consider the number of “stops” permitted on such a ticket to be superfluous.

How do I plan a trip around the world?

Unless you are a very experienced global traveler, I recommend against trying to plan a trip on your trip. Rather, work with a professional (such as Yours Truly) to arrange a travel the world for a year itinerary. Or for longer than a year, or shorter—you get the idea.

Are round the world tickets worth it?

No! As I’ve expressed many times during this round the world itinerary, I am not a fan of RTW plane tickets. They rarely cost less; booking and changing them requires a pedantic phone call—or rather phone calls, since you’ll have to call in every time you want to make a modification.

Round the World Trip Planning

The best round the world trips are the ones where you get out on the road and go where the wind takes you, but that’s not realistic for most people. Whether because of finite funds or a “real life” you need to get back to, round the world trips require more planning than you’d probably like, even if you’re generally an adventurous and spontaneous traveler.

“So,” you might be asking, “can you plan my round the world trip for me?” The answer is yes, though there are a couple caveats. Because of the length and breadth of most RTW trips, many travelers want a more skeletal version of my typical “Travel Coaching” itinerary, which is typical extremely detailed and includes day-by-day recommendations. As a result, my pricing for planning RTW itineraries differs from what I’ve published on my Travel Coaching page , so I’d advise emailing me directly with any inquiries.

The Bottom Line

No matter how extensive a round the world trip planner you’ve been seeking, I’m confident that mine has met your needs. For most travelers, it’s simply a matter of learning your RTW flight booking options, assessing the cost of your RTW trip and deciding upon destinations and routing. However, others might want to hire a world trip planner (or a least a skeleton of it, which puts in place a broad trajectory) on their behalf.

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Travel By Carla Vianna

Travel and Adventure Inspiration

How to Plan a Trip Around the World

April 16, 2020 · In: RTW Travel

Wondering how to plan an around the world trip ? Learn from someone who’s already done it! Here is everything you need to know before tackling around-the-world travel. In this post, I break down the round-the-world trip planning process into 7 actionable steps.

Soon after graduating college, I realized there were little pleasures to be found in the traditional 9-to-5 lifestyle. I felt swallowed whole into the bottomless pit of Corporate America, despite not having a very “corporate” job. I found that working in a newsroom doing what I loved — reporting local news and writing articles I was proud of —came with a few strings attached. Namely, little to no vacation time.

You get three sick days … but don’t you dare use them up.

Ten paid vacation days, but don’t take them all at once.

Six company holidays, if you’re lucky.

—Corporate America 

I loved the industry I was in, but having no more than 10 days of vacation, at least for the next five years, didn’t sit well with me. How would I manage to travel to the countries on my bucket list; visit my parents in their respective home states; and also see my family in Brazil with only a few days off?

It was impossible.

I realized that working for a company in the U.S. meant little to no travel time overall. If I wanted to see the world in longer than five- to 10-day increments, I had to make something drastic happen. That’s when I started plotting my escape, which eventually led to my around-the-world trip .

In 2017, my boyfriend and I quit our jobs to travel around the world for 10 months, visiting countless cities across 22 countries. I know that planning an around-the-world trip can be incredibly exciting, but also super overwhelming. That’s why I’m sharing the exact process I used to plan my round-the-world trip.

Plan Your Dream Round-the-World Trip in 7 Steps

It’s not easy to plan a trip around the world, but I promise you it’s worth it. When I first thought of quitting my job to travel, I had no idea where to start.

After some online research, I found a small but thriving community of full-time travelers who were living a life that appealed to me far more than that tied me behind a desk.

Many of these travelers had started their journeys with an around-the-world trip. There was even a term for it, “round-the-world travel” or “RTW” for short.

I didn’t need any more convincing. I told myself that if they could do it, I could too. So I started planning my dream around-the-world trip.

Around The World Trip Planning Process, At a Glance :

• Decide where to go
• Create a backpacking route
• Determine how long the trip will last
• Identify a trip budget 
• Create a savings plan
• Let go of current commitments
• Buy that one-way ticket!

Step 1: Choose Your Destinations

This was probably the most fun part of planning a trip around the world, as the opportunities are endless!

The very first step was to write down every single city or country I’ve ever dreamt of visiting. Aside from obvious dream destinations like Paris and Machu Picchu, I read a ton of travel blogs to come up with incredible ideas like the Uyuni Salt Flat in Bolivia and Koh Tao in Thailand .

Since I was traveling with my boyfriend, he did the same.

We later compared our lists and circled all the destinations we had in common. Then we went over the differences on each and debated whether or not the other person would like to go there, too. After all was said and done, we had one giant list of cities. From this list, we’d create our around-the-world trip itinerary .

Step 2: Create Your Around The World Trip Route

Aside from saving enough money to make this trip happen, creating a feasible round-the-world trip route was the second most difficult task.

There are a few factors to consider when creating the smartest, most cost effective around-the-world travel route:

• The number of transcontinental flights you’ll need to purchase
• Following one global direction
• The weather in each destination

Transcontinental Flights

The first is to determine how many transcontinental flights will be needed during your around-the-world trip. In other words, how many continents do you plan on visiting? Flying from continent to continent will eat up a big chunk of your budget. The more continents you visit, the more expensive your trip will be.

WHAT I DID: My boyfriend and I settled on three regions of the world for our trip: Europe, South America and Southeast Asia. Then we looked at that list of dream destinations and narrowed it down to places that were located in these three regions.

The Global Direction

The second factor is to plan an around-the-world travel route that follows one global direction: East or West. For example, since I’m based in the U.S., I decided to start in Europe. From there I’d continue onto Southeast Asia and then to South America and back — literally circumnavigating the globe.

One of the most common rules for around-the-world travel is to avoid backtracking . Backtracking leads to spending more money on transportation. Use this rule to choose your entry and departure point in each city, country and continent. Your route should always be moving toward your exit point.

WHAT I DID: Although I had originally planned to travel east around the world, my route took several unexpected turns. Guil and I started our trip later than we had hoped due to a delay in his citizenship process. We started in Europe as we had originally intended, but a promise to spend Christmas with our families in Brazil took us to South America after. From there we returned to the U.S. for an opportunity to work a two-week gig and make more money to fuel another three months in Southeast Asia. Crazy route, I know!

The third factor you’ll want to consider is weather. Lightweight summer clothes are the easiest to pack for an around-the-world trip , which is why so many people choose to chase summer around the globe. Stuffing a big winter jacket in your backpack is not ideal. Check the weather of each region you’re visiting to see how that may affect the direction of your route.

WHAT I DID: I visited Europe in the fall, South America in the summer, and Southeast Asia during the “hot/wet season.”

Step 3: Determine The Duration of Your Round-The-World Trip

How long do you want to travel for? The duration of your around-the-world trip will depend on how many places you want to visit, the pace at which you’re traveling through them and your travel budget.

Once you’ve created a general route, the next thing you need to consider is how much time you want to spend in each desination. The pace at which you move from one place to another depends on what kind of travel experience you’re looking for.

Slow Travel vs. Fast Travel

Slow travel means spending weeks, if not months, in a single city or country.

Slow travel allows travelers to truly get to know a destination and get a sense of what it would be like to live there. This kind of around-the-world travel allows you to interact with locals on a regular basis, find a local cafe to call your own and settle into a slower routine.

Some slow travelers pick a city as a base and explore more of the country from there, while others spend weeks in the same city. This is definitely a more cost-effective way of traveling around the world, as you’re not moving around as much. But you’re also not seeing as much as you could at a quicker pace.

Fast travel is the complete opposite.

These are travelers looking to see as much as they can in a set amount of time — which was me at the time. Fast travel means spending no more than a few days in each city in order to maximize your experiences around the world. It means visiting several countries in one month by hitting the top sites in each. It can mean sensory overload — like visiting Machu Picchu and the Salar de Uyuni within the same month, as I did in 2018.

You can also incorporate a mixture of both: I traveled to Paris, Amsterdam, Berlin, Prague and Budapest in one month and then spent a few weeks exploring just Italy.

It’ll Also Depend on Your Budget…

The duration of your trip will also depend on how long you can make your money last. While I initially planned to travel abroad for six months, I was able to stretch my budget to make it 10.

I knew that I eventually wanted to return to the U.S. and continue working in journalism — so traveling around the world indefinitely wasn’t the plan. As my trip grew longer, though, I was able to add more destinations to my itinerary or travel a bit slower in places like Italy and Peru.

| TRIP PLANNING TIP: Make a spreadsheet of all the cities you want to visit in the order of your desired around-the-world trip route. Write down the number of days you want to spend in each city, ensuring to calculate transportation time between each. Then start putting in some actual dates to give yourself a general idea of the itinerary you’ll be following. The sum of the number of days is the duration of your trip, and the last date on that spreadsheet is the day you’ll fly back home.

Step 4: Identify Your Around-The-World Trip Budget

Coming up with a budget for an around-the-world trip can be overwhelming.

To make things simpler for you, the first thing you should do is figure out your average daily cost. This figure will depend on your traveling style: Are you a budget backpacker, luxury traveler or somewhere in the middle?

On average, most around-the-world travel guides suggest a baseline budget of $50 per day .

To put things in perspective, Guil and I spent an average of $62 per day per person . This includes every single expense such as transportation, food, accommodation and daily purchases averaged out over the entirety of our 10-month trip.

We’d fall under the budget backpacker category, though we did splurge on nice hotels and meals every now and then. We typically kept our accommodation at $30 per night or lower, so $15 each. We often traveled by land to save on transportation costs, including a lot of overnight journeys to save on hotel nights.

Your personal daily budget will depend on what you’re willing to sacrifice in order to afford more travel experiences.

| READ MORE: For a detailed cost breakdown of my around-the-world trip, head over to this post: True Cost of Backpacking Around the World .

Step 5: Create a Savings Plan

Now that you have a budget in mind, it’s time to create a savings plan . Your financial plan will depend on how much money you already have saved and when you’d ideally like to leave for your round-the-world trip.

My initial trip budget was $15,000. I knew I wanted to leave within 1 1/2 to 2 years from when I began planning. So I set a goal to put away $1,000 per month so that in one year, I’d have $12,000 saved. 

I had to considerably change my lifestyle to achieve that. I stopped spending money on clothes, restaurants and gym memberships. I also cut back on social activities unless they were free, like a friendly gathering at someone’s house. Still, cutting down my monthly expenses wasn’t enough. I began working odd jobs like brand ambassador gigs to make up the rest.

One point I cannot stress enough is the importance of having a return fund. Your return fund is the money you’ll use to settle back into “normal” life after returning home. This fund should cover the costs of finding a new apartment and keep you afloat while looking for a new job. In addition to the $15,000 I wanted to save for my trip, I wanted to have $10,000 set aside for my return fund.

I know this all may still sound overwhelming — and that’s completely fine! It’s normal to feel overwhelmed when planning such a big trip. But all your sacrifices will be well worth it when you’re traveling the world .

Step 6: Relieve Yourself of Current Commitments

Leaving for an around-the-world trip means pressing “pause” on life as you know it.

Consider all your current life commitments, such as your job, your home, your car lease or your pet. Traveling long-term means leaving all of the above behind, albeit temporarily.

As you approach your departure date, start thinking about when to put in your two-week notice at your job. If you have a pet, this would be the time to begin making arrangements to leave it behind with someone you trust. Apartment and car leases will have to either be terminated, or you can plan your departure date around their end dates.

Unless you own your home, you’ll most likely have to move out and store your belongings somewhere. Guil and I rented a storage unit for our furniture and clothes. Whatever we didn’t need anymore, we sold. More money for the trip!

This is when things start to feel real .

It can be scary to load your life away into the back of a U-Haul truck without knowing when you’ll see your belongings again. In a few months, though, I promise you that you won’t remember half of what’s in that storage unit. And you certainly won’t be thinking about what you left back home when you’re experiencing the greatest freedom you’ve ever felt. Around-the-world travel has a way of making you forget about the less important material things and focus on the beautiful present.

Step 7: Buy That One-Way Ticket!

The last and final step is to buy your first one-way ticket. This is probably the most exciting moment in all the round-the-world trip planning process.

This is when everything you’ve been working toward becomes reality.

Based on my personal experience, I find it best to purchase plane tickets as you go. This gives you the liberty to make changes in your itinerary, as well as extend your trip if you’re able to. Air travel in places like Europe and Southeast Asia can be incredibly affordable, even if you buy a ticket the week of.

As for traveling between cities, most of that will be done by land anyway. Bus and train tickets are also easily purchased the day of, and you’ll find that many times it’s best to book them in person rather than online. Same goes for accommodation; we booked most of our stays the week of.

I hope this guide on how to plan an around-the-world trip has inspired you to hit the ground running! As always, feel free to reach out to me with any questions.

If you found this post helpful, you may also enjoy:

• The True Cost of Backpacking Around The World
• The Ultimate Around The World Itinerary
• What to Pack For An Around The World Trip

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April 18, 2020 at 1:41 pm

OMG your quote about corporate America and vacation days is SO spot on! Sadly, I think that is also the case for many people in America who aren’t even in corporate America. Your post is inspiring!

May 13, 2020 at 7:23 pm

Ahh I know. The vacation policy in the U.S. is really a bummer.

April 18, 2020 at 5:47 pm

Oh my goodness, this has given me MAJOR itchy feet – haha. Great blog though! Very encouraging to what could be an overwhelming task.

April 19, 2020 at 2:02 pm

Thank you! So glad you enjoyed it!!

April 18, 2020 at 6:30 pm

I just quit my job in Dec 2019 and took this year of 2020 off to travel the world and work on my blog 🙁 … so go figure how frustrated and sad I am with all the changes on the world. I am saving your post, as I may need to take another better year off to travel the world. Thanks for your inspiration

April 19, 2020 at 2:06 pm

Oh wow—no way! Guil and I have often asked each other what we would do if our trip was planned for 2020. I’m so sorry to hear that. I’m sure that you will be able to reschedule your trip. You’ve come this far already!!!

May 1, 2020 at 2:19 pm

Such a great post Carla! Your pictures are always impeccable. Congrats! I cannot wait to be able to travel again, and I’d love to consider buying that one-way ticket.

May 1, 2020 at 2:23 pm

Thank you May!!!

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How to travel around the world: our complete guide

Last Update: 08/04/2024 5 COMMENTS

Planning a round-the-world trip (or long-distance trip) is not necessarily a small task! It can even be scary at first! You certainly ask yourself tons of questions like:

• Is it really a good decision?
• How much does it cost to travel around the world?
• Where to start between paperwork, vaccinations, insurance, and equipment?
• What about my résumé ?
• What to do with my apartment, my stuff, my furniture?
• It all seems very complicated to me…
• Aren't there dangerous places in South America?

Does this sound familiar to you? We reassure you right away, we asked ourselves these questions before leaving for our trip around the world ! To tell you the truth, we were a little bit lost when this project emerged… But after spending a lot of time on travel blogs and forums, we managed to gather a maximum of information to stop making excuses and to start without any worries .

With the experience of this first long-distance trip (and the others that followed 😉), we can now share with you what we would have done differently, the mistakes not to make, the equipment that we think is essential, the useful tips, etc.

So, you want to start your round-the-world trip adventure? Follow the guide!

So we have created a complete ebook that details all the important steps to plan a round-the-world trip . This ebook is a project in which we put all our heart, it is now part of " our babies ". We hope it will help you to take the plunge and organize your world tour to make the most of this wonderful experience!

To consult the ebook, you have the choice between browsing the different pages created for each chapter (we give you the summary below) on the blog or downloading it directly in PDF format to read it quietly on your computer, smartphone, tablet, or even print it if you want!

Here is the summary of the festivities:

• Leave everything and travel
• The Itinerary
• Round-the-world Tickets
• Health and travel insurance
• Travel gear
• Checklist and schedule

Chapter 1: How to leave everything behind and travel

In this first chapter, we come back to all the reasons that push you to travel but also to the excuses that are still holding you back from quitting your job and leaving everything behind to travel around the world ! We will break down each excuse and give you solutions to solve these problems. We also discuss an important question: should you travel alone or with someone?

Chapter 2: How much does a trip around the world cost?

It's all very well to travel, but how much does a round-the-world trip cost ? In this chapter, we detail all the expenses related to a long-distance trip. Daily budget, accommodation, insurance, vaccines, equipment, transportation, visas, bank fees, budget for the return trip… Everything is covered! So you will find all our tips to save without sacrificing everything. Yes, a round-the-world trip is within your reach!

Chapter 3: How to plan your round-the-world trip itinerary?

Now that you have the budget, you will have to plan the itinerary of your travel around the world … or not! There are two different ways of doing this… We give you all the advice and all the elements to take into account so that you can establish YOUR itinerary for this trip around the world.

Chapter 4: Travel round-the-world ticket

Here again, there are 2 choices: take your plane tickets as you go or buy a travel round-the-world ticket . In this chapter, we review the advantages and disadvantages of these special round-the-world tickets and we give you all the tips to buy your plane tickets cheaper!

Chapter 5: Travelers' health

Health is an important point when you plan a journey around the world because you have to think about it beforehand with insurance and vaccines , but also during the trip with specific treatments (your usual medicine, anti-malaria medication) and the backpacking first aid kit , which is essential for the trip. In this section, you will find all our pieces of advice to be prepared for any eventuality during your round-the-world trip and leave serenely!

Chapter 6: The gear backpacking checklist

What equipment should I take for a world tour? How much clothing should I take? If this is your first long-distance trip, you may be wondering how to carry everything you will need for 6 months, 1 year, or more. It's like your home that you'll be carrying on your back for all that time, so you might as well choose each item carefully. In this chapter, we open our backpacks and give you a backpacking checklist to help you prepare your gear!

Chapter 7: Risks of traveling

Even though it has many benefits, travel still has its share of risks , and knowing about them will help you avoid or overcome them. Whether it's about diseases , security , or encountering all kinds of bugs or ailments (homesickness, motion sickness), we go over all the risks of traveling around the world!

Chapter 8: Planning your round-the-world trip and checklist

OK, you have all the cards in hand to plan your round-the-world trip, all you have to do is to establish a checklist before the big departure ! We have established a summary schedule for you, spreading out all the preparations over 1 year before D-day .

Download our free pdf E-book!

Subscribe to our Newsletter and get a free E-book with more than 100 pages to help you prepare your trip around the world

When do you plan to leave on a round the world trip? I don't know yet In the next 3 months In the next 6 months In the next 12 months In more than a year

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5 years ago

I LOVE your site design! You have such a beautiful theme and color scheme. And the dropped anchor on the right side of the page is a nice touch! Keep up the great work and keep living your dream life!

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Thanks Wayne! We’ve put a LOT of work into our website so we are glad you like it! You too keep doing your best to chase after your dreams 😉

3 years ago

I am not sure if I’d like to travel around the world, but I’d like so much to spend some months travelling in Asia. Hope to do it soon!

Your presentation is beautiful, fun and very practically insightful. I am right now in Bansko and am able to compare your notes with reality. You have done excellent job reporting and describing many aspects of how things are. You are fresh and inspirational. Thank you.

8 months ago

I’m almost seventy years old And still have that itching in my soul to go places and meet new people, did a lot of traveling in my life (40 countries on 4 continents)my advice to young people, is don’t let life pass you by, you only live once and after thirty, time goes by so fast and never returns

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• Guide to Round The World (RTW) Tickets

If you live in New York City and you want to visit Paris, booking an airline ticket is pretty straight forward. You can go on your airfare booking site of choice and compare the cost and convenience of various options. You would consider questions like when the flights leave, how many stops they make and what how long any layovers might be.

But, let’s say you want to do a longer trip and you want to visit Paris, Istanbul, Delhi, Tokyo, and Honolulu all on one trip. You can of course just book 6 airline tickets separately but you could potentially save a lot of money by buying a Round The World (RTW) ticket. This is a special class of ticket with different benefits and different restrictions.

Restrictions of a Round The World Ticket

Star alliance, what about other airlines, pros of a round the world ticket, cons of a round the world ticket, option 1 – get help, oneworld rtw ticket planner.

• Star Alliance RTW ticket planner
• SkyTeam RTW ticket planner

How do Round The World Tickets Work?

The simplest explanation for a round the world tick is that you can get a discount ticket from one airline for booking all those flights together, but… you have to book that ticket through that airline and its partners and, as a rule, you need to travel around the world in one direction, east to west or west to east to use a Round The World ticket .

• You must end up in the same city ( or country on SkyTeam and Star Alliance) you start
• All three airline alliances will let you make some number of segments via alternate transpiration (for example you fly to London and take the train to Paris) but will still count that as one of your segments and will count the miles towards your maximum.
• You must fly east to west or west to east the whole route (except Sky team)
• You must cross the Pacific Ocean once and only once
• You must cross the Atlantic Ocean once and only once
• You must book your ticket from one Airline Alliance and fly only on airlines that are part of that alliance.
• There may be a minimum and a maximum on the number of flights and stopovers
• There may be an extra charge to stop in particular destinations.
• There will be a limit on the total number of miles for the flights in the ticket.

Airline Alliances  (What Airlines are in What Alliances)

There are 3 major alliances of airlines, when you book a round the world ticket you will be using carriers (airlines) from only one of these airlines.

• Adria Airways (Slovenia)
• Aegean Airlines (Greece)
• Air Canada (Canada)
• Air China (China)
• Air India (India)
• Air New Zealand (New Zealand)
• ANA (Japan)
• Asiana Airlines (South Korea)
• Austrian Airlines (Austria)
• Avianca (Colombia)
• Avianca Brasil (Brazil)
• Brussels Airlines (Belgium)
• Copa Airlines (Panama)
• Croatia Airlines (Croatia)
• EgyptAir (Egypt)
• Ethiopian Airlines (Ethiopia)
• EVA Air (Taiwan)
• LOT Polish Airlines (Poland)
• Lufthansa (Germany)
• SAS (Sweden)
• Shenzen Airlines (China)
• Singapore Airlines (Singapore )
• South African Airways (South Africa)
• Swiss International (Switzerland)
• TAP Portugal (Portugal)
• Thai Airways International (Thailand)
• Turkish Airlines (Turkey)
• United (USA)
• American Airlines (USA)
• British Airways (UK)
• Cathay Pacific Airways (Hong Kong)
• Finnair (Finland)
• Iberia (Spain)
• Japan Airlines (Japan)
• LATAM Airlines (South America)
• Malaysia Airlines (Malaysia)
• Qantas (Australia)
• Qatar Airways (Qatar)
• Royal Jordanian (Jordan)
• S7 Airlines (Russia)
• SriLankan Airlines (Sri Lanka)
• Aeroflot (Russia)
• Aerolíneas Argentinas (Argentina)
• Aeroméxico (Mexico)
• Air Europa (Spain)
• Air France (France)
• Alitalia (Italy)
• China Airlines (Taiwan)
• China Eastern Airlines (China)
• Czech Airlines (Czech Republic)
• Delta Air Lines (United States )
• Delta Shuttle (United States)
• Garuda Indonesia (Indonesia)
• Kenya Airways (Kenya )
• KLM (Netherlands)
• Korean Air (South Korea)
• Middle East Airlines (Lebanon)
• Saudia (Saudi Arabia)
• TAROM (Romania)
• Vietnam Airlines (Vietnam)
• XiamenAir (China)

As you can see some alliances will have advantages if you plan to get to specific countries. Certainly, not all flights to Turkey will need to be on Turkish airlines, for example, but… Turkish airlines is going to have better connections to Turkey than any other airline.

Not every airline in the world is in an alliance. Specifically missing are budget carriers like Ryanair, easyJet, Norwegian, WOW, Germanwings, Frontier, or even some larger airlines in the USA like Southwest and Alaska.

As a rule then, you cannot fly an airline as part of your round the world ticket . But, they might still make up part of your itinerary. For example, you could fly to London on a round the world ticket and then do a round trip flight to Spain on a low-cost European airline like Ryanair from there, but it would not be considered part of your round the world ticket. That is one of the things that makes booking a round the world ticket a bit more tricky.

• Because you book all your flights at the same time you don’t have to worry about what happens if you can’t get one of the flights
• Because you book all your flights at the same time a round the world ticket may save you money
• Because you are booking through an airline alliance (Star Alliance, oneworld,  Sky Team) you can earn or spend your frequent flier miles in that program.
• Restrictions on directions of travel: go east or go west
• Like any ticket, if you miss a flight then the rest of your itinerary could be canceled. When this happens with a round trip ticket, you are probably still at home. When this happens on the 3rd flight of 6… things can get very complicated very fast.
• There will be charges to change your itinerary.
• Because you are restricted to one airline alliance, you may not be able to take some flights on other airlines that would simplify your routing.
• Low-cost airlines are not included, so you need to be careful that the round the world ticket is the best option as far as price.

How Do I get Started?

As you can see below the rules for booking can get complicated. If you want help booking I recommend AirTreks which has been in the business for years. I have known their CEO personally for over a decade. They have an easy trip builder . Add in where you want to go and they will give you a quick estimate of the price.

AirTreks also has example itineraries which has the advantage that some of them they have already figured out are relatively inexpensive. Click through one of these to get an idea of prices. Don’t worry, clicking won’t buy one 🙂

Option 2 – Book Your Own Round The World Ticket

Each of the airline alliances have a starting point and their own set of specific rules:

• Europe/Middle East/North Africa/Greenland
• Australia, New Zealand, and the South West Pacific
• North America including the Caribbean, Central America, and Panama
• South America
• Up to 26,000 miles
• economy class only
• You can visit from 2-5 regions above
• maximum of 2 stops in the same region
• Up to 29,000 miles
• You must visit at least 2 regions
• A maximum of 4 stops in the same region
• A maximum of 2 stopovers are permitted in the region of origin
• Up to 34,000 miles
• economy, business or first class
• maximum of 4 stops in the same region
• Up to 39,000 miles
• Up to 16 flight segments, you can travel between two airports (like London/Paris above) via surface transportation but they will count that as a flight segment as if you flew.
• Minimum trip duration 10 days
• Total trip duration less than 1 year
• Following your first flight between Continental Zones, all subsequent flights can be left open-dated, allowing you to schedule your trip as you go

Star Alliance rtw ticket planner

• Up to 16 flight segments
• At least 2 stopovers
• Up to 15 stopovers
• A stopover is a stay of more than 24 hours
• If your journey starts in Australia or New Zealand, minimum trip duration of 7 days
• If your journey starts in Europe, minimum trip duration of 10 days
• You travel needs to end in the same country, although not the same city
• Your itinerary may reflect travel greater than Round the World provided it is not via the point of origin and still terminates in the country of origin.
• In the entire journey not more than one crossing is permitted between Europe, Middle East, Africa, and Asia, Pacific.
• Specific flights must be booked 24 hours in advance
• Children (2-11years) are charged 75% of the available adult fare plus applicable fees, taxes and surcharges.
• Up to 5 segments can be made via surface transportation, but will still count towards miles and number of segments

SkyTeam rtw ticket planner

• – Go Round The World Fare 1 up to 38,000 miles
• – Go Round The World Fare 2 up to 33,000 miles
• – Go Round The World Fare 3 up to 29,000 miles
• – Go Round The World Fare 4 up to 26,000 miles
• At least 3 stopovers
• You can switch directions east to west and west to east
• You can only pass through a specific city twice
• A lap infant without a seat will be charged 10% of the fare
• A child 11 years old or less will be charged 75% of the fare

• Book Your Accommodation HERE
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• Search for Great Tours HERE
• Get a Car Rental

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How to Plan a Trip Around the World in 7 Steps

By: Author Zachary Friedman

Posted on Last updated: June 22, 2024

Categories Travel Budgeting , Travel Tips

Home » Travel » Travel Tips » How to Plan a Trip Around the World in 7 Steps

Planning a round the world trip is overwhelming. Hours of research and thought go into making a trip like this a reality. You must consider your route, visas, your budget, accommodation, transportation, activities, and much more. This guide will give you an outline to follow to help you plan a trip around the world. It also includes useful tips and advice to make your journey a little smoother, safer, and more affordable.

Over the past 12 years of traveling, I have made 2 trips around the world and have visited over 60 countries. On my first round-the-world trip, I traveled for 6 months through 15 countries on 4 continents. On my second trip, I visited 12 countries on 3 continents over the course of 5 months. In this guide, I’ll share my experience in planning round-the-world trips. Currently, I’m in the middle of my 3rd round the world trip.

Key Takeaways: How to Plan a Trip Around the World

-Step 1: Decide where you want to go. Try to choose 3-4 continents to visit and choose 2-3 destinations on each. -Step 2: Plan a route. Try to find the most efficient and cost effective route between your destinations. -Step 3: Plan a budget. Calculate the costs of airfare, accommodation, food, drinks, sightseeing, entertainment, travel gear, etc. Determine how much money you have to save. -Step 4: Do your research. Research visas, entry requirements, travel documents, transportation, accommodation, security, things to do, points of interest, etc. -Step 5: Determine how long you’re going to travel and which direction you’re going to travel in. -Step 6: Re-evaluate your plans. Try to streamline your itinerary. Eliminate or re-arrange sections to avoid having to backtrack. -Step 7: Book your round-the-world trip. Book your flights and accommodation for the first leg of your trip.

Table of Contents

• Route Planning- Where do you want to go?
• Budgeting- How Much does a Round the World Trip Cost?
• Visas and Entry Requirements- What documents do you need?
• Transportation- Info on booking your flights as well as ground transportation
• Accommodation- Where will you sleep?
• Money- Banking and finances
• Packing and Travel Gear- Preparing for departure
• Sample round-the-world trip itineraries- A few ideas to help get you started

Step 1: Decide Where You Want to Go and Plan a Route

Choosing your route is the most exciting and important part of planning a round the world trip. You need to know where you’re going in order to calculate costs and plan activities, accommodation, and transportation. At this point, let your imagination run wild.

I recommend you start by researching the various regions of the world that interest you and make a list of potential destinations. While making your list, you may want to consider:

• Cities- Are there any major world cities that you’ve always wanted to see? Maybe you’ve always dreamed of visiting London, New York, or Tokyo. Add it to your round-the-world itinerary.
• Countries- Maybe there’s a particular country that you’ve always dreamed of visiting. While planning my round the world trip, I knew I had to include India and Thailand in my round the world itinerary.
• Major tourist sights – Which world wonders do you want to visit? For example, maybe you’ve always dreamed of visiting the Great Pyramids of Giza, Angkor Wat, the Great Wall of China, the Taj Mahal, or Macchu Picchu. One of my bucket list activities was going on an African safari. I ended up visiting the Serengeti and Maasai Mara parks.
• Foods- Consider your favorite cuisines. Maybe you really like Italian or Thai food and want to taste authentic flavors.
• Activities- What types of activities do you like to do? Do you enjoy hiking, diving, surfing, laying on the beach, dancing, extreme sports, or visiting museums ?
• People- Do you have family or friends in another country? Your around-the-world trip is an excellent opportunity for you to stop in for a visit.
• Culture- Maybe you’ve always wanted to experience a particular culture. For example, maybe you’re fascinated by Japanese culture and you want to learn more about it.
• Parties, festivals, and concerts- Another valid reason to choose a destination. Maybe you’ve always wanted to attend a particular music festival, for example. Maybe you’ve always wanted to visit Rio de Janeiro for Carnival or Munich for Octoberfest.

If you need some inspiration, you can check out my destinations page. Also, read some travel guides, blogs, or books, or watch some travel vlogs.

How to Make a Rough Around the World Itinerary

After making your list of potential destinations, it’s time to put together a rough round-the-world itinerary. This itinerary will probably change multiple times throughout the planning and research process. This is just a rough draft so you have something to start with for budgeting purposes. You can always add or remove destinations as you plan your round the world trip. You can even change plans mid trip. Nothing is set in stone.

To make a round the world itinerary:

• Prioritize your list- Chances are, you can’t hit every destination in one trip. Move the ‘can not miss’ destinations to the top of your list and place the lower-priority destinations toward the bottom. I recommend you select 3-5 dream destinations that you can not miss. These will be the base of your round the world trip.
• Look at the location of each ‘can not miss’ destination on the map- This gives you a rough overview of your general route. You’ll travel from one destination to the next either east to west or west to east until you return home. If one destination is too remote or out of the way, consider saving it for a future trip.
• Find the closest ‘can not miss’ destination either to the east or west of your starting point- That will be the first region that you visit on your around-the-world trip.
• Look for nearby countries and cities to visit in the same region- You will visit these destination on this leg of your journey. If you’re unsure, research nearby cities and countries. You want to visit all of your desired destinations on each continent or region before moving on. If you don’t have any other destinations to visit in that region, you can move on to the next region.
• Find the next closest ‘can not miss’ destination in the same direction of travel- It’s time to move on to the next another continent or region. This is the second leg of your journey. Research the region and look for activities, events, and points of interest in nearby cities and bordering countries.
• Continue plotting a general route around the world- As you go, research each destination to find potential activities and other nearby destinations. The number of stops that you make depends on your budget and the amount of time that you can travel.

By now, you should have a rough around-the-world trip itinerary. If you’re having trouble, look at a map. I found it really helpful to study the world map while planning my trip. Looking at the map made it much easier for me to plot out my travel path.

Consider the Timing of Your Round the World Trip

Some destinations are seasonal. When planning your around the world trip, you’ll need to consider the season you’ll visit each destination. You may need to be in a specific place for a specific date. This can determine the direction you travel or the order you visit each region.

For example, you may not want to visit Europe during the winter because most of the continent is cold and snowy. You might travel to Asia for the winter, then head to Europe in the spring when the weather warms up.

if you’re planning a particular activity, you may need to visit during a particular season. For example, if you’re planning on going skiing in Colorado, you’ll have to visit during the winter.

Also, keep in mind that the seasons are flipped in the southern hemisphere. If you’re visiting the southern cone of South America, Australia, or southern Africa, summer runs from December-February. These are the warmest months. If you’re visiting the global south, you may need to take this into consideration.

If you’re planning on traveling for a particular holiday, festival, or event, you’ll have to time your visit. For example, maybe you want to visit Oktoberfest in Germany. You’ll have to plan your trip so you’re in Germany in October.

Traveling East Vs West on a Round the World Trip

When planning your around the world itinerary, it’s important to decide whether you want to travel East or West and stick with this decision. You want to minimize backtracking. Many round-the-world tickets don’t allow you to backtrack. Backtracking also increases costs and travel time. It’s inefficient.

If you have the option, traveling west is better. Traveling west produces less jet lag because it disrupts your circadian rhythm less. This is because your days will be longer when you travel west. This makes it easier to sleep at night. If you travel east, you’ll deal with more jet lag.

It’s also important to consider the dates. When you cross the international date line, you will gain or lose a day. Consider this when making bookings.

Scheduling Your Round the World Trip

You’ll have to calculate how much time you need to see every country you plan to visit. Spend some time researching each attraction and how much time it takes to see. Don’t forget to consider transport time.

Exactly how many countries you can visit on your round-the-world trip depends on which countries you’re visiting. In some countries, you can see all of the main tourist sites in a week. In some countries, you might need a month or more to see everything you want to see.

When planning your around the world trip, it’s important to remember that you can’t see everything. Pick and choose the sites that you want to see. Save the rest for a future rtw trip. You can always find something to do if you have some extra time. If you want to visit a country to see one world wonder, you can.

Also, try not to pack your around the world itinerary too full. You will burn out if you’re running from one site to the next every day of your rtw trip. You need some rest days. Another problem with packing your schedule too full is that you can easily fall behind if you hit a setback such as a canceled flight or missed connection. Many new world travelers on their first trip try to visit too many countries and see everything.

Plan Overland Routes

Most around-the-world travelers fly into a region and then take overland transport between destinations. Traveling overland is cheaper and more adventurous than flying everywhere. You’ll also get to see more when you travel overland.

For example, maybe your first ‘can not miss’ destination is London. You might fly into London, then take a train to Amsterdam and Paris before moving on to the next destination. Maybe your next ‘can not miss’ destination is Los Angeles. From there, you might rent a car and drive to the Grand Canyon.

Step 2: Create a Budget

Before you start calculating how much your rtw trip will actually cost, you need to know how much money you have to work with. Most travelers don’t have an unlimited budget for world travel. Look at your finances and calculate how much money you are able to spend. Consider your occupation, your age, your savings, and your income.

The average round-the-world trip costs somewhere between $1500-$2500 per month or $18,000-$30,000 per year. This budget includes all costs including airfare, accommodation, food, ground transport, activities, and entertainment. Basically, all costs associated with an rtw trip.

A good budget for a one-year round-the-world trip for one person is $25,000. That gives you $2083 per month or about $68 per day. That is manageable if you budget correctly.

You will have to watch your spending to stick to this budget. You’ll have to limit your time in expensive countries, shop for affordable airfare, stay in hostels, and cook some of your own food. You will have some room to splurge on some more expensive activities.

Of course, your budget can be significantly lower or higher than this depending on the style of travel that you prefer and the level of comfort that you require.

If you’re a frugal traveler, you may be able to travel for a year for $15,000-$20,000. If you’re on a shoestring budget, you can take a round the world trip for as little as $500-$1000 per month or $6,000-$12,000 per year. In this case, you’ll be camping for accommodation, hitchhiking or bicycle touring for transportation, and cooking all of your own meals.

If you prefer to stay in hotels every night and eat in restaurants every day, you might have to budget $35,000-$40,000 for a year of travel. If you prefer to travel in luxury, the sky is the limit. A round-the-world trip could easily exceed $100,000 for a year of travel. In this case, you would be staying in luxury hotels and resorts, traveling in business or first class, and eating in restaurants for every meal.

In the following sections, I’ll give a brief outline of each of the major costs associated with a round-the-world trip. This will help you form a rough idea of your total budget. We’ll cover flights, accommodation, food, transportation, and entertainment.

Flights for an Around the World Trip

Most round-the-world travelers fly between continents. This cost of flights depends on the number of flights you plan to take, the countries and cities you plan to fly into, when you plan to fly, and how far in advance you book your rtw ticket.

To purchase round-the-world flights, you have two options . You can book your flights individually or you can buy a rtw ticket. There are benefits and drawbacks to both options.

Booking your flights individually is usually cheaper because you can take advantage of budget airlines. In Europe, you have Ryanair and Easy Jet. In Asia, you have AirAsia, IndiGo, JetStar, and more. On these budget airlines, you can find flights to nearby countries for less than $100. Booking flights as you go allows you to be more spontaneous. You can change your plans as you go. It is slightly less convenient to book your flights individually because you must do all of your own planning and booking.

A number of companies offer round-the-world airplane tickets. Buying a rtw ticket is slightly more expensive because these tickets offer more flexibility. You can generally change the date of departure without an extra charge on round-the-world tickets. You can also change the airports but there will be an extra charge. This makes it a bit harder to change your plans as you go.

If you’re traveling for a year or more or if you’re booking a very simple around the world itinerary, buying flights as you go is probably the best choice. I always book my own airfare because I appreciate the spontaneity. I can also save money by taking advantage of budget airlines.

Sometimes buying a rtw ticket can be more convenient. Particularly for round the world trips that are shorter than one year or trips with many stops. Some travelers find that having all of their flights booked brings peace of mind.

Most travelers who book flights individually spend $2000-$3000 on airfare for a simple round-the-world trip stopping on 2-3 continents. This includes 3-4 international flights. If you want to fly more frequently or visit more remote destinations, like Africa or South America, you might spend $5000 or more on airfare.

Travelers who book a rtw ticket typically spend $2500-$5000 on airfare. This includes 3-4 stops on 3-4 continents. You can spend up to $15,000 or more on a rtw ticket if you want to make lots of stops, fly into smaller airports, or fly first class.

To save money on airfare, try to fly into and out of major cities in each region you visit. Flights are cheaper if you fly into major hub cities. For example, if you’re flying to Europe, fly into London, Paris, Amsterdam, or Frankfurt. If you’re flying to Southeast Asia, fly into Bangkok, Singapore, or Kuala Lumpur. Every region has large hubs. Once you’re in a large hub, you can easily catch a budget flight, train, or bus to your next destination. This can save you a good amount of money on flights.

Accommodation

Accommodation is probably the biggest expense of your rtw trip. If you plan to stay in budget accommodation like hostels, guesthouses, and campgrounds, you can expect to spend $20-$30 per night in expensive countries and $10-$15 per night in cheap countries.

If you prefer to stay in private accommodation like hotels or Airbnb, you can expect to spend $20-$40 per night in inexpensive countries and $60-$150 per night in expensive countries.

To more accurately estimate your accommodation budget, I recommend you go to your favorite booking site like Booking.com or Hostelworld.com or Airbnb.com and price out accommodation at your destination.

Take note of the prices and consider the number of nights you plan to stay at each destination. Multiply the price by the number of nights and add them all up. This will give you a pretty good idea of what you’ll be spending on accommodation.

Try to book your accommodation at least a couple of weeks in advance. If you’re traveling to a particular destination during the busy season or during a holiday or festival, you might need to book a couple of weeks in advance to ensure that you get a decent room at a reasonable price.

Food is a nother major expense. Your food budget depends on how often you plan to eat out, the types of food you like to eat, and the destinations you’re visiting.

If you plan to cook most of your own meals, eat street food, and eat in restaurants occasionally, and you can get away with budgeting $10-$15 per day for food. You can get by on this budget pretty much anywhere.

If you plan to eat out at restaurants for most meals, you can plan to spend $25-$40 per day in inexpensive countries and $40-$60 per day in expensive countries. If you cook almost all of your own meals, it is possible to eat for $5 per day.

I have found $10 per day to be a pretty comfortable food budget. This assumes that I prepare most of my own meals with the occasional restaurant meal.

Another major expense to consider is alcohol. To get an idea of how much you’ll spend on alcohol, look at some restaurant menus in the locations you plan to visit to see how much drinks cost. Consider how much you drink, how often you drink, and what you drink when calculating your alcohol budget.

Drink prices vary greatly around the world. In some countries, you can buy a drink for $3. In other countries, a drink costs $15. If you like to drink, you could spend as much on alcohol as you spend on food.

Drinking too much is one of the easiest ways to go over budget. If you’re on a tight budget, you’ll need to be careful with drinking and partying. The easiest way to save money or extend your trip is to limit your drinking.

Activities, Entertainment, Tours, and Admission Tickets

You need to budget for all of the activities you plan to do and the sights you plan to see during your trip. This includes admission tickets, entrance fees, tours, permits, guides, tips, equipment rentals, entertainment costs, etc. This cost depends on where you travel, what types of activities you enjoy, and your personal preference.

To calculate your activities budget, it’s best to price out each activity individually. If you plan to safari in the Serengeti, go online and price out the tour you plan to take. If you plan on diving the Great Barrier Reef, go online and see how much tours cost. Don’t forget to factor in the cost of transport, entry tickets, parking, a guide, tips, etc.

You don’t need to calculate the price of everything you plan to do. Just research the price of big-ticket ‘cannot miss’ items and add the prices up. You can pay for smaller activities such as museum entry or snorkel rental out of your daily spending money. It’s important to budget for big-ticket items to make sure you leave room in your budget.

Ground Transportation

Most travelers only take flights for the long-distance or overseas sections of their around the world trip itinerary. You can cut costs significantly by taking the bus or train between cities within one region.

The best way to calculate this cost is to research each journey that you plan to take and add them up. Generally, a full-day bus ride or train between two major cities costs $30-$100 depending on the region and distance. In the developing world, expect to spend $3-$3 per hour of travel. In the developed world expect to spend around $5-$10 per hour of travel.

A great resource for finding bus and train routes and prices is Rome2rio.com. This site makes it easy to research transportation options and estimate ticket costs. Another great booking site for finding bus ticket prices is Busbud. For train routes and ticket prices,  Seat61.com  is a great resource.

You must also consider the cost of local travel around the cities you’re visiting. Depending on the city, you may have a choice between taking a taxi, Uber, public bus, metro, tuk-tuk, rickshaw, motorcycle taxi or cycling or walking.

This cost is difficult to estimate. Generally, a one-way public transit ticket or rickshaw ride costs $2-$5. In cheaper countries, a taxi or Uber ride across the city costs $5-$10. Consider the sights that you plan to visit in each city to determine how many intercity rides you’ll have to take.

For more help budgeting help, check out my guide: How to Create an Accurate Budget for Long-Term Travel.

This is one budget item that many travelers forget to consider. Visa costs vary depending on the country that you’re visiting and your nationality. They can really add up in some regions.

To calculate visa costs, simply look up the visa requirements for each country that you plan to visit and add up the visa prices for your nationality.

Visa costs vary widely. Many are free. If there is a charge, the average visa costs around $20-$50. There are a handful of countries that charge upwards of $150-$300 for a tourist visa.

For most round-the-world trips, your visa costs will be minimal. In some instances, the costs can be substantial. For example, while traveling through East and Southern Africa, I spent over $600 on visas over the course of 5 months.

Travel Insurance

For a round-the-world trip, buying travel insurance is a good idea. In most countries, travel insurance is optional but highly recommended. Travel insurance will be one of your major expenses so it’s important to budget for it.

Travel insurance can cost anywhere from $25-$200+ per month. The cost of travel insurance depends on the kind of coverage you buy, the amount of coverage, the deductible, and your age.

The more coverage you get, the more the policy will cost. Most round-the-world travelers should buy a minimum of $100,000 in coverage. If you’re traveling to the United States, you should have at least $250,000 of coverage.

Travel insurance can cover you in the event of an injury or unexpected illness. Some travel insurance covers. Some policies can cover theft, damage, or loss of your belongings and trip interruptions. 

If you’re on a budget, you can opt for medical-only travel insurance. Travel insurance that covers your luggage and trip interruptions is significantly more expensive.

I use  SafetyWing Nomad Insurance.  They offer affordable insurance for long-term travel.

Travel Vaccinations

For many destinations, you’ll need a couple of travel vaccinations to protect yourself from various diseases that aren’t common in your home country. You may need a vaccination for Yellow Fever, typhoid, and hepatitis B. You may also need malaria prophylaxis if you’re traveling to a malaria zone.

This cost depends on which vaccines you need and where you live. To calculate this cost, find a local clinic that offers travel vaccines and malaria consultations. They probably have a price list online.

Add up the cost of all of the vaccines and prescriptions that you’ll need to buy. For most round-the-world trips, expect to spend $100-$400 on travel vaccines and malaria tablets.

Factors that Determine your Total Round-the-World Trip Budget

• How long you plan to travel- Every day, you must at least pay for food and accommodation. If you can cut a month off of your rtw trip by traveling faster, you might be able to save $1000-$2000.
• The number of destinations you plan to visit- The more stops you plan, the more your rtw trip will cost due to the additional cost of transportation. Airfare is one of the most expensive parts of the trip. Train and bus tickets also add up.
• Where you travel- Some regions are more expensive than others. If you plan to visit expensive places like Western Europe, Australia, Japan, the U.S., etc., you’ll spend a lot more than you will if you visit cheaper regions like Southeast Asia, Central America, and Eastern Europe.
• When you travel- Many destinations are seasonal. Prices are higher during the busy season. You can save money by traveling off-season or during the shoulder seasons.
• The transportation that you choose- Do you plan to fly everywhere or are you comfortable taking buses? Will you take taxis around the city or walk?
• The type of accommodation that you choose- Do you plan to stay in budget accommodation like hostels, guesthouses, and campgrounds, or do you plan to stay in hotels, Airbnbs, and resorts?
• The foods that you eat- Will you cook for yourself and eat street food or do you plan to go to a restaurant for each meal?
• The activities that you plan- You’ll spend more if you plan to ski, dive, take tours, etc. If you want to save money, there are plenty of free things to do while traveling.

How Long are you Traveling?

After determining how much you have to spend and learning about the costs associated with a round-the-world trip, you must consider the duration of your trip. How long do you want to travel?

Your trip’s duration affects your costs. The longer you travel, the more money you will spend . The duration also determines your around the world itinerary. The longer you travel, the more destinations you can visit.

When deciding how long you want to travel, consider your future obligations. Do you need to return home by a specific date for work or school? Also, consider your ability to find employment. Remember, a long gap in your resume can be problematic in some industries.

Most likely you only have a limited amount of time to travel. In my experience, 3-6 months is the ideal amount of time for a round-the-world trip. Anything less will feel rushed. Longer trips get exhausting. You will start to slow down after you’ve been on the road for 6 months.

Trips lasting 1-2 years are great but you will notice diminishing returns. After 6 months of travel, you may begin taking things for granted and get sick of sightseeing.

Updating your Round the World Itinerary to Fit Your Budget and Trip Duration

At this point, you may have found that your initial round the world itinerary is too expensive. Take some time to re-evaluate your plan. A few ways you can cut costs include:

• Substitute expensive countries for cheaper countries- For example, instead of going to Japan or Korea, go to Thailand or the Philippines. Your money will go much further.
• Eliminate expensive activities- Skip the SCUBA lessons and just go snorkeling. Instead of hiking the Inca Trail, just go for a free hike.
• Reduce the number of flights by traveling some sections overland- Take a bus or train across a country instead of flying.
• Reduce the total trip time- Cut a month off of your rtw trip. That will save you $1000-$3000.

For help reducing your budget further, check out my guide to ultra-low budget travel.

Step 3: Consider Visas, Travel Documents, and Entry Requirements For the Countries You Plan to Visit

The next step in the planning process is to research the entry requirements for each country that you plan to visit. Continue refining your round the world trip itinerary through this process. Items you need to research include:

Visa Availability

Look up the visa requirements for each country that you plan to visit during your round-the-world trip. Remember to look at the requirements for your specific nationality. Also, consider any countries that you are transiting through. Occasionally, a transit visa is required.

If you need a visa, find out if you can get the visa on arrival or if you must you obtain the visa in advance. If the visa is available on arrival, make sure that it is available at the port of entry that you plan to use. Some countries only issue visas on arrival at international airports and not at land borders. Some smaller land borders don’t have the capability to issue visas.

If you find that you must obtain a visa in advance, find out if you can get it online or if you need to get it from an embassy or consulate. These days, many countries offer e-visas. You apply for the visa and pay online then print your approval letter. When you reach the point of entry, you receive the visa in your passport.

If you have to apply at the embassy, find out if you can apply in a neighboring country or if you must apply in your home country. Some countries only issue visas to foreigners from the embassy in their home country. If you can get the visa in a neighboring country, I recommend you wait and do it there. It’s often easier and cheaper to go to the embassy in person to apply for the visa.

If you must obtain a visa in your home country before your rtw trip, consider the logistics and costs. Find out how long the visa takes to get and how long it is valid. Find out if you can apply by mail or if you must visit the embassy in person. Consider the cost of the application including postage or travel. Having to travel to an embassy to apply for a visa can be expensive.

While researching visas, take note of the amount of time the visa takes to obtain. Sometimes you may have to wait up to a month for an embassy to process the visa. You also have to account for shipping time if you must mail your passport to an embassy for a visa.

You may also need to shift your round the world itinerary based on the visa’s validity. Some visas are only valid for 3 months beginning on the date of issue. Some expire after 3 months if they are not used. You need to use the visa before it expires. You may need to adjust your round the world trip itinerary.

If you find that a visa is too expensive or complicated to obtain, consider cutting that country from your round the world itinerary. Personally, if a country’s visa process is too complicated, I skip it.

Proof of Onward Travel

Some countries require that you have a confirmed ticket out of the country to prove that you have plans to leave the country. This ticket can be back to your home country or to a third country. It can be a flight, bus, or train ticket. Oftentimes, the airline checks for proof of onward travel before they allow you to board your flight. Sometimes immigration checks this before allowing you to enter the country.

Proof of onward travel is often a problem for those traveling long-term or those planning to exit a country overland. Sometimes, it’s impossible to buy bus tickets in advance. Sometimes you don’t have a confirmed booking when you enter a country.

Luckily, there are several solutions to this problem. Some are free and some have a minimal cost. To learn more, check out my guide How to Provide Proof of Onward Travel

Vaccine Requirements for World Travel

A handful of countries require that you have a Yellow Fever vaccine in order to enter. This is a common entry requirement in most countries in Africa and a few countries in South America. All you need is proof that you have been vaccinated in the form of a Yellow Fever vaccine certificate.

If you have been traveling in an area where Yellow fever is a risk, you may be required to show your vaccine certificate in order to enter another country. For example, when I flew from Nairobi to Bangkok, I had to show my Yellow Fever vaccine certificate in order to enter Thailand.

Financial Requirements

A few countries require you to show proof that you have enough money to sustain yourself for the duration of your stay in that country. They do this to make sure that you don’t plan to stay and work illegally.

A bank statement works fine for this. Sometimes, a credit card is sufficient. Countries that have this requirement usually expect you to have at least $5000 in your account. This is a common requirement for those who plan to travel on a working holiday visa in Australia or New Zealand, for example.

A Note on Border Crossings

Be sure to research the entry requirements of the exact border crossing that you plan to use. There are a few instances of borders between two countries being closed due to a conflict between those two countries. For example, you can’t cross between Armenia and Azerbaijan. You must transit through Georgia if you plan to visit those two countries.

Occasionally, borders are only open for locals. Sometimes visas on arrival aren’t available at smaller border crossings. Some border crossings are notorious for bribes or scams and should be avoided if possible. Some are simply hectic. Research each border that you plan to cross to make sure that it is open and crossable without too much hassle.

Updating your Around the World Itinerary

After researching entry requirements, you may have found that some visas are overly complicated or just not possible logistically with your round the world trip itinerary. At this point, revisit your itinerary and re-evaluate your plans.

Consider changing the order of the countries that you plan to visit. You could also substitute countries with other nearby countries with visas that are easier to obtain.

While planning my round-the-world trip, I really wanted to visit Russia. I found that the visa was too expensive and time-consuming to get. After researching, I decided to visit St. Petersburg by ferry because a visa wasn’t required. I then visited the Baltic countries instead of traveling around Russia. This was a nice compromise.

Step 4: Plan Transportation: Round the World Tickets and Ground Transportation

You should have a pretty good idea of your round the world trip itinerary by this time. Now it’s time to begin researching flights. When it comes to arranging your flights, you have two options. You can buy a round-the-world ticket or you can buy your flights separately. In this section, I’ll outline each option and list the pros and cons of each to help you decide which works best for your itinerary.

Round-the-World Tickets

In this case, you book all of your flights before you leave home. A round the world ticket is essentially a flight pass with one of the major airline alliances. The three alliances include One World , Star Alliance , and SkyTeam . Another company called Air Treks offers round-the-world tickets on a wide range of airlines.

Each ticketing company has slightly different terms and conditions. If you choose the rtw ticket route, you can only fly airlines in the alliance that you choose.

Generally, tickets are sold in terms of miles or segments. If you’re buying a rtw ticket based on miles, you can choose from 26,000, 29,000, or 39,000 miles for economy tickets. Each rtw ticket has a maximum number of stopovers that you can make.

If you buy a rtw ticket based on segments, 1 flight=1 segment. If your flight includes a stopover, that counts as 2 segments. In this case, miles aren’t counted. You can maximize the utility of your rtw ticket by using each segment for the longest possible flight.

Pros of Round-the-World Tickets

• Saves time- You don’t have to spend time shopping around for each flight during your journey. You can easily book everything with one company.
• Can be cheaper- If you choose the right rtw ticket for your trip and you’re smart with your booking, you can save around 25% by buying a round-the-world ticket. This is particularly true if you visit a lot of obscure or less popular destinations.
• More convenient- You book all of your flights before you leave home. It’s one less thing to worry about while you’re on the road.
• You can make changes without a charge- Generally, you can change the date of travel for free on round the world tickets. If you want to fly out of a different airport or change your destination, you’ll be charged a fee of around $150 or so.
• You earn points- You can rack up a decent amount of points and gain some nice perks by making so many flights with the same airlines.
• You always have proof of onward travel- If you’re asked for proof of onward travel when checking in for a flight or passing through immigration, you always have a valid ticket to show.

Cons of Round-the-World Tickets

• Can be more expensive- If you buy the wrong rtw ticket or you use flight segments for shorter trips, you can end up spending more than if you had just bought your tickets separately. This is particularly true if you fly between major hubs where flights are inexpensive.
• You can only fly certain airlines- When you buy a round the world flight ticket, you’re committing yourself to only flying the airlines in the alliance that you choose to buy your rtw ticket from. Of course, you can buy additional tickets on other airlines but this adds to the cost.
• You can’t fly budget airlines- None of the major budget airlines belong to any of the alliances. When buying a round-the-world ticket, you can’t take advantage of low fares on Ryanair, Air Asia, Southwest, or Tiger, for example.
• Less flexibility- You need to have a solid round the world trip itinerary before you can book your tickets. You won’t know which rtw ticket to buy if you don’t have an itinerary planned out. This means you can’t be as spontaneous.
• You must start and end your RTW trip in the same country- Most round the world flights have this rule. You can usually start and end in a different city, but it they must be in the same country. For this reason, you can’t really buy a round the world ticket if you’re already traveling.
• Not ideal for those traveling longer than a year- Most round the world tickets have a maximum validity of one year.
• You can only make a limited number of stops in each country- The maximum is usually 3.
• You can’t backtrack in some cases- The rules usually state that you can only backtrack on continents. Backtracking over an ocean usually isn’t permitted.  Sometimes you can’t backtrack at all. Sometimes there are penalties.

Remember, the exact rules depend on the round-the-world ticket that you choose. Some of the above points may not apply. You’ll need to do a bit of research in order to choose the ideal rtw for your particular itinerary.

Buying One-Way Flights Separately

In this case, you simply book each flight of your journey by yourself. You can book as you go or book them all before you leave. You can fly any airline that you wish.

Pros of Booking Flights Separately

• You can fly any airline- You don’t have to stick to the members of one alliance. This gives you more flight options.
• You can fly with budget airlines- This can save you a good amount of money. Most budget airlines don’t belong to an alliance.
• Usually cheaper- Most travelers save money by booking their own tickets. The reason is that you can wait for discounts and deals. Taking advantage of budget airlines also helps cut costs.
• You don’t need a set plan- If you’re the kind of traveler who likes to keep their plans open, you’re better off booking as you go. You can be as spontaneous as you want.
• More freedom- You can fly wherever you want, whenever you want. There are no restrictions in terms of the number of stops, the amount of time you travel, backtracking, where you start or end your rtw trip, etc.

Cons of Booking Flights Separately

• More time-consuming- You must shop around for each flight that you want to book. I’ve spent hours trying to find the right flight.
• Can be more expensive- If you’re traveling to unpopular or obscure destinations, flights can be expensive. In this case, you may end up spending more if you book your own flights.
• You’ll be charged for any changes- If you want to change the dates or destination, you’ll end up paying a fee. I was once charged $250 to change the date of a flight.
• You won’t always have proof of onward travel- If you try to enter a country without first booking a flight out, you won’t have proof of onward travel.

Shopping for Round the World Tickets

Whether you book a round-the-world ticket or book your own really comes down to the type of traveler that you are and your around the world trip itinerary. To determine which option is best for your itinerary, I recommend you price out both options. You’ll also want to consider flight times, durations, layovers, and the airlines you fly with.

Spend some time shopping around on Google flights or Kayak for each of the flights that you plan to take. Add up the cost. Remember that flight prices vary depending on the season and how far in advance you book.

Next, price out around the world tickets. You can buy them from a major airline like United or American Airlines. Alternatively, you can also buy them through a booking company like AirTreks or STA travel.

You may also want to consider playing around with your round the world trip itinerary a little bit. Maybe you can save some money or take better flights by making a minor adjustment. For example, you may have better flight options if you fly from Los Angeles to Tokyo rather than from San Francisco to Tokyo or vice versa. After shopping around for a bit, you should have a pretty good idea of which tickets offer the best value for your specific itinerary.

Tip: Consider making a stopover to break up long journeys

Scheduling a stopover is a good way to visit some places that you otherwise might not get to see. It’s also nice to rest between long flights. May airlines offer free stopovers in the country they are based in. You can also schedule your own stopover by buying multiple tickets with a few days between flights.

I have done this on several occasions. When I flew home from Australia, I made a stopover in Beijing. I visited the Great Wall and enjoyed some incredible Chinese food . I made a similar stopover in Dubai while flying from Europe to India. In this case, I saved some money by booking two separate flights. I also scheduled a stopover in Island when flying from the U.S. to Europe.

For more info, check out my list: 21 free stopover options and how to make them.

Ground Transport

At this point, you can begin planning overland transportation. This includes transportation within cities and transportation between cities. Ground transport can mean buses, trains, taxis, rickshaws, rental cars, shared minibuses, walking, or riding a bike.

Transportation Between Cities

When planning your ground transportation, the most important thing to do is to verify that some form of transportation actually exists between each of your destinations. For the most part, buses or trains can take you a lmost everywhere.

Sometimes you encounter a route where direct transportation isn’t available. In this case, you may have to make a transfer. You don’t need to know the exact route. You just want to find out if your desired route is possible.

Occasionally, you’ll run into a route where transportation isn’t offered every day. Maybe a bus only passes through once per week. In this case, you’ll want to plan your around the world trip itinerary accordingly or find a different way to your destination.

You may find that some routes aren’t possible during a particular season. Maybe a road floods during the rainy season. Maybe heavy snow causes a road to close during the winter. Take the season into consideration when planning your route.

During your round-the-world trip, you’ll probably visit dozens of different cities. You don’t have to waste time researching and planning transport for every leg before you leave. Just make sure that each leg is possible and not prohibitively expensive.

If you encounter a leg that’s just not doable for whatever reason, adjust your around the world trip itinerary accordingly. Maybe you can make a detour and transit through a third city. Maybe you can fly that section.

Some legs you don’t even have to bother researching. It’s pretty safe to assume that you can easily travel between any two major cities in any particular country. For example, you don’t need to bother researching transport between Berlin and Munich until you’re ready to make the trip.

Travel tip: Travel By Night

Consider traveling by night when possible. Traveling by night saves you money on a night of accommodation. When you arrive, you have a full day at your new destination. You aren’t wasting an entire day on a bus or train. As an added bonus, you often arrive at your destination faster because traffic is lighter and borders are less busy during the middle of the night.

It’s important to note that some routes are not as safe to travel at night. When traveling through an area that is considered dangerous, travel by day instead.

Transportation Within Cities

You don’t need to put much time into planning intracity transport. It’s safe to assume that you can easily travel anywhere in the city by bus, metro, tuk-tuk, or on foot.

Consider researching transport between your accommodation and your arrival and departure point as well as any major sites that you want to see. You may also want to research transport options from the airport into the city and back. Airport transportation can be surprisingly expensive. Particularly if the airport is located far outside of the city.

Step 5: Plan Your Accommodation

Next, start considering where you will sleep. Chances are, you will use a mix of different types of accommodation. Your accommodation options include:

• Hostels- Every budget traveler’s favorite. As a long-term traveler, you’re probably going to stay in quite a few hostels. For help deciding where to stay, check out my guide: How to Choose the Best Hostel. Also, check out my guide to hostels vs hotels.
• Hotels- In smaller towns, hotels are often your only accommodation option. Be sure to shop around and negotiate. Sometimes budget hostels are cheaper than hostels.
• Airbnbs- If you’re staying in one place for longer than a week, you can often score a nice long-term discount. Sometimes Airbnb is your cheapest accommodation option. One major benefit to stayin in an Airbnb is that you’ll usually have access to a kitchen where you can cook your own meals. For more info, check out my guide to Airbnb Vs hotels.
• Couchsurfing- Staying with a local host is a great way to get to know a city and make new friends. You can also save a chunk of money by Couchsurfing. Couchsurfing isn’t exactly free. You will have to spend some time with your host. You’ll also be expected to take them out or cook them a meal.
• Camping- Camping really opens up your options in terms of where you can sleep. You can wild camp, stay in campgrounds, and even find free camping in some destinations. I recommend you always travel with a tent during an around the world trip. A tent really opens up your options. It also saves you money.

Research your accommodation options in each of your destinations so you know what to expect in terms of price and facilities. Accommodation is a major expense so it’s important to know what to expect.

The only accommodation that you need to book before your rtw trip is the first night or two at your first destination. There are two reasons for this. First, immigration will probably ask you where you’re staying. You need to have an answer to avoid any hassles. Second, you’ll probably be exhausted, jetlagged, and possibly not thinking right after a long flight. It’s nice to have a place to go after you arrive at the beginning of your trip.

During your rtw trip, I recommend you book accommodation as you go. Just plan ahead a few nights or whatever you’re comfortable with. If you prefer, you can book a month in advance. Most of the time, you can just show up and find a place to stay.

The exception to this is if you’re headed to a particularly busy destination. For example, if you’re traveling during peak season or attending a large event. In this case, you may need to book several months in advance to secure a decent room. Plan ahead.

If you plan to couch surf, you’ll want to start looking for a host at least a week in advance so you can be sure to find a place to stay. Good Airbnbs tend to be booked up early as well. You may wish to make reservations at least a couple of weeks in advance if you can.

While crossing borders, you should always at least have the address and phone number of a hotel or hostel where you plan to stay that night. One of the questions that immigration forms and officials usually ask is ‘where are you staying?’ You need to have an answer to avoid looking suspicious. You don’t want to give them any reason to deny you entry.

Travel tip: Whenever you check into a new room, do a quick check for bed bugs. C heck out my guide How to Avoid Bed Bugs While Traveling to help you out. 

Money and Banking for a Round-the-World Trip

Before you set off on your trip, you want to ensure you always have access to your money. The best way to go about this is to carry several credit cards and debit cards . If one is lost, stolen, or eaten by an ATM, you always have a spare. I like to travel with 2 debit cards and 2 credit cards.

Before opening a new account, shop around for travel cards. Travel credit cards are usually free of foreign transaction fees. You can save a nice chunk of money by avoiding these fees. Also, search for new account perks. Some companies offer enough points for a free flight. I flew round trip from the U.S. to Africa on credit card points.

Before your RTW trip, you should also call your bank and credit card company to let them know that you will be using your card abroad. They will put a travel advisory on your account. They need to know the general dates that you plan to travel and the countries where you will be using the card.

If you don’t notify your bank, a fraud detection system may shut off your card when you try to use it. When this happens, you have to call the bank and ask them to turn the card back on.

If you don’t know all of the dates and countries that you plan to visit, that’s fine. You can always call the bank and update the travel advisory during your rtw trip. Just make sure that you can use your card whenever you arrive in a new country so you can withdraw cash from the ATM.

These days, most banks require two-factor authentification (2FA). After entering your password, the bank sends a code to your phone that you must enter to log in. You need to be able to receive calls or texts to receive the 2FA code. You can use your regular number if your phone company offers international texting. Alternatively, you can use a VOIP service like Google Voice.

Y ou should also carry some cash . I usually carry around $300-$1000 depending on my destination. I try to carry enough to sustain myself for at least a week . That gives me enough time to sort out any problems that may arise with my cards or banking.

You want to carry a currency that you can easily exchange everywhere. US dollars are the best. Euros and British Pounds work fine as well. Carry bills in denominations of 20, 50, or 100 that are new and in good condition. Smaller bills are harder to exchange.

Step 6: Packing

If t his is your first big trip, you may need to buy a couple of items in preparation. Travel gear that you may need includes:

• A backpack or suitcase- For a round-the-world trip, I recommend a backpack instead of a suitcase. Make sure you buy a quality one as you’ll be putting it through a lot of abuse. Look for a pack in the 40-65 liter range. For most travelers, a 40 liter pack is ideal. If you pack camping gear and a lot of electronics, you’ll need a larger pack. I have traveled with my Osprey Talon 44 hiking backpack for about 10 years and am really happy with it. Read my full review here.
• Outlet converters- These allow you to plug your electronics into the various types of outlets found around the world. I recommend you only pack electronics that can be used in 120-240v outlets so you can avoid carrying a heavy voltage converter.
• Good shoes and sandals- You’ll be walking a lot. Probably multiple miles per day. Buy quality footwear before your around the world trip.
• A smartphone with a good camera- Modern smartphone cameras are good enough for travel photography. You’ll also use your phone for navigation, communication, and entertainment.
• Travel clothing- Consider buying some quality travel clothes. Travel clothes are durable, breathable, and quick drying. I like merino wool clothing because it is odor resistant.
• Money belt- This is a hidden pocket that you wear around your waist. The idea is to hide your cash, cards, passport, and other valuables from pickpockets and muggers. I use the Eagle Creek Silk Undercover money belt. Read my full review here.

If you forget anything, it’s not that big of a deal. You can buy pretty much whatever you need at your destination. You don’t really need much gear to travel.

Try to pack a week or so before you set off on your round-the-world trip. I recommend that you live out of your travel backpack during that time. This way, you’ll notice if anything is missing. If there is anything that you didn’t use after that week, you can most likely leave it at home.

If possible, try to stick to a carry-on bag only. This can be a challenge for some travelers but makes the trip much smoother. Being able to carry your bag on a plane, bus, or train saves time and money. It’s also more secure. When you want to walk long distance with your backpack, you’ll be happy that you packed light as well.

For more help packing, check out my Ultralight Travel Packing List. Here, I outline everything you need to pack for a long-term trip. The guide includes info on clothing, toiletries, electronics, camping gear, backpacks, and more. Also, check out my guides to packing cubes and rolling vs folding clothes for more help packing.

Step 7: Re-Evaluate Your Plans and Refine Your Itinerary

Chances are, you’ve overscheduled yourself. Try to streamline your trip. If you have sections that require backtracking, consider eliminating them or re-arranging your itinerary a bit. If there are some destinations that you’re unsure of, eliminate them. You can always visit them on your next trip.

If you overschedule, you’ll feel exhausted and rushed. It’s better to give yourself some extra time so you can slow down. You will never feel bored. You can always add destinations during your trip if you choose.

Sample Round the World Trip Itinerary

If you already have a solid round the world trip itinerary picked out, you can skip this section. If you’re inexperienced with travel or if you’re just undecided, I’ll try to outline a basic itinerary in this section to help you get started.

A basic round-the-world trip itinerary includes stops in North America, Asia, and Europe. Some travelers include South America and Africa. Many travelers choose to skip their home continent because they’ve probably already spent a bit of time traveling there.

The round the world trip itinerary that I’m about to outline starts on the West Coast of the US and travels east around the world. This itinerary starts here simply because that’s where I live. You can pick up this round the world itinerary wherever you live and adapt it to make it work for you.

Start by choosing a large European city to fly into. London, Paris, Amsterdam, and Frankfurt are great choices. Next, choose a region of the continent to travel.

An example of a good Europe itinerary might be to fly into London and then travel to Amsterdam, Paris, Berlin, Prague, Venice, and Rome.

Alternatively, you might choose to travel through Eastern Europe. A good Eastern Europe itinerary would be to fly into a large city in Germany then travel to Poland, Czech Republic, Hungary, and Romania.

From a large European city, fly to your next continent, Asia.

Choose a region of Asia to visit. Most first-time visitors choose to visit Southeast Asia. From a large European city, choose a large city in Southeast Asia to fly into. Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur, or Singapore are good choices.

An example itinerary around Southeast Asia would be to fly into Singapore and then travel overland through Malaysia, Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam.

From Southeast Asia, fly to the next continent, North America.

North America

From A large city, fly into a Coastal city in North America like Seattle, San Francisco, Los Angeles, or Vancouver on the west coast or New York, Miami, or Washington DC on the east coast. From your starting point travel North or South along the Coast.

Alternatively, you could travel overland across the country by bus or train or rent a car and take a road trip. Some popular stops include Las Vegas, Chicago, Memphis, and New Orleans .

From North America, you could fly home. If you want to continue your trip, fly to South America from a large city.

South America

Most round the world travelers choose a region of the continent to travel.

If you prefer to visit northern South America, fly into Colombia, travel through Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Bolivia.

If you prefer to visit southern South America, fly into Buenos Aires, Santiago, Sao Paulo, or Rio de Janeiro and visit Argentina, Chile, Brazil, Uruguay, and Paraguay.

The best way to get around in South America is by bus. You can also fly longer distance sections if you choose. From a large South American city, catch a flight home.

For more info on this region, check out my guide here.

For whatever reason, most round-the-world itineraries skip my favorite continent, Africa. If you decide to include Africa in your round-the-world trip, a decent itinerary would be to fly into Nairobi and then travel overland to Uganda, Rwanda, and Tanzania. Alternatively, you could fly into Cape Town and travel around South Africa, Namibia, and Botswana.

Consider visiting Africa After visiting Europe or Asia. You’ll find affordable flights to many destinations around the continent from Paris, London, and the Dubai.

For more help planning an Africa leg for your round-the-world trip, check out my guide to planning a Cairo to Cape Town trip. Also, check out my other Africa guides for more inspiration.

Many round-the-world trips also include a visit to Australia or New Zealand in their round the world itinerary. Alternatively, you could visit some Pacific Islands. Oceania would be a convenient destination to visit After Asia or North America. You can find affordable flights to Australia and New Zealand from many large Asian and North American cities.

My Round-the-World Trips

In my travels, I have made 2 round the world trips. I made my first trip around the world in 2013. During the trip, I traveled for around 6 months and visited 15 countries. I visited many of my dream destinations and saw some wonders of the world in person. I started at home in Southern California and traveled East. My around-the-world trip Itinerary was as follows:

• Los Angeles to Reykjavik, Iceland- I made a 4 day free stopover by flying IcelandAir.
• Reykjavik to Helsinki- I continued my flight and spent a few days exploring Helsinki.
• Helsinki to St. Petersburg- I caught the ferry to St. Petersburg and took advantage of the 72 hour visa free visit program .
• St. Petersburg to Tallinn, Estonia- I returned to Helsinki and then caught a ferry to Tallinn on the same day.
• Tallinn, Estonia to Riga, Latvia- I caught a bus to Riga , Latvia.
• Riga to Dubai – I made a 3 day free stopover in Dubai.
• Dubai to India- I continued my flight on to Delhi , India.
• Train travel through India- I spent about a month traveling in India by train. I traveled to Varanasi, Agra, around Rathastan, and Goa, then flew out of Mumbai.
• Mumbai to Bangkok- I caught a flight to Southeast Asia and explored Thailand for a month.
• Travel through Thailand- I visited Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Koh Tao, Koh Pha Ngan, and Koh Phi Phi, traveling by bus and train.
• Thailand to Cambodia – I caught a minibus from Bangkok to Siem Reap, Cambodia. I spent a few weeks visiting Siem Reap, Phnom Penh, and Sihanoukville.
• Cambodia to Vietnam- I caught a bus from Sihanoukville, Cambodia to Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.
• Ho Chi Minh City to Hanoi- I bought a motorcycle and rode the length of Vietnam. I visited Ho Chi Minh City, Nha Trang, Hoi Ann, Hue, and Hanoi.
• Vietnam to L aos- I took a bus from Hanoi, Vietnam to Luang Prabang, Laos
• Travel through Laos- I spent a few weeks visiting Luang Prabang, Vang Vieng, and Vientiane, Laos.
• Laos to Thailand- I returned to Thailand by bus and traveled there for a couple of weeks.
• Thailand to Malaysia- I took the bus to Malaysia and spent a couple of weeks in Penang and Kuala Lumpur.
• Malaysia to Singapore- I caught a bus south and spent a few days exploring Singapore.
• Singapore to Melbourne, Australia- I caught a flight to Melbourne and spent a month traveling up the East Coast of Australia until I reached Cairns.
• Australia to Beijing- I made a free stopover in Beijing while flying Air China.
• Beijing to Los Angeles- I flew home from Beijing.

I completed my second around the world trip in 2017. This one just focused on Africa. I flew from Los Angeles, California to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. From there, I traveled overland through 11 countries until I reached Cape Town, South Africa. From Cape Town, I flew to Bangkok where I relaxed for about 10 days. I then caught a flight back to Los Angeles, making a short stopover in Seoul on the way. This wasn’t originally intended to be a Round-the-World trip but the flights were cheaper if I stopped in Asia so I did.

Currently, I’m in the middle of my third around-the-world trip. I started this rtw trip in South America, visiting Peru, Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay, and Paraguay. From there, I flew to Uganda, where I currently am. I will continue to the Middle East and then to Southeast Asia before returning home.

Tips for Planning A Round the World Trip

It’s important to accept that you’re not going to see it all in one around the world trip. Most round the world travelers visit 10-20 countries. There are 196 countries. You can’t go everywhere. You have to carefully pick and choose where you want to go during your RTW trip.

Also, avoid counting countries. I have met quite a few travelers who like to brag about the number of countries that they have visited on their trips. Most of the time, these people don’t really get to see or experience much of anything in the countries that they visit. They’re always in a rush. I used to be like this. Now I travel slowly and enjoy each destination so much more.

The best advice that I can give while planning your own round-the-world trip is to travel where you want to go. You can take the advice of other travelers and your friends and family but it’s important to plan your own route Don’t travel somewhere just because you feel like you have to go because it’s popular. Don’t avoid a country just because a family member tells you it’s too dangerous. Do your own research and make an informed decision.

Also, d on’t feel bad about visiting touristy places or participating in cheesy touristy activities. It’s your around the world trip. You are spending your own time and money. Do whatever you want to do. The best part of travel is the absolute freedom that it gives you.

Final Thoughts

Planning a round-the-world trip is an exciting and rewarding experience. Taking the time to research your destination, arrange visas, secure transport, and accommodations, and plan activities ahead of time can help ensure a safe and enjoyable journey. Whether you’re looking to venture off the beaten path or simply relax in some of the world’s most beautiful places, having a round the world trip itinerary prepared will give you peace of mind as you explore all that the world has to offer. Wherever you plan to travel, I hope this guide has helped you plan.

Are you currently planning or have you taken a round-the-world trip? Share your around the world trip itinerary in the comments below!

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Zachary Friedman is an accomplished travel writer and professional blogger. Since 2011, he has traveled to 66 countries and 6 continents. He founded ‘Where The Road Forks’ in 2017 to provide readers with information and insights based on his travel and outdoor recreation experience and expertise. Zachary is also an avid cyclist and hiker. Living as a digital nomad, Zachary balances his professional life with his passions for hiking, camping, cycling, and worldwide exploration. For a deeper dive into his journey and background, visit the About page. For inquiries and collaborations, please reach out through the Contact page. You can also follow him on Facebook.

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mahmoud salah

Monday 6th of January 2020

What a guide!! Very informative thank you, im planning on doing cape town to cairo early 2021

wheretheroadforks

Glad you found it useful! Check out my Cairo to Cape Town guide as well if you get the chance. I think you'll find some good info in there to help you plan the trip.

6 Sensible (and Not-So-Sensible) Round-the-World Travel Itineraries

Recently I shared five planning tips for creating your ideal round-the-world travel itinerary. A reader suggested that a few sample itineraries might make useful reading, and the opportunity to play around with RTW routes for a better reason than purely my own amusement was too good to pass up.

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For the sake of simplicity, I’m going to start every route in New York. I don’t live there, but I bet more readers do than in my current hometown in Western Australia, and wherever you are, you’re more likely to be able to adapt a route going through the US to suit your own situation. I’m using my favorite RTW site TripPlanner for the price estimates.

So to start off, and following my own advice, let’s look at some routes that include what I would call “sensible” destinations.

A Varied Route: Not Just Beaches, But Not Too Much Cash

New York — Barcelona — Athens — Cairo — Dubai — Bangkok — Sydney — Auckland — San Francisco — New York

For just over $3,000, it’s possible to get a RTW ticket stopping at places as varied as Gaudi-haven Barcelona, historically soaked Cairo (I hadn’t thought of Athens, but it got thrown in by TripPlanner as a free stopover), the modern architectural marvel of Dubai, and a stop in Bangkok which you could turn into a beach sojourn in a quiet part of Thailand. Getting home again could see you explore parts of east coast Australia and New Zealand before soaking up the San Francisco Bay atmosphere.

If you’re looking for variety, think big. Nobody says you have to stop at the biggest or most well-known cities. Many standard routes would head to London or Frankfurt rather than Barcelona, but why not head straight to the cities that really interest you most?

A Not-Overdoing-It Route: Don’t Squeeze the Whole World In

New York — Moscow — Singapore — Tokyo — Honolulu — Vancouver — Seattle — New York

Too much variety can be too much of a good thing. This route’s cheapest variant comes out at around $2,500, and I picked it using a handful of cities that have really interested me of late. Singapore and Seattle were free extras thrown in by the system — places where these routes would make stopovers anyway — but Moscow, Tokyo, Honolulu and Vancouver make to me a fascinating and relaxing vacation which also doesn’t need to last more than a few weeks.

A Cheap Route: Cheap Fare, Cheap Living Costs

New York — Shanghai — Bangkok — Delhi — Amsterdam — New York

For just over $2,000, you can get around the world with a few stops in the cheaper parts of Asia and one of the slightly less expensive cities of Europe. If you spend most of your trip in China, Thailand and India, or other areas of south-east Asia where living and traveling expenses are relatively low, you’ll have enough cash to enjoy a European stopover like Amsterdam on your way home.

A Summer Route: Don’t Pack A Coat

New York — London — Vienna — Hong Kong — Bangkok — Singapore — Perth — Melbourne — Christchurch (NZ) — Auckland (NZ) — Los Angeles — New York

This gets trickier, and we’re talking about a longer trip, nine months or a year. Say we start in New York in April — that’s spring in the northern hemisphere. Head to Europe for the northern summer. As the seasons change, enjoy the eternal warmth of tropical Asia, then when the southern hemisphere summer begins in December, head to Australia and New Zealand for a few months. Summer all the way, and you’ll have really cut back on your clothes packing by avoiding cold weather. But for a relatively reasonable $3,500, you’ve really seen a lot of the world in your shorts and T-shirt.

A Quick Route: Around the World in Much Less Than 80 Days

New York — Paris — Dubai — Hong Kong — Los Angeles — New York

While this is not really my style of traveling, I still think that giving someone the chance to see some very different corners of the globe, even if it’s only for a short time, is better than staying at home. You get the romance of Europe typified in Paris, a stopover in Dubai and an easy Asian thrill in Hong Kong, starting from around $2,200. This is the kind of route you could fit into a two-week vacation. I’m not recommending it, but if you can’t get any more time off, then it’s a viable alternative.

An Eccentric Route: Writer’s Choice

New York — Miami — Lima — Mexico City — Los Angeles — Tahiti — Auckland — Sydney — Ho Chi Minh City — Singapore — Mumbai — Delhi — Moscow — Frankfurt — Madrid — Casablanca — London — New York

Like I said: go wild. This is the ultimate RTW route I’d take if money was no object (it comes in at around $5,000). I’ve still chosen it with relative care about which connections are sensible, so that I don’t spend half of a year away sitting at airports.

Lessons From Itinerary Planning

If you sit down to plan your own round the world itinerary, be prepared to spend a reasonable amount of time at it. Over the years, I’ve looked at so many different routes — and thank goodness that the marvels of the internet makes this easy to do without the help of travel agents, who would never be patient with all my questions and ideas — that I have a good idea of the various routes that exist the world over. As you practice, you’ll get the hang of it too, and soon work out that getting in and out of South America is tricky and usually expensive, whereas hopping around Asia is usually relatively cheap.

Of all the possible travel planning you can do, designing a round-the-world itinerary of flights is probably one of the most enjoyable. Open yourself up to the millions of possibilities that exist. Take your time to play and adjust your route to see what else you can squeeze out of it — a few dollars saved, or an exciting stopover added. Enjoy your RTW planning, and then make sure you tell us about it so we can share the excitement a bit too.

Love those suggestions! I spend many-a-bored moment at work working and reworking RTW itineraries on AirTreks.com. LOL. Good day dream tool, to be sure.

cool article. Because of the nature of RTW flights you can also fit in some really great destination that would otherwise cost a lot of money on single trips, like Svalbard and Easter Island.

Definitely agree with you there, Mark. And hopefully now and again we can turn some of those daydreams into reality. Which of course leads to a whole host of other places we want to visit and more dream itineraries and …

After visiting Southeast Asia, I would definitely recommend replacing Singapore with Bangkok for anyone looking for a cultural experience. Not to mention it is way cheaper. Also, you briefly mentioned that South America can be expensive. How much more should you plan on spending to get there? Technically you are going AROUND the world in those scenarios, but you’re skipping an entire continent. I’ve never been there, but it seems worth seeing. Was there any more motive behind skipping SA, or is it simply just the cost?

Hi Dave, That’s true, I only headed to South America in that very last itinerary (the “dream” one at around $5,000) and the only reason it didn’t feature in other itineraries is the cost. For me it’s more practical as a destination where you head there and back, rather than try to include it on a RTW, unless it’s a really long trip and time/money aren’t so much of an object. Don’t get me wrong, there are a million reasons to get to South America!

I have enjoyed reading your articles and postings about RTW travel. My wife and I, cafe owners on the east coast of the US are in our 40’s-50’s are are hoping to take a long (2-3 year) trip around the world which would take us to a large number of destinations. What we are trying to understand and figure out is this: if, for instance you wanted to go to Europe and see England, Ireland, Scotland and then Italy, Spain, Portugal, France, Croatia, Greece and on to Turkey what do you do regarding flights? Do you fly from country to country and use trains/buses/cars to get around to places within the country? Do you fly into one place, rent a car or use trains, and travel to many spots before flying out of another country? How do you think of those issues? Do you establish a base or travel from place to place?

You best and cheapest travel method in Europe is over land, via train. I’d recommend flying into a major city and branching out from there…Ireland and England can be visited via boat. It’s really a matter of time vs money. Perhaps you have both?

I like the “eclectic” itenerary with a few exceptions/additions. Can you give me some advice regarding adding Tanzania/Serengeti, Bhutan, Turkey? How much time would you allow for the trip as a whole, or for your trip? What would be a reasonable expectation of total cost?

Great ideas! How does this route sound:

Boston – Rio de Janeiro – Marrakesh – Paris – London – Edinburgh – Amalfi Coast (or Cinque Terre) – Dubai – Varanasi – Hong Kong – Los Angeles – Boston

It comes in at around $4000, so I’d be saving up for a while. I’m planning on doing this sort of thing my whole life, where I save 15% of my salary each year for travel. So, is there anything on this list that I should save for later, rather than stay for 2-3 weeks (which I plan to do for the RTW)?

Changed: (Parentheses are for the number of days I’d spend there.) This one isn’t definite, yet.

Boston – Edinburgh(5) – London(3) – Paris(5) – Malta(10) – Marrakesh(7) – Dubai(10) – Hong Kong(10) – Los Angeles(5) – Rio de Janeiro(12) – Boston

This route comes in at $3796 to $5200 an it’ll take a little over 2 months to travel. It might be just me, but I don’t think there’s enough variety, since Marrakesh and Dubai are together; LA and Rio are together; and so are Edinburgh and London. Anything I should add/subtract? I travel for any purpose. It can be exciting and adventurous or relaxing.

I’m not really definite on Malta, because I wanna add some Italy, but Malta is the cheapest for travel and a lot of people say they prefer it to the Amalfi Coast and Capri. And then for Edinburgh, I’m not really into haunted castles, but it seems like a cool place other than that.

i don’t know about this – but i for one wanted to do – SA (5) – Brazil (4) – lima (6) – Rio (5) – and after that i get lost because i want to fit in Spain (5) – Greece (6) – Turkey (6) – Jordan (4) – Russia (8) – trans siberian train (5) – and then even worse is i want to do cambodia (5) and vietnam (5) about 65 days – you think its too far fetched or is it possible within these many days – i am also wondering how these RTW flights be possible.

About to retire at age 72, still workout every day, am planning on a one year vacation as follows: September -mid December: NYC-Panama City-Guayaquil- Galapagos-Lima-(Have already spent two years in South Pacific-Aus-NZ) South Africa (3 weeks including Safari)- Morrocco-Brussels. THEN RT Brussels-Florida for the winter and to see family. Mid- March back to Brussels- 2 months rail Europe- Turkey-Dubai-Mumbai-Chiang Mai-Myanmar- Seoul- Tokyo- Vancouver and home in July for rest of summer (Have already visited China 4 times and Indian Golden Triangle, Thailand, and Vietnam/Cambodia) Would appreciate thoughts from anyone who has bothered to read thru all this.

Peter, I noticed in reading your post that you wrote December, 2013, yet mentioned getting ready to travel September so my thoughts are that should be preparing to go in the next couple of months or so. Is that right.

Then you mention stopping in Florida for family. I was interested because I too am just sort of retiring (run a small sole agent travel business) and would like to keep my hand in travel through a web blog while moving around the world.

Will you be traveling alone and have you researched that or have you done much of solo traveling before. If you are expecting to stop by Florida sometime in the future, and will have started a RTW, I would love to chat with you more.

Possibly you could return and email to me at [email protected] and we could chat. Thanks, Saundra

Thanks for a comprehensive list of itineraries, my wife and I did a RTW trip 10 years ago with Russia and Egypt NYC Canada and so much more. We need do it again but with 2 little ladies from Perth WA! Need to include NZ, Disney land, LA? London, ooh maybe India and China? Better still we could pop over for a cuppa and discuss?

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Travel Guides

My travel guides aim to give you the best and most up-to-date information on the major travel destinations around the world. (I know how bad it is to get outdated information from a print guidebook so I keep all these pages updated constantly!)

Here you will find things to see and do, information about costs, my best money-saving advice, recommendations on places to stay, suggested restaurants, transportation tips, and safety advice. I give you everything I know about each destination.

No matter what type of vacation you are going on — a cruise, backpacking trip, island getaway, two-week holiday, round-the-world trip, or family vacation — these destination guides will give you all the information you need so you can travel better, longer, and cheaper.

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General Travel Tips and Resources

Travel is more than just getting up and going. It’s about being knowledgeable so you can travel better, cheaper, and longer. So besides the destination guides above, below you will find links to articles I’ve written that deal with planning your trip and other general advice, so your total vacation is as amazing as it can be. These articles are relevant for any trip, no matter how long!

• How to Find Cheap Flights
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• How to Choose a Backpack
• My Best 61 Travel Tips
• 16 Steps for Planning a Trip
• My Ultimate Packing Guide
• How to Buy Travel Insurance
• 12 Tips for New Travelers
• My Favorite Hostels
• Solo Female Travel Tips
• How to Pick a Travel Credit Card
• Common Travel Scams to Avoid
• 15 Ways to Work Overseas
• 8 Budget Vacation Ideas
• Travel Hacking 101
• How to Travel with a Theme
• Stay in Europe More Than 90 Days
• The Best Travel Credit Cards

My Budget City Guides

Book Your Trip Now!

Below are my favorite companies to use when I travel. They are always my starting point when I need to book a flight, hotel, tour, or train, or for meeting people!

• Skyscanner – Skyscanner is my favorite flight search engine. It searches small websites and budget airlines that larger search sites tend to miss. It is hands-down the number one place to start.
• Going – Going (formerly Scott’s Cheap Flights) finds incredible flight deals and sends them directly to your inbox. If you’re flexible with your dates and destinations, you can score some amazing deals and save hundreds of dollars in the process!
• Hostelworld – This is the best hostel accommodation site out there, with the largest inventory, best search interface, and widest availability.
• Booking.com – The best all-around booking site. It constantly provides the cheapest and lowest rates and has the widest selection of budget accommodation. In all my tests, it’s always had the cheapest rates out of all the booking websites.
• Intrepid Travel – If you want to do group tours, go with Intrepid. They offer good small-group tours that use local operators and leave a minimal environmental footprint. And, as a reader of this site, you’ll get exclusive discounts too!
• Get Your Guide – This is a huge online marketplace for tours and excursions. It has tons of tour options in cities all around the world, including everything from cooking classes and walking tours to street art lessons!
• SafetyWing – This site offers convenient and affordable plans tailored to digital nomads and long-term travelers. It has cheap monthly plans, great customer service, and an easy-to-use claims process that makes it perfect for those on the road.
• Discover Cars – Discover Cars is a car rental aggregator that can help you find the best deals for your next road trip. It pulls data from over 8,000 car rental locations to ensure you always find a great deal!
• Trusted Housesitters – Trusted Housesitters is a platform that connects you with people in need of pet and house sitters. In exchange for looking after their pets or home, you’ll get access to free accommodation.
• Top Travel Credit Cards – Points are the best way to cut down travel expenses. Here’s my favorite point earning credit cards so you can get free travel!

Check out my travel resources section, which includes even more of my favorite travel companies that will save you money, will help improve your travels, and offer great customer service!

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How to Travel Around the World

Last updated on November 6, 2023 by Shannon

My heart pitter-pattered with fear when I touched down in Sydney way back in 2008. That was the first day of my yearlong around the world trip (which would turn into 15+ years traveling and living overseas ). With online information scarce about long-term travel back then, this website documented my trip, and also shared all the practical details of world travel. 

You have two reading options. Sit down with a coffee and soak in my tips in the “Step-by-Step, Exactly How to Travel the Word” section—each tip links to an in depth discussion of that topic. Or, quickly browse by resources for your current planning stage in my “Most Common Questions” section.

Table of Contents

Why trust me to help plan your world travels?

Travel blogging was in its infancy and those with a dream to travel the world were left to hunt for advice in forums or dated library books. Fifteen years later, A Little Adrift is still the single most comprehensive resource online about long-term around the world travel .

Since that first day on the road back in 2008, I’ve completed numerous round the world trips and been named National Geographic Traveler of the Year. After 10 years of near-constant travel, with expat stints in Mexico, Thailand, and Bali, I moved to my home base in Spain in 2018 and explore from there with my toddler son.

Below, I share answers to every single reader question I’ve fielded over the years about long-term travel—and also everything I’ve figured out through trial and error. The FAQ page houses niche questions about planning world travel.

Although I traveled solo for the bulk of my round the world trips, I’ve also traveled and volunteered with friends, family, and even my four tween-aged nieces and nephews .

In short, I have the travel credibility to back up every recommendation I make. I specialize in long-term travel and moving overseas as an expat or digital nomad working from the road .

Planning to travel the world is overwhelming. This page catalogs posts tackling every major subject about plotting, planning, and successfully navigating world travel.

Step-by-Step, Exactly How to Travel the Word

1. Decide that you will make world travel a priority.

If you clearly have the wanderlust gene and you’re dreaming of travel but on the fence about if you can or should take a trip , just decide that you will do it. Set the intention and start viewing the world through the lens of, “How can I make world travel a reality for myself.” Opportunities and conversations you would have otherwise missed will filter into your life.

2. Assess your savings and debt.

Although you can travel the world for a lot less than you think— you can travel for an entire year for $20K for one person —you should still give your savings a hard look and use these tips for saving for travel to pad the trip fund.

Since I was working remotely the entire past 15+ years of travel, I paid down debt during my first four years of travel; I just factored that into my trip budget. Finding a side hustle now, or remote work, will speed up your ability to travel the world.

3. Renew your passport (or apply for one) right now.

Your passport is your gateway to the world and there is no reason to put off applying for a passport until just before your trip—instead, prioritize this step so that it’s in process while you plan your world travels. And if your travels are a ways off, a passport is a good motivator to stay the course!

4. Begin purging your belongings.

If you’re giving up your home or apartment, it’s never too soon to start selling things you won’t need, and donating those things you don’t use. Getting rid of everything you own is a process, and you should undertake it alongside planning your world travels.

5. Come up with a reasonable budget for your trip .

Take stock of how much money you’ll have saved for your world travels, and the length of time you’ll spend on the road. Factor in any payments you’ll need to maintain while away, like paying down debt or a mortgage.

Calculate your daily average travel allowance by dividing your total budget (minus debt) by your days spent on the road. While it’s still possible in 2023 to travel the world for an average of $50 a day, that’s trickier to accomplish in a lot of countries, so you need to know where your daily average falls. Here’s how to calculate an accurate budget for long-term world travel .

6. Brainstorm the many places you could travel.

Dream big when listing all of the places you’d like to visit—perhaps some locations were inspired by reading the best travel books out there, or others are bucket list locations you’ve always dreamed of seeing. Make your list broad but still the cream of the crop ideas.

7. Assess the cost of visiting different countries.

Now look at your list and note how much it costs to visit each of these places. Traveling in Southeast Asia , for example, has a far lower daily budget than traveling Scandinavia, for example. Assess if some of your destinations are grouped close together and would be better visited as a single trip, versus your around the world trip.

Also look into how much it costs to live in a place as a digital nomad —you may want to spend three months or more enjoying one location as an expat before continuing your travels.

8. Pick a route around the world.

You’ll need to pick a direction you’ll travel from your home country, and then start slotting in the countries as you build your around the world itinerary . Aim for a balance of developed and developing countries so that you can meet your budgeting goals.

On my own yearlong world travels , I cut out Scandinavia early in my planning because of the cost, and because I knew I could easily visit that corner of the world on a future trip. I kept in destinations that were budget-friendly, and that I would challenge me and create a more transformative trip .

9. Plan your homeschooling journey if you’re traveling with kids.

Learn from other families who have traveled for months and years with school-aged children on the various ways that you can homeschool , world school, and unschool during your trip. I homeschooled my niece for her sixth grade year as we lived in Thailand and traveled Asia together, picking up life lessons along the way .

10. Book your transportation.

Decide if you should buy a round-the-world ticket for your trip, or if you should instead use cheap one-way flights as you travel the world.

And you can even travel the world without flying by using overland transportation like trains and boats. Some boat trips can be cushy, like a repositioning cruise, while others are more utilitarian, like booking passage on a cargo ship.

Once you’ve paid a fair bit of money toward your trip, you need travel insurance to protect your investment. I recommend IMG or Safetywing as the best options for long-term travel.

11. Pick out the right gear.

Long-term world travel is not like a weekend getaway, you need a balance of gear that you can afford, and gear that will hold up to the wear-and-tear of non-stop travel.

You should pick the right RTW backpack or luggage, and then buy select pieces of clothing and gear that will be most valuable to you on the trip you have planned. You don’t need to buy everything new , but you might need to invest in quality hiking shoes, sunny-weather gear for sun protection, and other things.

Here’s what to consider when packing for long-term travel , and also the best crossbody travel purse I’ve found. I also carry an ergonomic, portable travel system since I work from the road.

12. Make a plan now for handling your personal life while away.

Start weeks and months before you departure date to plan how you will receive and process mail , and which travel debit cards will best hold up to the rigors of life on the road (spoiler alert: Schwab is hands-down the best bank for travelers).

And the obligation to file and pay your taxes doesn’t disappear while you travel.

13. Make sure all of your vaccines are up-to-date.

Even if you’ve traveled extensively, your coverage for some vaccines may have expired—many last just five-to-ten years. Check your vaccine record , and assess if you need any odd-ball ones like Yellow Fever, based on your world travel route.

14. Understand how to stay healthy while you travel.

Getting sick is inevitable for long-term travelers, either a common flu, or any of the more serious diarrheal illnesses could strike. Know how to not get sick on vacation , as well as what to do once you are. Carrying something like a SteriPen or LifeStraw can lower your changes of getting sick on your trip.

And women should consider using a Diva Cup , which is an easy, reusable way to handle your period on the road—I’ve found it cleaner than the mainstream alternatives.

15. Apply for your visas.

Depending on where you’re traveling, you’ll need to apply for a visa before you can legally enter the country. While many countries offer visa-on-arrival, a fair few others require that you apply either online or in person at an embassy.

16. Start planning your travel specifics.

If you’re traveling the world for less than six weeks, you’ll probably need to do a fair bit of legwork planning the specifics before you leave—that means choosing the type of accommodation to use , and then booking it. (Photo at the Taj Mahal in India)

Contrary to what many believe, you actually need to plan a lot less if you’re traveling for many months. I always book just my first week in a new place if I have months at my disposal, unless I’m traveling during high season, when you need two-to-three weeks of bookings to avoid exorbitant prices.

I also look for social enterprises that I can incorporate into my trip, as well as volunteer opportunities , if I plan to stay in one spot for many months.

17. Educate yourself on challenges faced by most world travelers.

From learning how to stay safe to avoiding travel fatigue , you’re going to need some new knowledge that doesn’t always come up during short-term travels. Other issues many travelers face include overcoming loneliness —using a travel journal app that keeps you easily sharing and communicating with family can help.

18. Pack with intention and finesse.

Packing for long-term travel is an art, and one that you’ll get better at the longer you’re on the road. To start, you should plan a versatile wardrobe that can take you through the majority of the places on your route—if you’re stopping to ski in one spot, but in sunny climes the rest of the time, you should just rent gear.

Consider using packing cubes , which are among the best ways to stay organized on the road . And you’ll need at least an RFID wallet to carry your passport , if not a money belt to keep it safe. I also pack a few bits-and-bobs that I consider my Travel MacGuyer gear .

19. Know how to get the most out of traveling the world.

Many people seek transformational travel experiences , but don’t know how to make that happen. A lot of what you seek comes from deep cultural immersion —it’s about visiting the iconic, touristy spots, but then going deeper under the skin of a place through things like cooking class, using local transportation , eating the street food alongside locals, and more.

No every day as a backpacker or world traveler is what you dream of right now, but every day is an opportunity to learn something new from the place you’re visiting.

20. Navigate like a pro while you travel.

It’s easier than ever to use an e-SIM to have data on your phone the moment you land, or most places in the world offer cheap SIM cards packed with enough data to access your travel apps and get you where you need to go.

Consider using services like WhatsApp (the traveler Gold Standard) and Google Voice to stay up-to-date with those back home, and with new travel friends. You’ll also need a VPN—this is a must for not only accessing Netflix US, but also to access your bank and some services that use IP blocking. I’ve used NordVPN for years and it’s never failed me.

Most Common Questions About Traveling the World

Is a life of world travel right for you?

If you’re dreaming of around the world travel and need inspiration, the advice and perspectives in these stories will point you closer down your path toward travel. Whether you doubt if you can afford world travel, or if your family will approve, there’s advice here for you.

• How Do You Make Big Decisions?
• Why I Decided to Travel the World
• Creating Transformative Travel Experiences
• A Letter to Young Travel Dreamers
• The Best Travel Books

Afford a life of world travel.

For most people, we can afford those things we prioritize. And while life is never that simple, international world travel is likely more affordable than you assume—it all depends on how you save, where you go, and for how long. These resources share how to navigate budgeting and all things money and travel.

• How to Get Out of Debt
• How to Save for World Travel
• How Much Does it Cost to Travel the World
• The Best Credit and Debit Cards for Travel
• Using Geoarbitrage to Live Abroad
• How to Work Remotely While You Travel

Plan long-term world travel, specifically.

Planning an around the world trip spanning months or years is a very different beast than a short trip. Here’s what you need to know from my 13+ years of peripatetic wanders.

• Plan Your Itinerary Around the World
• Packing for Long-Term Travel
• Homeschooling While Traveling
• How to Purge Everything You Own
• How to Pick the Right RTW Backpack?
• Buying RTW Flights: Everything You Should Know
• FAQ for Long-Term Travels (Taxes, Mail, Etc.)

Research & book your around the world trip.

Finding the great flight deals (and learning how to use credit cards for travel hacking) can significantly lessen the cost of traveling the world. These resources share my go-to methods for findings flights, accommodation, visas, and things to do in each new place.

• Travel Accommodation 101
• How to Find Great Flight Deals
• Should You Buy RTW Flights?
• Visas for Long-Term Travelers
• Free Destination Guides

Stay healthy and safe.

Staying healthy while traveling is an art and a science combined. When you’re traveling in developing regions of the world, it’s just a matter of when you’ll get sick. Be prepared. Know how to approach travel safety and health before you need this vital information. Here’s how:

• How to Pick the Right Travel Insurance
• Travel Vaccines 101
• How to Stay Healthy Abroad
• Safety and Solo Female Travel Advice
• Handling Your Period on the Road

Live your best travel life.

Life on the road has highs and lows, down days and true life-changing highs. Make your trip memorable with first-hand advice about handling loneliness, navigating new destinations like a pro, and finding the transformative travel experiences you seek.

• Safety and Solo Female Travel
• How to Balance Loneliness & Long-Term Travel
• Stay Occupied on Long Travel Days
• Best Travel Apps

Pick the resources for your travel style.

I’ve been many types of travelers over the years, in fact, I am all of these at once. I’ve worked remotely for 19+ years, I travel responsibly, and I traveled solo for a decade—now I travel with my toddler. Select your travel style and you’ll find all of my best resources and tips for that type of traveler. :)

Digital Nomads Expats and Retirees Bloggers Responsible Travelers Volunteers Solo Female Travel

Companies I Truly Love (And Recommend)

These are the booking engines, guidebooks, and travel companies I use every time I’m planning a trip.

• Accommodation :  Booking.com
• Flights :  Kayak  or  Expedia
• Route Planning : Bookaway
• Travel Insurance :  International Medical Group (IMG) or SafetyWing
• Responsible Travel :  Grassroots Volunteering

Who is World Travel Right For?

There is no one specific type of person who travels around the world. People of all ages, backgrounds, and interests may choose to travel extensively for a variety of reasons. That means if you’re dreaming of world travel, it’s possible and someone in your exact circumstances has figured out how to do it!

The resources provided outline all of the detailed steps to get from dreaming to doing. But if you’re still not ready to commit to world travel, here are some common traits or characteristics that people who travel around the world may have include:

• Curiosity : A desire to learn about new cultures, people, and places is often a driving force for people who travel extensively.
• Adventure : A love of adventure and a willingness to try new things and step out of one’s comfort zone can be important for those who want to travel around the world.
• Flexibility : Traveling around the world often requires a certain level of flexibility and adaptability, as you may encounter unexpected challenges or changes in plans.
• Resourcefulness : Being able to problem-solve and find solutions in unfamiliar situations can be a valuable skill when traveling around the world.
• Open-mindedness : An open-minded attitude and a willingness to embrace new experiences can help make the most of a trip around the world.

Sound like you? I’ve spend more than 15 years helping other travelers find ways to travel the world on short or long-term trips. Usually there are some fears that might be holding you back from around the world travel. Here are some common fears that may be preventing you from traveling:

• Fear of the unknown : Traveling to unfamiliar places can be intimidating, as it involves stepping out of one’s comfort zone and encountering new cultures, languages, and ways of life.
• Fear of safety : Some people may be afraid to travel due to concerns about personal safety, such as the risk of crime or terrorism.
• Fear of getting lost : Not knowing your way around an unfamiliar place or being unable to communicate with locals can be a source of anxiety for some people.
• Fear of flying : Some people may be afraid of flying due to a fear of heights, turbulence, or other factors. Did you know it’s possible to travel the world without flying ?
• Financial concerns : Traveling can be expensive, and some people may be afraid to travel due to concerns about the cost and their ability to afford it. That was me—I couldn’t initially conceive of how I would afford long-term travel. Then I realized that world travel can be more affordable than life at home, particularly in you work remotely. I was able to pay down more debt while traveling than I ever did living in Florida and LA.
• Health concerns : People with certain medical conditions or disabilities may be afraid to travel due to concerns about access to medical care or the ability to cope with unfamiliar environments.

Let’s Connect

Let me know if you have any other questions about around the world travel, or something I can help you with; I’m happy to lend an ear or help you find the resources you need to plan your own world travels. I look forward to chatting! :)

Other places you can find me :

• Tweet with me .
• Connect on Facebook .
• Follow me on Instagram .

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I'm David Leiter , the guy behind this website. I'm an American who's been traveling the world full time for 8 years now.

I started this travel blog in 2019 to document my own international trips, share my photos, and help others learn how to travel the world and find some really good spots off the beaten path.

I'm currently based in Bali , Indonesia , where I met my wife Intan, who’s a Bali local. Now she joins me on these wild and crazy adventures too.

Together, we've done some bucket list hikes , climbed active volcanoes , seen exotic wildlife , and visited some spectacular castles , temples , and monuments around the world.

I've worked with and been featured by BBC Travel , NBC News , Time , and other companies.

I haven’t been everywhere, but it’s on my list. I hope this world travel blog can help and inspire you in your own journeys as well!

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• The Ultimate Travel Guide

The Ultimate Travel Guide  

Here’s everything you need to know to prepare for your Round the World Trip:

If you’re someone who has long dreamt of traversing the planet from the Amalfi Coast to the Himalayas. If you’ve imagined the brilliant colors, sounds and aromas of distant places. If you long to meet new people, explore different cultures and bask in the mysterious and exhilarating beauty of the Earth. Then, wanderlust is in your blood.

However,as you start to pack your suitcase with maps and sunscreen, you may realize that have a lot of questions about traveling abroad. Some of these questions might include:

• How do I pay for such a trip?
• Where exactly should I go?
• What do I need?
• Where do I even begin?

Taking a trip around the world requires a ton of preparation, but it isn’t as challenging as you may believe. We’re here to help you through the process from beginning to end. To help you realize your dream of world travel.

This guide offers an insight on everything you need to know about planning a trip around the world, from budgeting your trip to booking your flight. You can use this guide to understand how to:

• Pick the destinations that suit you best.
• Budget for your trip.
• Book the best around the world flights that meet your destination goals.
• Choose the right accommodations for your budget.
• Prepare for your trip with the necessary documents and traveller’s insurance.
• Have a safe and healthy round the world trip.

Aroundtheworldticket.com is a team of travel experts who want to help you create an itinerary that factors in your budget, tastes and travel needs. For over a decade, we’ve helped travellers create the most economical routes, find the best around the world ticket deals and make the most out of their round the world journeys. We thrive on challenges and can work with you no matter how complex your desired route of travel may be. It is extremely important for us to build lasting relationships with our customers and provide assistance throughout their expeditions hence makingyour travels as hassle-free as possible.

Excited? So are we! Traveling the world is an experience you’ll never forget. Continue reading to learn how you can make your dream of becoming a world explorer a reality.

Table of Contents

• CHAPTER 1: MAKING THE CHOICE TO TRAVEL THE WORLD
• CHAPTER 2: WHAT YOU NEED TO DO BEFORE YOUR TRIP
• CHAPTER 3: HOW TO BOOK YOUR FLIGHT
• CHAPTER 4: HOW TO CHOOSE WHERE TO STAY
• CHAPTER 5: HOW TO STAY HEALTHY AND SAFE WHILE TRAVELING

Chapter 1: Making the Choice to Travel the World

You know you’re a traveller if you appreciate the little details in life. It could be the fragrance of Thai curry or the chime of medieval church bells. With so much admiration for all of the world’s cultural treasures, it is very hard to choose where to visit. After all, there are 195 countries in the world! We believe that there are four different aspects to consider when deciding which countries to include on your itinerary:

• Time of year

Simply put, some countries are more expensive to visit than others. If you’re looking to spend time in more affordable places, consider adding India, Kazakhstan, Bhutan, Indonesia, Malaysia or Egypt to your list. You can stretch your dollar a lot further in these locations without compromising on your experience.To give you a better idea of India’s affordability, a three-course meal for two people in Jaipur costs an average of $7.68. When it comes to travel, low-cost doesn’t always mean a low-quality experience.

On the other end of the spectrum, pricier destinations also offer an abundance of sightseeing gems. Some of the more expensive countries to visit are in Europe — think Scotland, France and Italy. Some countries in Asia and South America, like Japan and Argentina, can tip the scale to the costlier side, too. However, if you’ve always dreamt of touring Edinburgh Castle or snacking on gelato next to the Grand Canal, don’t let the price deter you. With proper planning, budgeting and saving, you can visit the places you really want to see.

Before you plan your travel, make sure to check with the U.S. Department of State about places that are safe to travel to during your chosen dates. When traveling to any unfamiliar place, it’s important to do your research and take certain precautions to avoid any potential danger. Perhaps you can also arrange to tour with a local guide or stay with a host family that can help you make safe choices.

Different countries have seasons and weather patterns that are unique to their geographic location. For example, African seasons are opposite North American seasons. While autumn runs from September until the end of December in the United States, it goes from May to t

the end of June in Africa. Places like Kenya, though, can be hot year-round. It’s important to consider climate differences when choosing where and when to visit a place. That way, if you’re visiting Chile in August, you won’t find yourself shivering in a tank top.

• Time of Year

The time of year you decide to travel determines the experience you will have. If you like crowds and people to meet,then maybe you’ll enjoy Europe during the summer months. During this time there are plenty of festivals and tourist activity. And if you prefer a more relaxed and quiet experience, you should visit a place during the off-season time.  You may have fewer events to choose from and maybe worse weather to deal with, but it will always count for a new experience. It all really depends on personal preference and what you wish to do during your travels. Do you wish to be witness to an animal migration? Are there any traditions, ceremonies or events you’ve longed to partake in? Or do you just want to walk around the streets and experience life as a local? Evaluating the purpose of your trips and what you want to do in each location will definitely help you decide where to go.

This may be the most obvious and the most important detail of your planning. You can only travel in one direction with a round the world ticket, so you’ll want to pick destinations that are on the same path, either going east to west or west to east. A round the world ticket, versus a bunch of one-way tickets, will save you time and money. You’ll also have more freedom to make the most out of the placesthat you visit. For example, you can’t fly to from Dallas, TX to Istanbul and then decide you want to go swimming in Barbados — because the Caribbean is a little out of the way. However, if you want to head to Beijing from Istanbul before heading back to Dallas, well, that’s more round-the-world style. But don’t worry — if you really want to include some tropical beach time in your itinerary, we’ll gladly work with you to make that happen.

How to Budget for Your Round the World Trip

The big question is — how are you going to pay for this trip across continents? Traveling is extremely expensive, isn’t it? It can be — but a hamburger can be expensive, too, if you order Kobe beef. Just like anything you purchase, the cost depends on a lot of different factors and the level of comfort you prefer. The trick is to find a balance between comfort and affordability, which we are happy to help you with. So, don’t get discouraged! With a little effort each week, you can save enough money to tour the world. Here’s how to get started:

• Make a Savings Plan

Remember the first car you bought with your own hard-earned money? It may have stalled at every stop light, but hey, it was yours! Well, just as you were patient and determined to

buy your first car, you can apply that same willpower to plan a trip that will change your life forever. First set a travel budget and then proceed with the following:

• Set aside money each week. Use a savings calculator to help you determine how much you need to save.
• Cut unnecessary expenses.
• Sell items you no longer want or use.
• Work extra hours or pick up a part-time job.

Sometimes small changes can really add up. Next time you want to buy a latte when you can make a cup of coffee, think about the option that will help you reach your goal.

• Estimate Travel Costs

When figuring out how much your round the trip journey is going to cost, there is more than flights and accommodations to consider. Write down everything you can think of that you’ll need to set aside money for. Even if you don’t know the exact cost of an item, an estimation will still help you determine what you can afford. You’ll want to estimate costs for:

• Passport or visa fees
• Vaccination fees
• Flight ticket
• Baggage fees and airport parking
• Transportation costs
• Hotel costs, including fees and taxes
• Meals, snacks and beverages
• Travel insurance
• Sightseeing, tours and other activities
• Travel accessories

You’ll need to have an idea of how long you plan to stay at each destination as well. Since you’re making estimates at this point, you’ll want to overestimate costs to ensure you’ll have enough to follow through with your plans.

• How to Save and Spend Money Abroad

Using a foreign currency can be intimidating at first, but it’s also exciting and adds to the adventure. You have different options to choose from when it comes to exchanging currencies. One option is you can contact your bank to order foreign currency before you travel. There may or may not be a fee to do this, depending on your bank, but this can help you avoid higher fees to exchange cash while overseas. If you do opt to exchange currency in a different country, use local banks and not currency exchange offices in the airport. Currency exchange at the airport are usually more expensive. You also have the option to wait until you get to your destination and take money out of an ATM. This too will have certain associated fees that you can find out about from your bank.You should also call your credit card company and bank to make sure they allow international transactions and find out about the additional fees, if any, are involved. A fee-free credit card is also a great option before you embark on your journey. Make sure to take a few dollars with you, too, just in case. Here are a few money-saving tips to follow while traveling:

• Avoid tourist restaurants. Instead, eat like the locals do or cook your meals, if possible.
• Re-use water bottles. Bring water purifying tablets with you to ensure your drinking water is safe.
• Use public transportation. Ride a bike or walk when possible.
• Get a no-fee credit or ATM card before your trip.

Consider leaving a bit of money at home with someone you trust in case of an emergency or if your cards get lost or stolen. Always have a backup plan. it’s recommended to meet with an RTW travel specialist to help you route your trip, book flights and address all of your questions and concerns about traveling abroad. Foreign travel can get complicated, especially if there are a lot of destinations you want to include in your itinerary. Meeting with an RTW specialist at a travel agency can save you a lot of time and stress and ensure maximum optimization. As one traveller is the same, an experienced travel expert will help you tailor your trip to your personality.  

Chapter 2: What You Need to Do Before Your Trip  

Naturally, a round the world trip involves a lot of planning and preparation. It is important totake it one step at a time so that you don’t feel overwhelmed. Remind yourself that all your effort will be well worth it once you’re onyour way.

• Get Your Passport and Visa for Round the World Travel

One of the first steps you’ll need to take in preparing to travel abroad is to find out what documents are required to enter the countries that you will be visiting. Look up your destinations on the U.S. Department of State website to find out. This online search tool allows you to look up specific information with respect to your destination.

For example, say you’re planning a trip to Thailand. Type “Thailand” in the search box, and you’ll find that you won’t need a visa if you’re staying for under 30 days, but you will need a passport that’s valid six months from the date of your arrival. Everything you need to know about traveling to Thailand can be found on this page, including medical information, embassy and consulate contact information, safety tips and local laws.

As a general rule, you should make sure that your passport is valid for at least six months from the date of entry into any foreign country. Renew your passport or get a new one  at least three to five months ahead of time . Take into account that a passport can take betweenthree to six weeks to arrive once you have put in your application.

• Buy International Travel Insurance

Travel insurance for your round the world trip is highly recommended. A survey by the U.S. Travel Insurance Association showed that approximately 33.4 million Americans have had travel protection plans when they travel. The most popular travel insurance plan even included an option to cancel the trip, which was taken up by 85% of travellers.

A typical insurance plancan include coverage for one or all of the following:

• Medical expenses
• Lost or stolen luggage
• Trip cancellation or interruption

If you’re wondering about costs, travel insurance generally costs from 4% to 8% of the total trip. Speak to your travel agent about buying travel insurance for your round the world trip. It helps you keep your peace of mind and remain free of worries.

• Check If You Need Vaccinations

You may need to get vaccinated before entering the destination of your choice. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) or certifiedTraveller’s Health websiteswill help you to understand all the medical requirements for your travel.Say you’re traveling to Africa or South America — you made need a vaccine for yellow fever. Some other travel-related diseases that are preventable with vaccines are:

• Hepatitis A
• Hepatitis B
• Typhoid fever
• Meningococcal disease
• Japanese encephalitis

The CDC recommends meeting with a doctor four to six weeks before you travel. Speak with your doctor or find a local travel clinic to answer all of your vaccination and health questions. A doctor can suggest precautions you should take based on your personalrequirements.

• Research Local Culture and Laws

Did you know beef is prohibited in India, and driving under the influence in Japan can throw you behind bars immediately? Every country has local laws you may not be familiar with. It’s important to know what to expect to prevent any misunderstanding or miscommunication. An easy way to prepare for your travels is to go online and read up on local laws in different countries around the globe.

Also, take the time to familiarize yourself with the culture and history of your destinations. Chances are, if you have interest in a particular country, you already know a little bit about the country’s culture. However, the deeper you dig, the easier it will be for you to adapt. Teach yourself local language phrases andlearn about customs and manners so that you can blend in easily. With a little preparation, you can overcome cultural challenges with greater ease and understanding. The more you know ahead of time, the richer and more meaningful your travels will be.

• Pack These Items

Try to make a packing list days or weeks ahead of time and look through it a few times so that you can add or removeany necessary items from the list.As a general rule, you’ll want to pack as light as possible. As tempting as it might be to pack five pairs of shoes, just in case, or a maybe even a complete series of paperback novels, remind yourself that sometimes adventure calls for a little less preparation — and that means leaving the snowshoes in the garage.

Here’s a short list of items, excluding clothes and toiletries, you’ll want to make sure you include on your packing list:

• International driver’s permit or driver’s license
• Vaccination certificate
• Proof of insurance
• Paper copies of passport, visa and other documents
• Anti-diarrhea medicine
• Motion sickness medicine
• Your prescriptions
• Cash in the currency of destination countries and debit or credit cards
• Hand sanitizer
• First-aid kit
• Insect repellent
• Small bottle of detergent
• Gum for the plane ride
• Travel pillow
• Phone charger
• Plastic bags

Chapter 3: How to Book Your Flight  

You’ve narrowed down your destinations,you’ve renewed passport and you just bought a nice, new carry-on bag. Feelslike it’s time to book that flight and put your plan in action. But consider this: It’s one thing if you’re booking a flight to begin a week-long vacation in another state. It’s another thing if you’re planning to fly across the globe for an extended period of time.

The thought of flying around the world can feel intimidating but luckily, there are plenty of travel experts to  help you plan your trip and book economical flights .

Let’s look at some options:

• Round the World Ticket

A round the world ticket allows you to build a custom itinerary with the exception that you must travel east to west or west to east. In other words, you can’t backtrack. You must also start and end your journey in the same country with a round the world ticket.

Depending on which airline you book with, a round the world ticket is usually valid for up to 12 months. You will be able to book stops to the destinations of your choice that are generally along your flight path. This type of ticket is more economical than booking many one-way flights. In short,  a round the world ticket  combines multiple tickets into one.

• Multi-Stop Flights

A multi-stop flight allows you to visit multiple cities with one ticket and does not require traveling in a particular order — you can backtrack if you wish. Because there are fewer limitations with a multi-stop ticket than a round the world ticket, there are lot more options of where you can go. A multi-stop flight is considered a good option for shorter travel s and it provides a lot of room for flexibility.

However, even with a round the world ticket, you can arrange to spend time in multiple cities along the way using stopovers. A stopover is basically a long layover. Whereas a layover is no more than 24 hours, a stopover can last for days.

Let’s pretend that you’re flying from London to Cairo with a layover in Rome. Instead of waiting to re-board the plane in Rome for two hours, a stopover would allow you to explore Rome for a day or two for little to no added cost.A travel expert can help you create a more complex itinerary with the maximum optimization possible. There are plenty of options to tailor your flight to include multiple destinations.

• Open Tickets

An open ticket means that you set a departure date, but your return date is flexible. You could have up to a year to explore your destination before returning, depending on the airline. Not all airlines offer this option, and there are some risks that come with the freedom. For instance, having an  open ticket for your around the world trip  means no guarantee of having a flight to your next destination when you want it. Airline schedules and seating availability are certain factors that one has to account for when booking an open ticket.

Also, some countries, like those in the European Union, will only allow you to visit for up to 90 days. So, in this case, whether you have an open ticket or not, you need to move on in about three months.

Why Fly Business Class Round the World?

The class that you choose to fly always has a significant impact on your experience. If you think  business class tickets  are too pricey, contacting a travel agent can help you find the best deals. With business class you’ll have:

• More leg-room.
• Better rest.
• More amenities.
• Better service.
• More privacy.
• Less exposure to germs.
• Better food and drinks.
• Little or no wait to board.
• Lie-flat seats/Reclining seats.
• More personal space.

Traveling for hour after hour can be exhausting — especially when you’re cramped into a single economy seat next to a stranger. When you arrive at a new place, you’ll want to feel rested, so you can enjoy and explore your destination. Your level of comfort on your journey hence, becomes a priority.

Economy class and cheap motels might work for shorter trips, but paying round the world business class airfare might be worth it for long-haul flights. A travel specialist can help you find the best deals for a business class flight and also help you decide if it’s worth the extra cost.  

Chapter 4: How to Choose Where to Stay  

You booked your flight, and your heart is fluttering with excitement — it’s official now, you’re going to travel the world! So, the next question is, where are you going to stay?

Choosing your accommodations can be difficult. On the one hand, you want the most affordable option. On the other hand, you also want to feel comfortable and safe. The best way to go about it is to try to find a place that falls somewhere in the middle. If you have a fixed budget, keep in mind that you may need to make certain compromises.

Opting to stay ata recommended hotel is always thesafer option. To make sure you get a room at the hotel you want, it is recommended to book your hotel room approximately one month in advance.  Booking too early may not land you the best deal , and if you wait too long, you may have to settle for less depending on where you’re traveling to.

Some of the pros of staying at a hotel include:

• Convenience
• Housekeeping services
• Modern amenities
• Can feel safer and more secure, especially for solo travelers
• Familiarity

Some cons of staying at a hotel include:

• Usually pricier than other options
• Lacks cultural immersion
• Standard and predictable

No need to feel intimidated, staying at a hostel does not mean you have to sleep elbow-to-elbow with strangers. Although hostels vary greatly from one to the other, private rooms are now becoming a standard with many modern hostels. If you are young and out to explore, hostels are a popular option for the younger crowd. Besides this, they also help make sure you stay well within your budget.

Some pros of staying at a hostel are :

• Affordability
• Ability to meet other travellers
• Feature certain amenities
• Usually conveniently located
• May offer amenities that hotels do not offer, such as game and entertainment rooms

Cons of hostels include :

• Lack of privacy
• May not have housekeeping services
• Safety or theft could be an issue
• May have to share a bathroom
• Possible dorm-like atmosphere

Because a hostel doesn’t follow the standards of a hotel chain, it’s important to research the hostel you plan to stay at ahead of time. Find out if you’ll have the option to a stay in a private room with a private bathroom. Depending on where you stay, you might want to bring earplugs.Although hostels may be seen as a more on-a-whim option, it’s highly recommended to book your hostel in advance. Popular hostels fill up quickly. Depending on your destination and the season, this could be an issue. Talk with your travel specialist to help you find the right hostel for you.

Other Options

If hotels aren’t culturally exciting enough for you, or if you don’t like the idea of sharing a bunk bed with a stranger, there areother alternatives. These include:

• Stay with a Host Family

To stay with a host family, you’ll have to make arrangements through a homestay program or service, or you can research homestay accommodations for your destination.Homestays are popular choices for volunteers and exchange students, it can be a very affordable housing alternative for travellers of any age who may be traveling for any reason. Here’s some benefits and restrictions of staying at a homestay:

• Experience full cultural immersion.
• Gain language skills.
• Learn where the locals go.
• Eat home-cooked meals.
• Build relationships.
• Have house rules to follow.
• Be expected to be mindful of your manners and cultural differences.

Camping is likely the most affordable of all the options, but it’s also probably the least comfortable. However, for all the nature-lovers and adventurous souls out there, the pros of camping may outweigh the cons. Here’s what your camping trip will usually involve:

• Usually the most affordable option.
• A way to experience the great outdoors.
• Less comfortable.
• Affected by weather, animals, and insects.
• Rent an Apartment or Vacation Home

Renting out someone’s apartment, home or vacation home may be a favourable option depending on where you’re going, who you’re traveling with and what yourdates are. More populated cities will likely have more rentals available. Important things to be aware of with home rentals are:

• They can be more affordable than a hotel, depending on the size and location of the rental.
• It’s important to communicate with the owner and know exactly what you’re paying for.
• They have more space than a hotel.
• They usually have a kitchen.
• You’ll get to live like a local.
• Rental dates may be less flexible than other options.
• There may be a minimum stay time — no overnight-only stays.

Not all homeowners are going to put effort into making their rental comfortable for you, nor will they always be 100% honest with you. That’s why it’s important to rent from a source you can trust.Using an apartment or home rental may be a great option for a family, couples or large groups traveling together.

As you can see, choosing your accommodations may be more about personal preference than affordability. A travel expert can help you decide what’ll work best for your overall travel plans and can help you book your accommodations in advance.

Chapter 5: How to Stay Healthy and Safe While Traveling  

The rewards of traveling outweigh the risks, but the truth is, traveling can take a toll on your physical and mental health if you don’t make self-care a priority. Now that you have all the pre-planning figured out, let’s take a look at how you can make the most of your journey by ensuring good health and safety.

Food Safety

See that street vendor selling fried meats on a stick? The aroma guides your senses and attracts you towards it, your stomach rumbles. And then you notice — there’s no one waiting in line.But before you surrender to your senses, consider the following tips. You may find that waiting in that really long line of tourists for the place across the street is worth the wait.So as much as you might want to just chow down on some street food, remind yourself of the risks.

Here are some things you can do to avoid food poisoning:

• Drink bottled water or canned beverages.
• Avoid raw fruits and vegetables, raw or undercooked meat, seafood, poultry and eggs, and food that has been unrefrigerated for hours.
• Try to eat at reputable places. Avoid deserted areas.
• Use water purifying tablets.

Preparing for Travel-Related Illnesses

Sometimes you get sick even when you’re careful. Here’s how you should prepare for travel-related illness:

• Check your insurance coverage before you leave on your trip.
• Purchase short-term medical insurance that covers you abroad if needed — your travel specialist can help you with this.
• Obtain a list of English-speaking foreign health care providers from the International Association for Medical Assistance to Travelers.

Other steps to take for good health:

• Eat healthy before your trip.
• Take it easy and don’t stress about the small stuff.
• Avoid touching public surfaces. If you do, wash your hands or use hand sanitizer.
• Reserve time to rest and relax during your trip.
• Get adequate sleep.
• Research the health risks of your destinations.
• Use sun protection.
• Try not to alter your regular diet too much by eating too much food you don’t normally eat.

Following the above-mentioned steps will help lower the risk of getting sick. However, sometimes it’s inevitable. Either way, don’t let it prevent you from having a great time. Pack antacids and anti-diarrhoea medication and drink plenty of purified water to stay hydrated — it’s important to stay hydrated regardless of whether you’re sick or not.If you are unable to nurse yourself back to health while traveling, don’t push it! Contact the nearest U.S. Embassy or consulate for a list of healthcare providers.

Other Safety Tips

Eating spoiled meat isn’t the only safety concern with travel abroad. Visiting foreign places poses other risks too, but if you educate yourself and take the right precautions, you’ll be prepared to handle the risks. However, the first step is to do your research so that you don’t put yourself in risky situations in the first place!

Though safety will vary depending on the city you’re in, here are some of the precautions you’ll want to take:

• Street Safety
• Stay on main roads that are well-lit.
• Beware of pickpockets.
• Act as if you know where you’re going even if you’re lost.
• Wear a purse or bag that straps across your chest.
• Keep a list of emergency phone numbers with you.
• Learn a few words and phrases in the local language.
• Only ask local authorities for help.
• Hotel Safety
• Always keep the door locked.
• Know the fire safety procedure of your hotel.
• Don’t leave valuables or money out in the open while you’re away. Keep whatever valuables you can at home.
• Transportation Safety
• Keep car doors locked.
• Avoid driving at night if possible.
• Never accept food or drinks from strangers.
• Try to avoid being close to other people on trains.

As a general rule, try to explore with a fellow traveller or hire a local guide. Your travel agent can help you arrange a meeting with a local guide who will assist you as you navigate new places and make sure you stay in safe areas.Not every city will require extreme caution, but some cities pose greater safety risks than others.

Currently, countries with certain safety risks for American travellers are:

• Afghanistan
• Philippines
• North Korea

Some of the safest places to visit are:

• The United Arab Emirates
• Switzerland
• Hong Kong SAR

Check the U.S. Department of State’s Alerts and Warnings page to find out the current safety levels of the destinations that you will be visiting.

Your Trip Around the World: Use This Quick Checklist and Book with Us

Take a deep breath and exhale — you made it to the end of this guide, and you’re ready to begin the process of planning your round the world trip. Sure, there’s a lot to do, but before you know it, you’ll be looking down from your airplane window at the miniature patchwork of land below!

Here’s a quick summary of steps to take on a month-to-month basis before you take-off:

Six to 12 Months:

• Research places that interest you.
• Choose your destinations.
• Figure out your travel budget.
• Start saving.

Three to Five Months:

• Renew your passport.
• Apply for a visa if necessary.

One to Two Months:

• Get vaccinated.
• Start a packing list.
• Book your flight.
• Book your living arrangements.
• Let your bank and credit card companies know when and where you’ll be traveling.
• Make sure your phone plan will keep you connected internationally.

See? It’s not that bad. But we’re here to help  make your around the world trip planning even easier .

Ready for Take-Off?

It’s hard to imagine spending a lifetime visiting the same places over and over again when there is an entire planet to explore. There are currently over seven billion people on this planet, and an estimated 6,909 distinct languages that are spoken by them. Humans began migrating from Africa to Europe and Asia between 70,000 and 100,000 years ago. Think of all the languages and cultures that met and formed over the years! Culture is always changing, always making the world more and more exciting to explore.

Travel specialists at Aroundtheworldticket.com are here to help you experience the history and natural beauty of the world. Whether you want to see sightsee in Moscow or learn to dance the Samba in Brazil, we are here to help you plan every step of your trip. No detail is too small — from assistance with purchasing traveller’s insurance to tips for traveling solo, we’ll do what it takes to ensure you get the most out of your round the world experience.

It’s never too late to learn about new cultures, to challenge yourself and to live the life of your dreams. If you’ve always dreamed of traveling, why wait? You’re here on this planet andit’s always the right time to make the most of it.

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World Travel Guide - Official Destination Guides and Travel Stories

World Travel Guide

Editorial Foreword

The World Travel Guide (WTG) is the flagship digital consumer brand within the Columbus Travel Media portfolio . Available in English, German, and Spanish versions, the WTG provides detailed and accurate travel content designed to inspire global travellers. It covers all aspects, from cities to airports, cruise ports to ski and beach resorts, attractions to events, and it also includes offbeat travel news, stories, quizzes and guides for adventurous travellers.

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Bustling and energetic, Osaka is a thriving metropolis with a distinct commercial culture and with a regional identity that sets it apart from elsewhere in Japan.

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Country/ State/ Region Guides

A flavourful melting pot of sparkling nightspots, fresh seafood, sizzling Mediterranean passion and mythical legend, Greece is a fascinating and enchanting destination.

The eyes of the world are on Qatar right now. Following the discovery of oil in the 1940s, this small Gulf state has been catapulted from a small fishing and trading hub to one of the richest (per capita) countries in the world.

The Islands of Tahiti

The Islands of Tahiti are known for their laid-back vibes. Expect romantic sunsets and giant curls of turquoise breaking over reefs. Remote and pristine, the islands give you a glimpse of paradise on Earth.

Mongolia is far-flung and little visited yet has much to offer, from the stunning scenery and wildlife of mountains and deserts to the emerging luxury hotels and restaurants of capital Ulaanbaatar.

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Three Ways to Travel Around the World

F ive countries and four continents in under two weeks? Or how about seeing the Taj Mahal, the Pyramids and Machu Picchu in one mad 25-day marathon? As travel rebounds in 2023, that staple of bucket lists and reality TV shows—the journey around the world—is back in vogue.

“Since international borders reopened, we’ve seen demand coming back in a big way,” says Christine Drpich, manager of e-commerce at the Star Alliance airline network founded by United and Lufthansa.

In the past six months, she says, the group has noticed a “significant surge” in searches for the round-the-world itineraries it offers on its site. Oneworld, another aviation fraternity anchored by American and British Airways, recently launched an AI-driven planning tool that helps guide fliers through all the possible routings for circling the globe, with suggested itineraries like a Jules Verne-inspired circumnavigation that can be done in far less time than the 80 days of his novel.

There is a long history of adventurers and daredevil pilots making the trip, but it became far more attainable when Pan Am launched its first scheduled round-the-world flights from the U.S. after World War II, says David Mink, a businessman who is president of the 120-year-old Circumnavigators Club based in New York (past members include Harry Houdini, John Philip Sousa, Arthur Ashe and Sally Ride).

 Pan Am’s daily Flights One and Two, departing from San Francisco (later Los Angeles) and New York, helped to bring a lot more people into the club, he says.

What counts as a true round-the-world trip? To join his club, Mink says you need to travel in one direction only (no backtracking allowed), cross every meridian and return to the same place you departed from. (Some purists say you must also cross the equator and cover more distance than the circumference of the earth, or more than 24,901 miles.) That aside, any mode of travel counts, from small sailboats to hot-air balloons. “We have members who have done it in very strange ways,” says Mink. “One man traveled the entire world under the sea in a submarine.”

For those seeking a tamer version of these exploits, here are three—fairly easy—ways to travel around the world.

Pan Am may be gone, but the latter-day version of its globe-circling flights are the “RTW” air tickets offered by the alliance airlines that let you customize a trip selecting from dozens of carriers and destinations.

Star Alliance and Oneworld can handle the entire itinerary with a single ticket; each has a global network of airline partners to fill out their route maps. They can tailor trips by distance, number of stops and class of service. This gives you the option to mix ultra-long-haul flights (those in the air for more than 16 hours) with shorter hops. And the price is generally less than if you simply booked a series of one-way tickets. You can do the trip in as little as 10 days, or take up to a full year.

The cheapest tickets through Star Alliance start at around $5,000 for a journey in coach, or $11,000 in business class, with three to five stops covering 26,000 miles. The price goes up with the number of flights and continents visited, up to 15 destinations and 39,000 miles. More than half of the RTW tickets sold by the Star group are in business or first class. It can be tough to redeem frequent-flier miles for these tickets, although member carrier ANA does offer an around-the-globe award ticket that’s popular with some high-mile fliers.

You can also cobble together a string of one-way flights, but that is more expensive than the single-ticket method—unless you follow the example of one Noel Philips, a British travel reporter with a large YouTube following, who recently flew around the world in 80 hours exclusively on low-cost airlines. He stopped in five countries on four continents, and his total airfare was under $3,000.

For a price tag in the six figures, you can fly around the planet in comfort on a chartered aircraft, enjoying catered meals, flowing Champagne and swanky digs on the ground. With an all first-class layout, the jets used for these jaunts typically have a capacity of around 50 passengers, and demand is such that flights tend to sell out fairly quickly, according to Pamela Lassers, media-relations director at Abercrombie & Kent, the high-end tour operator known for its African safaris. The company is offering three RTW trips in 2024 of 25 or 26 days, via a Boeing 757, and just added a new wildlife-focused trip which stops in Hawaii, Fiji, Tasmania, Bali, Sri Lanka, Zambia and Brazil.

And there are other advantages to the private route, according to Diana Hechler, president of D. Tours Travel in Larchmont, N.Y. “You can get to some out-of-the-way places, like Easter Island,” she says, and “you avoid the delays and airport hassles we associate with flying today.” 

TCS World Travel, another luxury private-jet specialist, is adding departures for its round-the-world tours—with 10 trips scheduled from October this year to December 2025. One culture and history itinerary includes Easter Island and East Africa and requisite wonders of the world from Egypt to India—via a 52-seat Airbus A321—all in under four weeks. 

The cost: from $168,000 per person for A&K’s 26-day Wildlife & Nature Around the World trip, $130,000 for TCS’s 25-day tour. 

The reopening of the world has revived interest in circling the globe by the oldest form of intercontinental travel—ship.   

Cruise lines were virtually shut down during much of the pandemic, but now business is booming, and at least a dozen lines offer a round-the-world voyage, which usually takes at least three to four months. Several lines are reporting that 2024 sailings are already sold out. 

The cost: Prices range from around $20,000 to more than $100,000 per person. One example is a 128-day voyage aboard Holland America Line’s MS Zuiderdam departing Fort Lauderdale Jan. 3. The price—including all meals—starts at $23,600 per person, based on double occupancy.

At the higher end is Regent Seven Seas Cruises’ 132-night trip aboard the Seven Seas Mariner, round trip from Miami, with calls at ports in Costa Rica, Australia, Indonesia, India and Israel. Rates start at $91,000 all-inclusive, and there is already a wait list for some cabin categories on the first 2024 voyage departing Jan. 6.

Barbara Peterson is a writer in New York. She can be reached at [email protected].

15 Unique Rituals & Cultural Traditions Around the World

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We’re a family that adores diving into the rituals & customs of places we visit, seeking out the heart and soul of destinations through their unique social practices. It’s these rich, authentic experiences that add an unparalleled depth to our travels. If you, like us, enjoy immersing yourself in local cultures during your trips, you’re in for a treat with this collaboration about world rituals & traditions.

Here, fellow travelers who cherish culture just as much have shared some of the most unique and memorable ceremonies and rituals they’ve been part of, offering a glimpse into the diverse and vibrant patchwork of cultural traditions around the world.

Fascinating World Rituals

World rituals and cultural festivals are rich with unique narratives, teachings about life, and reveals the fascinating mosaic of human culture by connecting us to our past, celebrating the present, and sometimes even predicting our future.

As we explore these traditions from around the world, we get a glimpse into the diverse ways people celebrate life, embrace the concept of death, overcome challenges, and connect with each other.

So, let’s set off on this journey to uncover these amazing customs around the world. It’s a journey that promises to show us the beauty in the unique and the extraordinary in the everyday.

Soul-Stirring Cremation Ritual in Varanasi, India

Laura of Laure Wanders

Located by the holy River Ganges, Varanasi is the most sacred city in Hinduism. This city is often called the “City of Death”, as death is very present here.

Hindus believe that if they die and are cremated in Varanasi, they will be liberated from the endless cycle of reincarnation and reach Nirvana. For this reason, many devotees come to Varanasi to spend their last days on earth.

Varanasi is famous for its large number of ghats (steps leading into the river), there are more than 80 of these in total. Most of these ghats are meant for bathing and you will find pilgrims bathing in the river to wash away their sins here.

However, there are also two cremation ghats in Varanasi , which are also called “burning ghats”. As its name suggests, this is where cremations take place on a daily basis. According to the legend, the eternal flame that’s used to cremate the bodies here has been burning continuously for centuries.

Unfolding along the holy Ganges River, it’s a profound and sacred tradition . It’s not only central to the spiritual life of Varanasi but also resonates with the universal themes of life, death, and transcendence. As the flames rise against the backdrop of the river, they symbolize not just an end, but a profound passage into the afterlife.

Although it is true that death is very present in Varanasi, this is an incredibly colourful destination that’s steeped in history and tradition. Contrary to what we’re used to in the West, in Varanasi, death is celebrated as it is seen as a liberation from the cycle of birth and death.

Graceful Tea Ceremony Tradition in Japan

The Japanese Tea Ceremony, often called “Chanoyu” or “Sado,” is an integral and meaningful part of Japanese culture. It goes beyond merely drinking tea; it’s a deeply spiritual and philosophical ritual that is woven into the very essence of Japan’s cultural heritage.

With its origins dating back to the 9th century, the tea ceremony is a blend of Zen Buddhist philosophies and the art of hospitality. It’s a ritual that celebrates simplicity, harmony, respect, and tranquility. In this ceremony, every element, from the preparation to the serving of matcha (powdered green tea), is carried out with meticulous attention and grace.

Central to the ceremony is the concept of ‘ichigo ichie’ (one time, one meeting), suggesting that each tea gathering is unique and should be treasured. The host meticulously prepares the tea in a choreographed series of movements, using traditional tools like the bamboo whisk and tea bowl. The setting, often a tea house with a tranquil garden, is designed to detach guests from the outside world and bring them into a mindful state.

The tea itself is more than a beverage . It’s a medium for meditation and reflection. The process of whisking the matcha is a mindful practice, and drinking it is a moment of calm and connection. The whole experience is designed to foster a sense of peace, community, and appreciation for the fleeting nature of life.

In the modern world, the Japanese Tea Ceremony is both a link to the past and a reminder of the timeless principles of mindfulness and hospitality. It’s a tradition that not only defines the cultural ethos of Japan but also offers a universal message about the beauty of simplicity and the value of being fully present in each moment.

Mystical Coffee Fortune Telling Practice in Turkey

Soumya of Stories by Soumya

Telling someone’s fortune from leftover coffee grounds in their cup is a fascinating and unique tradition from Turkey .

Coffee fortune-telling is a tasseography that originated in the early 1500s in the Ottoman palaces of Turkey. Later, in the 18 th  century, the practice spread to different parts of Europe.

Integral to this tradition is Turkey’s rich coffee culture , which is renowned for its strong, thick brews served in small cups, a style that has become a beloved and time-honored aspect of daily life in Turkey.

After a person finishes their coffee, the coffee cup is placed upside down on the saucer. Once the cup completely cools down, the prophesier picks it up and examines the pattern made by leftover coffee grounds.

Different patterns have different meanings. For instance, an eye pattern can symbolize jealousy and an evil eye for you whereas a heart signifies an impending relationship or marriage. Whatever the symbol, coffee fortune-telling is a fun and entertaining game often played among friends and family.

If you’re traveling in Turkey and looking for a unique  Turkish souvenir , then go ahead and buy a traditional coffee set to remind you of this special world tradition. Even better, you can practice coffee fortune-telling at home with your friends with this set.

Bookish Jolabokaflod Tradition in Iceland

Victoria of Iceland Trippers

One of the most fascinating traditions around the world is Jolabokaflod in Iceland. The word “Jolabokaflod” translates to “Christmas book flood” or “Yule book flood” in English. It describes the yearly release of many new books in Iceland since books are easily the most popular type of gift given at Christmas. 

There is even a catalog called Bókatíðindi (the book bulletin) that is mailed to homes all across the nation in mid-November during the Reykjavik Book Fair. People then use this publication to purchase books for gifts in Iceland during Christmas.

Then on Christmas Eve, Icelandic people exchange books instead of other presents. In fact, books are the most popular gifts given during the holiday season. Once the presents are exchanged, families spend the evening reading together and sipping on hot chocolate. 

The tradition began during WWII when restrictions were placed on most goods that were imported into the country. But, because restrictions on paper products were less strict, books flooded into the country and quickly became the most popular gift in the country.

Exuberant Russ Celebration (Russefeiring) in Norway

Nick of The World Overload

If you happen to be passing through Norway during May, you may be able to view one of the country’s unique traditions for its teenage population.

Russefeiring is the celebration of high school, or secondary school students completing their final year. The tradition involves renting or purchasing vans or buses for travel around the local region or the country.

The vehicles are decorated with unique designs of art and graffiti and refitted with updated sound systems and furniture to make them even more livable for a longer period.

These vehicle purchases are supported by the families of the students, the community, and sometimes even local business owners who provide sponsorship.

Parades are thrown with lines of these vehicles and this is one of the additional ways to  celebrate Norway’s Constitution Day .

You can also find these students wearing matching jumpsuits of multiple colors representing their grades and schools. There are no other similar traditions found in other parts of the world for graduating students that involve this level of support and revelry.

Sunlit Midsommer Celebration in Sweden

Annelies of  Travelers & Dreamers

Midsommar is a wonderful Swedish festival to celebrate the start of the summer. It is rooted in ancient pagan traditions and is celebrated around the summer solstice , falling somewhere around the third weekend of June.

The celebrations begin with the decoration of the maypole, or “midsommarstång,” which is the central symbol of the festival. As you travel to Sweden, participating in these decorations is a very special experience.

This pole is decorated with greenery and flowers, reflecting the fertility of the summer season. During the festivities, the Swedes dress up in traditional costumes or flower dresses and wreaths and gather around the maypole for a ring dance, which includes the famous “Små grodorna” dance, characterized by playful hopping and singing. You will feel a bit silly doing this, but it’s so much fun!

Feasting is an integral part of Midsommar! There is no better way to experience this than to connect with a local who invites you into their home to celebrate with them.

A buffet is made with dishes that traditionally include pickled herring, boiled new potatoes with fresh dill, sour cream, and chives, and last but not least, the season’s first strawberries for dessert. This is washed down with traditional schnapps and singing until late at night!

Cozy Sauna Tradition in Finland

The sauna in Finland transcends beyond mere relaxation and sweating; it’s a cherished part of the national culture, deeply ingrained in the Finnish way of life. This centuries-old tradition serves as a sacred space for physical and mental rejuvenation, a spot for socializing, and sometimes, making significant decisions.

Finnish saunas are egalitarian havens. Here, everyone is equal, and it’s usual for people to enjoy the heat in contemplative silence. These saunas are common gathering places for friends and family, offering a serene environment for relaxation and reflection.

The traditional Finnish sauna experience centers on warmth and well-being. These wood-lined rooms, heated by stoves with stones, create a comforting, steamy environment when water is splashed on the hot stones, releasing ‘löyly,’ a vital part of the sauna ritual. Temperatures range from 70 to 100 degrees Celsius, providing a soothing and detoxifying atmosphere.

Frequent sauna use is linked with various health benefits like improved blood circulation, muscle pain relief, and stress reduction. It’s typical for Finns to combine their sauna sessions with a refreshing dip in a lake or a roll in the snow.

Saunas are ubiquitous in Finland, found in homes, workplaces, and even the Parliament, underscoring their deep-rooted presence in Finnish society. With over 2 million saunas for a population of around 5.5 million, the sauna’s role in Finnish culture is undeniable and profound.

Blossoming Martisor Tradition in Romania

Joanna of the World in my Pocket

Martisor is a traditional Romanian celebration for the arrival of the spring . It happens every year on the 1 st  of March. It involves wearing a small symbol of spring or good luck, accompanied by a red and white string that symbolises the passing from winter to the warmer months.

Martisor is a beloved tradition all over the country. Weeks before the first of March, Martisor sellers will take over the streets in the city centres around the country. The most common symbols they are selling are horseshoes, chimney sweepers, ladybugs, and clovers.

Traditionally, men are offering the Martisor to women, who have to wear them for seven days, as a broch. After 7 days, the wearer should tie the red and white string to a tree.

It is said that the way that tree would blossom is the way the year will be for that person. This is why the most common chosen trees are cherries, as they have very beautiful blossoms.

Martisor is part of the Romanian culture the same way as the  cozonac recipe  or the sarmale are essential to the Romanian cuisine. There wouldn’t be spring without it.

Chilling Krampus Tradition in Central Eastern Alps

Marina Helene of Paulmarina.com

Krampus are devil-like creatures that appear every year during the Advent time in the Austrian, Southern German, Northern Italian and Slovenian alps.

Young men and children, belonging to a group called Pass or Bass, put on heavy hand-carved unique masks, with full-body furs and large heavy cow bells. 

They then appear around the 5th or 6th December in groups with Saint Nicolaus or other mythical creatures called Perchten. You can  experience a Krampus parade , also called a Krampus run, in the many villages and towns in the alps.

Some of the most traditional ones are found in Carinthia and East Tyrol in Austria . You will also find larger Krampus parades in the midst of a Christmas market in the old town of Munich, Salzburg , and Innsbruck. 

Kids also join in the fun because they get a goodie bag with peanuts, chocolates, walnuts, and oranges from Saint Nicolaus. But only if they were well-behaved, or else the chance of Krampus coming and getting the kids and the adults, including you and other visitors, is very high.

Colourful Corpus Christi Celebration in Pujilí, Ecuador

Juergen of Dare 2 Go

If you are anywhere near Ecuador in the month of June, I recommend adding this to your calendar: the unique, colourful dance festival in Pujilí . It’s always on the third weekend in June.

The festival is such an important event throughout Ecuador that dance groups come from all across the country. It spans over three days, where the highlight of each day is a differently themed parade.

At the centre of all dance performances is El Danzante (The Dancer); a true historical icon of this area, rooted in popular culture, who identifies their folks with the past. The Dancer is always a man, who has trained for years to balance an enormous, decorated headpiece (up to 10 kilograms in weight) on his head, whilst dancing to the tunes.

Day one is dedicated to the opening ceremony followed by dance parades of the children. Here you can admire beautiful costumes and young Dancers, with their smaller headpieces, showing off their skills.

The second day is the highlight. The parade and music goes on all day, with dance troupes from the regions showing off their moves and different costumes. Among them are native people from the rainforest lowlands in tribal outfits, and groups who come from cities with their own decorated floats.

The final day is dedicated to the indigenous people and elders of the country. The pace is a little more subdued, but therefore the headpieces of the Danzantes are among the biggest on show.

Pujilí is around 110 kilometres south of Quito. It’s the starting point for the Quilotoa-Circuit, a popular tourist loop through the mountains of Ecuador. So you might want to combine your festival visit with this tour.

Commemorative Day of the Dead Celebration in Mexico

Daria of Explore Baja California

Day of the Dead is one of the most popular holidays in Mexico that is usually observed on Nov. 1-2, however, the exact dates depend on a specific year. 

People across Mexico celebrate their loved ones who are no longer alive during this day, but the festivities and events related to the Day of the Dead span the entire October. 

The origin of this holiday takes roots in Aztec beliefs, but over years it also got mixed with Catholic believes.

During this month, people decorate their homes with bright painted skulls, and marigolds, bright orange flowers  and papel picado (perforated paper) that’s a traditional Mexican decorative art often used for adorning houses during major holidays.

Another big part of this holiday are altars (ofrendas) which are created to celebrated the loved ones who are no longer alive. Altars usually have candles, flowers, some skulls and photos of those who are being remembered. 

Many bakeries in Mexico also make pan de muerto during this time. Pan de muerto is a type of a sweet bread that resembles a scull and has some sugar on top of it.

While people across Mexico celebrate the Day of the Dead, the most colorful celebrations took place in Oaxaca, San Miguel de Allende, and Mexico City.

Artistic Theyyam Custom in Kerala, India

With a history of more than 1500 years,  Theyyam in Kerala  state of India is an important part of the local customs and traditions. Theyyam, meaning God in the local language, is a way for locals to connect with the gods and goddesses.

There are more than 400 types of Theyyam and all are performed by males, except for one which is performed by females.

The performances consist of elaborate dances, cultural drama, expressions, make-up, and costumes. Worshiping the gods and the spirits, the dances are complemented by folklore music.

Being part of local customs, Theyyam is performed at temples, sacred sites and at family homes. The origination of Theyyam happened in the northern part of Kerala , especially in Kannur and Kasaragod districts. Today, the performances have spread out and can be seen in various parts of the state.

For witnessing Theyyam in a natural environment, you will need to be invited by the family sponsoring the performance. But to see them perform on stages or temples, you can visit the sites and buy the entrance tickets.

Sacred Siraman Ritual in Indonesia

The Siraman ritual is an important tradition in Javanese weddings, symbolizing a spiritual cleansing before the couple gets married. “Siraman” means bathing in Javanese. In this ritual, the bride and groom are bathed separately with special water, which is usually mixed with fragrant flowers. This ceremony is a joyful and sacred event, held a day or two before the wedding.

During Siraman, the bride and groom wear ceremonial clothing. Their parents and elders pour the specially prepared water over their heads. This is done to clean their spirits and prepare them for marriage. The water for the Siraman is often from different sacred sources, and it’s mixed with flowers like jasmine, champaca, and ylang-ylang.

This ritual is a way for the couple to symbolically leave their single lives and step into marriage. It’s a celebration of starting a new life together with blessings and purity.

Sweet Hag Al Laila Tradition in UAE

Alison of  Glimpses of the UAE

If you’re in the UAE on the 15th night of the Islamic month of Sha’aban, listen out for Emirati children singing the Hag Al Laila song or chanting excitedly,  ‘atooni hag al laila!’  Give me Hag Al Laila!

Hag Al Laila means ‘for the night’ and, after sunset, you may see young children going from door to door in their local neighbourhoods, dressed in special traditional outfits, swinging their woven bags or maybe a basket.

If you see them later in the evening, hopefully, the bags will be full of nuts, sweets, and snacks. You may even hear the tinkling of coins. 

Listen for the special Hag Al Laila song played in houses where families are celebrating at home and even in parks and malls. You might even be given uniquely decorated bags or boxes full of treats or be invited to a Hag Al Laila event at someone’s home. 

If you experience Hag Al Laila, you will experience a sense of community and the quintessential Emirati values of generosity and hospitality.

During Ramadan, you may come across the celebration in other Gulf countries but called Gerga’an or Qaranqasho. 

Have some treats at hand in case you come across children out with their bags at the ready!

Purifying Burning of the Devil (La Quema del Diablo) in Guatemala, Central America

Michele Peterson of A Taste for Travel

One of the most unique traditions in Guatemala is the  La Quema del Diablo  (Burning of the Devil), a pre-Christmas celebration that takes place in the evening of December 7th every year. 

While festivities take place throughout the country, the most spectacular event happens in the former capital city of La Antigua.

As you stroll through the cobblestone streets of this UNESCO World Heritage Site lined with 17th century cathedrals, monasteries and palaces, an air of anticipation pulsates through the air as people sweep out their homes, carry paper mache figures of the devil to throw on bonfires and congregate around a giant effigy of the devil erected in the middle of Antigua’s oldest barrio. As night falls, firecrackers begin to explode throughout the city.

The crowd hushes in anticipation as the main effigy of the devil is set ablaze, flames licking the night sky and shooting crackling embers over the crowd. The flames cast an ethereal glow on the faces of participants and spectators alike.

The mystic ceremony symbolically releases any negative energy and collective burdens of the past year. In particular, purification through fire symbolizes the triumph of good over evil and a collective renewal of spirit. 

This Burning of the Devil ritual – a mix of pagan, Maya and Catholic traditions-ushers in the Christmas season, beginning the next day on December 8th, the Feast Day honouring the Conception of the Virgin Mary.

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All the Kings, Queens, Princes, and Princesses at the 2024 Paris Olympics

Royalty from around the world have arrived in France for the start of the Summer Games.

Through August 11, athletes from around the world will compete in gymnastics, swimming, fencing , track and field, basketball, equestrian events, and so many more sports—and cheering them on will be world leaders and royalty. Not only are numerous royals members of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), the organization that oversees the sporting competition, but many are presidents or patrons of their own country's Olympic team.

Princess Anne , for example, is president of the British Olympic Association, and is a regular fixture at Team Great Britain Events. At meeting with athletes at the British Embassy earlier this week, she told them, "I hope you will feel that this is the environment which encourages you to perform at your best, although you won't know that until it happens, but if it's a personal best, you can be imminently proud of what you've achieved because you will know you couldn't have done any better."

She added, "it requires such inspiration and innovation to maintain those levels of excellence for an Olympic Games that says something enormous about your achievements and your skills. Thank you for your commitment and your support and I just wish you every bit of success and that it goes as well as you hope in every way."

Before competition began, Denmark's King Frederik X and Queen Mary met with their country's athletes, as did Spain's King Felipe and Queen Letizia . Here, see all the best photos of royals from around the world attending the 2024 Paris Olympics. (We'll be updating this story throughout the Games, so be sure to check back!)

Day Eleven: August 6, 2024

King of Felipe VI watches the Canoe Sprint at Vaires-sur-Marne Nautical Stadium.

Crown Prince Haakon of Norway took in the show jumping at Versailles.

Queen Silvia of Sweden used binoculars to watch the action.

Day Ten: August 5, 2024

Queen Silvia and King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden celebrate Mondo Duplantis's gold medal .

After, the Swedish king and queen congratulated Mondo.

Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh celebrated loudly after Team GB claimed gold in the women’s team sprint.

King of Felipe VI of Spain and Princess Amalia of the Netherlands sat next to each other at the 3x3 basketball men's gold medal match.

Day Nine: August 4, 2024

Queen Mary waved a Danish flag at the equestrian events at Versailles.

Day Eight: August 3, 2024

Princess Benedikte wore a Danish Olympic polo to the Dressage Team Grand Prix Special at the Chateau de Versailles.

Day Seven: August 2, 2024

The Danish king and queen posed for a photo at Roland Garros.

Day Six: August 1, 2024

Queen Letizia watched men's tennis.

Prince Albert participated in a medal ceremony for rowing.

Day Five: July 31, 2024

Princess Anne visited Team GB House, looking stylish in a Team GB bucket hat.

The Princess Royal also participated in the Rowing Women's Quadruple Sculls medal ceremony.

Queen Mary cheers for Team Denmark during a handball match.

Day Four: July 30, 2024

The Dutch royal family was cheering loudly in the stands at a handball match.

Princess Anne and her husband watched men's field hockey.

Princess Leonor and Infanta Sofía watched table tennis.

Monaco's Prince Albert was spotted at the rowing competition.

Later in the day, Albert snapped a photo at the gymnastics finals.

Emily Burack (she/her) is the Senior News Editor for Town & Country, where she covers entertainment, culture, the royals, and a range of other subjects. Before joining T&C, she was the deputy managing editor at Hey Alma , a Jewish culture site. Follow her @emburack on Twitter and Instagram .

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My Travel Tips for Seeing the World’s Best Places

By Nicholas Kristof

Opinion Columnist

’Tis the season for vacations, so let me make my pitch that the best travel is not lounging at a beach resort but rather journeying into a different world. We all need relaxation at times, but nothing beats the thrill of a trip of discovery and the education that comes with it.

Mark Twain once observed that “travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry and narrow-mindedness.” In that spirit, I’ve long urged young Americans to take gap years before college or junior years abroad . (One high school reader of such an essay, Spencer Cohen , ended up taking a gap year partly in Japan, became an Asia hand and is now a colleague at The Times.)

Still, there are risks, less of violence (the U.S. has more guns than other countries) than of having your passport and credit cards stolen. So I preach both travel and prudence, and on a recent book tour , I found myself often asked about travel advice I had mentioned in my memoir. So let me share a few tips for the vacation season:

1. The most memorable travel often involves encountering something unfamiliar, so consider escaping the herds parading through Paris. Indonesia, Ghana, India, Nepal, Vietnam, Morocco and Bolivia are generally safe, far cheaper than Europe and offer indelible experiences. I’ll never forget venturing deep into the Potosí silver mines in Bolivia, exploring a grim slave castle in Ghana that dispatched prisoners to slavery in America, learning how to use a blowgun while staying with families in their longhouse in Indonesia’s Borneo rainforest. The world awaits us!

2. Some of the places that you find most culturally distant may be right here in the United States. A teenager from an affluent family in the New York or Boston areas would step into a different world by taking a ranch job in Wyoming. And this is the kind of travel that is not only affordable but actually pays for the experience.

3. Be spontaneous. As a law student in 1982, I spent five weeks backpacking through the Middle East and met a couple of Palestinian students on a West Bank bus; I jumped off at their stop and spent a memorable day with them in their refugee camp hearing about their frustrations and dreams (I wrote about reuniting with them last fall). And while on a bus in the Sahara, I accepted an Algerian man’s invitation to visit his village — which turned out to be a warren of underground burrows to protect families from the extreme heat, the most unusual residential architecture I’ve ever seen. In each case, I was with a couple of friends, which made it seem safer to put myself in the company of people I’d just met, and obviously one should be as judicious as one is spontaneous.

4. One occasionally hears that adventurous travel is just for men, but some of the most accomplished foreign correspondents and overseas photographers are women, as are a majority of Peace Corps volunteers. As a man, I don’t face the same risks that women face, but I have seen female travelers — disproportionately from Australia and New Zealand — thriving as they backpack through the most remote places. Some have suggested the purchase of a cheap wedding ring; a $20 band and a fabricated husband can help keep pests away.

5. Carry a decoy wallet. If pickpockets grab it, let them run off — only to discover that it contains just a bit of cash for street purchases, a day pass for the subway and an expired credit card. But do remember to let the pickpockets escape. Years ago, in Lima, Peru, I instinctively jumped a pickpocket who was trying to grab my friend’s decoy wallet, forgetting that he had nothing much in it; next thing I knew we had a melee and a gun was being fired.

6. Carry your passport and valid credit cards and cash in a pouch that loops on your belt and is tucked inside your pants. Travelers often carry travel pouches round their necks under their shirts, but these are visible and sometimes get stolen. While I’ve had bandits make me take off my shoes and socks while searching for cash, nobody has found my pouch in my pants (I dare mention this only because I assume robbers are not big readers of my column).

7. Carry a small cable lock (those for skis are perfect) to lock your bags together so one doesn’t run off while you’re sleeping in a train or on a bench at the train station.

8. Never check a bag for a flight because then it will get lost. That means packing light and taking quick-dry clothes suitable for washing in a hotel sink. I’m fond of travel clothing from a company called Clothing Arts , and I also rely on ultralight backpacking gear such as a tiny Black Diamond or Petzl headlamp that is invaluable when the power goes out.

9. If you’re getting into a taxi or other car in a location that seems at all dubious, use your phone to photograph the license plate before you get in. The driver may wonder if you’ve texted it to a friend. And women can look for female drivers if they exist.

10. My editor doesn’t want me to say anything that might encourage readers to try something dangerous, so I won’t suggest that there is nothing like the view while riding on the top of a train in Sudan . (That was in my dissolute youth, and today I definitely disapprove of riding on top of trains.)

11. People worry about terrorists, but the most likely serious risk is probably a vehicle accident. Motorcycle taxis common in low-income countries can be perilous, while buses and trains are safer (inside trains only!).

12. Now forget all the fears this article has conjured. Go have fun. Travel should be as enjoyable as it is eye-opening. If you take precautions it will be.

The Times is committed to publishing a diversity of letters to the editor. We’d like to hear what you think about this or any of our articles. Here are some tips . And here’s our email: [email protected] .

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Nicholas Kristof became a columnist for The Times Opinion desk in 2001 and has won two Pulitzer Prizes. His new memoir is “ Chasing Hope: A Reporter's Life .” @ NickKristof

A magical guide for how to plan a trip to Disney World this year

Editor's Note

If you want to know how to plan a trip to Disney World, you've come to the right place. This guide includes tips for choosing the right Disney World hotel for your budget, deciding which ticket type is right for you, determining which extras are worth splurging on and planning a trip that's fun and memorable without too much stress along the way.

Disney World offers four theme parks; two water parks; more than 25 on-site hotels; over 200 dining locations; and more attractions, experiences, shows and shops than we can list here. So, the best way to build a magical Disney World vacation is with planning, preparation and realistic expectations.

Planning a trip to Disney World should be fun and build excitement for your upcoming trip, and this guide can help.

How to start planning your trip to Disney World

There are a few questions you will want to answer early in the process of planning your Disney World vacation:

• What is your budget? Your budget will determine most other factors of your vacation, including where you stay and how many days you visit. How much it will cost you to go to Disney World can vary widely based on the choices you make.
• When will you go? You may be at the mercy of work or school schedules, but if you have the flexibility, you can plan your trip when crowds are smaller or the weather is better. The summer can be very hot and rainy. The week between Christmas and New Year's is one of the busiest, and weekdays when most kids are in school are often the least busy days.
• Where will you stay? You will typically pay more to stay in one of Disney's on-site hotels, especially at the moderate and deluxe tiers, but you'll also get perks like early theme park entry. Before you choose, you'll want to consider your budget, whether you want a themed room like the Royal Guest Rooms at Disney's Port Orleans Resort – Riverside and if you want to be near a certain Disney park. Pro tip: Renting Disney Vacation Club points can help you stay at a deluxe hotel for a moderate price.
• Which parks will you visit on which days? Depending on the length of your vacation, you may need to prioritize which parks you plan to visit. This will also influence whether you purchase one-park-per-day or Park Hopper tickets that allow you to visit multiple parks daily. If you have little kids, be sure your family will have the stamina for multiple parks per day before shelling out the extra cash to hop.
• Where will you dine? Popular Disney dining reservations get snatched up almost as soon as they become available. You'll want to plan ahead for any character dining or other table service restaurants, so you don't miss out.

It is important to book your hotel, dining and theme park tickets as early as possible for the best rates and availability. Disney also periodically releases special offers on hotels and vacation packages that you can often apply even if you have already made your reservations.

Related: Are the Disney Visa credit cards worth it?

We will dig deeper into each of these topics in this guide. Once you have a rough outline of your vacation based on the questions above, here are important dates to keep in mind so you can make your Disney dream a reality.

How soon can you book a Disney World hotel?

Disney releases hotel availability periodically, so there is no exact date that Disney hotel reservations become available. You can currently book Disney World hotel stays through Oct. 31, 2025.

Disney typically opens reservations for the following year around May or June, so you can expect to see 2026 availability around that time next year. If your plans change, you can cancel your room-only reservation up to five days before arrival for a full refund. Ticket and hotel vacation packages must be canceled 30 days before arrival to receive a full refund.

When can you purchase Disney World tickets?

Disney World tickets follow the same availability calendar as Disney hotel reservations. You can purchase tickets (or vacation packages including a hotel and tickets) through Oct. 31, 2025. Disney typically releases tickets for the following year around May or June, so you can expect to see 2026 availability around that time next year.

All tickets are date-based, and the price of one-day tickets also varies by park. You can purchase your tickets any time before you visit; the price won't change regardless of how long you wait. Theme park tickets are nonrefundable, but you may be able to change your ticket date if your plans change.

When do Disney World dining reservations become available?

You can begin making dining reservations 60 days prior to your visit. If you are staying in a Disney World hotel, you can make dining reservations 60 days before your check-in day for your entire stay (up to 14 days).

Reservations open on Disney's website or the My Disney Experience app between 5:45 a.m. and 6 a.m. EST, or you can call 407-939-DINE beginning at 7 a.m. EST; however, coveted reservations may already be snatched up by that time. You can cancel most Disney World dining reservations up to two hours before your reservation. Exceptions will be noted in the confirmation email you receive at the time of booking.

If you're not yet sure where to eat, here are our favorite restaurants at Disney World .

FOR NO-COST ASSISTANCE WITH PLANNING AND BOOKING YOUR NEXT DISNEY VACATION, CHECK OUT TPG'S DISNEY BOOKING PARTNER, MOUSE COUNSELORS .

What are the 4 parks at Disney World?

Each of Disney World's four theme parks is uniquely themed and packed with fun. You can learn more about each park — including attractions, shows, parade times and interactive maps to help you find your way around — in the My Disney Experience app.

Here's a bit more information about each and some tips for choosing the right ticket type to visit them all.

Magic Kingdom

Open since 1971, Magic Kingdom is Disney World's original theme park. This park is a world of fairy tales and fantasy, where you'll find five themed lands: Tomorrowland, Fantasyland, Frontierland, Adventureland and Liberty Square.

Magic Kingdom is home to some of Disney's most iconic attractions, including Space Mountain, Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, Peter Pan's Flight and the Haunted Mansion. It also has exciting new rides like Tron Lightcycle / Run and the park's newest ride, Tiana's Bayou Adventure .

Epcot opened in 1982 and has changed drastically in the four decades since. Epcot's core purpose, however, hasn't changed: sparking visitors' imaginations through science, technology, nature and the human experience. The park is sectioned into "neighborhoods" — World Celebration, World Nature, World Discovery and World Showcase. You can visit pavilions that celebrate the arts, culture and customs of 11 countries around the world.

There are many new things to see at Epcot, including Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind , Journey of Water, Inspired by Moana and the all-new fireworks spectacular, Luminous: The Symphony of Us .

Disney's Hollywood Studios

Disney's Hollywood Studios is a movie-themed park that has lands and attractions inspired by blockbuster films and beloved Disney characters. In Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge , you can pilot the Millennium Falcon and meet familiar (and sometimes furry) faces like Kylo Ren, Chewbacca and Rey.

In Toy Story Land, visitors shrink to the size of Woody, Buzz, Jessie (who you can meet here, by the way) and Andy's other toys. The land's Slinky Dog Dash coaster is a family-friendly ride that's perfect for a kid's first roller coaster.

Outside of the lands themed to specific films, much of the park evokes an old Hollywood glamour that makes you feel like a bona fide movie star. In these areas, you'll find some of the park's most iconic shows and attractions are also some of its longest-running; these include The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror drop ride, Rock 'n' Roller Coaster and the Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular .

Disney's Animal Kingdom

More than 2,000 animals — from about 300 species — call Disney's Animal Kingdom "home," but this is not a zoo. However, you can visit many of these animals via walking trails, the Kilimanjaro Safaris ride and even a petting zoo.

In addition to the creatures and landscapes found on Earth, you can visit another planet at Pandora — The World of Avatar or go back in time at DinoLand U.S.A. The animals aren't the only things that are "wild" at Animal Kingdom. Expedition Everest is a thrilling coaster; Avatar Flight of Passage puts you on the back of a banshee as you fly over Pandora; and Dinosaur sends you careening through the Cretaceous period in an off-road vehicle.

What type of Disney tickets should I buy?

Disney world base tickets.

You can purchase one-day or multiday Disney World tickets. All tickets are date-based, and the price varies depending on the date of your visit. If you purchase a one-day ticket, the price will also vary based on which park you plan to visit, with Magic Kingdom being the most expensive.

Disney World Park Hopper tickets

A base ticket only gets you into one park per day. If you want to visit multiple parks on the same day, you will need to purchase the Park Hopper option with your ticket. (You can also add it on in person after you arrive.) You can save money by only visiting one park per day, but it does limit how much you can see and do during your vacation.

A Park Hopper Plus ticket includes two visits to either Disney's golf courses, miniature golf courses or water parks. However, this is only worth it if you know you will use it all.

Disney World special event tickets

Some of Disney's after-hours events , like Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween Party and Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party , require a separate ticket. The park is only open to guests with special event tickets during these events. If you plan on visiting for one of these parties, you may be able to forgo a general admission ticket that day and utilize your special event ticket, as you can usually get into the park a few hours before the party starts.

Disney World ticket add-ons

There are two major ticket add-ons that you should consider. Both can be worth it, but they will increase the cost of your vacation.

The first add-on you might want to strongly consider is Lightning Lane passes . By purchasing a Lightning Lane Multi Pass, you can skip the standby line and enjoy shorter wait times for most Disney World rides. However, a handful of attractions at each park require a separate Lightning Lane Single Pass purchase to skip the line. (Read more about Lightning Lane passes in the section on saving time in line further along in this guide.)

Another popular add-on is Disney's Memory Maker . Memory Maker gives you unlimited downloads of pictures taken by PhotoPass photographers during your vacation and on-ride photos. You can purchase a one-day Memory Maker for short visits or a multiday Memory Maker that covers your entire vacation. You can save $25 on a multiday Memory Maker when you purchase it at least three days prior to your visit, so it's best to purchase it when you buy your tickets.

How to get discounted Disney World tickets

Aside from Disney's own discounts, you can sometimes save money on Disney tickets by purchasing them from an authorized third-party reseller. There are a few reputable sources out there for Disney World tickets, but our go-to is Undercover Tourist .

Depending on your ticket type, you can usually save between $5 and $100. One of the best ways to save money with Undercover Tourist is when Disney World raises ticket prices , which usually happens at least once per year. Undercover Tourist typically has a limited amount of existing ticket stock available at the old prices while supplies last.

Related: Disney World discounts: Get a free Park Hopper ticket upgrade, hotel savings and more

If you are a Florida resident or an active or retired U.S. military member , there are generously discounted Disney World tickets available directly through Disney's website.

You can also use points or miles to pay for your Disney tickets , and that's a strategy we strongly recommend to keep costs down. For example, with the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card , you can earn a welcome bonus of 75,000 miles after spending $4,000 within the first three months of having the card, plus a $250 Capital One Travel credit in your first cardholder year. You can use those 75,000 miles as the same as $750 toward travel .

While ticket-only packages from Disney World typically don't code as a travel charge, buying them from Undercover Tourist — or as part of a larger hotel and ticket package directly from Disney — typically does code as a travel charge. So, you could save $750 just like that.

Is booking a Disney vacation package a good idea?

If you are staying in one of Disney World's on-site hotels or a certified " Disney World Good Neighbor " hotel, you have the option to bundle your hotel stay and theme park tickets into a Disney vacation package. Normally, these packages are not discounted, but they can be a great value if Disney runs any special vacation package promotions .

Aside from discounts (and the fact that it all likely codes as a travel charge for point-redemption purposes), there's one major reason to book a vacation package: When you purchase your tickets and hotel together, you only have to pay a $200 deposit at the time of booking. Payment in full is due 30 days prior to arrival. If you purchase your tickets separately from your hotel stay, you will have to pay the full amount at the time of purchase.

This is another great example of why you should book through an authorized Disney travel planner who can compare prices for you and keep an eye out for discounts.

When is the best time to visit Disney World?

Do you want the lowest crowds or the best weather? Do you want to attend a Halloween party or see Magic Kingdom's 65-foot-tall Christmas tree ?

The best time to visit Disney World depends on your reason for visiting.

If you want moderate temperatures and less chance of rain, you may want to plan your visit between October and December. If you want shorter waits, your best bets are late January, early May or just after Thanksgiving before the crowds descend upon the parks for winter break. Of course, regular weekdays typically see lower crowds than weekends and school breaks.

If you are planning a Disney World vacation on a budget, opt for midweek dates in August and September 2024, when prices start at $109 for a one-day ticket.

Read our full guide on the best times to visit Walt Disney World .

What's the best way to get to Disney World?

Getting to Orlando and getting to Disney World after arriving are two different topics, so let's look at each.

What is the closest airport?

The closest airport to Walt Disney World is Orlando International Airport (MCO). Most major airlines fly into MCO, and you can reach Disney World in about 25 to 30 minutes from the airport, depending on traffic. If you are flying Allegiant or Sun Country Airlines, you'll fly into Orlando Sanford International Airport (SFB). SFB is smaller than MCO and farther from Disney World. From SFB, it is about a 45-minute drive to Disney World.

What is the best way to get to Disney World from the airport?

Because of its size and proximity to Disney World, MCO has more and better options to help you get between the airport and Disney World.

From MCO or SFB, you can rent a car or use a ride-hailing service like Uber or Lyft. If you do rent a car from MCO, you can forgo paying tolls through the car rental company (which often comes with an additional fee) and pick up a Visitor Toll Pass to save on tolls during your trip.

Disney does not charge a parking fee for overnight hotel guests, so if you rent a car, you can park at your hotel and drive to Disney's theme parks without additional fees.

Keep in mind that you may not need a car if you don't plan on leaving Disney property after you arrive. Disney has a robust internal transportation system that operates between its on-site hotels and theme parks, water parks and Disney Springs.

You can also use Disney's official airport shuttle, Mears Connect , to travel from MCO.

Mears Connect is a shuttle service that picks you up from MCO and will drop you off at official Disney World hotels and a handful of nearby hotels. Pricing starts at $16 one-way for adults and $13 one-way for children. Mears Connect offers shared shuttles, where you will stop at multiple Disney hotels on the way to your own. You can pay an additional fee for an "express shuttle" that takes you directly to your resort. The easiest way to reserve your ride is online through the Mears Connect website.

What is the best way to get around Disney World?

If you are staying on Walt Disney World property, you can utilize Disney's complimentary transportation for travel between your resort and Disney's theme parks, water parks and Disney Springs. Disney offers transportation by bus, boat, monorail and Disney Skyliner gondola system. The transportation options you can access depend on your hotel.

All Disney hotels offer regularly scheduled bus transportation around the resort. Transportation begins 45 minutes prior to the theme park opening and up to one hour after the theme park closing.

Guests of Disney's Magic Kingdom-area resorts — Disney's Polynesian Village Resort, Disney's Contemporary Resort and Disney's Grand Floridian Resort & Spa — can use boat or monorail transportation to travel to the Magic Kingdom. There is also a monorail line that will take you to the Transportation and Ticket Center, where you can transfer to a separate monorail line that goes to Epcot. These hotels also offer a walking path to Magic Kingdom.

Guests of Disney's Riviera Resort, Disney's Caribbean Beach Resort, Disney's Art of Animation Resort and Disney's Pop Century Resort can use the Disney Skyliner gondolas to travel to Disney's Hollywood Studios and Epcot. All Disney World visitors can also use Disney Skyliner to travel between these two parks, regardless of where they're staying. It's a fun and scenic way to get around the resort.

Many Disney World hotels also offer ferry boat transportation to nearby parks. The BoardWalk-area hotels, for example, offer boat transportation to Epcot and Disney's Hollywood Studios. Fort Wilderness, Disney's Wilderness Lodge and others offer boat service to the Magic Kingdom. You can view a full list on Disney's website . You can also walk to Epcot or Hollywood Studios from any BoardWalk-area hotel.

Whichever transportation option you choose, you can view the schedule, routes and stop locations in the My Disney Experience app or on video monitors at each stop location.

You can also utilize Disney's Minnie Van service for door-to-door (or door-to-front gate, as it were) service between your hotel and Disney's theme parks. You can book these private rides in red-and-white polka-dot vans directly through the Lyft app. Accessible rides and child safety seats are available.

Though not "official" Disney World hotels, Walt Disney World Swan, Dolphin and Swan Reserve hotel guests have access to Disney's complimentary ferry boat service to Epcot and Disney's Hollywood Studios. A walking path is also available. These resorts also operate their own shuttles to Disney's theme parks, which pick up approximately every 20 to 25 minutes throughout the day.

Disney Springs hotels operate their own shuttle services, independent of Disney's transportation. If you are staying at one of these hotels, you can inquire about scheduling and pickup times at the front desk.

What's the best place to stay on a Disney vacation?

There are more than two dozen Disney World hotels to choose from, so your main considerations will be your budget and what type of hotel experience you are after. Whether you want over-the-top Disney theming, an upscale cabin in the woods or a luxury villa with access to a club lounge, you can find it at Disney World.

Disney offers three hotel tiers: Value, Moderate and Deluxe.

Value Disney resorts are the most affordable, with prices ranging between $125 and $300 per night. Value resorts offer quick-service, cafeteria-style dining outlets and large pools but don't have full-service restaurants or pool amenities like waterslides and hot tubs.

On average, Moderate Disney resorts cost between $250 and $400 and offer amenities you won't find at Value Disney resorts. Some have full-service restaurants, and the pools are better-themed and equipped with waterslides. Many of them are also in central locations near Disney's theme parks.

Deluxe Disney resorts are the most expensive, ranging between $400 and $700 per night for a standard room. They also have the best locations, amenities and dining. You can expect large, well-furnished guest rooms, pool complexes with hot tubs, waterslides and beach areas, multiple full-service restaurants, spas and more.

Regardless of which hotel you choose, Disney's on-site hotels offer perks to enhance your stay:

• A 30-minute jumpstart on your day with Disney's Early Theme Park Entry benefit
• The ability to purchase individual Lightning Lanes for eligible rides begins at 7 a.m. on the day of your visit (nonresort guests can't do this until the park opens)
• Complimentary hotel and theme park parking
• Extended Evening Theme Park Hours for guests staying at Disney Deluxe Resort Hotels on select nights (also available to guests of Walt Disney World Swan, Dolphin and Swan Reserve hotels, as well as Shades of Green)

Best hotels at Disney World

The best Disney World hotel for you depends on what you are looking for in a hotel stay. If you don't plan on spending much time in your room, you can save a lot of money by staying in a Value resort.

If you plan on spending part of your vacation enjoying hotel amenities like the pool and restaurants, you may want to choose a Moderate or Deluxe resort.

Or, if you have a large family that won't be comfortable in a standard room, one of Disney's family suites might be your best bet.

Below are a few of our favorites.

Best Disney World resort if you are on a budget: Disney's Pop Century Resort may not be the most glamorous hotel at Disney, but the kitschy 1950s through 1990s theming and the starting price of around $200 per night will surely put a smile on your face. This resort has three pools, a playground and an arcade. Guest rooms are furnished with either one king bed or a queen bed and a space-saving table that folds out into a bed. It is also one of two Value resorts with Skyliner gondola access to Epcot and Hollywood Studios.

Best Disney World resort for large families : Disney's Art of Animation Resort is in Disney's more affordable Value category and has family suites themed to popular Disney films like "Cars," "The Lion King" and "Finding Nemo" that sleep up to six guests. The pool here is the largest at any Disney World resort, and you can take the Disney Skyliner gondolas to Epcot and Hollywood Studios. Standard rooms are also available.

Best Disney World resort for swimming : Disney's Yacht Club and Beach Club resorts are sister properties near Epcot. The two resorts have rooms that average around $600 per night and share access to Stormalong Bay, the best pool at Disney World . Stormalong Bay is really more than a pool. It is a water park with sand-bottomed pools, a lazy river, an activities pool with a volleyball net and daily pool games and a shipwreck-themed waterslide.

Best Disney World resort for a luxury stay : If the sky is the limit for your Walt Disney World vacation budget, the Copper Creek Cabins at Disney's Wilderness Lodge are some of the finest accommodations you can choose. With two bedrooms, a fireplace, a screened-in porch, a hot tub and lakeside views, these cabins are anything but rustic. The privacy offers you a chance to wind down after a long Disney day. Still, you are close enough to take a boat ride to Magic Kingdom and enjoy the amenities and dining in the resort's main lobby.

If you are leaning toward a luxury Disney stay, you may be able to save money by renting Disney Vacation Club points. DVC is Disney's version of a timeshare program. DVC members can rent out their points to nonmembers through sites like David's Vacation Club Rentals , helping you save hundreds of dollars versus booking directly through Disney. The trade-offs are that availability is limited and the cancellation policies are much less flexible than if you make the reservation directly through Disney.

Read our full guide on the best hotels at Walt Disney World .

Best hotels near Disney World

Disney World also partners with a handful of off-site hotels where you can still take advantage of certain benefits like Early Theme Park Entry and complimentary transportation while paying less than you would for an official Disney World hotel. These hotels also participate in major hotel points programs, so you can earn or redeem points for your stay.

The Walt Disney World Swan, Dolphin and Swan Reserve hotels all participate in the Marriott Bonvoy program. While not technically Disney hotels, they are on Disney property between Epcot and Disney's Hollywood Studios. If you are a Marriott Bonvoy elite member , these hotels offer benefits like complimentary upgrades, a welcome amenity and more.

Related: This affordable new Disney Springs hotel includes free hot food and 6 nightly drinks

Disney Springs has seven hotels from brands like Wyndham, Hilton, Holiday Inn and others. All of these are adjacent to the Disney Springs shopping and dining district, and some have room rates that start at close to $100 per night. These can be a great option if you want to save money and don't mind leaving the "Disney bubble" at the end of the day.

Read our full guide to Disney Springs hotels here .

What are the best restaurants at Disney World?

With more than 200 restaurants to choose from, you will have to decide which Disney World restaurants you most want to visit. Dining options run the gamut from the predictable burger and fries spot to an out-of-this-world restaurant in space.

Read our full guide to the best restaurants at Disney World .

Hardest Disney reservations to get (and how to get them)

Many of these restaurants are quick-service or snack stands that don't require advance reservations. However, there are a few popular restaurants that book up almost as soon as reservations become available.

If you want to dine with Disney royalty at Cinderella's Royal Table, for example, you'll want to make your reservation as soon as you can. Those staying at a Disney World hotel can make reservations for the entire vacation 60 days prior to check-in day.

Related: 'Be our guest' at these 5 best character dining meals at Walt Disney World

Other reservations that book up quickly include Storybook Dining at Artist Point , Space 220 at Epcot, California Grill, 'Ohana, Sci-Fi Dine-In Theater at Hollywood Studios and Topolino's Terrace, especially for the character breakfast. All of these have great food and atmosphere, making them popular for new and returning guests.

Best quick-service restaurants at Disney that don't require a reservation

Luckily, there are plenty of Disney restaurants with delicious food you can get your hands on without a reservation. Satu'li Canteen in Pandora — The World of Avatar at Disney's Animal Kingdom is consistently ranked as one of the best quick-service restaurants anywhere at Disney. The food is fresh, flavorful and surprisingly inexpensive. You can get a build-your-own bowl with beef, chicken or fish for less than $20.

Other must-try quick-service restaurants include Ronto Roasters at Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge (the Ronto Breakfast Wrap is the best handheld meal at Disney), Columbia Harbour House at Magic Kingdom for New England-inspired fare and Regal Eagle Smokehouse at Epcot for all things barbecue.

Using the Disney app to improve your dining experience

The My Disney Experience app is a must for your Disney World vacation for checking wait times, finding your way around and more. When it comes to dining, you can use it to find walk-up dining availability, score last-minute reservations, see what restaurants are nearby and place mobile orders at select quick-service restaurants.

When you place a mobile order via the app, you choose what time you would like to pick up your order (with the option to modify if plans change). When you arrive at the restaurant, you can click "I'm here. Prepare my order." Then, you'll receive a notification on your phone when your food is ready.

Should you buy a Disney Dining Plan?

The cost of dining at Disney can add up quickly, and Disney offers two dining plan options that may help you save money. The Disney Dining Plan lets you prepay for a specified number of meals and snacks for your Disney World vacation. You receive a certain number of meal and snack credits for each night of your stay.

The Disney Dining Plan is both convenient and flexible. By prepaying for your meals and snacks, you won't have to pull out your wallet for every meal and snack, and you aren't required to use a set number of credits each day. You can redeem them anytime during your stay in the way that best works for you.

There are two options: the Disney Quick Service Dining Plan and the Disney Dining Plan. The first is a bit less expensive and allows for more flexibility. The second is best if you plan on more sit-down dining and character meals during your vacation.

Whether or not you can save money with a Disney Dining Plan depends on how you utilize the credits. It is possible to break even or come out ahead if you maximize the value of your credits and actually eat all of the food available on the plan. If you don't use all of your credits, you are essentially leaving money on the table. Our guide can help you out with the math.

Read our full guide to the Disney Dining Plan .

How to save time in line at Disney World

Most Walt Disney World attractions offer a standby line. The only exceptions are new attractions, which will often offer a virtual queue for a limited time after opening. When Disney World is busy, though, standby lines for popular attractions can climb as high as two hours. Luckily, Disney has Lightning Lane passes that help you skip the standby line and get on more attractions with shorter waits.

With Lightning Lane Multi Pass, you can skip the standby line and utilize a much shorter Lightning Lane for most attractions. You can only purchase this add-on service on the day of your visit, beginning at midnight (though you will likely be safe waiting until you wake up in the morning, except on Disney's busiest days).

The cost of Lightning Lane Multi Pass varies per park and per day. The service starts at $15 per person, per day. It occasionally reaches a per-person price of $35 per day during the busy Thanksgiving and Christmas holiday season or in April during spring break.

If you are staying in a Walt Disney World hotel, the Walt Disney World Swan, Dolphin or Swan Reserve hotels or Shades of Green, you can purchase your Lightning Lane passes at 7 a.m. EST seven days before your vacation for the length of your trip. If you aren't staying in one of these hotels, you can purchase three days before your visit, one day at a time. When you purchase, you can also select your first three Lightning Lane Multi Pass rides and arrival windows as well as any Lightning Lane Single Pass rides and arrival windows.

Even if you plan to "park hop" to multiple parks in one day, you will purchase Lightning Lane Multi Pass and make your first three selections for the first park where you plan to use it. After you use your first selection, you can make subsequent selections for any other park you wish to visit.

Most attractions are included in the Lightning Lane Multi Pass service, but one or two attractions at each park require a separate Lightning Lane Single Pass purchase to skip the line. The Lightning Lane Single Pass pricing varies by day and attraction. It typically falls between $7 and $25 per person per attraction for Disney's most popular rides, such as Tron: Lightcycle Run and Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind.

You don't need to purchase Lightning Lane Multi Pass to buy individual Lightning Lane Single Passes and vice versa.

If you are staying in one of Disney's on-site hotels or in select "Good Neighbor" hotels, as mentioned in the section above, you can also save time in line by utilizing Early Theme Park Entry and/or Extended Evening Theme Park Hours. You can get into the parks 30 minutes early with the early entry benefit, but you actually want to arrive at the front gates 30 to 45 minutes before that. This will give you time to get through security and to the roped-off area where they hold guests, making you one of the first in line to rush to your favorite ride when early entry starts.

Related: Your guide to visiting Disney World with a child on the autism spectrum

If you or someone in your party has a disability that makes it difficult for you to wait in a traditional standby queue, you can also save time by registering for Disney's Disability Access Service. You need to start the registration process before your visit, and full instructions are available on Disney's website .

How to plan a Disney World trip on a budget

While sensational stories about $2,500 meals at Disney make for good headlines, it is totally possible to visit Disney World on a budget .

Related: Yes, you can visit Disney World on a budget: Here's how I did it

Here are some of the most important things you can do to make your Disney vacation budget manageable:

• Stay at a Disney Value resort like Disney's All-Star Movies Resort or use Marriott points to stay at the Swan, Dolphin and Swan Reserve. These are the best cards to get those points.
• Use Disney's complimentary parking and transportation for on-site guests instead of renting a car.
• Purchase groceries for some meals and snacks, and only buy one or two meals in the parks each day.
• Don't visit the parks every day you are at Disney. Stick to one park per day, avoiding park hopping. You can save on tickets by spending a day swimming or visiting Disney Springs.
• Don't forget to periodically check Disney's website for discounts. Even after you book, you may be able to apply a hotel or vacation package discount that can save you even more money.
• Be on the lookout for discounted Disney gift cards to help cover the cost of your trip and/or use points for the tickets.
• Visit during less busy times of the year. Ticket prices are cheapest in August and September, with one-day tickets starting at $109.

Disney World pretrip checklist

Now that you've determined your budget, purchased your tickets, booked your hotel and made a few dining reservations, your trip is nearly planned. There are some other details you'll need to consider to make your trip as magical as it should be. Here's our ultimate Disney World pretrip checklist:

• Pack accordingly : Depending on when you visit, you could be dealing with heat, humidity, afternoon showers, chilly temperatures or a mix of all of the above. It's important to pack comfortable shoes and clothing no matter when you visit, but you may also want rain gear, sun protection or a warm jacket, depending on the weather. You can read our full Disney World packing guide here .
• Download the My Disney Experience app : This app is an invaluable tool that you will use daily during your visit. You can use it to check everything from wait times to walk-up dining availability. You can also use it to navigate the parks with turn-by-turn walking directions, purchase Lightning Lane passes and even open your hotel room door.
• Check the park hours before your visit : You can view the park hours on the Walt Disney World website or the My Disney Experience app. Each park has separate opening and closing times, and parks occasionally close early for special events like Halloween and Christmas parties. When you view the park hours, you'll also be able to see times for any parades or fireworks shows happening each day of your visit and plan for early entry or extended theme park hours for eligible on-site hotel guests.
• Check the height requirements for attractions: If you are traveling to Disney World with young children, you can check the height requirements for attractions on Disney World's website or in the My Disney Experience app. There are also measuring stations at all attractions that have a minimum height requirement. Still, it's better to know ahead of time to avoid tears if your child isn't quite tall enough.
• Know where to find your favorite characters : Most Disney characters have designated meeting times and locations, which you can find in the My Disney Experience app. Booking a character meal can be a great way to meet multiple characters at once, but you can also meet many characters in the parks.
• Decide if you want to purchase PhotoPass photos : You can save money on Disney Memory Maker by purchasing it before you visit. It's the easiest way to capture your vacation memories and an add-on we highly recommend. You can view and download your photos in the My Disney Experience app.
• Study up on Lightning Lane passes: As helpful as Lightning Lane passes can be, there is a bit of a learning curve. Study up using our guide and Disney's own overview before your visit. It's good to know which attractions participate in the service, how to reserve Lightning Lane access and how to make the most of the service.
• Plan for downtime: One of the biggest mistakes people make at Disney World is overscheduling their trip and leaving no time for rest and relaxation. If you are visiting for more than a few days, try to schedule a day away from the parks where you swim, explore the other resorts or just lounge around the hotel. It'll help rejuvenate you for the rest of your trip. For shorter trips, you may want to schedule a slow morning or return to your hotel early one day instead of being at the parks from opening to closing every day of your trip.

Read all of our best Disney World tips here .

Bottom line

There you have it — the ultimate guide to visiting Walt Disney World.

In addition to the planning and preparation you've now mastered, there are two very important things you must do during your Disney World vacation: Don't overplan, and have fun. It's much better to have a short list of "must-do" rides, restaurants and activities than to have a minute-by-minute itinerary that almost certainly will not play out exactly how you planned.

Keeping a loose itinerary leaves room for magical moments like stumbling upon a favorite character, noticing a supershort line for a ride or deciding last-minute to watch a parade you happened upon. You can't do everything in one trip anyway, so do the things you can and save the rest for next time when you are a certified Disney pro.

FOR NO-COST-TO-YOU ASSISTANCE IN PLANNING AND BOOKING YOUR DISNEY VACATION, CHECK OUT TPG'S DISNEY BOOKING PARTNER, MOUSE COUNSELORS .

Related reading:

• The best Disney World hotels for your stay
• The 21 most underrated things at Disney World: What to see, do and eat that many guests miss
• Forgetting to do this 1 thing could ruin your Disney trip
• Disney's take on timeshares: Guide to Disney Vacation Club
• 8 Walt Disney World experiences that don't require a park ticket