Taking Off: Starting to Plan your RTW Trip

Starting out on your RTW planning you will probably be a little stuck as to exactly how it will all come together.

The most common start point that feeling of wanting to see everything.  ‘Everything’ is going to mean lots of different things; it could be you want to see as much of Europe or the States as possible, or it could mean trying to see a bit of every continent.

So where to start? Opening up a map and circling a wish list of destinations is a good way to go.  When it comes to actually getting to all those circles you will probably have to compromise somewhere, so having  a list and just shortening it down to what’s most important to you is a good way to begin.

When you start the search for an RTW ticket you might find that some destinations might not quite fit and that some other places you might not have considered come into view.

Check out the researching your destinations page in the travel advice section for lots of links to help you start researching your destinations.

When it comes to a round the world trip less can be more.   After doing three of these my main recommendation would be to be as realistic as possible as to what you want to see in a year.

Seeing 30 countries is certainly an experience, but you will probably be exhausted and often miss out on what each place really has to offer.

Will you have to work? factoring this into the middle of the trip might mean cutting out some destinations due to lack of time.

When it comes to destinations if you plan on seeing out of the way places like Africa and South/Central America then try and allow as much time as possible.  Travel in these places can be time consuming and taxing.  I reckon a month in each country is the minimum you need to really get a feel for a place.

These continents are also the most expensive and hardest to get to.  We have Asia and India on our doorstep so seeing these places on another trip later on might be a consideration.  How often will you get to spend 6 months in Africa or South America? Probably not very often, though we can get to Asia and even Europe fairly easily and travel in these places is pretty straight forward.

Being a bit younger can also be a bonus when seeing these places on the cheap; rattling across Africa or South America on shitty buses and trucks is easier done early on, while Europe and parts of Asia will always be accessible if you want to go and have the will to get there.

So grab a map, pick out what’s most important to you and try to fight the urge to circle every second country.  The more time you give yourself the more you will relax into the trip and soak up your destinations.

After all just having time away from work is a luxury we seem to be able to enjoy less and less.  So why rush!  as the much maligned Jack Johnson once sang: “frames can’t catch you when you’re moving so fast”.  Throwing away your watch for year or more is not such a bad thing.

Enjoy the rest of this section and we hope it gives you the practical and unbiased advice you need.

Next: Winging it versus buying an RTW ticket