Ten Tips For Taking a Trip Around the World

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So, you’ve finally collected enough spare change in the expendable savings account, you’re dying to tell your jefe to shove off, and your brother—just finishing his studies—is begging to sub-lease your room for a year. Seems the stars have finally aligned: It’s time for that round-the-world trip you’ve spent countless Monday-morning office meetings daydreaming about. But where to start? How do you stretch your pennies so you can escape the rat race for as long as possible?

For most long-term bargain travelers, airfare is by and large their greatest expense. And while a few true adventurers (or lucky poor planners) manage to hook up on-the-go deals from bucket shops in mega-hubs like Bangkok, Hong Kong, Amsterdam, and London, the rest of us desire the security, flexibility, and ease of a round-the-world ticket. Here’s how to find the ticket that’s flexible, cost-efficient, and perfectly tailored for your round-the-world adventure:

Secrets of the Shoulder Season Revealed!
Unsure when to go to the 1,001 destinations on your list? Take a peek at our comprehensive guide to the secrets of traveling during the globe’s shoulder seasons , from Australia to Europe to the Caribbean and beyond.
1. Choose your destinations carefully
Paradise may be wherever you find it, but it is different for everyone—hammocks on a beach in the South Pacific, teahouse trekking in the Himalaya, a safari on the South African savanna, hash bars in northern Europe, or all of the above. First things first: Decide, in general terms, where you’d like to go. Most air brokers offer specific itineraries that include circling the South Pacific, Europe, Asia, or a true, east-to-west round-the-world ticket. These standard itineraries tend to be a bit cheaper (often under $2,000 for a six- to seven-stop trip) and less hassle to arrange, but customized trips can be nearly as inexpensive ($75 and up for additional stops depending on where and when), so contemplate where you want to while away your days and go from there.

2. Get the biggest bang for your buck
Air Brokers (1-800-883-3273; www.airbrokers.com), one of the largest, easiest, and cheapest round-the-world ticket agents, offers several suggestions to keep your ticket costs low: Travel in one direction only (east or west), travel during the shoulder seasons when air tickets are at their lowest demand, and link several of your flights together with overland travel (fly into Sydney and out of Cairns after some overland touring of Australia, for example). Off- and shoulder-season travel has the added benefit of cheaper accommodations, smaller crowds, and discounts with most outdoor outfitters. And one of the best ways to get to know the local people (as well as what’s up in the regional travel scene) is to travel by bus, train, or boat. A Eurail train pass, the Trans-Siberian railroad, a South China Sea ferry, the Ghan train through the heart of the Outback, or a Saharan camel trek are all excellent and exciting ways to see more of the world, and—in most instances—save a little cash.

3. Take your time
Unlike last-minute, space-available deals on some bargain Internet sites specializing in one-way or round-trip fares, round-the-world agents get the best prices by shopping the global wholesale air-travel market, then getting tickets issued wherever they are least expensive. To get the best price and to take full advantage of this global network of suppliers, you usually need to purchase your ticket at least a month in advance of your departure, says Air Treks (1-877-247-8735; www.airtreks.com). These global ticket suppliers can buy a tremendous volume of air tickets and therefore can negotiate prices much lower than published fares. Also, make sure you know the life of your ticket; you may want to extend or shorten your stay in any given destination. Three-month and 12-month tickets are most common, sometimes at nearly the same price, sometimes at slightly increasing intervals.

4. Balance budget and time
A limited budget does not necessarily mean a short trip. You can easily be on the road for six months for only $6,000, including airfare, if you spend the majority of your time in less expensive destinations such as northern India, Cambodia, Turkey, and Eastern and Central Europe. On the other hand, if you have only three weeks for the entire round-the-world experience, consider westward travel to minimize the effects of jetlag and reduce your number of stops, so that you spend your time exploring your destinations instead of the inside of an airplane or your budget hotel room.

5. Prowl the Internet
Once you’ve chosen your places and seasons, shop around. Airline alliances such as Star Alliance (a network of 15 worldwide carriers, including Air New Zealand, Lufthansa, Scandinavian, and United Airlines; www.star-alliance.com) or Sky Team (including Delta, Korean Air, and Air France; www.skyteam.com) occasionally offer better deals, especially if one of your destinations is more expensive or off the beaten path. Both of these alliances feature over 650 destinations, but are rarely as flexible or user-friendly as the brokers specializing in round-the-world tickets. Airline alliances typically insist on at least one transatlantic and one transpacific flight in your itinerary, and unidirectional travel is a must.

6. Take advantage of your advantages
If you are a student or under 26, make sure you check STA Travel (1-800-781-4040; www.statravel.com) for special student and youth bargains. Likewise, if you are over 65, traveling with children, or belong to any airline preferred-passenger clubs, ask your broker what discounts exist.

7. Get your paperwork in order
If you don’t have a passport, or if it expires before your trip will end, take care of that ASAP; the process can easily take up to two months (applications can be picked up at your local post office or online at the U.S. Department of State website). In addition, it is important to make sure all your visas are in order. A visa service can handle your needs for a fee, but most air brokers specializing in these types of trips will happily tell you how to take care of it yourself. Knowing whether a visa is required for each of your destinations, how to apply, how long it usually takes, how long the visa lasts, and how much it costs can easily be found out by contacting the embassies or consulates of the countries you plan to visit. In addition, most countries insist that arriving travelers have proof of onward travel. If you don’t have an outbound ticket in hand, you will need to show evidence of your other travel plans. Your ticket broker should be able to help you with this.

8. Make copies
One absolute necessity: copies, copies, copies of all your important records (passport, visas, travelers checks, credit cards, and ticket information). Email these to yourself, leave them with a trusted friend, hide them in a bag, and trade them with your travel partner. Should you lose your important stats, narrowly escape certain disaster with nothing but the clothes on your back, or have anything stolen, you’ll need to consult these copies, particularly for reissuing your plane tickets.

9. Changing your itinerary
Found your raison d’être, the love of your life, or just a really good chicken tikka-masala and simply have to stay one more week? It’s important to know how to change your itinerary on the road. Most tickets are good for up to one year and changing dates is usually free. Adding destinations is a different story, though. Sometimes that will cost as little as $75, but it is important to know the parameters of your ticket before you leave, as well as what on-the-road support you can expect. As you travel other travelers will know the best places to stay and what to see and do, especially since even the best guidebooks are a year or two out of date. This means you’ll want to be flexible, and you’ll want your ticket to be flexible, too. Discuss the costs and change-of-plan options before purchasing your tickets.

10. Check the fine print for added benefits
Many air brokers, such as Air Treks and Around the World Tickets (1-800-627-0715; www.aroundtheworldtickets.com) offer great bennies such as emergency medical transportation insurance and 24-hour medical, legal, and travel assistance. When you are talking about similarly priced tickets, these added extras just might help you make your decision.

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