Planning a Round the World Trip

Where in the World do you want to go?

After you decide to satisy your wanderlust and take the plunge into a long term or round the world trip there are some big decision that need to be made. The task won't seem as big if you break it down into smaller goals on your way.

How will you save for your trip
Long term travel isn't as expensive as you may think but you will still need a travel fund. Cutting out luxuries like dining out or quitting smoking are great ways to save some money. A part time job could help build your travel fun more quickly or there are options to work while staying in another country including teaching English or a student work visa.

The amount of money you'll need to budget for will depend on the length of time you plan to be away, the countries you plan on visiting and the amenities you require.

Where do you want to go
The first thing we did after we decided to take this trip was go to the store to buy a large world map. We poured over it looking at the countries and writing lists of all the places we wanted to visit. In a short amount of time, the list had grown very large and we needed to narrow it down. We accomplished that by researching the countries on our lists and choosing based on cost, safety, visa difficulty and other travellers reviews.

Don't forget to look at the seasonal information for each country in order to avoid the rainy, colder or unbearably hot times of year. Although if you are flexible the off season is when you will get the best travel deals.

East vs West. The jetlag will be slightly worse travelling east but your direction will rely on what countries you're heading to and what time of the year you want to be there. Plan a rough guide of when you plan to arrive at each country but be open to changes along the way.

How long will you be gone
The length of your trip will alter many decisions. Will you need to quit your job or are you able to take a leave of absence. Many employers can be very receptive to the idea of a sabbatical for travel especially if you emphasize the world experience and versatility that you will have gained when you come back to work.

If you rent your home it may be easiest to move out and put your belongings in storage (or mom's basement) until you get back. Although if you are taking a shorter round the world trip you may just want to pay the rent while you're gone and have a place to come back to.

If you are a homeowner the decision may not be so easy. You could leave the house empty, rent it out furnished or unfurnished or sell the house. Renting out your house can be a great way to make some income while you travel but not everyone is comfortable with the idea. If you decide to rent our the house furnished you may still want to get a storage unit for your more valuable items. Not all renters will treat your furniture like it's their own.

The length of time you are gone for will also affect how slowly or quickly you will be able to move through the countries that you selected. Slower travel is the cheaper way to go and also allows for you to take some time to immerse yourself in new cultures and experiences. Everyone has their own pace so enjoy every moment.

Check out the forums below to get started planning your trip. They will be able to provide you will personal experiences on long term travel planning, destinations, gear and much more...

Before you go on any trip to exotic destinations, and even some of the not so exotic ones, you need to make sure that all your required immunizations are up to date.

The most common ones that you will need are:
Hep A
Hep B
Rabies
Polio
Typhoid
Japanese Encephalitis
Tetenus

This is just a basic list. It is up to you to talk to your health care professional to determine which immunizations are right for you. There are many clinics that are travel specific. The staff there will be able to tell you what diseases you are at risk for. They just need a list of what countries you plan to be visiting and when you plan on going.

In some cases the length of time that you travel for can come into play as you may need a booster for an immunization while on the road.

Tourist visas are required by most countries upon entering the country. Some countries, like Thailand, will issue a visa to you when you arrive for a stay up to 30 days. Most other countries require you to get a visa before you arrive.

When planning a round the world trip try to keep in mind when and where you need to get your visas. Some tourist visas can be applied for while you are out of your home country. For example, while we are in Thailand we will be applying for our visa to enter Vietnam. Some countries, like Russia, require that you apply for your visa to enter before you leave your home country.

Visa requirements will be different based on the country you hold your passport with so make sure you check on your unique situation.

Also worth mentioning is the Schengen Visa. This is a visa that is valid for 15 European Union countries which include Austria, Germany, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Greece, Iceland, Italy, Luxemburg, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden and The Netherlands.

See the links below for more information and resources on tourist visas.

If you've never gotten sick overseas or lost your bag and all your belongings you may overlook getting travel insurance. The insurance that you have in your home country may or may not cover medical expenses while you travel. Travel insurance will also take care of you if you need emergency evacuation, dental care, or your bags and passport are stolen.

Make sure to check out what's not covered and the exclusions for your policy. Existing medical conditions are usually not covered. Some other common sense exclusions are putting your life in danger on purpose or claims caused from the use of drugs or alchohol.

Online travel insurance is very popular with long term, spontaneous or adventurous travellers that want flexibility. You can easily buy, extend and make claims while you travel. Some companies offer unlimited extensions of your travel insurance in case you don't know how long you'll be gone.

Unfortunately we have just had to use our travel insurance. My husband has been diagnosed with kidney stones and anyone that has ever had them knows how painful and debiliatating they can be. Our insurance company has been great so far, even calling us at the hotel to check up on how he was after the hospital released him. So if you are having any second thoughts about getting insurance, just remember that it's better to have it and not need it. Our quick trip to the hospital would have already cost us over $1000.

This is a tentative packing list for our upcoming round the world trip. As we change the items in our pack, before we go and along the way, we will update our list.

Documents/Money
Passports, ID
US Dollars
Local Currency
Credit Card, Debit Card
Extra Visa Photos

Clothes
Pants, Skirt, Shorts, Light PJ pants, Sarong (doubles as a towel, curtain, sheet...)
Underwear, Bra, Socks
Bathing Suit
Tank top, T-shirt, Long sleeve shirt, Button-up shirt
Fleese, Rain jacket
Sandals, Flip-flops, Hiking shoes
Hat

Toiletries
Travel Towel, Toilet Paper, Hand Sanitizer
Toothbrushes, Toothpaste, Dental floss (doubles as string)
Hairbrush, Tweezers, Nail clippers
Bar Soap, Bar shampoo
Bandaids, Medications, Razors
Earplugs, First aid kit
Sunscreen, Bug spray

Electrical/Gadgets
Ipod, cords and headphones
Laptop, cords and charger
Camera and cords
Memory cards, Batteries
Alarm Clock, Head Lamp, Flashlight
SteriPEN

Miscellaneous
Duct tape, Garbage bags, Grocery bags
Safety pins
Locks, Mosquito Net, Sewing kit
Notepad, Pen, Guidebook, Reading books
Pillow sacs, Silk Sleepsack, Laundry soap
Compass, Sunglasses, Utensil kit
Zip lock bags, Swiss army knife

Around the world travel today is much different than even 5 years ago with the advances that have been made with technology. Now you can find wifi almost everywhere and the number of cell phones in the world doubles the amount of land lines. Staying connected to family and friends back home is easier than it's ever been.

Some of the items that you may consider taking with you on you trip are:

Laptop
Taking a laptop with you on your trip is a personal preference. Some people consider the extra weight and worry over a piece of equipment that can be found in internet cafes everywhere is not worth the hassle. For some, a laptop is a great way to store your photos, itunes and to connect with family and friends back home. If you are working while on the road, a laptop may be essential.

With the increased popularity with the mini notebook style laptops on the market you can find all the features you need in a smaller, lighter version. Some top choices are the MSI Wind 10 Mini Laptop, Asus EEE PC and the HP 2133 Mini-Note PC.


Digital Camera
A camera is a must have when travelling so what you need to decide on is size, features and price. On our trip we are planning on bringing a cheap point and shoot over our larger DSLR. We wanted something easy to carry and less expensive to worry about. Depending on your travelling conditions other considerations are power source (plug in charger vs batteries) and camera durability.

Cell Phone

Ipod/MP3 Player
Nothin' like travelling with your favorite tunes. Got a long train ride coming up, turn on your mp3 player and you can listen to music, watch movies or tv shows and play games. Music is a great way to break the ice, many locals and other travellers you meet along the way might be interested to hear what kind of tunes you like.

Mp3 players can be very handy to have but make sure you will be able to keep it charged while you're gone. If your mp3 only recharges via usb and you're not bringing a laptop, think about how you will charge it. Also make sure you aren't too attached to it because you may lose it, break it or there's the remote possibilty of having it stolen.