The best way to start is to make a list of your preferred destinations - your dream route! - and then, with an atlas in front of you, try and put them in some kind of sensible order. Remember your plans will change a hundred times but you will need a basic starting structure to take to your travel agent.
There are a number of ways to keep the price down when planning your trip but the main point is to plan your trip in a continuous global direction. This means you should try to avoid any unnecessary backtracking. For example, this is fine:
London - Bangkok - Sydney - Fiji - New York - London
But even though the following route can be done, it will raise the fare considerably:
London - Bangkok - New York - Fiji - Sydney - London
Most RTW tickets are still based on a combination of mileage and stops but some (such as the ONEWorld) are now based on regions offering a greater combination of destinations available. (Remember though, the best trips do not necessarily have to include the most stops that you and your travel agent can squeeze into a 12 month ticket! - less can be more).
Do not worry too much about the weather at this stage -even though it plays a major role in what you see and do in certain areas you will no doubt have to make some sacrifices if price is an issue.
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- Round the World Itineraries
- Top Tips on Route Planning
- Surface Sectors / Open Jaws
- When to Leave
- How long to travel for?
- RTW myths broken!
- Extra Charges
- Glossary of travel terms
- Summary
