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Live More. Travel More. Spend Less.

We’re Halef & Michael

In August, 2019, we left our careers to travel the world for several years. We even have an ultimate round the world bucket list that we want to do along the way. Some items are cheap; some not-so-much. Our goal is to have an amazing trip and show you how to do it, too – however you want to do it .

Get to Know Michael and Halef

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The Latest From The Blog

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Airport Lounges and Why We Love Them

When we fly, we love to visit airport lounges. Free food. Free drinks. Massages. Why would you want to spend hours on the concourse? And the best part is that we get in for free. Well, sort of…

We use a combination of airline status and credit cards to get into lounges around the world. And sometimes, we bring other people in with us – even random people at the airport. Because, why not?

Find Out How Right Here

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!”

No Baggage Challenge -- Rolf Potts travels around the world with no luggage

• About the Challenge

Best of the No Baggage Challenge

It’s been about 4 months since the No Baggage Challenge came to an end back in New York City. So we thought it was about time to revisit our favorite parts of the six week, 30,000+ miles, five continent No Baggage Challenge journey. Most Popular Videos: 19 London cliches in less than four hours Rolf […]

No-baggage field report: Full ...

Reader challenge #5: Take your...

Exploring the laws of physics ...

No-baggage field report: Week five

One of the most interesting experiences during my no-baggage trip to Cairo came on my first full day in the city, when a local Egyptologist named Magdi Salash took me on an intensive historical tour of the Old City. Justin shot this interaction on video, and he and I have spent much of the past week logging the footage and trying to craft it into a coherent narrative. We ultimately gave up on this video — for reasons I’ll explain in a moment — but this aborted effort has made me realize that I should shed some light on the creative and collaborative process that goes into making near-real-time travel videos from the road.

As I think I’ve said before, Justin plays a producer-editor-camerman role in the videos, while my role resembles that of writer-director. That means that Justin oversees and organizes the video aspect of the trip (from scheduling tasks down to which microphones to use), while I conceptualize the video content itself (often spontaneously, as the journey plays out), and outline the narrative as we go into the editing process. Hence, while I am typically focused primarily on my writing when reporting from the road, I am actually devoting more creative hours on this trip to making sure the videos come together OK.

I’ll illustrate this creative process in the context of our recent videos in a second — but first I want to briefly explain how Justin came to be involved in the project. It’s actually an example of how taking part in an online community and doing good work can lead to interesting opportunities. Justin was the earliest of my guest-bloggers at my Vagabonding blog five years ago (another early guest-blogger was Tim Ferriss ), and his blog work for me eventually landed him a full-time job at AOL working for Engadget. Thanks to Justin’s work on my blog (as well as some research and video-editing projects he’s helped me with over the years) I became aware of his work-ethic, his talent for travel-research, and skills as a multimedia content producer. When I was conceptualizing the No Baggage Challenge earlier this year, Justin was my instinctive first choice as a producer-cameraman. I like to joke that we work well together because we’re both Midwesterners (Justin lives in Missouri) and we share the farmer-style ability to work long hours, avoid petty dramas, and communicate with a minimum of words.

Given what we’ve produced so far, I’d say we’ve been making three different types of videos: spontaneous content, semi-planned content, and field reports. Field reports are the easiest to explain, since they simply entail me talking to camera about the journey’s progress; Justin later cuts in a few close-ups and some B-reel footage to keep things interesting visually. Sometimes our B-reel footage can lead to entire episodes: In Cairo, for instance, I had Justin shoot my straight-razor shave for use in a field report — and the shave ended up being so weird and complicated that I suggested making it into a whole episode by breaking the process down into its individual steps (and Justin’s decision to edit it in jumpy sepia-tones and title cards, with old-timey music, was a stroke of post-production genius).

Examples of our semi-planned videos include the episodes about London cliches and Madrid tapas . I say “semi-planned” because we knew our subject matter in advance, but we couldn’t control our variables in either situation. I came up with the London “cliche” idea before the trip began (it seemed like a fun way to spend a four-hour layover), and Justin recruited his friend Richard as our guide in the city. Sights like Abbey Road and Buckingham Palace were on our list from the beginning, whereas I improvised many of the bits (such as the phone booth and the rain) that wound up in the edit. We probably shot 5-6 more “cliches” than you see in the final edit — and the extra ones were cut because the audio/video wasn’t good (and/or my improv was too lame to keep). In Spain I knew in advance that I wanted to investigate tapas, but I wasn’t sure if Miguel (who we arranged as a guide at the last minute) was up to the task. As it turned out, Madrid was the easiest video to shoot, since Miguel proved an excellent guide, and Justin simply had to follow our interactions and remember to snag the appropriate “food porn” closeups.

As for spontaneous content, so far we’ve had a couple kinds: utterly improvised situations, like the time we wound up going to the wrong town in Morocco ; and certain situations — like in Fez and Giza — where I follow a hunch and have Justin shoot specific things as I synthesize an ongoing travel experience with how I think I might tell the story later. In Fez, for example, I knew I wanted to wander the old medina at random , but naturally I had no idea what I might find; as various details captured my attention I had Justin shoot them for possible future use. At Giza, I knew I wanted to explore the Egyptian tout-culture that surrounds the Pyramids , but I wasn’t sure until I arrived what I would find (the souvenir-shop interjections about Justin’s wife arose from the fact that he was shopping for Kelley as we were shooting). As for the “wrong town in Morocco” video, we just decided to roll with things once we realized we were in Tetouan (not Chefchaouen); this allowed us to channel our unplanned interactions with Bilal and Mustafa-the-carpet-salesman into the overall narrative.

Of course, shooting the videos is only half the process; editing the footage is often just as time-consuming. Early on in the trip Justin did much of the editing solo — i.e. I shared a few ideas at the outset (such as a game-show tally-clock and sound-effects in the London video) and didn’t revisit the edit to add final suggestions until it was mostly cut together. As the video content has become more spontaneous and pegged to my travel-improvisations in Morocco and Egypt, however, I’ve wound up sitting in on as much as 80% of the edits. In the Giza video, for example, I sat with Justin and logged (on paper) over 100 clips from just under three hours of raw footage. Then I wrote an outline for the video story-structure (including voice-over text) to guide the edits. We didn’t follow that outline verbatim — there are a hundred little audio and visual problems to solve in building each scene of an episode — but it made the edit process smoother and more efficient. Voice-overs were recorded on the spot, in Justin’s hotel room, using an improvised sound studio that consisted of a mic, a pillow, and a duvet draped over a chair. Clip-selection and story-structure aside, I can claim no credit for the wizardry Justin brings to the rhythm, framing, and visual effects of each edit.

As for why our Cairo Egyptology adventure failed to make the transition to video, that has a lot to do with the circumstances of the shoot itself. For starters, Magdi was less interested in the video aspect of our adventure than in getting Justin and me to envision the various bygone incarnations of the Old City (I met Magdi through my cousin, a social studies teacher who’s visited Egypt with his students several times). Cairo is essentially a gigantic open-air history museum, and we spent the better part of a day (and upwards of 5 miles on foot) walking through the city as Magdi shuttled us through the centuries, pointing out fortresses and mosques and the crumbled remains of medieval city walls. Magdi was so intent on his mission — and so ambivalent about Justin’s required “invisibility” as a cameraman — that he kept cutting off my to-camera commentary and interrupting Justin’s attempts to create establishing shots or record ambient audio. Our Cairo Egyptologist had vast knowledge of his topic, and a deep, mellifluous voice, but — without a separate lapel microphone pinned to his shirt — we continually found it difficult to document what he was saying.

Later, when logging this footage, Justin and I finally conceded that we didn’t have enough good audio or establishing shots for Magdi’s excellent history lesson to translate into an effective 7-minute video. I briefly considered running a short voice-over essay under our best visual footage from the experience — but even from an essayistic point-of-view it was hard to summarize what Magdi had taught us without sounding glib and hyper-condensed and pseudo-intellectual. Justin and I have taken note of lessons learned (don’t try to cover so much ground at once, for example, and make sure your guide’s agenda doesn’t cancel out your own) — but in a way, I don’t mind that we had to scrap this Egyptology episode. After all, the raw experience of travel is much broader than one’s ability to capture it on video, and it’s nice to have some experiences I can keep for myself.

Video aside, one big challenge of imagining historical Cairo is that modern Cairo is a manic, vibrant, smog-cloaked city of 16 million people — and it can be hard to conjure the past when the present is so urgently attempting to get from one place to another and make a living amid the chaos. At one point I mentioned to Magdi that trying to cross the street to get to a monument (a daunting task, given the unceasing madness of Cairo traffic) might say as much about the history of Egypt as the monument itself. Magdi wholeheartedly agreed, noting that the din of everyday life in Cairo has always taken precedence over the grand shrines and edifices that have come to represent its historical eras.

Indeed, few world cities can compete with Cairo in showing how the true history of a place lies less in its archaeological remnants than the shifting, ephemeral moments of chaos, synchronicity, and commonplace anonymity that define the city at any given moment.

This isn’t something that lends itself well to video, perhaps, but it certainly is fascinating to experience it of in small moments of serendipity as you travel.

Thailand to Malaysia by train

Bangkok in 3 acts

Elephant poop cold remedy

South African Safari

Thailand to Malaysia: Scenes from a train

A little more than seven years ago, when I was living and traveling full-time in Thailand, I had one of the best train-travel experiences of my life while traveling south out of Bangkok to the town of Surat Thani.  I was sharing a second-class sleeper car with a Kiwi guy who was carrying a bottle […]

The Same River Twice: Bangkok in Three Acts

Ever since the earliest days of my no-baggage round-the-world journey, I’ve wanted to test out the smell and appearance of my SeV travel clothing by trying to get past the “velvet rope” of some exclusive nightclub in some great world city. In Bangkok I finally got the chance to do this — and the results […]

No-baggage field report: Week four

This week finds me in one of my favorite cities in the world — Bangkok — where I’ve recently arrived after flying across the Indian Ocean from South Africa. It’s great to be back in Thailand, where I lived off and on for the better part of two years in the early 2000s — and […]

Justin’s elephant-poop cold remedy

Of all the things I’d expected to experience when planning my no-luggage world journey, drinking elephant-dung tea in South Africa was not among them. I’d expected I might explore nightlife in Spain (which I did, while eating tapas in Madrid) or ride a camel in Egypt (which I did, at Giza) — and I even […]

Reader challenge #4: Optimize your time-wealth

As I stated in my introduction post, the No Baggage Challenge isn’t just about traveling around the world without luggage — it’s also an inquiry into simplifying material concerns and seeking rich life-experiences. This in mind, I’d like to invite readers to join the journey by participating in a weekly series of challenges, most of […]

Hanging with the animal paparazzi in South Africa

If there’s one experience that stands out from the week I spent in South Africa, it was the time I sat in a safari-equipped Land Rover and watched two hippos get into a theatrical territorial showdown while my guide, Lembi, held forth for nearly 30 minutes on how it’s possible to assassinate people by slipping […]

No-baggage field report: Week three

Three weeks into the no-baggage journey, I’ve left Egypt for South Africa, where I am currently checking out the wildlife near Kruger National Park. At the risk of sounding like an echo of last week, I still don’t feel like I’m missing any key items of gear. My daily hygiene routine continues to keep me […]

How we make the videos (and how we lost one in Cairo)

One of the most interesting experiences during my no-baggage trip to Cairo came on my first full day in the city, when a local Egyptologist named Magdi Salash took me on an intensive historical tour of the Old City. Justin shot this interaction on video, and he and I have spent much of the past […]

Reader challenge #3: Unplug from the virtual world

As I stated in my introduction post, the No Baggage Challenge isn’t just about traveling around the world without luggage — it’s also an inquiry into simplifying material concerns and seeking rich life-experiences. This in mind, I’m inviting readers to join the journey by participating in a weekly series of challenges, most of which can […]

An Egyptian straight-razor shave (in 21 easy steps)

Back when I was preparing for my no-baggage world journey, one of the first toiletry items I removed from the packing-list was my razor. I did this in part because I don’t mind keeping a light beard when I travel — but also because I was looking forward to visiting barbershops from time to time […]

Hi, I’m Shannon

In 2008, I began traveling the world. Since that day, quite a few things have happened. The folks at National Geographic named me Traveler of the Year for my work in responsible tourism (I’m still reeling). Millions of you found your way to this corner of the internet (holy cow!). And together we created an entire community with one common belief: A life of travel creates a story of the world worth telling. Thank you, and welcome to A Little Adrift.

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Named a National Geographic Traveler of the Year for my work in responsible tourism, these are the best stories and resources for responsible travel.

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A Little Adrift covers a range of topics written from experiences spanning more than a decade of travel—from stories of transformative travel  and stories of life on the road , to  thorough destination guides  and practical tips on  packing ,  budgeting , and planing travel .

Everything you read on A Little Adrift comes from firsthand experience, or recommendations from the ALA community. We share with a goal of empowering everyone to use travel as a force for good.

A Little Adventure… Enjoying Norway’s Most Scenic Train Ride in the Family Car

A Little Advice… Here’s Exactly What It’s Like Living in Portugal as an Expat

A Little Advice… Here’s What It’s Like Living in Florida

A Little Safety… How to Properly Pack Your Passport for Travel

A Little Wanderlust… Yep, There’s a Genetic Reason We Love to Travel

A Little Advice… Here’s What It’s Like Living in Costa Rica

A Little Advice… Here’s What It’s Like Living in Spain

A Little Journal… These Digital Travel Diary Apps Are Worth Your Time

A Little Adrift… 23 Inspiring Travel Stories from Around the World

A Little Insight… What Goes Into a Sustainable Tourism Industry?

A Little Adrift… Dispatch from Russia: Upending Cultural Assumptions

A Little Adrift… Dispatch from Barcelona: On Finding Home

A Little Delight… Stories of Responsible Travel in Hoi An, Vietnam

A Little Reckoning… On Transformative Travel Experiences and 9 Years of Travel

A Little Photoessay… Two Weeks of Nuance & Culture in Japan

A Little Portrait… Stories of Microfinance from the Women of the Oaxaca Valley, Mexico

Most Thorough RTW Packing List EVER Written – (minimalist friendly!)

Welcome to the most thorough round-the-world packing list you’ll ever find! I’ll tell you what to bring, what not to bring, and why. Unlike lists written by newbies before they depart, my RTW packing list uses years of road-tested experience to argue for or against each item.  AND I continue to update as I come across new tricks or stop using things I used to use all the time.

Click here to skip the preface or here for a list without the “why.”

Note: this is a living document that I update as I find great replacement gear and as readers chime in with their tips and favorites. I use this list several times a year, each time I switch regions or travel lifestyles!

Credentials:

Traveling for thirteen years, practicing backpack living even longer!

I’ve been traveling for fourteen so many years. I’ve packed for eleven a gazillion long-term trips. I have twenty-five months years of experience being in foreign countries with just a backpack full of stuff, and I’ve spent heaps more time living outside my home country. I’ve also logged well over 1,000 miles carrying a backpack in the woods. Currently I’ve been on the road for eight years. I’ve gone round-the-world three times. And counting!

I have strong feelings on the value of traveling lightly. I’m not an extremist. Some people carry even less than I do. If you’re trying to convince yourself to pack less, you’ve come to the right place. I’m a woman, so my list includes lady things. My countries traveled do not yet include India or rural China, but I’d blindly bet that those places also have for sale things you think you need to load into your pack at the outset, and at cheaper prices.

Travel Philosophy:

Both of these guys are carrying about the size of bag you should bring on their front sides. On their backs, they have double what any traveler really needs, for a total of 300% of the weight they need to be carrying. Quick – someone get them a minimalist packing list!

One glance at my domain name reveals I strongly encourage you to “ take half the clothes. ” You won’t even need “twice the money” if you take what you saved by not buying a bunch of junk at home. Please! Give yourself the gift of affording an extra month on the road or a few luxurious experiences. (Related: Cheap Flight Hacks: travel longer!)

How Not To Overpack:

• Don’t pack something just because you found it on a packing list – mine included. Generally, you’re not going to like wearing styles you never wore before or start using items you don’t currently (wet wipes, multi-tool, lush bar shampoo, etc).
• Do it the MacGuyver way, not the Boy Scout way. You can improvise, borrow, or go without! Trying to prepare (materially) for every possible situation ultimately limits you in the form of a heavy, heavy pack. Minimalist packing list advocates understand this. Tracking down solutions as the need arises uses your brain, builds your character, exposes you to the communities you’re traveling in, and adds years to the life of your vertebrae.
• Don’t pack your fears.  If you’re telling yourself you’d rather bring it “just in case” and that you’ll get rid of it when you’re sure you don’t need it, don’t pack that item. Do not. Don’t pack it. Really. Don’t. I guarantee you that if you do not heed my advice, 95% of the items that fall into this category will end up in the bottom of your bag weighing you down.

“I’ve seen plenty of travellers in airports and train stations almost in tears because they’re exhausted and stressed out over lugging a huge backpack or suitcase everywhere they go. Overpacking be the difference between a carefree vacation and a stressful nightmare.” – Hostelz.com, What to Pack

• Stuff I’m Glad I Brought – – (aka RTW Packing List for Long Term Travel)
• Stuff Currently Weighing Me Down – – skip to this list.
• Stuff Other People Say to Pack & Why to Ignore Them – – skip to this list.

RTW Packing List for Long Term Travel

Okay, but that’s not all. Like others, I’m also carrying around a bunch of junk. Here are things that seemed like a good idea when packing months ago:

(Update: some items I’ve since purged, others I continue to succumb to “but what if I end up needing it?” thinking. Better to stick to a minimalist packing list in the first place – do not pack questionable items!)

Stuff Currently Weighing Me Down

Finally, there are lots of packing lists out there. Most of them are made by people who are just setting out for the first time, and they haven’t been updated with lessons that have been learned the hard way. Here are:

• items I considered
• why I ruled against them
• why I think you might actually need some of these things
• which items I secretly covet
• how I’m faring without.

Stuff Other People Say to Pack & Why to Ignore Them

Congrats if you made it this far!

If you don’t already have your free flight organized for your trip, it’s not too late! And you know how to avoid getting duped by travel insurance , right?

Departing travelers also read: How I Afford Years of Non-Stop Travel How to Get Insanely Cheap Flights How to Sleep for Free When You Travel

and… 24 Jobs You Can Do While Traveling How to Get a Free Backstage Cultural Pass 10 Things Travel Novices Need to Know

If you’ve been planning and planning, but haven’t taken off… read about how one newbie traveler finally threw caution to the wind: Grabbing Life by the Handlebars: Retirement Before 30

If you’re not done thinking about packing, here are a few other packing lists for you to peruse:

• The Reddit one-bag thread – crowdsource your minimalist RTW packing list!
• A woman with too much gear – She hasn’t updated since her trip, but her list is a great example of why people are walking around with huge packs.
• A couple with more gear than I think you need – Most people regret bringing this much stuff once they realize how easy it is to source as you need it on the road. Some say they don’t even remember they have most of it.
• Want an NB packing list?  Lemme know if you find one!  Google didn’t turn anything up for me.

To paraphrase Rick Steves, “There are two kinds of travelers “those who pack light and those who wish they had!”

Happy Traveling! ♣

Liked what you read? Or want to know The Cost of 2 Years of World Travel ?

The info is sent for free to anyone who joins the Half the Clothes community!

References [ + ]

66 comments

Sorry forgot to mention – I could not do without a rain jacket. I am currently in Bogota and the weather here changes a lot! I hate umbrellas lol Also I am planning to do some hiking sometime soon so I am pretty sure a rain jacket will come in handy. But I guess it all depends where are you planning to travel to and what type of activities one is planning on 🙂

This article is truly amazing! And I really like your sense of humour 🙂 I read every single word, I currently travel full time and I wish I came across it earlier! Thank you!

I just discovered your blog entry and even though it seems it’s been years since you posted it, I notice it is still getting comments. I think your list still stands up. As a 5kg or under (11 pound) packer who has travelled through Europe for a month at a time in all seasons, I’m committed to keeping things as minimal as possible. A male German tourist once looked over his 80L backpack at my 20L backpack and asked if I’d “ported” my luggage onward. When I replied “no”, he said, “but you’re a girl!” A fellow minimalist traveller once said to me that people pack “for their fears”, whether that is getting sick or not looking fashionable or getting pick-pocketed. You can still be sensible and (somewhat) stylish and healthy and clean without all the advertised ‘stuff’ that gets pushed on us as travellers. There are things on your list I wouldn’t take and that’s okay. You do you and I’ll do me. The only thing I would say is that your rubber bands could substitute for the door stopper. You can wind them into a wedge to shove under a door. There are lots of tutorials on Youtube that show you how to make rubber balls et.al. Thanks for taking the time to write such an interesting post.

So wonderful to hear from a carbon copy of myself! I found myself subconsciously wondering if you’d copy-pasted words I’d said somewhere! Especially “people pack for their fears.” Yes – the list is still weathering the test of time and getting lots of updates. 5kg is impressive to me! Amazing! Thanks for the rubber band vs. door stopper idea. And for saying hi!

Hi, I enjoyed reading. I spent along time overseas. You have great guidelines. Alot of my time was military or related. Some of the comments, especially form professionals, seemed to miss the point. I travel with a 27ltr messenger/ bomber bag myself. But, if I’m going to do 8 or 9 months I’ll do my 40 ltr osprey. Thanks for taking the time.

So glad to hear you enjoyed! I sometimes bring a 40L, but it’s always a different trip if I stick with the smaller bag/leaner gear set. Thanks for chiming in, Budd!

That was a quick and nice reply

These are pretty good Immarsat I phone 2. Fairly inexpensive. Just a thought.

What a great resource! I’m mentally preparing for 12-18 month road trip around the states next year and am working through the mental gymnastics of packing currently 🙂 My only feedback on your list would be the first aid kit. As someone who once went on a hike and slipped and ended up with 5 stitches in my leg – I think my friend would have appreciate keeping her nice extra shirt to donating it as temporary tourniquet. Now whenever we go hiking my friend always asks “do you have the tourniquet?!” I always have a small first aid kit with me, no matter the trip. But this is because my trips always include hikes of various lengths. A bandaid or tourniquet are easy to find in a city, but could actually save your life on a trail.

I’m so excited for your trip! Glad you found the list helpful. I’ve added your awesome first aid kit feedback for readers to consider. Happy travels!

I have to say the part of the list of items NOT to pack is the MOST STUPID LIST I HAVE EVER SEEN! And yes I have to use capital letters as I got so angry when I was going on with your list. I hope no one listens to you seriously! Just came back from nine months traveling the world and some of the items you said people shouldnt pack are absolutely essential! Are you aware that your list is actually LIFE THREATENING? Telling people not to pack malaria medication is not only stupid, it is dangerous! Being a medical doctor myself I have seen people die from malaria IN WESTERN COUNTRIES. And I’d probably rather go NAKED than not pack a medikit – this is not only for comfort but for basic security! In some countries you will get fake antibiotics – even in pharmacies. And then good luck… Oh, and Ciprofloxacin is not for travelers diarrhea. And Doxy is not recommended for malaria prophylaxis. Yes, it raises photosensitivity. No, it does not give you nightmares or hallucinations. For everyone else here who is sane and cares about his/her health: pack Malarone. It’s a safe standby medication without serious side effect. Malaria is a deadly disease. And those 50g more weight won’t let you stand crying at the airport or train station (which I, btw, never did – even though I had that incredible extra weight of stuff that could have saved my life.)

Hi Sarah, thanks so much for adding your impassioned perspective. Among the many tasks that go along with running a large website is the task of adding updates to this list. I’ll be sure to incorporate your perspective. Thanks for contributing!

Great packing list and commentary, Jema! I enjoyed reading it and will look forward to reading more of your articls. Some brief comments: Garbage bag: I began to bring a garbage bag after the earthquake in Nepal; I was not there at the time, but I was traveling. I looked around my room and realized that there was lots of stuff everywhere that would be difficult to repack quickly in an emergency. I decided that a large garbage bag would be handy for quickly gathering stuff and making a fast exit. Malaria: Mefloquine, which requires only a single weekly dose works well for me, but there is a long list of side effects. I did not experience any of them. Footware: I always have a pair of lightweight boots or trail running shoes and a pair of sandals. I would feel insecure with only a pair of sandals. In Cuenca, Ecuador a Keen shoe came unglued. I was lucky to have found an English speaking cobbler who quickly repaired it. It would not have been much of a problem finding a decent pair of shoes in this city. However, a pair of Teva sandals came unglued while wading to the shore at one of the Indonesia’s Gili Islands. There, my best option would have been to use my duct tape as a temporary repair. Fortunately, I had my trail runners as a backup. Sleeping bag: After my second backpacking trip which was to Europe and a couple of North African countries in 1973, I vowed never to save weight by leaving a sleeping bag out of my carry-on pack. No heat in any budget accommodation, no extra blankets, and nothing but cold nights when I arrived in France in early March. Since then, I have never left home without a very lightweight sleeping bag. For the last couple of years, I have used an ultra lightweight down quilt designed for wilderness backpackers. It is 17 oz. and, in a compression sack, compresses into a very small ball which saves lots of room in my pack: https://enlightenedequipment.com/revelation/

Hi Frank! Wow, these are such awesome and thoughtful notes! The garbage bag is a really awesome idea. I always have one in the backcountry (poncho, tent foot print, pack cover). It always comes in so handy.

I kind of travel with a second pair of shoes – my five fingers. Definitely a concern if they break! That’s a good point about the sleeping bag, too. I’ve slept in unheated hotels in the Bolivian winter at 13,000 feet. YIKES. Will add your thoughts to my next round of updates.

I’m really struggling on what to pack with for Thailand. I will be there for 29 days and I have a backpacking backpack that I was going to bring and just carry on. Here are the issues I’ve run into:

1) China Southern has an 11lb carry on restriction. My camera alone is 3 lbs, which means I won’t make the cut with only 8 lbs to spare. Unfortunately it looks like I’ll have to check a bag..any suggestions on what kind of luggage to use, considering I’ll be picking up and moving every couple of days or so? I really don’t want to be rolling around a carry on sized piece of luggage, but I don’t know what to use beside that.

2) The backing backpack I’m planning on using for my carry on has a drawstring to the largest compartment..which means I’m not able to use a lock on it when I go out during the day and leave it in the room I’m staying in. Any suggestions here? This is my biggest concern!

I hear you – I’m basically always struggling to pack… just this morning I packed up my bag and shook my head at some of the unnecessary things I’m currently carrying around.

1) Being forced to check a bag (b/c of weight/size restrictions) can be hard. What I usually do is check my main bag and have a collapsible carry-on that I use on the flight. That carry-on often becomes by purse/day bag as I’m traveling around my destination.

Summary: I travel with one bag that can expand via a nylon duffel/messenger bag/nylon backpack. When my one bag is too large for carry-on, I move my carry-on essentials into one either the nylon duffel, messenger bag, or nylon backpack and check my main bag. If I have a bag that locks and need security, I put all my valuables into the locking bag.

Hope that helps! Happy travels, Kim 🙂

Great site!

I’m still reading it but from what I’ve read ref the packing list it’s not far off what I travel with. Only difference being cloths (man) I’m a wear one set carry one set guy and I don’t bother with my computer I tend to use my cheap (travel only) android tablet my decent tech stays home for safety.

It’s nice to read a site where the author is saying “you must take these 9000 items because I say so!” With you it’s take it don’t take use common sense and think it through.

I use the KISS system (keep it simple stupid) and in my house lol another minimalist here 😉

All the very best.

PS. Forgot my list. 1, base layer 2, t’shirts 1, jeans 1, shorts 1, long sleeved cycling top (bike hire) 1, fleece 1, pakaway water/windproof 1, sun cap 2, boxers 3, pairs socks ID papers ect, tablet, dopp kit.

All this fits in my cheep Chinese 35L backpack. I live and travel around the EU.

Thanks for sharing your list! We are kindred spirits indeed. (p.s. – love your email address!)

Hi Paul – Great to meet a fellow minimalist who is full of common sense! Thanks for sharing your packing approach (and for the anti-buy-all-the-things accolades. It’s tough to ignore all the web gurus shouting for me to create sales funnels and “convert” people… the cheerleading helps me stick to my guns and ignore the opportunities to $ell-out.)

Hi Jema, I know the feeling! You know them shoot-um-up games where the players run around with little health bars above the heads. I sat on a bench christmas week watching folks shop I pictured them with the health bars but in this case “debt” bars. 😉 It’s very sad to see how people have become so relient on materials.

The way I work is if it costs more than €20 then I wait for 1 month before I buy it. This then makes me question the item ‘do I really really need it’ ‘will I use it more than once a week’ and ‘will I still use it in 6 months time’ if I can’t say yes to all 3 then I don’t buy it. I never buy promotions (impulse purchasing) by paying full price makes me apply above rules.

PS. My email is strange lol

Hi! I read your list and I think it’s fantastic. Thank you very much, I got many ideas of what to bring but more importantly what NOT to on my trip (not making a RTW trip but a month one and many of what you have said applies to me). I recently finished Med school and after reading your comments on medical stuff I would like to help by giving my personal opinion:

– Agreed on the IUD vs the oral contraceptives. IUD is much more comfortable and with almost no side effects compared to the pill, which you would have to hoard if you go several months on a trip.

-You almost never need antibiotics for a diarrhea. Unless you have something like Cholera, which you will not cure with a box of ciprofloxacin, taking antibiotics will do little to no good, and it might actually unbalance your inner gut flora making the diarrhea go for a longer time. Diarrhea’s a bummer but it’s better to wait for it to go away by itself.

-Malaria prophylaxis is very important for tropical destinies for a short time or if you intend to go to the wild. The drug avoids the Malaria attack, but not the infection, which means as long as you take them you will not have the fever attack. They are useful for short trips as if you need hospitalization it’s better to be in a hospital in your hometown than in a foreign country where nobody speaks your language (and probably have a lower quality of healthcare), and more importantly can save you if you’re going to be in the wild for a week and getting proper care will mean days of trip back to civilization. So if you have no plans of stepping into the wild or are thinking of doing a months-long RTW then you could avoid taking them.

Cheers. Happy travelling!

Hi Diego – thanks so much for chiming in – it’s great to hear from a traveler with some education in the med department. Amen for NOT bringing stuff! I didn’t know about the cipro – never taken it myself, and these days will only take antibiotics after trying evvvvvverything else. Good to know also about the Malaria. Happy travels to you, too!

Thank you for the list! i just made my first solo travel (i’ve traveled a lot within my country, but always in my car, so it’s easy to overpack and just toss everything in the trunk) im a rookie but i think i can add my two cents :

-A flannel shirt (traveled with only one from American Eagle) great for layering when the weather gets colder, great to use as a cardingan over tank tops or other shirts, cute enough to wear out at a bar or something, soft enough to use as an extra blanket/pillow. If you are a guy, it doubles down as a nicer shirt.

-THIS LIGHT: http://amzn.to/2wlcc6F Dont fight me on this, best thing i ever bought haha. It’s small, it has a magnet so you can “clip” it to your clothes while using both hands, easy to put in any bunkbed as a night light, easy to strap in a backpack, long lasting battery. Only complaint, the light is not that bright, but if you are using it only to find stuff in the dark at hostels, as an emergency light somewhere or inside a tent, is more than enough. In my opinion, better than a headlight.

-Boots. i read the comment of other traveler, but he was a guy, so im going to make my case in favor of boots on girls. I bought a pair of Dr Martens ( with SoftWair soles, super light not the classic heavy ones; goo.gl/2KP1kv) and they took me around Europe. They were good to walk around for miles, and they took care of my clumsy ankles, it rained a lot, so they were great to keep me decently protected from the rain, i went hiking with them, and even if they are not the best shoe for that, they got the job done, and again my ankles were very thankful. And they look cool; i had a couple of dresses to wear with or without tights, if i ever ended up going out, and they really looked good paired with the boots and i favor pubs and bars instead of clubs so i never felt out of place, i usually wouldnt care, but i ended up going out in London and Amsterdam, and i kinda felt the need of “dressing up” a little. I would say a good pair of nice and sturdy boots and a pair of sandals is all you need. F*ck ballerina flats, those shoes are the worst.

-Phone strap, this is one of those accesories that are not popular at all, but i have to say, the moment i took my phone strap off, my phone got stolen. So…there you go, i bought one, because im super clumsy and i was using my phone as a camera all the time near water and cliffs, so i would strap it to my jacket, belt or just around my wrist. I took the thing off in the last city i was visiting, because i thought my phone was not at risk anymore and it looked silly with the lanyard thing and it got stolen in the metro. Didnt even notice the pick pocketer.

-Old clothes; most packing list tell you about amazing (expensive) clothing items, but while i think is amazing to have a good jacket, vest, pair of leggins or whatever, everything else should be old or cheap clothes, especially tshirts and jeans, stuff that you can easily leave behind if you need to.

-Power bank, im surprised you didnt mentioned it in your list. For me it was a MUST. I have a nice solar powerbank that works to fully charge 2 phones at the same time. I would strap the thing to my backpack during the day, and never had to deal with my phone dying. Specially since location apps drain the power of my phone.

Good Travels!

Wow, Ale – awesome contribution! I’ll check out the light and the power bank and phone strap. Amen to old clothes – the less attached you are to things the freer your travels (and life!), hey?

Thanks for sharing your knowledge and experience!

I love how you updated all the time your post, based on the number of years or the things you did and saw. I don’t go with a backpack, my mom calls me a snob, maybe in a sense I am, but…I always appreciate people that have the courage and the gut to go out there and just sleep in a tent or carry sooooo many things.

Backpacking definitely isn’t for everyone, but no travel style is, hey? Happy travels, Ms. Gabriela 🙂

A few notes to compare from a different perspective

I carry a sleeping bag with me on every trip. I got a 40 degree bag that compresses down really small for around $60 at some small camping shop. I always use it. I trust it more than some of the hotel/hostel sheets. I use it as a blanket on cold train/bus rides. When i couchsurf i use it so i dont dirty their sheets. Ive even slept in it under the stars on a mountaintop because i wanted to see the sunsrise and all the rooms were full. I dont blame someone for not having a sleeping bag, it can be bulky, but i cant imagine traveling without it anymore.

I use to carry a utility knife and it has come in handy. But it was mostly the screw driver and knife part i was using. Now, i carry a small multi-head screw driver (about the size of a thick pen) that i use for any odd task. I also pick up a cheap knife at a random shop wherever i go. Knives are good for cutting food and other odd jobs. I usually only pay a dollar and then leave it when i board a plane.

Boots are also a must for me. I dont carry much but i do a lot of walking with a heavy bag. A good pair of boots last me for months on the road while sneakers will only last a few weeks at best. Not to mention boots do better in wet conditions. When im on the road, i usually only where my boots when im on the move. when i arrive at a place, the boots stay off and i just wear cheap flip-flops around. occasionally i”ll also pack a cheap pair of flats for occasions when i want shoes but the boots stay with my bag. i never carry the boots on my back, always on my feet.

The only reason you should have a digital camera is if it is more rugged than your phone. I carry an Olympus Tough that is waterproof and drop proof. its great for the beach and rafting, i’ve also taken it into caves, snorkeling, and food fights. a gopro camera also works great for this if you want to spend a little more for something lighter. But if im just wandering around a european capital, then your cell phone camera is just as good. most digital cameras under $200 are not better than your iphone of Galaxy phone

ive never used rope, doorstop, or collapsible water bottle. you can also buy a plastic water bottle as you go and refill it. if you loose it, just buy a new one. last time i brought a purpose bought waterbottle, it got lost within a week of my trip.

Lastly, something to add. a simple extension cord. I carry a 6ft, 3 outlet cord with me everywhere. i picked it up at a general store for about $4 and i stuff it in an old digital camera case (packs small). This thing is so handy. When you are in a hostel and there are not enough outlets, you can add more. more outlets at the airport, so you arent tethered to the awkwardly placed outlet. if you are on the top bunk in a dorm, this cord reaches the outlets that are knee level so you can charge your devices in bed. ive even been able to snake the cord into my locker so i can charge things while they are locked up. This thing is the best

Dan! You are my hero! Thanks for all the awesome feedback and for so excellently illustrating the point that each person has to dial in what works best for them once they’ve figured out their travel style. Would you agree that a good modus operandi is to go with little until you figure out what you wish you had, vs. taking everything “just in case?”

Fascinating to hear our differences and the way we successfully tackle the same issues with very different solutions (i.e. I’m just about to replace my collapsible water bottle, which is still one of my linchpin items that I use so much it finally wore out!)

Will add your feedback. Thanks again from me and from everyone who uses this list.

Happy travels to you, good sir! 🙂

Currently planning my first solo trip to Europe and I wanted to hear from someone with experience:

I’ve got a North Face Surge 2 backpack ( https://www.thenorthface.com/shop/surge-ii-backpack-en-ca ) and I’m wondering if you think I can minimally pack 18 days into this? Do I need another bag as well to go with it? I’ve had friends with backpacking bags offer me their 55 or 65L bags but I’d like to avoid checked baggage fees and just carry on my stuff.

What’s your opinion on this bag and what I truly NEED to pack if I’ll only be in Europe (During May)? I can probably skip a lot of stuff since I’ll be mostly in cities.

Hi Mark! Of course my thoughts are that you should totally do it! But I have no idea where you’ll be for 18 days, how often you think you’ll have access to laundry (unless you’re going to be a two-outfit sink washer?), if you think you’ll be stopped long enough to do laundry, how big you (and therefore your clothes) are, etc.

You can definitely skip a lot of stuff. I’m packing right now for six weeks in Australia followed by five weeks in the American west – two different temps, and I’m going to stay pretty close to the 29L pack skipping a bit of the stuff on this list because I’ll mostly be in the homes of my friends. I have an expandable nylon duffel that I will probably have full most the time but be able to cram if need be (airports, in transit, etc.)

I never regret going smaller, hey. Of course sometimes I acquiesce to the urge to just toss in a bunch of stuff “just in case” (e.g. currently sitting at the airport at the tail end of a two week roadtrip through the American South with my Arubian-Dutch friend and I basically packed for three different kinds of weather out of laziness… didn’t feel like making the decisions necessary to dial it down to nothing but a carry on. But it wasn’t a hassle to carry the things from the trunk of our rental car into couchsurfing hosts’ houses and AirBnbs. If we’d done the whole trip by bus and train, I would have packed way tighter and lighter).

Sorry for rambling… hope that helps a bit!

Have a great trip!

Am packing my bag when I came across this article. Thanks for a good checklist! Still wondering what the baking soda solution is..

Owen! Glad you found it helpful. Thanks for the motivation to move “publish Baking Soda treatise” to the top of the list. On a tight travel schedule at the moment, but I’m re-inspired to get to it. Happy travels!

Update! The baking soda solution(s) is live: https://halftheclothes.com/might-turn-bathroom-baking-aisle/ Cheers!

Hi and thank you for your informative website and list(s)! I found a lot of great ideas. I disagree with your comment that the Osprey Farpoint 55 is a backpack to avoid unless you are tall. I’m not a tall woman (just shy of 5’7″) and have been measured as having a shorter torso length (16″) and yet this was the only Osprey pack of 30 liters or more that had a shoulder suspension system (with load lifters) that fits me correctly and together with the nicely padded hip belt allows me to carry 85% of my pack’s weight comfortably on my hips. Seriously I can even shrug my shoulders as if nothing is there even when it is fully loaded! I have the S/M size and it is only 1.5 lbs heavier than the Porter 30 – and 1 lb of this is the detachable daypack so really it is only 0.5 lb heavier than the Porter 30. I was a bit concerned about its dimensions being a bit larger than United Airline’s carry on limits (especially the length) but as long as I only pack the main backpack about 80% full it is still under United Airlines total dimensions of 45″. I even went to their check-in area to verify that my Farpoint 55 would fit in their carry-on size-checker box and because it is bendable it fit no problem. The detachable daypack is super comfy as well. It can buckle into the front straps if you want to wear it double turtle style but I don’t like this as it adds weight to the shoulder straps and makes me feel huge no matter how lightly I pack the daypack. I far prefer to keep it securely zipped on (or to use it inside my bag as a packing compartment) while I wear my cross body day bag with tickets, phone, travel essentials when at the airport or traveling by bus/transit to my destination to keep these essentials easily accessible. I love the idea of a foldable nylon shopping bag and will get one of those for sure and have been toying with getting a foldable duffle too (for trips where I know I will return with more…but this defeats the whole traveling light but maybe it will give me even more room to spread out at my destination as you say. Then and again maybe I don’t need it since my main pack already holds 10 liters more than the Porter 30. I know that the Farpoint 55 will be too big for carry-on on some budget airlines but I primarily fly United so i should be fine. If this all fits any other folks criteria by all means check out this wonderful bag.

Hi Kathy – thank you so much for posting your Farpoint 55 thoughts for others to consider. I appreciate it especially because I know I’m really biased toward small bags. When folks who travel happily with larger bags chime in, it helps make the information here more balanced.

It’s also helpful to hear from someone who tries to travel exclusively on an airline that is among the more permissive when it comes to carry-on sizes. Again, I’m biased toward budget airline travel in far-flung locales, so people who are in your camp can be left wanting. Thank you for filling the gaps!

Just to clarify, I made the tall comment about the 55 because tall people wear larger clothes which take up more space… not because of the way the Farpoint 55 fits. I’m also 5’7″ with a short torso and have been wearing a Farpoint 55 (and Porter 30 and 46) for a backpack capacity explainer video being made and can attest that it fits well.

Thanks again for sharing your Farpoint 55 thoughts. Glad you’ve found the bag that works for you and good luck dialing in the complimentary nylon/duffel pieces!

I have read a number of these RTW packing lists and the strong “encouragement” to use a small pack. However, I am hard-pressed to see how all of the recommended items can actually fit in a bag <35L in size. The list you present here is substantial, and, short of photographic evidence (which seems to rarely accompany such posts), I remain *highly* skeptical that it is feasible to fit everything into a small carry-on sized bag…

Hey Julie! You’re right – it does seem crazy that so much stuff fits in a bag. You’d be surprised though.

The reason you don’t see photo “proof” on many blogs is because: 1) It takes forever to stage such photos. At home, it’s at least an hour of work getting everything all spread out and organized, making sure you got it all, figuring out how to make each item visible, etc. On the road, it means finding a good spot for a photo and then taking literally everything out of your bag – definitely a monstrous effort to prove what we all know anyway. 2) None of us have any agenda that would make it worth the hours of our time required to create, edit, upload, and tag said photos. I suppose I’ll speak for myself, but the majority of what I write and publish is to help others benefit from my experience. However, given that the associated compensation doesn’t elevate one above the poverty line, the lengths I’m willing to go to help vary enormously based on how much free time I have to kill. (Usually, not much!) 3) In our modern-internet era, it’s becoming a cardinal sin to have photos on one’s site that aren’t high-res and stock-photo gorgeous. A photo taken in a dingy Bangkok hostel of a bunch of random stuff definitely doesn’t pass the test. And getting good photos elsewhere of stuff like this is a challenging task for even professional photographers.

I emailed you a photo of most my backpack items on a bed/couch at a friend’s house. (All the little items.. like paracord, doorstop, headphones, etc. are still in that little green bag on the floor.) She asked me not to use photos taken in her home online, which is the 4th reason I don’t use that photo. (On top of the 5th reason that I just snapped it on a whim because I happened to have most the stuff out of my bag while looking for a misplaced item just before heading to the airport , so it doesn’t have every single item in my pack)

I’m working on a backpack capacity explainer video right now to help people understand just how much stuff fits in a bag. I used something practical (adult medium t-shirts) to show how much fits in each bag. Guess how many fit in the 30L bag?

Since I recommend travelers bring the equivalent of about 15 t-shirts in clothing (5 shirts, 2 pants, sweater/jumper, socks, etc..) that leaves the space of 40 t-shirts (that’s a lot!) for everything else.

Anyhoo – I’ll come back here and link to the video for you when its done. Then you can see what actually fits in each bag!

Sorry for my verbaciousness. It’s one of my biggest faults. :/

What a great article with so much details! Photo for every single item! It is my dream being able to travel with just carry-on backpack unfortunately have not figured out yet how to make it possible for me. I don’t find it too surprising all fit in your bag but I am pretty sure all these stuff is going to weight more than 10 kg. Many budget airlines impose not only size limit but weight limit on carry-on luggage. Did you ever had any problems with that? If so how it got resolved?

Hi Alex – glad you enjoyed the list. It’s my magnum opus 😉 When I travel in regions whose budget airlines have weight restrictions, I get a travel vest or even just a jacket with a lot of pockets. Every heavy thing I have – electronics, padlocks, some of my toiletries, etc all go in there. It’s a pain to be repacking everything before and after a flight, but it works. Hope that helps!

Um… your email address you submitted got rejected. Use the contact form to let me know if you have another? Cheers!

LL BEAN DAY PACK (10#) (2) 6 LONG SLEEVE SHIRTS LL Bean Ripstop Trail 2 All weather wicking longsleeve*** 2 Thermal Silk Long Underwear 1 Hot Chillys Long Underwear 5 SHORT SLEEVE SHIRTS 3 Collar Thai Silk Only multi-colored clothes Nylon Tank Top Custom Made Collarless Vest 3 LONG PANTS 2 Custom made pants (black) One for hard travel/hiking One for casual wear Waterproof nylon pants Thermal silk long underwear Hot Chillys Long Underwear Custom made cargo shorts Surf quality bathing suit (1) 8 Nylon ultra-lite 5” inner seam shorts 4 Polyester/Nylon half socks 3 Polyester/Nylon full length sox Columbia Liteweight Rain Jacket Mittens Rain Poncho Flip Flops Terry Cloth visor Synthetic Towel Mesh Dirty clothes bag Frisbees (4) KEY Chain Led Lite, Lighter Rubber Bands, Document Copies, Pen Trash Bag (@)

MILITARY VEST (4lbs) Custom made with a multitude of pockets inside and out utilizing zippers and Velcro. Vented backside. Carries a variety of items: 7”Tablet, Mp3, Kindle, GPS, Camera, Monocular, Compass,Altimeter,Mirror, Note pad & pen, First aid basics,Reading glasses, Led torch,Lighter,Document copies, Rubber bands, Smoke,Laser lite, Reading glasses WATCH altimeter/compass $150 PRESCRIPTION GLASSES $300 SOFT LEATHER FANNY PACK 3 lbs Wireless Rollup Keyboard (+) Wireless Mouse (+) Extra AAA Batteries MP3 (battery operated) Extension cord 6’ Portable MP3 Speakers (+) Power Adapters,Chargers,Miners lite Alarm Clock,Key Chain Led Lite, Calculator Reading Glasses, Pen Lock,Harmonica, Ace bandage (#) Floppy Aerobie Disc backing SOFT LEATHER FANNY PACK 3 lbs Electric Shaver/Hair Trimmer Hand Soap,Shampoo,Deodorant (roll on) Toothbrush & Paste, Fingernail Brush Mirror, Manicure Set, Rubber Bands Wash Cloth, Door stop alarm,Scotch tape,Reading Glasses, Pen, Document Copies CREAMS,LOTIONS,DRUGS,1st Aid Prescription Drugs, Xanax, Ambien Tylenol 4 ,Doxycycline, Lomotil, Suntan, Anti-itch, Anti-biotics, Mosquito Babypowder, Sunscreen, Chapstick, Bandages, H202, Surgical Tape, Universal Sink Plug, Laundry Soap, Orajel Ziplocks, Key Chain Led Lite, Incense, String. Floppy Aerobie Disc backing NECK POUCHE #1** Passport, Credit cards, ATM cards Driver’s License & Large Bills NECK POUCH #2 (~) Pen & notebook, extra passport & driver’s license, inactive credit/ATM cards, small amount of $$$ NECK KEY CHAIN ***** LED pen lite, pen knife/bottleopener, fingernail clipper, whistle, keys BUNGIE CORD Modified for exercise & security formidable weapon

NOTES Fold, roll & rubber band clothes Rubber bands in all bags…lots of uses. Zip lock baggies….use “em Anything that can leak…will Screw top lotions, toothpaste, etc flip tops invariably open in transit keep in ziplock bags in any case &/or scotch tape cap. Remove a battery on items that can accidently turn on en route All AAA battery operated devices Multiple document photocopies snugged away in different bags Tailor made clothes: Military vest, dress pants Cargo pants and shorts, Collar vest Keep moving parts to minimum: zippers, snaps, buttons, etc Mostly solid colors: mix & match Long term stays of weeks: Buy throwaway hats, Ts, etc. to preserves wardrobe; umbrella No short sleeve shirts, all weather shirts can be rolled up. Unbuttoned thai silks good for beach lounge wear. Torches: key chain led lites all bags Use Kindle & Android for room lite Mosquito protection at nite: thermal silk long underwear com- bined with long nylon sox. Terry cloth visor Combined with wet synthetic towel for heat protection String (clothes line) Scotch tape on screw off bottles Frisbees packed in back of LL Bean bag makes for comfortable & higher seat especially good on crowded buses Frisbee back fanny packs give added girth to my 5’6” 132 # frame filling up my paid assigned seat Emergency situations Imagine yourself w/o clothes or $$$ Have agreement with banker for One call/email verification Hands free capability en route Compartmentalize: practice discipline Lanyards 4 Prepare for all weather & conditions Camping trek: Hire porter/cook Rent equipment & specialized clothes. Predominantly solid dark colored clothes Versatility 3 different type bags for various situations Maximize mix & match wardrobe Security awareness on the move & at destination… EVERYDAY Expensive adventure watch with altimeter & compass features or inexpensive digital watch & carry independent compass & altimeter…the argument goes on

TRAVEL CLOTHES * MILITARY VEST BROOKS Addiction shoes* (=) …..with pronation insert Custom made pants Nylon sox Nylon ultra-lite 5” inner seam shorts All weather wicking longsleeve*** Hat

EXTRAS…carried in multiple bags Fingernail clippers, Rubber bands, Pens, Lighters, LEDs, Document photo copies, TP, Laundry & hand soap,Baggies

LEGEND * worn when in route ** kept hidden out of sight *** UnderArmour **** carried in other bags as well ***** used solo for going out at nite hanging at beach..goodies at hotel (1) Speedo brand with zipper pocket (2) Minus travel clothes (@) accommodates all bags in rain (#) multiple uses: ankle support and insulate fragile items in transit (=) pronation prescription hiking, sprinting, casual friendly shine up after day of hiking (~) decoy…worn in or outside de- pending on situation, contents vary (+) insulate with Ace bandages while transit

SHORTS : 6 PAIRS @ $15 = $100

SOX 6 pair@ $3 = $20

NYLON RAIN PANTS

MONOCULARS $16

UTILITY KNIVE, FORK $8

MATCH HOLDER $5 .

COLMAN MATCH HOLDER $5.

WATCH outdoors altimeter/compass

CAMERA $150

PRESCRIPTION GLASSES $300

KINDLE $150

BROOKS ADDICTION WALKER $150

PRONATION INSERTS $50

LLBEAN SCHOOL BACKPACK $50 . 32 litres

FANNY PACKS 2 @ $20 = $40

TAILOR MADE CLOTHES

OUTDOOR VEST tailor altered $50 Robot Check

Wow, Blaise. Incredible list. Why so many pairs of shorts? Have you found yourself using a compass in your travels?

Did you really get a $50 iPad? The link doesn’t seem to work. Curious if you don’t have a smart phone? (I don’t! A luddite holdout, hey 🙂 Is that why you’re bringing a camera?

Hot tip – I got glasses through Zenni Optical for really cheap ($15) and then another pair via groupon in Australia for $50.

Why’d you decide on the LL Bean bag? Why two fanny packs? (In Australia they call them “bum bags” – ha!)

And where are you headed?

Hope you have a great trip!

Oh, also, for people who like to do their own laundry (I sometimes pay for laundry but I’m allergic to a lot of soaps so more often than not I do my own in the sink), if you’re going on a shorter trip and can spare the space, I highly recommend SOAK Wash. It’s a rinse-free clothing wash (originally designed for yarn and marketed to knitters). You just put a teaspoon into cool water, swish the clothes around, let them sit for 15 minutes, and they are magically clean with no need to rinse. You can see the dirt come out into the water. I was skeptical but it really does work, and even gets my stinkiest workout clothes clean and smell-free. Awesome stuff. Can be ordered on Amazon.

SOAK wash sounds awesome – I wonder how it works? I’ll add it to the list as a works-with for those who are considering a sink plug!

Love your site and love this list! I’m obsessed with travel and packing and gear, so I really enjoyed reading it. I love your humor, too. A couple notes from my own perspective: – Personally, I love packing cubes because I really like being organized. However, I have learned over time that the only cubes worth using when packing a backpack are the little ones that are meant for socks and undies. I pack t-shirts in one, pants in another, undies in another. Because they are small, you can then cram them into the corners of your pack that other cubes won’t fit in, and they don’t turn into heavy bricks like the large ones. – I take a pashmina (wide scarf) everywhere and have found it invaluable in all sorts of countries and climates as a shawl, blanket, head covering, etc. But then, I am a scarf-wearer in general, so it works for me. – One advantage to bringing a belt from home if you are like me and the way you are built causes your pants to always want to fall down is that you can buy one of the ones with a flat, plastic buckle. That means it won’t show under tighter fitting tops, and you can walk right through a metal detector with it on. – I agree on rain jackets and jackets in general in most climates, but with a couple of caveats. I was in northern India and found myself needing a warm jacket for a trip into the Himalayas and I could not find one anywhere and ended up wearing everything I owned plus a borrowed fleece and froze my ass off. Now I carry one of those newer, thin, down alternative jackets (they make down ones too, but I’m vegan) that weighs like 7 ounces and fits in its own pocket, and damned if I don’t use that thing just about everywhere in place of a fleece (lighter and packs easier too). I also have failed to take a raincoat to several locations where I didn’t realize how chilly it got when it rained and really regretted it, so now I have a 5oz Outdoor Research rain jacket that folds up so small I can ball it in my fist. Obviously it depends where you are going, but I love that technology has advanced so that you can have these backup items for not too expensive and not too much weight (both jackets were under $100 on clearance, and I use them constantly as an avid hiker and backpacker (trekker) as well as traveler).

Anyway, I recently downsized again (like many people, I started out carrying a large backpack and daypack and have sloooowly gone down in size, and now I have a fantastic pack that I bought at the Columbia employee store for a great price. And you’ve given me some ideas to downsize even more! Thanks for the info and entertainment. I especially love your comments about shoelaces. And ugh, when people insist on taking heavy hiking boots!

Hi Rachel –

Great to hear your perspective about packing cubes. I can definitely see using the small ones for the small things. I’ve traveled so long with a multi-compartment bag that I tend to think of packing cubes as only big, bulky objects that would make packing the main compartment a giant pain. But you’re right! If one didn’t have the smaller compartments that I have, I can see small packing cubes (ziploc bags?!) coming in really handy.

Which down (alternative) jacket do you have?

Happy to help anyone on the journey to mastering their own personalized minimalist packing list!

I missed your questions/replies… It looks like they no longer make my specific packable down alternative jacket, but it’s from Mountain Hardwear and they are a great company. I love that coat! And Soakwash (mentioned above) works by binding to dirt and rinsing it right out of your clothes! I use it at home for delicates too, and have sink-washed more travel clothes than I can count in it. It supposedly lengthens the life of your clothes, but I don’t know about that. Still love your list/blog!

Hey Rachel! Good to hear back from you! Isn’t it so disappointing when awesome stuff gets superseded by new gear? Makes me want to buy two of everything! (Maybe also something to do with disliking shopping 😉 ) Glad to hear the soakwash is still working brilliantly for you. Happy travels!

For women, might want to consider a silicon menstrual cup. I’d recommend getting use to it at home first, but can be great as you can pretty much leave it in all day and not be worried about accidents or adverse affects (i.e. TSS).

I baseball cap and chap stick is always on my list as well!

The DIVA cup is awesome! I’ve never used one traveling or wilderness backpacking, because I wasn’t sure about contamination issues. There are huge bonuses though! I’ll ask the nurse on my favorite travel forum…

Here’s the answer! tl;dr – the cup needs to be washed with potable water, so just a bit less convenient in places where tap water isn’t potable. However, the DIVA cup is still fantastic from the leakage perspective… i.e. – none as compared to the horror stories that can happen with all other methods, hey.

Was browsing this list for the billionth time and noticed my quote about packing cubes – thanks for the shoutout! Yes, they are great for suitcases and awful for backpacks. I don’t totally regret buying my set. I’m still going to use the smallest piece for holding things that are too small to go loose in my pack, and they also came with a nylon sack for dirty laundry that will be useful. But the larger sizes were a swing and a miss on my part.

Great to hear from you, Danielle! Nylon sacks are the best, hey. My bag is designed for school use, so it’s got all kids of organizational built-ins in one pocket. But when I switch to a new bag, I’ll definitely be looking for some new solutions.

Excellent comments – I Appreciate the points . Does someone know if my business can obtain a fillable Packing List example to edit ?

Aack! The Doug Ritter Photon Microlight is no longer available on aeromedix.com! It is available at dougritter.com. Was hoping to pick one up at a local store, but it doesn’t look like that is going to be possible.

Glad you were able to track it down! Will update the list – thanks for sharing! 🙂

Your blog is hilarious and real. I just got a 40L and I’m seriously re-thinking it after reading this list. Thanks for turning the RTW packing “typical” help on its head!

Glad you enjoyed! Amen to any smaller bag! I’m on a short trip at the moment, but with more stuff than I’ve ever carried (tropics + cold + wedding + farming). It’s awful!

Luv u chica

I am actually the person that brings all the things I might need, but the only thing I ever feel like I packed too much of is shirts. I always bring scissors, duct tape, bandages, wet wipes, tiger balm, a tiny tool kit and 1 hat. And I never not use them. that said I have never packed more than 13 kg, which I don’t think is too heavy.

Glad you’ve figured out what works for you! There isn’t a single item I’d vehemently insist that no one needs. However, I do vehemently insist that no one needs all the stuff they worry they might on their first-go-round. Thanks for the contribution/feedback! Happy travels!

Just found this. Thanks for the packing tips! I’m struggling to make my pack smaller.

Happy to add to your cache of advice! 🙂

This is a brilliant post, will retweet as its completely changed our packing strategy, without it we would have probably looked like newbies with our massive backpacks! Have seriously changed our thoughts after going through this so thanks!

I’m so glad! Have a fantastic trip!

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We are a married couple, who recently left our home, our full-time jobs, sold/donated most of our life, and currently traveling abroad. We want to experience different cultures, the world, and to challenge ourselves in ways we never knew we could. Our story is not unique. We join the many others who have done this, are doing this, and who are dreaming of it. Please join us in our journey as we share videos, photos, and some fun stories about our travels.

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How to Travel Around the World and Plan an RTW Trip

Thinking of an around the world (RTW) trip? Whether you are a student planning a gap year, a family ready to take your life on the road, or an empty nester ready for an adventure of a lifetime, we have some advice from those who have already taken the plunge.

Booking a round-the-world (RTW) trip can be a complex business, so I’ve gathered the best tips, tricks & advice.

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Top Tips to Travel Around the World and Plan an RTW Trip

RTW travel is the ultimate trip. What you need to know to circumnavigate the planet while stopping off wherever takes your fancy.

Best Places to Book Cheap Airfare

If you are yet to book your airfare, I thought I’d share two of my favorite resources for cheap airfare. 

• CheapOAir   You can use ‘CheapOair explore’ feature to find cheap flights to anywhere in the world. CheapOAir lets you find the best flight deals and book airline tickets at the cheapest price possible.
• AirTreks creates “Round the World” — sometimes referred to as RTW — tickets by finding the best individual airline tickets based on the lowest available fares. RTW tickets enable travelers to fly around the world stopping in many locations for a relatively low price. 

My favorite travel insurance: One last thing before you get started! Have you looked into travel insurance yet? You can Click Here to find the best deal on travel insurance and why you should not travel without it.

19 Travel Experts share their top tips for RTW travel

I asked 19 travel experts to share their top tips for RTW travel, how they researched and budgeted for their trip and their favorite stop on their RTW trip. I’m positive, these stories about travel around the world will inspire you to plan your own RTW trip !

RTW Travel Tips from Leanne Scott of theglobetrottergp.com

Trip Length:  4 Months Number of Places Visited: 10 Countries

I took 4 months to travel from Australia (where I’d been working for 2 years) back home to the UK. I wanted to pack in as many experiences as possible into 4 months as I knew my travel opportunities would be a bit limited for a few years when I got home. So I was a little over-ambitious and managed to squeeze in 10 countries!

My route took me through the Australian outback into Thailand where I spent a week sailing around Thai islands. I took the well-trodden indo-china loop through Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, and Laos before traveling to Indonesia via Malaysia and Singapore. I then hopped over to East Africa and spent my final 3 weeks on safari in Kenya and Tanzania.

Because my time was limited and my plans were ambitious, I decided the best way to fit a lot into such a short time was to take several adventure tours. I took several tours with  G Adventures and Intrepid . Its a faster-paced way of travel but I had some incredible experiences and made some amazing friends en-route.

The Cost: It is a slightly more expensive way to travel and my trip cost me around £12000 but I took a lot of flights and 6 tours in this time.

When I have the luxury of time, I travel a lot slower savoring my time in each place. But when I’m short of time I still occasionally take a small group tour.

I’m so torn which was my favorite countries I visited during my whirlwind RTW trip but it’s probably a close tie between Laos and Indonesia. Both Kwang Si waterfalls in Laos and The Gili Islands in Indonesia are incredibly relaxing places where I could recover after some fast paced travel!

RTW Travel Tips from  Zenja from Bearly Here   

Trip Length: 6 Months Number of Places Visited: 5 continents and 22 countries.

During preparations, we were overwhelmed by all the information you can get online about buying your flights, but after all the research we decided to go for a combination of flexibility and affordability. Instead of RTW tickets, we bought all our flights separately. For the total of 9 flights, 4 of which were intercontinental, we paid 2368 USD per person.

Here are our tips: 1. Consider other forms of transportation. In some places (like South America or Russia) it might be cheaper to take a bus, train or even a ferry. Pros: beautiful views and possibly money saved on accommodation. Cons: can be less comfortable and takes longer time. 2. Take advantage of frequent flyer programs. For our first class ticket from Singapore to New Zealand, we paid 49 USD per person, thanks to previously collected bonus points. 3. Book less of the trip in advance. You don’t have to plan your trip 100%, and if you fall in love with a tiny fisherman village, you can stay there longer. 4. Make yourself familiar with RTW tickets limitations. It would be a pity to compromise on a trip of a lifetime because of a few formalities.

Favorite location:  While we visited many incredible countries, during this trip, we left our hearts in Bolivia. Bolivia’s nature is absolutely stunning; its quaint charming towns and friendly people are so inviting that you just don’t want to leave. Salt flats, lake Titicaca, archeological sites and rainforests – it’s truly magnificent.

Round the World Travel Tips from Tomáš Novák of  etabroad.com

Trip Length:  4 Months Number of Places Visited:  8 countries

How to buy cheap flight tickets for RTW trip

We did a quick RTW trip and in 4 months visited 8 countries. Some were popular locations and some less common. As we live in the Czech Republic, it is not the usual country to start an RTW trip. Because of this, we couldn’t use any special tool for buying RTW air ticket as they are very expensive especially when we wanted to visit countries such as Uzbekistan or Bolivia.

We made a basic plan and choose some spots/countries we wanted to visit and how long we want to stay there. Then we monitored airfare prices and bought the tickets at the cheapest price.

The result was that we bought tickets even on the jump and not in the order we wanted to fly them. That means we added some stops because we founded a cheap flight there. We bought the first flight ticket about 6 months before departure and the last one about 2 months before we left home.

A good destination where you can stop on the RTW trip and usually buy very cheap tickets is South-East Asia as there are many low-cost carriers. Another very good and usually cheap route is Sydney-Honolulu because there is daily service of Jetstar Airways.

Favorite destination – Bolivia

Bolivia was our dream for a few years because this country can offer a very broad variety of activities for any traveler. We enjoyed bike downhill on the Death road, visited huge dessert covered with snow or visited active mine.

RTW Travel Tips from Sarah and Justin  travelbreatherepeat.com

Trip Length: 13 months Number of Places Visited:  27 countries & three continents

Our RTW trip was the best year of our lives. In addition to numerous trains, buses, bicycles, and boats, we took 30 flights on almost as many airlines. A lot of planning goes into RTW trips, and sometimes that can be overwhelming. But if you’re going to take a year off from your normal life to travel, you might as well have fun planning it too. Here are our top tips to help you out.

• Start planning early. We started planning nine months in advance. From creating bucket lists to budgets to thinking about what we would pack and how we would store all of our belongings, there’s was a lot to plan. The earlier you start working on everything in an organized way (we used a lot of spreadsheets), the better.
• Know yourself and your travel style. Are you a planner or more laid back? Do you like luxury accommodations or hostels? Do you like seeing all the sights and attractions or just soaking in the local vibe of a place. Don’t worry about what you see on Instagram or other blogs. This is your trip, so do what makes you happy. Plus, your style will impact your budget, itinerary, and what you do every day, so it really is important.
• Decide if you want to buy an RTW ticket. This should happen pretty early in the process since it will significantly impact your itinerary and budget. We ultimately decided against an RTW ticket because we needed to return to the US twice, and they aren’t cost-effective if you’re backtracking. Booking everything separately takes more planning, but gives you more flexibility.

Favorite location:  We have a hard time picking a favorite destination from our trip. One of the best was our month-long road trip in New Zealand. We traversed both the North and South Islands and saw the most breathtaking landscape and interesting animals. It was a truly special time.

RTW Travel Tips from John & Heather Widmer of roamingaroundtheworld.com

Trip Length: 10 months Number of Places Visited:  22 Countries, 4 Continents & 100 different locations

As we’ve been constantly traveling around the world over the past five years, we’ve now taken a few RTW trips. Yet during our most recent journey, we took a unique approach by traveling entirely around the world without using any flights! Instead, we traveled overland using public transit, in addition to our secret weapon of utilizing repositioning cruises to cross the world’s oceans.

Repositioning cruises are seasonal voyages in which a cruise line relocates a ship from one part of the world to another. The lengthy and exotic itineraries sometimes aren’t attractive to cruisers, so prices can become heavily discounted in an attempt to fill the ship with paying passengers. So our strategy was to take advantage of these discounted fares as our primary means of transportation. In doing so, we essentially pieced together a cheap world cruise!

This RTW trip was a total of 10 months, including 2.5-months cruising around the world on four different cruise ships. We visited over 100 different locations during this time and stayed in 74 different beds along the way. One of the nice aspects of cruise travel was being able to sleep in the same place each night while being transported to an interesting new port to explore while we slept.

Our RTW route zigzagged through some of the most expensive countries in the world, including Canada, Japan, South Korea, China, Singapore, Italy, France Switzerland, and the UK. Despite the pricey locations and traveling by luxury cruise ship, we were happy that our budget held strong at about $60 per day per person, inclusive of all costs. The best part is that we didn’t have to spend a dime on flights! The total trip cost came to $19,000, per person, for the entire 10-month journey.

We traveled at a fairly fast pace during much of the trip, often stopping in places for just a few nights at a time. But we did slow down on few instances by pursuing month-long stays in Canada and Japan, plus half-month stays in South Korea and Italy. Maintaining a fast pace for long stints can admittedly become exhausting, but the luxury of cruise ships on sea days gave us plenty of time for rest & relaxation in between our aggressive itineraries overland.

In doing research for this RTW trip, we tried to nail down the repositioning cruises first, then fill in the overland gaps in between. The repositioning cruises are one-time voyages, so that helped to provide some time constraints while traveling overland. Then we tried to pack in as much as we reasonably could while researching and ultimately doing the activities we enjoy the most, which gravitates towards adventure experiences.

We purchased our cruise tickets on various sites and agencies, depending on the deal. We often held out to actually make those purchases last-minute, as rates can sometimes hit their lowest just before the cruise embarks. But it’s a risky proposition, as rates can also go up and even repositioning cruises do sell out.

Our biggest tip for planning an RTW trip is to nail down a handful of destinations that are highly intriguing for you to visit. Then try to connect those points of interest as economically as possible, whether that be by land travel, budget flights, or repositioning cruises. We suggest spending on all the wonderful things you can experience in a destination, rather than spending on getting there.

As for utilizing repositioning cruises, it can be an extremely complex procedure to attempt to line up an entire round the world trip in this fashion. Instead, we recommend trying to incorporate a repositioning cruise into one leg of a RTW trip to see how you may like it. The most common repositioning cruise that can be found are Transatlantic. Look for those running from the US to Europe each spring and from Europe to US every fall.

Favorite Location:  It’s tough to pick a favorite location, because we genuinely enjoyed every single place we visited so much. But if pressed, we’d say Japan was a favorite during this RTW. The food, the culture, and the beautiful scenery all really clicked with us during the month and a half we roamed around the country.

RTW TRAVEL PLANNER

Plan a trip of a lifetime! You can research thousands of flight combinations to create one-of-a-kind routes for your next round-the-world trip.

Start by simply adding in your starting location below:

RTW Travel Tips from Erin Homles of  Explorewitherin.com

Trip Length:  3.5 weeks Number of Places Visited:   7 countries

Deciding to visit the US from Australia is a fairly long trip, so I decided if it was going to be big – it needed to be huge. Back in 2007, I was still using travel agents to help me form an itinerary. I ended up with something that looked like Australia to US to UK to Germany to Israel and back to Australia.

The Cost:  The biggest thing I found was whether Israel would be considered Asia or Europe. For the purposes of our RTW, it was considered Asia and therefore fit into an RTW ticket. Tickets were roughly $3,000. It included several flights within the United States as well.

I spent roughly $100 – $200 per day. Back in those days I enjoyed vacations and splurged regularly. These days I’m much more travel savvy. I could do the same trip for half the price if I was to redo today.

Itinerary: I went for nearly 7 weeks. Approximately 3 – 4 weeks were spent in the US. I spent 3 nights in Hawaii, 3 nights in Hollywood, 3 nights in Anaheim, 3 nights in San Diego, 3 nights in Las Vegas, 7 nights in New York with a day trip to see Niagara Falls and one night in Washington DC.

From the US I flew to London, then to Munich in Germany. With a day trip to Switzerland. My flight to Israel had an 8-hour stopover in Madrid, Spain so I made it there as well. I then spent nearly 2 weeks discovering Israel. The way home was long. Israel to London, London to Singapore, Singapore to Perth, Australia.

I think I took about 13 flights with One World Alliance- Qantas, America Airlines, etc. All airlines went smoothly and worked well together.

My biggest tip when booking RTW is to check one-way ticket prices before booking a RTW. Often you may find cheaper tickets doing it yourself!

My Favorite Location  would have had to be New York. It was my first time and it was everything I saw in the movies. The Statue of Liberty, the shopping, I adored it. Israel was also eye-opening. I’d always been scared to visit, but it was incredible.

RTW Travel Tips from Oksana & Max of drinkteatravel.com

Trip Length: 3 months Number of Places Visited: 5 continents

When we sat down to plan our yearly travels we had destinations scattered across 5 continents on our list. So we knew that THIS was the time to use our little stash of Frequent Flyer Points on a OneWorld Round The World flight ticket.

Our RTW points journey began while living in Australia. A friend suggested that we give the Qantas Frequent Flyer points credit card a try and from there we became obsessed with earning points.

The card came with a 50,000-point bonus and we began putting all of our monthly bills on credit, bought all of our groceries on credit, and even found a 3rd party company that allowed us to pay our rent on credit. Then we came up a killer itinerary to get the most bang for our frequent flyer bucks, put it through the wringer to avoid going through airports with high taxes and tariffs and finally called to book!

RTW Travel Tips from Lisanne van Beurden of chaptertravel.com

Trip Length: 1.5 Years Number of Places Visited:   11 countries

In 2015 my boyfriend and I left to Australia with a one-way ticket. We didn’t plan how long we would travel, but eventually stayed abroad for 1.5 years and traveled to 11 countries.

The Cost: Before we left we saved up 6000 euros each, sold what we could, and quit all the subscriptions to make sure we barely had any expenses during our trip.

Our RTW tip for people that want to do the same and those that want to start their RTW trip as soon as possible with little money, we recommend going to a country like Australia where they offer a Working Holiday Visa (always check requirements if you’re able to get this visa). With this visa, you can work for a certain amount of time, have a unique experience and save up money to see more of this world. Of course, there are more countries that offer this visa .

After Australia, we left for Asia and used the money that we earned to backpack to some amazing countries.

Our favorite location during our RTW trip was definitely Nepal. The people here are so friendly, nature is amazing and we love Nepali cuisine.

Round the World Travel Tips from Claire Drinkwater from Backpackingbella.com

Trip Length: 10 months Number of Places Visited: 8 countries

When I was a student, the round the world flight maps at a local travel agent would always catch my eye. One day, I told myself, I will do a trip like that.

Over a decade later, I took the plunge and contacted Flight Centre UK, which has a dedicated round the world airfares team. Over the coming weeks, a consultant called Adele helped me create my dream trip itinerary. She was patient, researching various options and reassuring me that the flight dates along my chosen route were flexible.

I planned to spend about a month in each country, except for New Zealand where I’d stay longer on a temporary work visa. My final schedule had eight stops, from India, through Southeast Asia, to Australia, New Zealand, and South America.

The Airfare Cost:  The £3000 airfare price was calculated by miles traveled and depends on the continents you want to visit. While it’s a lot of money, it’s cheaper than booking all the flights separately.

As I embarked on my long-awaited trip of a lifetime, I was happy to have a plan ahead of me. Adele was on hand when I inevitably decided to change my flight timings because I had fallen in love with a place and wanted to stay longer.

Favorite locations:  I ended up staying in Bali for two months, as this island’s beauty, spirituality and laid-back lifestyle captivated me. I also adored New Zealand, a stunningly gorgeous country with friendly locals. Some of the South Island scenery is so vivid, you feel like you’re seeing a photoshopped version of real life.

Around The World Travel Tips from Demi Johnson from Around the World With Her

Trip Length: 1 year & 3 months Number of Places Visited: 6 Countries

In 2015, I decided I wanted to take do a  Working Holiday Visa in Australia  and quit my job. this was going to be a big trip, and I thought, why not combine it with other places around the world!? I set about looking for flights but realized it was going to take a lot of time and planning booking several different flights through different airlines.

A friend mentioned STA travel for booking RTW trips, but as someone who likes to organize things without a company, I was initially skeptical.

However, after a look around the website, some of the multi-stop flights they were offering were amazing. I eventually booked London – Manila (1 month in the Philippines), Manila – Sydney (1 year in Australia), Sydney to Auckland (1 month in New Zealand), Aukland to Fiji (2 weeks in Fiji), Fiji to Los Angeles (2 weeks in the USA) and New York – London.

The Airfare Cost:  That was 6 separate flights, and it cost me around 1400 GBP, a price I think is amazing. I went on to use STA travel for flights again to book a multi-stop trip to SriLanka, Singapore, Bangkok, and Delhi, again because of the amazing price.

This time I added on the choice of changing dates. I paid an extra 75 GBP and was allowed to change the dates of my flights free of charge (if there was availability). I did this with my flight to Delhi from Bangkok as I was enjoying Thailand so much, and it was a simple and easy process.

My favorite location was Australia. The diversity you can find in one country is amazing: beaches that run for miles, bustling cities, rainforests, deserts, mountains and everything in between. I love animals and so the range of different animals also drew me to Australia. The country itself is quite expensive for traveling, however, if you combine it with working, the wages are high and so it is a lot easier to travel.

RTW Travel Tips from Jack and Jill of jackandjilltravel.com

Trip Length: 11 months Number of Places Visited:  12 countries

$2000/month per couple seem to be the average budget one can expect to spend regardless of routes and activities.

My husband and I went on an around the world trip for 11 months, visiting 12 countries. If we were to do it all over again, we would do the same thing we did: buy a one-way ticket and work our way overland as much as possible. We created “anchors” – big experiences we wanted to do scattered throughout as some sort of a path to guide our way. For example, we committed to do some volunteering experience in Banos, Ecuador. We also knew we wanted to do Huayhuash Trek in Peru that needs to be done when the mountain passes are open.. Then I wanted to spend time with my family in Indonesia. This created some constraints in our decision making in terms of timing and routes, which made it easier in a way. It can be overwhelming when the world is truly your oysters.

The Cost: When we left we had a specific amount of money saved up (about $23k for both of us) and we said, “we either go for one year or until the money runs out.” The latter happened around month 11. After our trip, I asked around other couples who went on RTW trips and found that surprisingly, $2000/month per couple seem to be the average budget one can expect to spend regardless of routes and activities.

Our favorite location:  I think Jack and I can mutually agree that South America is our favorite region we visited on this trip. I’m quite partial to Peru. Jack might say Ecuador. I don’t think it’s a coincidence that these are the 2 countries we spent the most time in (6 weeks in Ecuador, 4 weeks in Peru).

What we loved most about doing an RTW trip is the ability to stay and “hang” in countries that we enjoy. Something I truly miss now that we go back to doing “normal” trips.

RTW Travel Tips from Nicky Williams of Go Live Young 

Trip Length: 9 months Number of Places Visited:  15 countries In 2016/17 we undertook a nine-month round-the-world trip as a family of five. Our three boys were 8, 10, and 12 at the time of travel. We spent just three months planning our trip and organizing our lives in the UK. Our route took us from the UK to China, and then on to SE Asia through Singapore, Thailand, Myanmar, Bhutan, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam and Indonesia. From here we traveled on to Australia, New Zealand, and Fiji, before heading home via the USA, South Africa, and Mauritius.

Our trip was all about family time and the chance to explore the world together, building lifelong memories. We were conscious that our children were growing up fast and we wanted to do a big family trip before they hit exam years! 15 countries visited, 28,000 miles and countless memories made.

The Cost: We purchased around-the-world flights for our trip, amazing value at £10,000 for the five of us. Twelve international flights in a loop around the world. We supplemented these with budget airline flights, train, bus, and boat travel. Primarily, we stayed in 2 and 3-star hotels and guesthouses, occasionally renting an apartment when it was cheaper to do so. Costs varied depending on where we were traveling. SE Asia was cheap to travel in, with us spending about £150 per day. Australia and New Zealand are much more expensive (comparable to the UK), with us spending more like £250/£300 per day.

Our favorite locations vary between us all. Mine was Bhutan, a fascinating tiny country in the Himalayas. A country with breathtaking scenery but seemingly standing still in time. The boys loved road tripping through New Zealand in a camper van and the time we spent in Australia.

RTW Travel Tips from Rohan Cahill-Fleury of  www.travelsofabookpacker.com

Trip Length: 16 months (so far) Number of Places Visited: 28 countries and 3 continents (so far)

We began our round the world adventure with a start point, an end point and no plan in between. We were living in Germany (my partner’s home) and decided we would end up in New Zealand (my home) whenever the time was right. We saved for two years, drew up a travel budget and planned a rough route of places we wanted to see along the way.

The Cost:  We planned to spend an average of €50 a day between the two of us and 16 months in, we’ve managed to keep this to an average of €40 including all flights, visas, accommodation, and food.

The hardest part for us is striking the right balance between having it planned out so we don’t need to stress about bookings or get overwhelmed by all the options but also leaving ourselves open to changes in plans and being able to go with the flow. We like to plan our entrance and exit dates for a country and then plan 2-3 days ahead so we can stay longer in places we like and move on when we don’t enjoy somewhere. Visa allowance often dictates how long we stay in a country but we’ve found 3 weeks to a month to be a pretty good amount of time for seeing all the main places. We stayed much longer in India (4.5 months) because it’s so big and Georgia (3 months) because we loved it so much!

Our Favorite place  was Georgia which completely stole our hearts. There are mountains, beaches, vineyards, old towns, monasteries, and amazing people, culture and food! The capital, Tbilisi, is an eclectic mix of old and new and we wandered the streets every day for weeks, always finding something new. We loved Georgia so much on our first visit that we changed plans and returned for another 7 weeks (we’re really glad we left our plans open!)

RTW Travel Tips from Philip Turnbull of  zentravellers.com

When my wife and I started talking about a trip around the world we knew that it was going to be an expensive proposition.  We were already fairly frugal and considered ourselves savers but to fund a year abroad we knew that we would have to take it to the next level.  To make sure that we accomplished our goals we set it up so that we saved money straight off our paycheques before we could spend it and steadily increased our savings rates as we received raises.  Any surprise money (bonuses, presents, tax returns) all went into our trip savings as well.

We did still spend some money and didn’t live like total misers while dreaming of our trip abroad, but what we did spend was done so thoughtfully and according to our values.  For instance, we went to Japan for our honeymoon, Cozumel for a dive vacation, and went on several ski trips with close friends.

When most think of a trip around the world the immediate thought is that it would be way too expensive and that there’s no way you could afford it without millionaires.  We recognize that we were privileged to have well-paying, stable jobs, but we mainly funded our trip around the world by avoiding keeping up with the Joneses.  We had an old reliable car, we didn’t buy the latest iPhone, and we rented our cozy house in Calgary.

There are a lot of things you can spend money on, and it’s easy to do so without realizing it.  If travel is important to you, set a goal and work towards it.  You’ll be surprised at how achievable it is.

My favorite Location: Our favorite location is an impossible choice, but if I had to pick one it would be the Galapagos Islands, specifically Isla Isabella.  This island is predominantly a protected national park and has the smallest population of the inhabited islands.  It is teeming with wildlife and the diving is absolutely incredible.

RTW Travel Tips from Roobens Fils of beenaroundtheglobe.com

Trip Length:  1 year Number of Places Visited:  30 countries

I didn’t buy an RTW ticket but I spent a year on the road, traveling in Europe and Asia. One of the best tips I can offer is to research beforehand where you want to go and which areas you want to visit. It doesn’t have to extremely precise, but just have an overall vision of your itinerary.

You’ll then save a LOT of money on flights/trains/bus rides. Since you’ll have an idea of the places you want to visit, you can do a proper research like “how to get there from here”, what’s the cheapest way to go (bus, plane, train…), how long does it take, etc.

For instance, you might be in Belgrade and want to go to Bucharest. You’ll then realize, there’s no bus nor trains going to Bucharest, just flights a few times per week, the next one being in four days. During my trip, I visited about 30 countries. Sometimes I just stayed a few days, sometimes a month.

My favorite destination was Iran. People are lovely, hospitable and so friendly. They’re happy to see tourists visiting their country. Moreover, the food is delicious, and as a tourist, there are many places to visit in this beautiful country.

RTW Travel Tips from Channa of  twoweeksleave.com

Trip Length:  7 Month Number of Places Visited:  24 countries I did an around the world trip a few years ago and went to New Zealand, Asia, and Europe.

I bought my ticket from a student travel agency because it was my first trip overseas (go big or go home!) and thought that would save me some hassle. It was fine, but I definitely paid more than I should have and I wouldn’t do that now. Online all the way!

I didn’t do much research at all! The best way to find out what to do is talking to other travelers. Staying flexible is the key to enjoying your trip.

The Cost:  All up I spent about $15,00, or about $70 a day. You could do it for less, but I don’t think it would be enjoyable. It’s easier to keep costs down in places like Asia and Eastern Europe. Plus, travel within those continents is very cheap. Flights in Europe can be €10!

My favorite destination was Budapest because I was never meant to go there! I was bored of the city I was in, so went to the train station. There was a train to Budapest leaving in 20 minutes so I jumped on board. Budapest was amazing!! A fantastic vibe, loads to see and do, a fascinating history and great nightlife. Everything a backpacker wants!

RTW Travel Tips from Sara of  ourkindofcrazy.com

Trip Length:   65 Days Number of Places Visited:   4 Countries We took an Around the World trip that started a bit by accident.  We both had time off in the Spring, so decided we would do a few small trips. We started with wanting to go to Finland but also found a great deal for a trip to Bali.  So, as soon as I realized we could do an Around the World trip if we added somewhere in the middle between the two, I was all for it.

An Around the World trip had been a dream of mine, and this was the perfect time to make it happen.  We planned for about 2 months before we left, but that was mainly tacking down dates and deciding which countries we would go to. We did our Around the World trip in just 65 days, as that was all the time we had available.

We went to 4 countries and took 17 flights and 21 boat rides.  We started in snowy Finland and traveled all over Lapland. Headed to Dubai, and then the Maldives for 2 weeks, where we hit both resort and local islands. Then we finished our last 30 days in Bali, Indonesia.

Our one tip for an Around the World trip is if you are purchasing your airline tickets as you go, (we did this as well) just be sure to have an exit ticket from the next country you are traveling to.  We could not leave Maldives until we purchased our exit ticket out of Bali.  They would not let us check in for our flight.

The Cost: We ended up spending way too much money since it was a spur of the moment ticket from Bali to Los Angeles. If we had known, we could have purchased in advance and saved money.

One Last Thought: Just be sure to know the rules of each country, if you are trying to take it one day at a time.  It ended up working out in the end, but we would have loved to spend a few more free days on our trip without rushing home.

RTW Travel Tips from Mike & Anne of  HoneyTrek.com

Trip Length:   2,501 days (so far) Number of Places Visited:  56 Countries & 7 continents

We left on our RTW in 2012, and 2,501 days later…we are  still  on it. We’ve explored 56 countries together across all 7 continents and even wrote a book for National Geographic about our travels.

A trip around the world is NOT a string of vacations, it’s unlike any other journey. It requires a fair bit of planning and a savings account to match your style of travel. As long-term travel coaches, we only recommend an RTW ticket for someone going on a trip shorter than four months.

Everyone else should buy flights a la carte using miles + dollars; it’s cheaper and gives you way more flexibility. Traveling around the world will truly change your life and we can not recommend it highly enough.

We started HoneyTrek Trip Coach because we remember how scary and complex it was to prepare for our departure. If you are looking to chat with someone who has done a multi-year RTW and has helped other people mobilize their journeys (70+…even someone $1,000s in debt!), reach out to us!

RTW Travel Tips from Julianna Barnaby of thediscoveriesof.com

Trip Length:  10 Months

Number of Places Visited:   4 Continents

Route: I traveled to Asia, Australia, and South America to and from the UK for 10 months. Flight Cos t: £1999

RTW Travel Tip – Use the Oneworld Site  When I was researching my round the world travel trip, I initially started working with a couple of travel agencies to help me to put the itinerary together – but it just didn’t quite work. I had a set budget and a list of preferred destinations and wanted to know which combination of destinations would work best with my budget but I just couldn’t get a straight answer until I started hunting around to see if I could buy my ticket direct.

The Oneworld Alliance is an alliance of leading airlines including British Airways, Qantas, Cathay Pacific, and American Airlines and guess what… you can book your Round the World ticket direct on their website. I always tell anyone considering buying an RTW ticket to check out the site – it is a bit clunky but you can add in your destinations and it gives you a price right there and then -meaning you can make a custom itinerary really easily and cut out the third-party booking fees.

When I did book my ticket with them, I ended up covering all the destinations I needed and saving over £500 from what I’d been quoted. Double win. All that was left for me to do was pack and hit the road!

Pin for Later!

More Tips to Inspire You to Travel

• The Ultimate Travel To Do List
• 52 Tips to Travel Around the World
• 52 Reasons to Visit Indonesia
• 52 Things To Do in Buenos Aires

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Alexa Meisler is the editorial director of 52 Perfect Days. Born in Paris, France she has since lived in Chicago, San Francisco, Los Angeles and Portland, Oregon. She currently resides in San Diego with her husband and son where they enjoy exploring California and Mexico.

Travel has always been a part of her life; traveling to such places as Morocco, Tangiers and Spain as a young child as well as taking many road trips to Mexico with her grandparents as a young girl. Since then, she has traveled abroad to locations such as Russia, Taiwan and throughout Europe.

Prior to working at 52 Perfect Days she was a freelance travel writer; focusing on family and women’s adventure experiences.

Alexa these are amazing trips. We love doing slow travel; a few months in 1 country on a house sit, then we move forward. 1 month minimum. Gotta get a feel for the place.

Pinning this for later! So many great tips and ideas here. I’d love to do an RTW trip one day. Will definitely be coming back to this list for some inspo and tips once I get that plan in the works.

https://teaspoonofadventure.com

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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.

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The In-Depth Guide to Buying an RTW Ticket

Last Updated: February 7, 2023

When it comes to planning an entire trip around the world , travelers have essentially two options: buy flights as you go or plan your route in advance.

Buying as you go gives you flexibility but risks you losing out if a flight is sold out (or overpriced).

Planning in advance requires more work upfront but makes for a more relaxing trip since all your planning is done before you go.

Both options have a place in your travel toolkit, but today, I want to focus on the latter.

Simply put, round-the-world (RTW) tickets are one of the most convenient ways to travel around the world. They make planning your trip simple and straightforward, allowing you to visit the destinations you want to see without having to worry about booking flights along the way.

You just plan your route, book your RTW ticket, and that’s it! They really take the hassle out of planning a complex trip over multiple continents and are a great choice for novice travelers who might not be comfortable improvising a trip on the fly.

And to top it all off, by purchasing your ticket in one bulk RTW package, you can usually save yourself some money too — which is always a plus in my book!

That said, knowing if a RTW ticket is the best way to get around the world really depends on the kind of trip you are taking. Round the world tickets come with many rules and conditions that might not work for you.

In this post, I’ll go over everything you need to know to help you decide if a RTW ticket is the right choice for you and your next globetrotting adventure.

Table of Contents

How Do Round the World Tickets (RTW) Work?

Star alliance round the world tickets, oneworld round the world tickets, skyteam round the world tickets, how much do round-the-world rickets cost.

• Where Can You Book an Around the World Ticket?

Are RTW Tickets Worth Buying?

• Book Your RTW Ticket

Before we begin, what exactly is an RTW ticket? RTW tickets are actually airline alliance flight passes. An airline alliance is a partnership in which airlines share seats on planes, passengers, and elite status benefits. You buy a ticket from one airline that can be used with them and their partners for one price that lets you travel around the world on that one ticket.

For example, if you book with United Airlines (Star Alliance), your ticket is only good for airlines that United partners within that alliance.

And if you book with American Airlines (which is part of the Oneworld airline alliance), you can only use their partners.

Since American Airlines doesn’t fly everywhere in the world, you’ll need to rely on its partners. Say you need to get from New York City to Nairobi, Kenya (a destination American doesn’t serve). You may technically book your flight with American Airlines for that route, however, you will actually fly one of its airline partners on the sections of the journey that American Airlines doesn’t fly.

It’s important to remember that none of these alliances include the world’s budget airlines such as Ryanair (Europe), Southwest (US), Air Asia (Asia), or Tiger (Asia/Australia). These airlines offer fewer amenities and cheaper fares than the “major” airlines of the world (i.e. large, international carriers that are part of an alliance).

But they also are less comfortable too, which is the trade-off.

RTW tickets can be purchased for seats in economy, business, and first-class. They also come with a number of terms and conditions. Generally speaking, a RTW ticket is valid for one year from the start date and requires you to end in the same country you start in. You don’t need to end in the same city but you need to end in the same country.

Here is a breakdown of the rules for each major airline alliance’s round the world ticket:  

Journeys need to start and end in the same country and go one direction: east or west. You’ll need to cross both the Atlantic and Pacific oceans and can only do so once (so no doubling back).

You’ll get up to 16 flights on your ticket and the ability to cover up to 39,000 miles (which is enough to get you to almost every continent). They also provide free rebooking should you need to make any changes once you’re on the road (there are some caveats to that, which you can read int heir terms here .

Using their booking map, you’ll be able to create a 100% unique itinerary based on where you want to go. They also provide several thematic suggestions based on world history, romantic getaways, world wonders, food and wine, and more. Be sure to check them out for ideas and inspiration to get the ball rolling.

You can also have up to 5 “surface” sections in your itinerary. This just means you can travel from one destination to another 5 times outside of your RTW itinerary.

For example, you can fly to London as part of your RTW ticket and then have your onward flight depart from Paris . That will allow you to get to Paris from London via a cheaper flight or train ticket, allowing you to save money.

The distance between “surface” sections is still counted toward your overall 39,000 miles but surface sections can save you money when cheaper budget options are available (or if you’d just prefer to travel overland in certain regions/countries.)

They also have a second RTW ticket option, though it’s not a traditional RTW plan. It’s called Circle Pacific and it lets you travel in a circle around all of the countries that border the Pacific Ocean. So, instead of going around the globe you’ll be looping around the Pacific Ocean, starting and ending in the same destination.

The journey is good for up to 6 months (compared to the 1 year offered by their standard RTW ticket). Some of the most popular countries and regions included in this plan are Australia , New Zealand , Fiji , China , Japan , Southeast Asia , Vanuatu , Hawaii (and the rest of the US), and Canada .  

Oneworld Explorer is their segment-based pass, which focuses on continents. You can choose plans that offer access to 3, 4, and 6 continents. The more continents you plan to visit, the more expensive your ticket.

The plan also includes up to 16 segments (same as Star Alliance), however, there are no overland penalties. And since it’s continent-based, there’s no maximum mileage limit either. One of the benefits of this option is that every segment is counted the same — whether it’s a two-hour flight or a ten-hour flight — so you can really maximize long-haul flights and cover a lot of ground.

Their Global Explorer plan is the mileage-based pass (similar to the Star Alliance option). It has four options for milage: 26,000, 29,000, 34,000, and 39,000. Those (very roughly) translate to 3, 4, 5, and 6 continents.

The third option is Oneworld’s version of the Circle Pacific, which is effectively the same as the Star Alliance option.

Overall, Oneworld has access to slightly fewer destinations than Star Alliance (1,100 compared to 1,250) but all of the major regions are within reach. Unless you’re looking to get far from the tourist trail and visit obscure destinations, Oneworld will be able to get you to wherever you want to go.  

SkyTeam is the third option for RTW tickets. They have a plan similar to Star Alliance’s RTW ticket, however, they offer a rather limited version of it. The carriers and destinations are not nearly as comprehensive as either Star Alliance or Oneworld.

Personally, I wouldn’t even bother looking at their options. Both Star Alliance and Oneworld have much better products.  

On most RTW tickets, you can change the dates and times your ticket at no extra charge — as long as you don’t change the destinations.

For example, if you have a Tokyo to Los Angeles flight that you want to change, you can change the date and time without a fee. However, if you decide to fly from Tokyo to San Francisco instead then you have to pay a fee (usually around $125 USD).  

Where Can You Book a Round the World Ticket?

While you can book RTW tickets directly with the airlines above, you can usually find a better deal by booking through a third party.

Third-party bookers don’t just deal with one alliance — they mix and match from all available airlines (excluding budget airlines) to find the lowest price, which saves you money. Moreover, the overland mileage doesn’t count against your flight because there is no mileage limit.

In short, you’ll want to compare booking direct with booking via a third-party company, though it’s most likely that the third party site will have the better price.  

That depends.

RTW tickets are great for people with a set schedule. If you know your travel dates and destinations and don’t plan on changing your trip very much, an RTW ticket will save you a lot of time and a bit of money.

RTW tickets cost a lot, but if you pick one of the popular travel routes, you will find that you will save money in the end. Buying a ticket on a route like this will most likely cost less than if you were to book all your flights separately. You’ll also get more peace of mind since you have a company to help you with any changes you need to make, not to mention the fact that you’ll have everything planned before you leave home so that, once out in the world, you’ll be able to relax and enjoy yourself.

You should buy a RTW ticket if…

• You’re happy to fly on a set schedule
• You don’t plan to change your dates a lot
• You’re buying tickets for a big group like a family
• You don’t like budget airlines
• You’re visiting a lot of far-flung destinations and taking lots of long-haul flights
• You’re already a frequent flier and are looking to gain perks

If you are any of the above, a round the world ticket will probably save you at least 15-25% off the price of point-to-point tickets.

You should NOT buy a RTW ticket if…

• You want to fly a lot of budget airlines
• You don’t care about points or miles
• You have not set plan
• You’ll be gone longer than a year

If your trip matches any of these points, booking on your own, using budget carriers, and waiting for deals is going to work out a lot cheaper than buying a RTW ticket.

However, there is no definitive answer as to whether or not you should buy one of these tickets. It really depends a lot on your specific trip. A lot of people swear by around-the-world tickets and I believe that for the right trip, these tickets can be PERFECT.

You just have to figure out if your trip is the right trip for this kind of ticket.

To do that, use the interactive booking tools on the booking sites above. They all have websites where you can plan your route and get price estimates. That’s going to be the best way to compare prices and figure out which option is best for you.

Book Your Trip: Logistical Tips and Tricks

Book Your Flight Find a cheap flight by using Skyscanner . It’s my favorite search engine because it searches websites and airlines around the globe so you always know no stone is being left unturned.

Book Your Accommodation You can book your hostel with Hostelworld . If you want to stay somewhere other than a hostel, use Booking.com as it consistently returns the cheapest rates for guesthouses and hotels.

Don’t Forget Travel Insurance Travel insurance will protect you against illness, injury, theft, and cancellations. It’s comprehensive protection in case anything goes wrong. I never go on a trip without it as I’ve had to use it many times in the past. My favorite companies that offer the best service and value are:

• SafetyWing (best for everyone)
• Insure My Trip (for those 70 and over)
• Medjet (for additional evacuation coverage)

Want to Travel for Free? Travel credit cards allow you to earn points that can be redeemed for free flights and accommodation — all without any extra spending. Check out my guide to picking the right card and my current favorites to get started and see the latest best deals.

Need Help Finding Activities for Your Trip? Get Your Guide is a huge online marketplace where you can find cool walking tours, fun excursions, skip-the-line tickets, private guides, and more.

GET YOUR  FREE TRAVEL STARTER KIT

Enter your email and get planning cheatsheets including a step by step checklist, packing list, tips cheat sheet, and more so you can plan like a pro!

• 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

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RTW Itineraries

Our team of travel experts has put together a few sample RTW itineraries for you to review. These itineraries includethe most frequently travelled destinations on most RTW trips. While you are free to select between these if they suit your needs, you can also develop your own personalized itinerary.We assure you that we will help you create a highly optimised RTW itinerary at the best prices. Its time to get out there and start exploring the world

ASIA PACIFIC RTW DEAL

LOS ANGELES – NADI/PAPEETE – AUCKLAND – SYDNEY – BALI – KUALA LUMPUR – HO CHIN MINH – LOS ANGELES

TOTAL FARE – $2271.00 USD – $2571.00 USD (INCLUDING ALL TAXES & SURCHARGES)

Description : A round trip of of the Pacific Ocean region that enables you to experiencethe varied cultures and landscapes of Asia and the Oceania region.

DAZZLING CITIES SPECIAL RTW

NEW YORK – MILAN – JOHANNESBURG – INDIA – AUSTRALIA – FIJI – LAX

TOTAL FARE – $2421.00 – $2721.00 USD (INCLUDING ALL TAXES) PER PERSON.

Description : Who knew that you can visit some of the world’s most lively cities in one round trip? This itinerary exposes you to the rich and exciting cultures of some of the most popular metropolitan cities in the world.

MULTI CONTINENT EXPLORER RTW

NEW YORK/CHICAGO/WASHINGTON DC – 2 EUROPE – INDIA – KUALA LUMPUR/SINGAPORE/BANGKOK – AUSTRALIA – NEW ZEALAND – FIJI – HAWAII – WEST COAST

TOTAL FARE – $2250.00 USD – $2750.00 USD (INCLUDING ALL TAXES & SURCAHRGES)

Description : A multi-continental delight all packed into a great price. Visit cities across 4 of the major continents of the world. Based on your budget you can choose to visit more than a single city in each continent.

ROUND THE ATLANTIC RTW

CHICAGO/NEW YORK – BOGOTA – RIO DE JANERIO – LONDON – MADRID – CHICAGO/NEW YORK /WASHINGTON DC

TOTAL FARE – $1875.00 USD – $2349.00 USD (INCLUDING ALL TAXES) PER PERSON.

Description:  A round trip of the Atlantic that covers the best of South America and Europe within an unbelievable budget.

THE ‘Truly ASIA’ RTW

LOS ANGELES – TOKYO – BALI – KUALA LUMPUR/BANGKOK/SINGAPORE – INDIA – LONDON – LOS ANGELES

TOTAL FARE – $1850.00 USD – $2251.00 USD (INCLUDING ALL TAXES & SURCAHRGES)

Description:  Explore a multitude of Asian countries and their fabulous cultures.

FLAVORS OF THE WORLD RTW

LAX – HONG KONG – BANGKOK – VIETNAM – KUALA LUMPUR – BALI – INDIA – SOUTH AFRICA – ISTANBUL – LONDON – ICELAND – NEW YORK – LAX

TOTAL FARE – $3321.00 USD – $3872.00 USD (INCLUDING ALL TAXES) PER PERSON.

Description:  Experience the world and all its flavours. This itinerary takes you some of the most exciting countries of the world with incredibly vibrant landscapes and cultures.

GRADUATION SPECIAL RTW

TOTA FARE – $2271.00 USD – $2571.00 USD (INCLUDING ALL TAXES & SURCHARGES) TOTA FARE – $2271.00 USD – $2571.00 USD (INCLUDING ALL TAXES & SURCHARGES)

Description:  Explore the best of Africa, Asia and Oceania. Specially designed for those beginning their journey of life. Take this opportunity to get to know who you are and what you love.

PACIFIC ADVENTURE RTW

LAX – HONOLULU – TOKYO – BANGKOK/SINGAPORR – BALI – SYDNEY – AUCKLAND – RAROTOONGA – LAX TOTAL FARE – $3321.00 USD – $3872.00 USD (INCLUDING ALL TAXES) PER PERSON.

Description:  Another Pacific adventure that takes you around some spectacular cities in the Oceania region.

PACIFIC EXPLORER RTW

LOS ANGELES – HO CHIN MINH – BANGKOK – BALI – AUSTRALIA – NEW ZEALAND – HAWAII – LOS ANGELES TOTAL FARE – $2200.00 USD – $2500.00 USD (INCLUDING ALL TAXES) PER PERSON.

Description:  You can never have too much of the Pacific Ocean, every time you go, you find there’s more to see. The Pacific Explorer is perfectly tailored for those who can never get enough.

AROUND THE WORLD IN STYLE RTW

NEW YORK – SANTIAGO – EASTER ISLAND – PAPEETEE – AUCKLAND – SYDNEY – BALI – BANGKOK – DELHI – LONDON – NEW YORK TOTAL FARE – $3921.00 USD – $4562.00 USD (INCLUDING ALL TAXES) PER PERSON.

Description:  Our Around the World in Style RTW facilitates for an exclusive experience of popular global destinations that cut across 5 continents.

The Euro-asian adventure

LAX – EUROPE – INDIA – SRI LANAKA – MALASIAN – BALI – AUSTRALIA – NEW ZEALAND – LAX TOTAL FARE – $2700.00 USD – $3200.00 USD

Description:  Experience a varied set of adventures across Asia and Europe. Get the chance to hop through Australia too.

3 OCEANS EXPLORER RTW

LAX – ICELAND – EUROPE – SINGAPORE – SYDNEY – FIJI – LAX TOTAL FARE – $6521.00 USD – $7521.00 USD (INCLUDING ALL TAXES) PER PERSON. – BUSINESS CLASS

Description:  It’s not often that you’ll get the chance to fly over 3 Oceans. With our 3 Oceans Explorer, you will have the opportunity to visit places on the  Atlantic, the Indian and  the Pacific Ocean

The Globetrotter RTW

NEW YORK – LONDON – SOUTH AFRICA – INDIA – BANGKOK -AUSTRALIA – NEW ZEALAND – NADI – LA TOTAL FARE – $2900.00 USD – $3400.00 USD (INCLUDING ALL TAXES & SURCHARGES)

Description: Here’s you chance to tick of places on your travel bucket list. The Globetrotter RTW takes you through 8 marvellous countries of the world.

SCINTILLATING CITIES SPECIAL RTW

NEW YORK – MILAN – DUBAI – MUMBAI – BANGKOK – TOKYO – NEW YORK TOTAL FARE – $5191.00 USD – $6191.00 USD (INCLUDING ALL TAXES) PER PERSON – BUSINESS CLASS

Description:  Some cities sparkle and some cities are so incredibly bright. Here’s your chance to explore their radiant cultures.

SCINTILLATING CITIES 2 RTW

LAX/NEW YORK – 3 STOPS IN SOUTH AMERICA – SOUTH AFRICA – INDIA – BANGKOK/SINGAPORE/KUALA LUMPUR – BALI – SYDNEY – AUCKLAND – BORA BORA – LAX TOTAL FARE – $4700.00 – $5100.00 USD (INCLUDING ALL TAXES) PER PERSON.

Description:  Explore more of the exciting and lively cities of the world with the Scintillating Cities 2 RTW that takes you through South America, Africa, Asia and Oceania.

OCEANIC ASIAn EXPLORER RTW

LAX – FIJI – CHRISTCHRUCH – SYDNEY – BALI – SINGAPORE/BANGKOK – INDIA – LONDON – LAX TOTAL FARE – $6129.00 USD – $6924.00 USD (INCLUDING ALL TAXES) PER PERSON – BUSINESS CLASS

Description:  Explore the best of the Oceania and Asian regions with the added benefit of a stopover in London.

The BUDGET asian EXPLORER RTW

LAX – TOKYO – KULALA LUMPUR – KATHMANDU – DELHI – LONDON – LAX TOTAL FARE – $1700.00 – $1900.00 USD INCLUDING ALL TAXES PER PERSON.

Description:  Got the urge to explore but feel like you’ve got a tight budget? Here’s your chance to explore Asia at unbelievably great costs.

LIGHTS OF THE WORLD RTW

LAX – PAPPETEE – AUCKLAND – SYDNEY – SINGAPORE – DELHI – JOHANNESBURG – LAX TOTAL FARE – $2729.00 USD – $3172.00 USD (INCLUDING ALL TAXES) PER PERSON

Description:  Take this opportunity to see the liveliest cities across Oceania, Australia, Asia and Africa.

AFRO ASIAn RTW

CHICAGO – HONG KONG – BALI – THAILAND – INDIA – KENYA – SOUTH AFRICA – CHICAGO TOTAL FARE – $2500.00 USD – $2800.00 USD (INCLUDING ALL TAXES) PER PERSON.

Description:  Discover the best of Asia and Africawith our Afro Asia RTW.

ORIENTAL EXPLORER RTW

CHICAGO – SEOUL – HANOI /SAIGON – SINGAPORE – FRANKFURT – CHICAGO TOTAL FARE – $6500.00 USD – $7300.00 USD (INCLUDING ALL TAXES) PER PERSON – BUSINESS CLASS

Description:  A fabulous opportunity to explore the jewels of the Orient with a stopover in Germany.

PACIFIC ALl the way RTW

LAX/SFO -SYDNEY/MELBOURNE – BALI – BANGKOK – SAIGON – LAX/SFO TOTAL FARE – $1721.00 – $1921.00 USD (INCLUDING ALL TAXES) PER PERSON.

Description: Another Pacific round trip that covers the best of Asia and Oceania

ASIAN BEACH EXPLORER RTW

MIAMI – INDIA – BANGKOK – VIETMIAMI – INDIA – BANGKOK – VIETNAM – MIAMI TOTAL FARE – $4900.00 USD – $5200.00 USD (INCLUDING ALL TAXES) PER PERSON – BUSINESS CLASS

Description:  An ideal beach vacation with multiple stopovers along the spectacular coastlines of Asia.

AUSTRALASIA RTW

LA/SAN FRANSISCO/VANCOVER / DEN – SYDNEY/MELBOURNE – PERTH – BALI – BANGKOK – LONDON – LA/SAN FRANSISCO/VANCOVER TOTAL FARE – $2271.00 – $2671.00 USD (INCLUDING ALL TAXES) PER PERSON.

Description:  Explore the scenic landscapes Australia and Asia with a quick tripthrough Europe with our Australasia RTW.

NEWARK SPECIAL RTW

NEWARK – SHANGHAI – ZURICH – NEWARK TOTAL FARE – $1729.00 USD – $1929.00 USD (INCLUDING ALL TAXES) PER PERSON

Description:  Explore the most popular global destinations in Europe and Asia with a quick round trip from Newark.

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The problem is that there are no flight dates available from end of April 2025. I tried contacting BA customer service but they were less than helpful and 1 told me to just wait and book flights a week before travel and the other one just told me to check the rules on the website. I think the rules are that I can book the cities I want to fly to and change the dates when needed without charge by calling the airline . Has anyone experience with Oneworld and am I correct in thinking I can book the first few flights on the correct dates we want to fly and just get the dates changed on the other flights when they become available?

Thanks in advance for any advice/help.

42 replies to this topic

Ibgardyloo.

That’s what happened to me the one time I managed to convince it I had a valid route through to that stage. It also displayed a price greater than I had been quoted on the phone, and then said phone BA!

"...We are booking the rtw tickets tonight, a bit nervous as it's a big purchase but fingers crossed it will all go according to plan..."

Marlies, not trying to pry, but if you could report on how it went, it would be very helpful as a data point. We're trying to track outcomes of booking efforts in a thread on Flyertalk.

https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/oneworld/1776577-oneworld-booking-pricing-experiences.html

Thanks so much.

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