round-the-world travel

Ok, you're fed up working for Scrooge Ltd, your neighbours are about to appear in the next episode of "Neighbours from Hell" and your wife has run off with a Catholic priest. So with your house on the market, the dog in the free ads and your letter of resignation on the boss's desk, there's considerable planning to be done before you catch that flight out of Gatwick.

where to go

when to go

what ticket to buy

what vaccinations do I need?

east or West: which is best?

berghaus v Samsonite: Should I use a rucksack or suitcase?

what to pack

preparations: Insurance, Money, staying in touch

dangers and Annoyances

where to go

The best way to start is to make a list of your preferred destinations - your dream route! -  and then, with an atlas in front of you, try and put them in some kind of sensible order. Remember your plans will change a hundred times but you will need a basic starting structure to take to your travel agent.

There are a number of ways to keep the price down when planning your trip but the main point is to plan your trip in a continuous global direction. This means you should try to avoid any unnecessary backtracking. For example, this is fine:

London - Bangkok - Sydney - Fiji - New York - London

But even though the following route can be done, it will raise the fare considerably:

London - Bangkok - New York - Fiji - Sydney - London

Think about when you’re going, and plot the trip around that instead. You could touch down at a different festival in every place you visit, or just avoid the most trying weather.

when to go

Do not worry too much about the weather at this stage -even though it plays a major role in what you see and do in certain areas you will no doubt have to make some sacrifices if price is an issue.

But if your one aim on your trip is to see Orang-utans in Borneo then it’s probably best to miss the rainy season! Don’t let the weather dictate where you go. Hauling a backpack around India in the monsoon isn’t everyone’s cup of tea, and neither is New Zealand’s South Island in the middle of winter if you’re a sun seeker.

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