While the Arctic is not a continent, but rather a region located at the northernmost part of the Earth. It consists of the Arctic Ocean and parts of Canada, Russia, Greenland, the United States, Norway, Sweden, Finland, and Iceland. While it is not considered a continent, it is an important part of the Earth’s geography and plays a significant role in global climate and weather patterns.
1. Asia: It is the largest and most populous continent, covering one-third of the world’s land area. It is home to many diverse cultures, religions, and languages, with countries ranging from highly developed economies like Japan and South Korea to emerging markets like India and Indonesia. The continent is also known for its natural beauty, including the Himalayas, the Gobi Desert, and the Great Wall of China.
2. Africa: It is the second-largest continent and is known for its rich cultural heritage and biodiversity. Africa is home to many of the world’s iconic animals, including lions, elephants, and giraffes, as well as a wide variety of landscapes, from the Sahara desert to the lush rainforests of the Congo Basin. The continent has a mix of developed and developing economies, with South Africa, Nigeria, and Egypt being some of the most prominent.
3. North America: It is the third-largest continent and is home to some of the world’s most developed economies, including the United States, Canada, and Mexico. It is also known for its natural wonders, such as the Grand Canyon and Niagara Falls, and its cultural exports, such as Hollywood movies and popular music.
4. South America: It is the fourth-largest continent and is known for its stunning natural beauty, including the Amazon rainforest, the Andes Mountains, and the Galapagos Islands. The continent is home to many different cultures and languages, with Spanish and Portuguese being the most commonly spoken.
5. Europe: It is the sixth-largest continent but has the second-highest population density. Europe is known for its rich history and cultural heritage, including famous landmarks such as the Eiffel Tower, the Colosseum, and the Acropolis. It is also home to some of the world’s most developed economies, including Germany, France, and the United Kingdom.
6. Australia: It is the smallest continent and is known for its unique wildlife, including kangaroos, koalas, and the Great Barrier Reef. The continent is also home to a diverse range of landscapes, from the rugged Outback to the pristine beaches of the Gold Coast.
7. Antarctica: It is the southernmost continent and is covered in ice, with no permanent human population. It is known for its extreme weather conditions, stunning natural beauty, and scientific research facilities.
Round the World Tickets are issued based on the correct itinerary that meets the terms and conditions of a round the world airfare. All airfares that cross the pacific and Atlantic can be considered as round the world. Round the world tickets are a great way to see the world on a budget. Typically, round the world tickets allow you to fly to a number of different destinations for one low price. This can be a great option for travellers who want to see as much of the world as possible without spending a lot of money. Round the world tickets are typically valid for one year, and most airlines offer a variety of ticket options that allow you to customize your trip. So, whether you want to visit Europe, Asia, Africa, or any other continent, a round the world ticket can help you get there.
When purchasing a round-the world ticket, it’s important to use the services of an experienced travel agent who specialises in the construction of round the world airfares as they will be able help select and plan your perfect itinerary. Travel agents are often equipped with all types of information that you might need for your trip; however, if not then don’t worry because there is still plenty within their power when making arrangements on getting from point A (where ever) to B (any destination).
Round the World Tickets vary in pricing and many are based on the mileage travelled while others are based on the number of stops required by the traveller.
Round the World Airfares take advantage of airlines that work together within the various airline alliances that exist. Star Alliance, One World and Sky Team for instance are all alliances of airlines that have teamed up to offer travellers a way to purchase one ticket that will fly them around the world. These airfares can be more expensive than purchasing individual tickets, but they often include stopovers in major cities that would otherwise be difficult and expensive to visit.
Some popular destinations that can be travelled to on a round the world airfare include Bangkok, Thailand; London, England; Los Angeles, California; and Sydney, Australia. Keep in mind that airfares may vary depending on the time of year, so it is important to do some research before booking.
The Star Alliance network offers unrivalled global reach, with destinations in 98% of the world’s countries. Whether you are travelling for business or leisure, there is a good chance that a destination on the Star Alliance network is right for you. Their expansive route map is constantly expanding and evolving to keep pace with new global opportunities, so you can travel wherever you want, whenever you want. With 28 member airlines, they offer a wealth of choice when it comes to flights and destinations. Plus, their frequent flyer programmes offer a range of rewards and benefits that make flying with them even more rewarding. So why choose Star Alliance? Because they offer the best global coverage and the most comprehensive route map in the world.
The Star Alliance member airlines are Aegean Airlines, Air Canada, Air China, Air India, Air New Zealand, ANA, Asiana Airlines, Austrian, Avianca, Brussels Airlines, Copa Airlines, Croatia Airlines, EGYPTAIR, Ethiopian Airlines, EVA Air, LOT Polish Airlines, Lufthansa, Scandinavian Airlines, Shenzhen Airlines, Singapore Airlines, South African Airways, SWISS, THAI, TAP Air Portugal, Turkish Airlines and United Airlines.
The benefits of flying with Star Alliance Member airlines are many and varied. Firstly, passengers can enjoy convenient schedules and optimised connections between flights. This means that there is little or no waiting time between connecting flights, which makes for a much more seamless travel experience. Additionally, passengers can benefit from seamless check-ins, joint ticketing and baggage facilities, co-location, and connection teams at key airports. This makes the process of travelling much easier and less stressful. Finally, Star Alliance offers tailored products for business travellers, such as Corporate Plus for large companies. This programme provides a range of benefits and services specifically designed for corporate customers.
Booking with a Travel Agent:
If you are looking to book your Round the World Airfare, we recommend booking with a travel agent who uses a Global Distribution System (GDS) such as Sabre, Amadeus, or Galileo. These systems make it easy for agents to find and book our products.
Budgeting for your round the world trip might sound daunting, but it is essential to ensure that you do not have to change your plans, or worse still, return home early. In the early stages of planning, it is important to think about the places you are visiting, when you are travelling, what activities you intend to do, and if you’re going to have an active social life; all of these factors have an impact on your budget.
Essential items to factor into your budget, assuming that you have booked your round the world flight ticket, so we’ll exclude this from budget planning.
Accommodation This will be the most expensive item on your trip, but nowadays you have a lot of options, including couch surfing, volunteering, and hostels. The trick is not to book too far ahead (especially if the hostel has a cancellation charge) or at the last minute. Use hotel comparison websites to find the best deals and save money.
Visas Depending on where you’re travelling to, the cost of visas can be expensive, e.g. India’s e-tourist visa costs approx. £40 and Russia’s visa costs approx. £88. Although, if you have a British passport, you’re lucky that you have one of the most powerful passports in the world, which gives you access to over 150 countries without the need of a visa.
Travel Insurance I cannot stress how important it is to take out adequate travel insurance for the duration of your round the world trip. Also include any pre-existing illnesses so that you are covered. Recently, I have read stories of uninsured travellers receiving huge medical bills (£60,000+).
Food and Drink After accommodation, this is the second most expensive item, but you can reduce the amount you spend by purchasing food from local markets, rather eating at restaurants. Alcohol is cheap in Thailand but expensive in Malaysia, so, bear this in mind. Do your research online and find out the cost in each place on your route; this will give you a rough idea of how much to budget.
Transport (both local and overland) Staying in a hostel outside of the main tourist area will usually save you money, but factor in how much it will cost to get from A to B, as this could make it more expensive. If part of your trip is overland, then this will need to be included in your budget. In some countries, flying is cheaper than travelling by train or coach, but remember that travelling overnight by rail or road will result in saving money on accommodation, and you get to see more of the country.
Travel Inoculations / Malaria tablets It’s important to be up to date with inoculations and take malaria tablets depending on whereabouts you are travelling in the world. The NHS recommends that you visit your GP at least six weeks prior to your departure date. The cost for injections and medication will vary, so contact your GP for more information.
Tours and Activities Want to go parachuting, bungee jumping, or any other adventurous activity, then that is going to hike up the cost of your trip. The same applies with day tours. It pays to shop around and do not necessarily book the tour or activity that your accommodation is selling; the local tourism information office will help you get the best price with other tour operators.
Emergency Fund So, at this stage you have an idea of how much it is going to cost you for your round the world trip, but, it is a sensible idea to times this amount by 1.5 and use this as an emergency fund should anything untoward happens, a spare credit card is also a great way to protect yourself, but leave it with a family member.
There is nowhere in the world that cannot be explored when you have the help of reliable local guides. Even Dr Livingstone himself might never have become the greatest name in the history of exploration, had it not been without the help of his unshakable guides Chuma and Susi. Where would Hillary have been without Sherpa Tenzing or Lewis and Clarke without the fearless Indian woman Sacajawea?
We hope the following tips prove invaluable in finding the perfect guides, perhaps, to mounting an expedition that could very well turn out to be the highlight of your round the world trip.
1. There is not a police force on the planet that is more effective than community or tribal law. There are few better ways to find reliable guides than to ask a village headman to hand-pick them for you. A guide who is aware that he is custodian of the honour of his village – and that he will have to answer to tribal law should anything happen to you – is likely to be the most helpful and trustworthy you’ll ever find.
2. If you want to get from A to B with the minimum of delay, then arrange to pay for the trip rather than by the day. This can work best especially if, for example, provisions might be in short supply while on the trail, and when you need to make the journey before food or water runs out. You might be surprised, however, to realise just how fast local people can move even in dense jungle. You could be in for quite a race! I’ve seen tribesmen in PNG run down a mountain then back up within 4 hours, but initially it took 6hours in just one direction.
3. If, on the other hand, soaking up the experience is more of a priority, arrange to pay by the day. This way your guides will be in no hurry and (as long as you have provisions) you can even extend the stay longer or make detours. Be ready however for unreasonable excuses for early stops to camp or seemingly unnecessary rest days. Make sure that your provisioning plans take into account a longer stay than you originally envisaged.
4. If re-provisioning is likely to be needed part way through the trek take extra guides. Few guides will agree to walk solo through the jungle to carry provisions back from a village. Many years ago I lead a security team on an expedition in PNG. We were trekking through an unexplored part of western highland province and would not be able to hunt for meat. We took extra guide/porters in case a re-provisioning run back to a village was necessary…and we also took several live hens for fresh meat, not that they survived the elevation for long.
5. On longer expeditions it may be necessary to take a hunter with a gun. But if you really want him to be able to bring in meat you must be prepared to travel slower, allowing enough time for him to be able to hunt in the evenings or early morning. With a long, noisy column crashing through the bush don’t expect wildlife to be easily visible. Most important, give strict guidelines as to what can and cannot be shot: I had to convince my guides in PNG that under no circumstances were they to shoot Birds of Paradise for meat!
6. Before departure try to research the community obligations of your guides. Few pastoral people will be prepared to guide you (whatever incentive you are offering) during one of those crucial periods of the year when the herds need to be moved.
7. Don’t skimp on porters. These days most backpackers are aware of the plight of the overworked, overloaded and underpaid porters who used to suffer in great numbers in trekking destinations as far apart as the Annapurna Circuit, Kilimanjaro or the Inca Trail. Hire enough guides, porters and camp assistants (or cooks) for your needs.
8. Listen to your guides when they advise what provisions are needed. In Asia few guides will be willing to travel without their pre-requisite ration of rice (frequently three plates each per day). In parts of Africa it might be mealie-meal/sadza/fufu. In the Andes you will have little chance of getting together a team of mountain guides unless you make an allowance for a sack of coca leaves. Unhappy and disgruntled guides will not add to the experience on any expedition…and, in the worst-case scenarios, an expedition that is not functioning well as a team could potentially be dangerous. In almost all areas a few cartons of imported cigarettes do wonders for team morale.
9. Don’t rush the delicate pastime of haggling. In many traditional communities it is considered the height of bad manners to launch straight into business without the prerequisite period of chit-chat. Haggle reasonably hard (but always with good humour and a smile) to fix the rate but make it clear that a good bonus will be offered on arrival if you are thoroughly happy with how the trip has gone. You will get a gut-feel about how to handle the payments from your guide’s personalities. If alcohol seems to be a problem within the community, perhaps offer half payment upfront the morning of departure – the rest on completion of the trek. This way there is a better chance that at least some of the money will make it into the households rather than be frittered away in bars on return from a long, thirsty trek.
10. Don’t skimp on porters out of some obscure obligation that you must carry your own pack: the last person who will thank you for this is the poor soul who loses a good pay-packet because of your – albeit laudable – scruples. For many years I refused to let a porter carry my kit…until at some point when I was already working as a professional photographer (I’m no longer sure but think it was somewhere in the jungles of Sumatra) I realised that for a few extra dollars – which some local guy was extremely grateful for – I was freed to move with so much more agility. Loaded only with my camera I was able to chase the shots and angles that I to get. I was freer to enjoy my trip and he could do his job.
Passports
A passport is an essential document that you will need to legally enter and exit any country on your RTW trip. You should check that your passport is valid, and that the expiry date is at least 6 months after the date you intend to return home. There should also be plenty of empty pages in your passport for the countries you plan to visit (entry and exit stamps for some countries may fill two pages each).
Do not take risks with your passport validity. If you are in any doubt whether your passport will expire or fill up with stamps while you are away, you should get a new one before you start the trip. Visit the UK Passport Office website for more information.
Visas
Many countries insist on visitors having an entry visa or travel permit as a condition of entry. For some it is a way of making extra money from visitors while for many it is part of their internal security system. Either way you have no choice but to comply with their requirements: no visa, no entry.
Visas can sometimes be obtained at the point of entry (airport, land border, sea port) but in many cases you must apply for a visa to the country’s embassy or consulate in your home country. There is nearly always a cost and this varies widely between countries and even for different nationalities visiting the same country. Your consultant will be able to advise you on visa costs and in many cases can will give you contact details of the relevant embassy.
Embassies can take a long time to process visas and may even require you to visit their office in person. It is best to apply well in advance so as to avoid any last minute panic. Most people have no problems in getting the visa they require although if you have a criminal record or have been deported from any country previously you may encounter difficulties.
Country by Country Visa Guide
Australia
Every visitor to Australia requires needs a full passport that is valid for at least 6 months after the completion of your trip as well as a visa. The visa is an electronic document – called an ETA (Electronic Travel Authority) – that permits a visit of at least 3 months over a 12-month period. The ETA is available for short-term tourists and business travellers and the fee is £15 -£21 (business visas incur a higher fee). Without a valid ETA you will be refused entry at Australian Immigration.
Most travel agencies can issue your ETA within minutes over the telephone, or by post. All they require to issue your ETA are your passport details:
Full Name
Male / Female
Nationality
Country of Birth
Date of Birth
Passport Number
Passport Expiry Date
12-month work visa
Working holiday visas are available to people aged between 18 to 30 years (always check the current situation before applying). Citizens of the following countries are eligible to apply: Ireland, the UK, Germany, Finland, Norway, Denmark, Sweden, the Netherlands, Malta, Japan, the Republic of Korea, Hong Kong, Canada, France, Italy and the Republic of Cyprus. An Australian 12 month Working Holiday visa currently costs £136.
If you are entering Australia for any other reason, you will require a traditional visa in your passport. These are available directly through the Australian High Commission.
New Zealand
British passport holders do not require a visa to visit New Zealand but please make sure your passport is valid for at least 6 months after your intended date of return
Cambodia and Laos
We recommend that you obtain Cambodian and Lao visas in advance either in your home country or in a neighbouring country (i.e. Thailand or Vietnam). Sometimes it is possible to get your visa on arrival, but in both countries the situation can change at very short notice. If you plan to do this, it is very important that you contact your nearest Cambodian / Laos Embassy or Consulate shortly before you travel to get the latest information. Note that a visa on arrival may be available at some border crossings into Laos and Cambodia and unavailable at others.
China
Be aware that entry into Hong Kong from the mainland is treated as an exit from China. Anyone planning to re-enter the mainland must have a double entry visa or re-apply for a new Chinese visa in Hong Kong.
Sri Lanka
The government of Sri Lanka has decided to discontinue the issuance of visa on arrival to Sri Lanka. As a result, all passengers travelling to Sri Lanka will require an Electronic Travel Authorization, which could be obtained online with a fee applicable. All passengers are required to obtain this authorization by visiting https://www.eta.gov.lk/slvisa/visainfo/shortvisit.jsp?locale=en_US , filling the required information and paying the visa fee applicable. It is advised that all passengers carry the authorization approval form when arriving to the country at which point the visa would be stamped.
United States
All passengers travelling to the United States must have Advanced Passenger Information System (APIS) in their booking, as well a valid ESTA. Failure to do so will mean you will not be checked in and refused permission to fly to the US.
APIS
You are required to provide the following information in your booking at least 7 days before departure:
Full Name (must exactly match the name on your passport and flight ticket)
Male / Female
Nationality
Country of Birth
Date of Birth
Passport Number
Passport Expiry Date
If you email your consultant with this information we will gladly add the APIS onto your booking.
ESTA
As well as APIS, the USA has introduced the ESTA (Electronic System for Travel Authorisation) for all non-US citizens visiting the US. You will need prior authorisation to enter the country before you board the plane. To gain this ESTA authorisation you must submit details online before you travel. The ESTA is issued immediately and is valid for two years. The current cost is $21 USD, to get your ESTA authorisation go to https://esta.cbp.dhs.gov/
Visa Chart
This visa chart is a guideline only – you must check with the relevant embassies for up-to-date information. roundtheworldairfares.com take no responsibility for out-of-date information on this page, so please double check with your travel agent.
| Country | UK Passport | Irish Passport | EU Passport |
| Argentina | N | N | N |
| Australia | Y | Y | Y |
| Belize | N | N | N |
| Bolivia | N | N | N |
| Botswana | N | Y | N |
| Brazil | N | N | N |
| Cambodia | Y* | Y* | Y* |
| Canada | N | N | N |
| Chile | N | N | N |
| China | Y | Y | Y |
| Costa Rica | N | N | N |
| Croatia | N | N | N |
| Cuba | Y | Y | Y |
| Ecuador | N | N | N |
| Guatemala | N | N | N |
| Hong Kong | N | N | N |
| Fiji | N | N | N |
| India | Y | Y | Y |
| Indonesia | N | Y | N |
| Japan | Y* | Y* | Y* |
| Laos | Y* | Y* * | Y |
| Malaysia | Y* | Y* | Y* |
| Mexico | N | N | N |
| Mongolia | Y | Y | Y |
| Namibia | N | N | N |
| Nepal | Y | Y | Y |
| New Zealand | N | N | N |
| Philippines | N | N | N |
| Peru | N | N | N |
| Russia | Y | Y | Y |
| Singapore | N | N | N |
| South Africa | N | N | N |
| Sri Lanka | Y | Y | Y |
| Tahiti | N | N | N |
| Tanzania | Y* | Y* | Y* |
| Thailand | N | N | N |
| The Cook Islands | N | N | N |
| Tibet | Y | Y | Y |
| Tonga | N | N | N |
| Uganda | Y | Y | Y |
| Uruguay | N | N | N |
| USA visa waiver program or ESTA (see below) | ESTA | ESTA | N/Y/ESTA |
| Vietnam | Y | Y | Y |
| Western Samoa | N | N | N |
| Zimbabwe | Y* | N/Y | Y* |
The information above is only a guide and all visa information is subject to sudden change without notice. You MUST double check your visa requirements with your visa service or nearest relevant Embassy or Consulate before you travel. If your nationality is not listed, please check your specific visa requirements with your nearest relevant Embassy or Consulate.
We can take no responsibility for any traveller who is not in possession of the correct visas and no refund can be given if you are refused entry as a result of an incorrect visa. Visa costs are not included in the price of RTW trips.