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.
A round the world airfare can usually be held for a minimum of 3 days or so, but it can also be up to a few weeks depending on the itinerary, your departure date and the agency looking after your trip. Some agencies require a non-refundable deposit or even an itinerary planning deposit which can be anywhere from £75 to £375 per person or even 10% of the flight cost (whichever is more.
Payments to any travel agency should always be made via credit card at the very least, and never ever by direct bank deposit or cash regardless of the amount. A credit card fee even for business class round the world airfares may be excessive, but they will protect you in the unlikely event of the travel agency collapsing before your trip has begun, or worst case while you are travelling.
If the past 3 years and covid has taught us anything, it’s to expect the unexpected.
Hint #1
After any deposit or itinerary planning fee is paid, you should be e-mailed a booking confirmation with full flight details of your trip along with the final costings including taxes. Make sure they include their terms and conditions and take the time to read them thoroughly.
It’s wise to check the trip details thoroughly to ensure that everything is as you wish it to be, this includes the names and how they are spelt, you wouldn’t believe how many times a ticket has been issued only to find out that Steve is actually David Steven on his passport.
Remember, It is very easy to change things before the tickets have been issued, once they are before departure you will be charge to reissue them along with any fare difference if the dates need to be adjusted.
Hit up friends, family and social media
With initial ammo gained from the pub fantasising session, expand upon it with other friends and members of family. Get as many suggestions, ideas and dreams as you can. Incidentally, this is where all of those people you’re ‘friends’ with on Facebook but have not been in contact with for years come in handy. A quick query along the lines of “Anyone been to Cambodia? What’s it like?” or “If you could go anywhere in the world, where would it be?” can bring all manner of sage advice out of the woodwork from people you’d forgotten existed.
Head to the pub
There’s no point in going into the detail before you’ve got the juices flowing. And the best place to get excitable about an impending round the world adventure is the pub, preferably aided by a gaggle of mates. Get a few drinks, bat a few ideas around, compare war stories from trips past, drool over dream destinations and pick up top tips about life on the road.
Scour the web for information
With a few ideas in mind, dip a toe into the vast ocean of information that is the World Wide Web. The likes of Lonely Planet, WAYN, Gadling and Vtravelled have heaps of material to sift through and gain information from. Newspaper websites – such as The Guardian, The Telegraph and The Independent – have a vast back catalogue of articles online too. Don’t limit yourself to UK sites either. The Sydney Morning Herald has a lot more on the South Pacific, Asia and Australia, while the New York Times will have more on the Americas.
Read magazines and guidebooks
The likes of Condé Nast Traveller and the Sunday Times Travel Mag work only if you’ve got towers full of money, or have no intention of going anywhere and just like to look at pretty pictures of spas. But Wanderlust, Travel Africa and Geographical are superb – as are other, smaller niche titles.
And then there are guidebooks. Most people only buy them once they’ve decided where they’re going, but they’re just as useful in deciding where to go. They’re also brilliant for learning about a destination’s history and culture.
The quality of guidebook varies enormously depending on the brand and author – which you prefer depends on your tastes. Lonely Planet and Rough Guides are arguably the best all-rounders (and Lonely Planet has by far and away the best structuring of information and maps). But Footprint is excellent for detail, and Bradt covers some of the more obscure corners of the world with undisguised affection.
If you’re not so keen on buying guidebooks to every country you may consider going to, try the cheat’s method and take them out at the library.
Get a map out
Once you’ve a rough list of what you want to do and where, get a map or a globe out (or use Google Maps) to put things in approximate geographical order. So, for example, it could be Great Wall of China – Thai Islands – Great Barrier Reef – Sailing on Sydney Harbour – trekking the Franz Josef Glacier in New Zealand – island hopping in Fiji – star spotting in Hollywood – flying over the Grand Canyon in a helicopter – home.
Check the weather
Unless you want to follow monsoon season around the world, it’s probably work out when you want to go where. January, for example, is great for Thailand but bad for a rather chillier Japan. July is good for northern Australia and the South Pacific, but bad for southern Australia or New Zealand (unless you like skiing). Other countries – and even regions of countries – have bizarre microclimates to look out for. Weather will be a prime factor in deciding when you go and how long you spend in each destination.
Decide when you want to go
The other key factor, of course, is cost. Some parts of the year are cheaper than others for RTW flights. These seasonal differences are largely based on weather (either iffy weather in Asia and Australia or people wanting to come to Europe when it’s sunny) – and the period between April and July usually offers the cheapest deals. A rough run-down of the seasons is as follows:
January – Shoulder / Low Season
February – Low Season
March – Low Season
April – Low Season
May – Low Season
June – Low / High Season
July – High Season
August – High Season
September – Low Season
October – Low Season
November – Low Season
December – Shoulder / High Season
Work to your budget
If cash is tight, then plan to spend more time where it’s cheaper (ie South East Asia or South America) rather than where costs are high (ie. Japan, Australia, much of the Middle East and the US). Also remember that you’re not going to be able to do everything and see everything on one trip. It’s far better – and cheaper – to do a few areas slowly and in depth than to try constantly rushing between tickbox highlights.
Web reviews
Web review sites (notably TripAdvisor) can be useful, but they should be taken with a pinch of salt. The main problem is that you don’t know who is reviewing the hotel, tour or restaurant, what they’re accustomed to or what their expectations were. Hence every hotel on TripAdvisor has reviews ranging from gushing praise to accusations of receptionists spitting in the customer’s face. These sites are generally better for pubs and restaurants than hotels – and they tend to be more up to date than the guidebooks.
There isn’t a country in the world that doesn’t have a fascinating story to tell; but it’s also true that in some places it’s particularly easy to uncover parts of the local history which will appeal to your interests. Here are some countries where it is the historical and cultural attractions which are the main draw for international visitors.
India
India’s most famous symbol, the Taj Mahal, is even more beautiful with your own eyes than in any film or picture; that is, once you’ve battled through the army of touts at the entrance. The Golden Temple in Amritsar, the holiest site for Sikhs, offers a much calmer, more welcoming and refreshingly hassle-free experience. For the ultimate immersion in Indian culture, nothing can match a dawn boat trip on the Ganges in Varanasi, to see the burning cremation ghats.
Vietnam
If your interest lies in 20th-century history, the vast Cu Chi Tunnel network is bound to appeal. Used as shelters, military HQs and supply channels less than 50 years ago, the tunnels are now a popular tourist attraction. Vietnam’s history goes back much further, far beyond the French colonial buildings of Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City. Head to Hue, the former imperial capital, or visit Hoi An, an important commercial city since the 1300s and still home to a maze of narrow alleys with traditional artisan workshops.
Cambodia
Angkor Wat is high on the list for most visitors to South East Asia, and rightly so; you need at least three days to see the major temples, with ruins spread over 30 kms apart. In the capital Phnom Penh, the lavish Silver Pagoda in the Royal Palace complex is the stand-out highlight. Meanwhile the horrors of Cambodia’s Khmer Rouge years are easy to access (but impossible to comprehend) at the Killing Fields site at Choeng Ek, and at the Tuol Sleng Museum in the city centre.
Sri Lanka
You cannot fail to marvel at the men who built the 5th-century palace on the top of the rock at Sigiriya; the 200 metre climb is hard enough carrying nothing more than a bottle of water, although the views across the old royal grounds and surrounding countryside reward what is a very sweaty workout. The nearby caves at Dambulla are home to an impressive cave temple system, while the ruins of the ancient capitals of Polonnaruwa and Anuradhapura still contain an impressive collection of temple buildings and giant Buddha statues.
Egypt
The Pyramids of Giza remain one of the world’s most instantly recognisable sights. Along with the Sphinx and the priceless collection of mummies and sarcophagi in the Egyptian Museum of Antiquities in nearby Cairo, these offer an unforgettable introduction to Egypt’s ancient treasures for the first-time visitor. Further up the Nile meanwhile, a river cruise provides access to the Valley of the Kings at Luxor, the sprawling Karnak Temple complex, and the Philae Temple at Aswan.
I broke my leg horse-riding a few years back, and had this happen back home in Stoke on Trent, I would have been looking at an ambulance, an x-ray, a cast or surgery, and a night in hospital.
Instead, it happened while i was in Cape Tribulation in Far North Queensland, a vast expanse of terribly scenic rainforest and a couple of hours away from the nearest hospital. And I am honestly not at all sure how I would have coped without travel insurance.
It took three hours to get a doctor out from the nearest clinic, who splinted my leg with sticks and shot him up with so much Tramadol that in an hour-long jeep ride over riverbeds, gullies, and rocky fields I emitted only the single observation, “Is this what tripping feels like.”
The local hospital in Mossman did have electricity, which was nice. And the staff were lovely, which was excellent. One thing it didn’t have at the time was an x-ray machine.
As it happens, the closest medical facility with one was in Cairns, another hour and half away. Had I been any further north in the rainforest, the only sane way to extract me would have been by helicopter. For a pilot, a co-pilot, a doctor and a paramedic to make the 4-hour round trip could of cost our insurers over £20,000.
If I hadn’t had fully comprehensive travel insurance? Well, I would have been looking at thousands of pounds of medical expenses.
If you are thinking of going without travel insurance? DON’T, just go buy it.
Hopefully, you’ll never have to claim on it, but if you do need it, you’ll really need it.
If you’re going away on a big trip, one of the greatest fears (for your parents if not yourself) is how safe you’re going to be. Unfortunately, you can never guarantee that everything will run smoothly. Muggers strike in unexpected areas; buses crash and earthquakes are largely unpredictable. But the chances of misfortune striking you are greatly reduced if you take a few simple precautions and apply common sense. Here’s a ten-step plan for cutting the risks.
Get comprehensive travel insurance
It’s all too tempting to see travel insurance as an unnecessary extra. But if anything goes wrong, it’ll cost you far more than the £80 or £90 you spend for fully comprehensive annual worldwide cover. The key things to look at are whether you’re covered for any dangerous activities you might try out whilst away (such as diving or climbing) and whether repatriation is included. This is for if you fall ill abroad and need to be flown back home – without insurance, the bill can come to hundreds of thousands of pounds. You should also check whether the value of what you’ve packed (especially expensive electronic gear) is covered if stolen and the excess you need to pay on any claim. roundtheworldairfares.com have a decent RTW policy here
Back up important documents
Make copies of important documents, such as your passport photo page, insurance policy and any visas. Then keep one copy somewhere safe in your bag, give another to someone you trust back home, and e-mail a version to yourself with a non-obvious name (ie. Give it the subject header ‘Bruce Forsyth’s False Teeth’ rather than ‘Copy of Passport’). The same applies to any bank and credit card cancellation numbers – write down the lost and stolen card hotline number so that you can call quickly if yours goes missing.
Double up on bank accounts
If you go away with just one card, you’re in trouble if that card goes missing or suddenly stops working. If you’ve two bank cards, it doesn’t matter quite so much if one is eaten by the machine – it’s a nuisance rather than a nightmare. It’s also an idea to have at least one credit card to pay for big things (flights, tours etc) on as this gives you extra consumer protection if there’s a problem. Having at least three different cards (some debit, at least one credit) is usually a good idea – and Visa or Mastercard are the most accepted.
Keep some emergency dollars and euros
In most places, you can take money straight out of the cash machine with a card. The era of needing to carry vast swathes of foreign currency and travelers cheques is over. However, if your cards stop working or you end up in a cash-only part of the world, an emergency supply will come in handy. It’s always worth having a couple of hundred pounds worth of US dollars and euros (the two currencies that are easiest to change/ use instead of the local currency).
Spread your cash and cards around
A common form of travel idiocy is to take all these precautions and then keep everything in the same place. It doesn’t matter how secure the special compartment of the bag that you keep your passport, cards and cash in is if said bag gets nicked. The valuable stuff is best spread around in three or four separate places if possible – your wallet, a couple of different parts of your backpack, your day bag, a zipped jacket pocket etc. With this in mind, it’s often worth investing in a couple of shirts that have passport-sized, zippable secure pockets. Things kept in open trouser pockets are often easy prey for pick-pockets, but they’d have to be extraordinarily talented to nick a card and a passport from a zipped shirt pocket.
Take a dummy wallet
If you’re going out for the evening then take an old wallet with some old currency or some dollar bills and old credit cards (or old ATM cards). That way if you do get mugged you can hand that over (Tip courtesy of Murray Harrold)
Drugs – just say no
Really say no. If you get caught with a bag of drugs in Singapore you can get the death penalty. The same for heaps of other countries. My best advice is to watch Midnight Express before you go. A lot of prisons in countries you will be visiting make that particular prison look 5*. The high really isn’t worth it. (Tip courtesy of Murray Harrold)
If you don’t want to lose it, don’t take it
Anything with extraordinary sentimental value (jewellery etc) is probably best left at home. The longer you spend away, the more chance you have got of losing something – and life on the road doesn’t exactly lend itself to keeping things in pristine condition. Any ‘best’ clothes you’re foolish enough to take with you almost certainly won’t be ‘best’ by the time you get back home. The same applies to day trips and jaunts to the beach. If you’re going to spend the whole day paranoid about losing your laptop or iPod, why bring it with you? Keep it somewhere secure in your hotel/ hostel.
Apply common sense
The dangers of some parts of the world – cities in particular – are often vastly overplayed. Often it’s a case of applying a bit of common sense as you would in any other major city. If you’d not walk through a slightly iffy part of London draped in jewellery and yabbering into an iPhone, then why be stupid enough to attempt it in an iffy part of Johannesburg, Los Angeles or Rio De Janeiro? If somewhere doesn’t feel safe, then take suitable precautions – stick to the main streets, don’t flaunt your wealth and avoid walking there after dark. The common same rules apply pretty much globally.
Listen to local advice
Almost every city in the world has some dicey areas. It’s part of what being a city’s about. How dicey they actually are varies – some can be genuine no go zones, others are probably going to be fine if you apply the common sense approach. Guide books can give you a decent idea of which is which (and they tend not to be overhysterical about it), but it’s a good idea to get local advice from a few sources and then make your own assessment. The best people to advise you are the people who actually visit the area on a regular basis (such as tour guides and taxi drivers) – not a paranoid old uncle who lives in a guarded compound in a posh suburb and doesn’t go anywhere near the rough areas because he’s heard you’ll instantly get stabbed.
Try and work out where you’re going first
Few things mark you out as a target more than standing on a street corner and unfolding a big map. And thus it’s best to work out which direction you’re walking in before you start walking. Take a look at the map on the bus or train, perhaps while you’re in the bar, restaurant or hotel and figure out your route in advance. It’ll stop you looking lost and – more importantly – give you that sense that you know where you’re going and what you’re doing.
Safety in numbers
You can’t guarantee everything with simple mathematical equations, but the simple fact of the matter is that Johnny Mugger is more likely to take on a lone tourist than a group of four. If you are going out somewhere that’s not exactly a quaint Cotswolds village, then teaming up with a fellow traveller or two is rarely a bad plan.
Travelling alone as a female is a rich and rewarding experience, and something recommend every woman does at least once in their life. Being a girl and travelling alone can be daunting, and the more you experience different cultures, the more you realise gender counts. There are many ways you can make your RTW a little more comfortable if you’re a solo female traveller.
Just consider the following as an example:
Booking beds in a female-only dorm
Beds in Female-only dorms are the first to book out, and often it’s far more comfortable to be in a dorm with other girls, as opposed to sharing with a touring rugby club, or a bunch of copulating couples. Often you’ll find other females travelling alone, and it’s easier to team up with other travellers for a day’s sightseeing.
Befriend other travellers
Travelling alone always seems to garner respect, and one of the great things I find is that couples and groups will always warm to you if you are travelling alone. However, you have to make an effort to get to know others and hang out. I’ve made decades-long friendships based on one or two conversations that started along the road. However, I’ve also had people help me out when I’ve been incredibly ill, purely on the basis that I was friendly enough to say hello in the hostel lobby.
Research
Sometimes a little preparation can help you avoid culture shock, so be sure to read up on what you can expect if you are a girl travelling in certain parts of the world. Read up a bit on what is appropriate dress in certain cultures. Wearing a spaghetti strap top in Australia won’t be a problem, but in rural Cambodia it is not the norm, in India it may be considered provocative and in certain parts of Africa and the Middle East, downright offensive and inappropriate.
Be Tolerant
This can be tricky, as you may find that in some parts of the world you may be discriminated against or treated differently because you a girl. Sometimes it is going to suck, but sometimes you have to roll with it, and accept it as part of the culture. Try not to judge too harshly, and take the good with the bad. Also enjoy the fact that on the flip side, in some cultures you’ll receive incredible privileges and be treated extra specially purely on the basis of your gender. It’s a big world, so take the good with the bad.
Safety
David Whitley wrote a great safety guide here. As a general rule, if you don’t feel comfortable somewhere, get out of there. Don’t lose your cool if you are angry- being the screaming foreigner can be a bad look, but feel free to be as loud as possible and draw attention to yourself if you feel compromised or threatened. Violence is never the answer, however it’s good to have a basic knowledge of self-defence before you go. As for your stuff, just forget it. If you need to flee and your backpack is weighing you down, just leave it. Stuff and passports can be replaced. Your life can’t be.
Sex and avoiding…sex
Wearing a fake wedding ring is a time-honoured tradition amongst female solo travellers trying to ward off unwanted admirers, as is the old line “my husband is one business and will join me in a few days”. When it comes to sex, carrying contraception is a no-brainer: STD infection rates are through the roof for backpackers and in certain parts of the world HIV infection is a massive concern – it’s not really worth the risk.
Volunteer
This one is not gender specific, but volunteering is often a fantastic and structured way to travel comfortably as a girl, and you’ll often find other long term travellers interested in meeting up with you down the road. So much of travel can be about taking, but volunteering in the right project can be a great way to get to know local people and connect with a community while having a positive impact. I’d recommend this community project in South Africa – Shamwari Conservation Program
AND…
I believe travelling, as a female alone is one of the most important things a young woman can do. That’s not to say I haven’t had my bad times, lonely times and scary times on the road. I’ve had my bum pinched, I’ve wailed about women’s rights, I’ve been refused service and in one unfortunate experience, I even had a guy try to attack me. However, I’ve also been treated like a princess, given preferential treatment, allowed entry into places men can’t go, and met true gentlemen out on the road.
If I’m honest with myself, some of the time I’ve got myself into uncomfortable situations because I was young and naïve about what I should and shouldn’t wear and act in certain cultures. If there is one thing travel has taught me is that a lot of the time there is no right or wrong, just different. At the end of the day, I wouldn’t change any of the experiences I had for the world, and definitely glad I travelled solo.