A year spent travelling?

[jammy_basturd]

Myself and OH are thinking about saving up £5-10k and doing this. Want to get out and see the world before settling down. We're thinking Africa, Oceania, Thailand and parts of the Far East, and then a couple of stops in America.

Anyone done the same? Just jacked in the day job and gone off round the world? Is it better to book a round-the-world flight, or just start with a one-way? Am I right in thinking that you can pay for a flexible book of tickets with an airline which gives you a certain amount of airmiles, and then use them up as you wish as you go round the world?

[v15ben]

I did it and it is truly the best thing I've ever done. Bit busy at work now but will put some thoughts down and info about ticket types tonight

[v15ben]

I'd definitely recommend a Round the World Ticket as they are pretty decent value to cover most of your destinations. You could just take off with a single flight leaving the UK, but eventually by adding on single flights to the next place, it would work out being plenty more expensive. It depends on whether you want to come back or not It is reasonably easy to change the dates on Round the World tickets and usually these date changes fees aren't exorbitant.

The best plan for that itinerary would be either to try and put it all into one RTW ticket (as below) or do most of the locations on a RTW ticket then add a couple of extra flights for specific places e.g. in Africa. For the US simply get a RTW to fly into the US at one airport and out of another then link the two up with a separate flight, bus, train or drive across country in a 'Stang

Just as an example you could go London to Nairobi then to Cape Town, over to Bangkok then overland around Asia and leave from Singapore to Sydney, travel round in Oz then fly to Auckland perhaps, travel NZ, fly on to Fiji then to LA, travel across the US then back out of New York to London. I don't want to complicate things too much, but that could be done as a standard(ish) RTW ticket without costing the earth.

Stepping out of travel agent mode for a minute - I have been lucky enough to spend a lot of time in Oz and NZ and also visited a lot South East Asia as well as South Africa and Tanzania so any questions, thoughts etc just drop me an email or post them up and I'll see what I can do.

Like I said before, I can't recommend the concept of doing a trip like this enough. I've ended up working in travel as I enjoyed it so much, but the experiences you have give you a portfolio of anecdotes for the rest of your life

Edited by v15ben on Wednesday 15th April 18:49

[v15ben]

jammy_basturd said:

Am I right in thinking that you can pay for a flexible book of tickets with an airline which gives you a certain amount of airmiles, and then use them up as you wish as you go round the world?

I'm not too sure what you mean with this bit. RTW tickets are based on mileage so you can go to a variety of places on a variety of routes round the world as long as the total distance is within that mileage.

[jammy_basturd]

Many thanks for that, helps a great deal!

As for the book of tickets thing, my understanding of it was that you could almost just turn up to an airport and choose to go on a flight, as long as they had availability and you had enough airmiles left. Seemed like a good idea as then you're not setting yourself a definite itinerary before you leave.

What is a good cost for a RTW flight, and how much did you budget for when you did yours?

[v15ben]

With the number of destinations on your itinerary you'd be looking at a higher mileage RTW ticket, something like a 29,000 miler and you'd be looking at a budget around £1400-1750, possibly a bit cheaper if you strike it lucky

You certainly can just turn up at the airport if you don't have a set duration for the overall trip, it takes a lot of trial and error and probably plenty of waiting around, but it's certainly possible. Most long haul flights don't usually fly 100% full. As I said before though you'd probably pay more overall if most of your flights are international.

[51mon]

I started a similar thread to this a couple of months ago, im 24 and having the same thoughts as you - want to see a bit of the world / try something different before I settle down / get mortgaged up to the eyeballs...!

Anyway, ive decided to do it and booked my flights! Quitting my job and flying to New York on 4th sep, from there to fiji for a month, to new zealand for 2 months, Australia for 6 months, then spend the remaining 3 months travelling from Singapoe to Bangkok! Flights and insurance set me back just over 1700 quid with Quantas / BA - not too bad when you consider flights to Bangkok last year cost nearly 600.... Hoping to have between 6 - 8k to take with me, but reckon I may have to top up by working in Aus for a bit.....

No other half to worry about, ss Im going for it on my own! Really exited but a bit nervous about it, but one things for sure - should be an adventure!

I'd say go for it, you only live once, and you can always come back...!

[dreamer75]

I did it a while ago (1999-2000) - at the time the RTW tickets only allowed you to travel in one direction, which was a bit weird and we had to supplement it with some additional flights when we returned to NZ to go snowboarding, and to go to Nepal (the RTW "partnership" didn't fly there).

It is well worth doing, absolutely amazing experience

Our trip was Chile - Argentina - Chile - Tahiti - NZ - Fiji - Oz - NZ (now winter for boarding) - Oz - Thailand - Nepal - Home

14 months in total.

I went with my (now ex-)boyfriend and found there were definitely two types of people travelling - there were the younger people who weren't interested in socialising with us really as we weren't single and therefore not "pullable", and there were the others Might have changed now of course, it was quite a while ago! My advice is to try loads of experiences - try not to be in a situation where cash flow or something else prevents you from doing something you want to do - you might never get another chance!

[VxDuncan]

I'd say go for it as well! Though I have to say the budget concerns me a little - these things can add up! For instance year out travell insurance, with cover for all sorts of different activities can be monumentally expensive. As can all the jabs and pills (maybe £250+ each if your being careful) I'd take your time, follow word of mouth, get off the usual trail (you'll keep bumping into the same people!) and have fun. Be prepared for a day of admin every two or three days, sorting flights, visas, travel itineries etc. The other obvious thing is to make a rough plan of when and where to stop you drifting too much but to also ensure you hit the key dates, so miss the monsson rains in India, see the Wildebeest migration in the serengeti, spend new year somewhere special, etc etc. There's loads of events that are worth a little bit of thought. Simply planning route to maximise the most comfortable weather is time well spent.

Start slow and build up. Plan "civilisation breaks" ie a week in Singapore or HK or Sydney, where you can get everything that's broken/stolen and have a rest!

[mechsympathy]

I've been travelling 3 times, and the hardest bit is giving up work and not knowing what you'll come back to. I've got no idea about flights but try not to be too tied to what you are planning to do. Invariably you'll meet people on the way that you'll want to travel with for a bit or who have recommendations.

[v15ben]

Totally agree with that last point. I'd recommend deciding the places you really MUST see then being totally flexible in how/when you get between them and where you go in between.

For example I really wanted to see Angkor Wat when I was in Cambodia so had planned to travel from Saigon to Siam Reap the following day. Got talking to some guys in a bar the night before who were going to Phu Quoc - an island off Vietnam - and they'd paid £20 for flights! I booked a flight on the spot and went on the Angkor Wat a week later!

[bazking69]

A guy I used to work with did this last year with his wife, just before the credit crunch kicked off as it were. He has done charity work across India and Africa then moved on from there to explore the world. The whole journey has been blogged on his facebook and looks interesting.
He said it was one of those things he wanted to do before he was too old and tied down with commitments.
Not my cuppa, but I can see the appeal.

[shirt]

try the student travel companies [STA etc.] for RTW tickets. when i went in they were pretty reasonable as they made up the ticket from a number of single leg flights. its was about £800 for a 6 leg journey, including stopping at the maldives for xmas.

work are thinking of offering us 12mths sabbatical on half pay to reduce our short term wage bill. i am more than interested as this would more than adequately cover my travel bill

[51mon]

Jammy bar-steward!!! I was on for getting a year off unpaid, but then things started going t*ts up everywhere and it got declined, still set on doing it, so going to have to quit and try to grovel my way back when (if) I return!

[v15ben]

shirt said:

try the student travel companies (STA etc.) for RTW tickets.

Seriously though if you do want a quote I'll have a look at prices for you. Just drop me an email!
The ticket 'shirt' described sounds like a SATA combination which is basically a load of STA-only special rate flights bolted together to make a RTW. I know a few mates who've used them and even before I worked for them, I thought it was one of the best ways to RTW

Edited by v15ben on Friday 17th April 19:34

[shirt]

thegavster said:

shirt said:

work are thinking of offering us 12mths sabbatical on half pay to reduce our short term wage bill. i am more than interested as this would more than adequately cover my travel bill

If I worked for a company that offered that I would have my bag packed before they'd finished the sentance .

Get tenants in on a years let on my place to cover my mortgage, then half salary would be more than enough when trekking around the world.

Frickin awesome.

the deal isn't on the table yet, its just an option they're considering. fingers crossed.

[tobeee]

DO IT! Best thing I ever did. Doesn't matter where you go or who you go with - try not to plan too much, as there are no rules! Lucky you!

[*Raz*]

tobeee said:

DO IT! Best thing I ever did. Doesn't matter where you go or who you go with - try not to plan too much, as there are no rules! Lucky you!

lol! Yes it does matter - he is going with me, no one else ha

51mon said:

New York on 4th sep, from there to fiji for a month, to new zealand for 2 months, Australia for 6 months, then spend the remaining 3 months travelling from Singapoe to Bangkok! Flights and insurance set me back just over 1700 quid with Quantas / BA - not too bad when you consider flights to Bangkok last year cost nearly 600....

can we just come with you please? hahaha

I reeeeeeeaaaallly want to just disappear ! I wouldn't quit work though Id try and get 6months - a year off!

[The_Doc]

I've done this, so has my brother, and my other brother has lived in France for the last 10 years.

My advice:
1) Take AS LITTLE AS POSSIBLE with you, your possesions end up owning you
2) Go to less destinations rather than more, spend more time on the good places you find rather than rushing
3) Set a budget and come back to a job. Then you can exist in your means, and splurge occasionally on things to pay off when you get back (eg dive courses, fancy helicopter rides etc etc)

My middle brother did a ski season (living with my smallest brother) for 5 months and then took 8 months to go round the world directly after.

You can do a ski season for about £2500 including rent, you have to have a sense of adventure, but you'll be as fit as a butcher's dog and happier too. PM me for details.

Realaaaaaaaxxxxxeeeeed.

[Wadeski]

next year I want to do London to Kazakhstan, Kazakhstan to Kashgar by air, then Kashgar to Chengdu & chongquing overland, taking in some of the tibetan plain.