Round the World Tickets, Demystified

If you like your travel a little structured and prefer knowing where you're headed next, round the world tickets may be your best travel bet.

An RTW ticket has several advantages:

• you'll see more of the world in less time
• you'll have fun - planning an itinerary is one of the best parts of travel
• you'll have fewer tickets to buy along the way, so less hassle
• you'll save money because it's often the cheapest way to cover long distances by air
• you'll have peace of mind, knowing you're - at least a bit - organized

Here's how round the world tickets work

Imagine this: you have two or three months, say a full summer, or even a year. You've always dreamed of visiting Rio de Janeiro, the pyramids of Egypt, and the rice terraces of Bali - not to mention doing some bungee jumping and hiking in New Zealand along the way.

How do you fit all this into your available time, affordably?

A batch of round the world tickets could solve that problem altogether: start in London, hop over to Egypt, fly to Indonesia and relax in Bali, head straight for New Zealand's excitement and adventure, and eventually fly back to London, with a little stop in Vancouver or Los Angeles, perhaps.

These are the main rtw air tickets networks:

• One World Explorer - a good bet for Australia and South America (since Iberia is a member)
• Star Alliance - lots of coverage, though not for Australia
• World Discovery - if you're headed to Australia or New Zealand
• Great Escapades - the Africa and Asia enthusiast
• Skyteam Alliance - allows you to backtrack on the same continent
• Air New Zealand - it goes RTW without linking up with other airlines
• AirTreks - build your own route using any airline

You can also fly around a region rather than take a round the world trip, if you're short of time or keeping your travel tighter, like the Circle Pacific fares offered by both One World and Star Alliance, or specialist South America or Europe passes run by major airlines or alliances.

Most popular round the world tickets

There's no limit to RTW air fares choices but some routes are more popular than others.

For a couple of thousand dollars (or less) you can already travel around the world - for example from London to Hong Kong to Sydney to San Francisco to London. Add a few dollars and you're looking at London to Bangkok to Sydney to Jo'Burg to London.

At the other end of the spending scale, you can throw in such unusual destinations as the South Pacific, or combine several regions in a single set of round the world tickets, for example across Asia, Africa and Latin America.

It's hard to narrow down the world - but it can be done!

You could start with a 'typical' RTW and either take it as is or adapt it to your own needs by making a few changes.

Here are some of the more popular itineraries for holders of round the world tickets:

• NY - London (for a bit of Europe) - Bangkok/Singapore/Hong Kong (Asia is a must) - Australia/New Zealand (perennial faves) - Fiji (need I say more?) - LA - NY

• If you're leaning more towards Asia and are leaving from Europe, you could try the following round the world tickets: London - Middle East (Turkey, for example) - Bangkok (use it as a base for Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia and more) - Bali - Tokyo (sushi from the Source!) - Rio (yes, you can throw in a Latin American stop if you want) - London. Conversely, you could travel via the US. This works well if all your papers are in order and you have the latest electronic and biometric passports but otherwise, the US these days is a hassle. Or why not Canada - via Vancouver, Toronto or Montreal.

• Southern hemisphere extravaganza: start in Madrid and head for Rio, Buenos Aires and Santiago, then out to Easter Island and over to Australia. Forge on to Southeast Asia (Bali, Singapore, Kuala Lumpur) then cross to South Africa before making your way back to Madrid.

• Or why not travel with a theme? Visiting cooking schools in Europe could take you to Paris or Florence, and for spicier fare why not Beijing, Bangkok and Mexico City? An indigenous culture trip could go through Easter Island, Timbuktu, Guatemala City, Bagan...For art, why not try Paris, Barcelona, Florence, Athens, with India and Burma thrown in!

How to save money on round the world tickets

Nor all rtw travel are made equal, and some round the world tickets are more expensive than others.

• Shop around. It may be cheaper for you to leave from a destination slightly further from home. Alliances have different prices for the same routes, as do specialized travel agencies.

• Don't backtrack. Keep traveling in one direction.

• Choose the cheapest season and remember, high and low season aren't the same in every country.

• Try to choose flights that will credit you with frequent flyer miles. You may not be able to use them this time around, but you could save money on your next trip.

• Save your tickets for the expensive legs of your journey. You can supplement your RTW ticket with cheap flights from low-cost airlines.

• Make sure your airline or network doesn't charge for date changes - or charges very little.

• And my favorite...

Combine round the world tickets with surface travel to cut down costs!

By adding surface segments to your round the world tickets - for example by flying to Bangkok and going overland to Singapore and then flying from there - you can vary your trip and not spend all of it in the air.

Here are some popular overland trips, and remember, you can always travel in the opposite direction too.

• Nairobi to Kampala, Dar Es Salaam/Zanzibar or Johannesburg
• Bali to Jakarta
• Mumbai to Kathmandu
• Singapore to Kuala Lumpur, Penang or Bangkok
• New York to Montreal, Chicago or Los Angeles
• Beijing to Ulan Bator, Shanghai, Hong Kong or Hanoi
• Beijing to Moscow (on the Trans-Siberian)
• Rio de Janeiro to Buenos Aires or Santiago
• Paris to anywhere in Europe
• Los Angeles to Mexico City
• Sydney to Cairns...

Not all parts of the world can be reached overland, however. Much as I wanted to, I couldn't get from Eritrea to Egypt because I'd have to cross Sudan and the border was shut. The same with Panama: there is no credible overland access to Colombia. Nor can you travel overland from Thailand to India because Myanmar is in the way, or through Iraq or Afghanistan. But these are exceptions and most major terrestrial routes are somehow accessible.

A few things to remember before you get your round the world tickets

1. Sounds a bit obvious - but choose your travel destinations wisely, or at least decide broadly where you want to go
2. Map out your travel so it's going more or less in the same direction (you can always use one of those plastic world globes you might still have lying around!)
3. Decide when you can go by finding out the best time to visit
4. Decide how long you'll stay away
5. Get some good travel advice on money to plan your budget
6. Start navigating the world of the international travel visa - you'll need plenty for a rtw trip
7. Get your budget travel insurance
8. And print out your travel packing list - you're almost ready to go get those round the world tickets!

A few final tips on round the world tickets

If you're convinced this is the way to go, then these few final tips should help you make the most of your RTW tickets.

• Make sure your tickets are flexible. We tend to overplan and you don't want to spend your entire trip rushing for a plane.

• Unless you want to spend your round the world travel in an airport, time your connections properly. Don't arrive at midnight with a connecting flight at noon the next day - with no transport into town for a night of rest.

• Leave enough time to see a country properly. It's not about quantity. Maxing out your 15 stops won't make you a wiser traveler.

• An airline ticket needs a date before it can be sold, so even if you're traveling ten months from now, a date will be inserted on your round the world tickets. Don't worry - you can usually change it once you're on the road. Just don't forget to confirm this with the airlines before you buy!

• Check your travel dates carefully. You may be arriving in a country on the eve of a World Cup or the Rio Carnival (forget finding accommodation) or during Ramadan or Easter (culturally fascinating but if you're sightseeing or shopping, many things may be closed).

• Check your arrival times too. You don't want to land in Johannesburg at 2am but if you do, make sure someone is picking you up.

Really want to splurge?

Plan your trip with round the world business class flights. I've promised myself I'll do that one day!

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