how to plan a trip around the world

Budget Travel:Around the World on a Shoestring

Randy Ross, publisher, RossTravels.com

Randy Ross, Publisher, RossTravels.com

Why Am I Here?

Publish site for first-time world travelers.Tips/Advice blogger for TravelBeat.netCirculating novel to agents based on trip around the world.


Why Are You Here?

Curiosity?Ready to plan a trip?Reasons to travel:

– “Laid off with severance.”– “Cheaper to ride out

recession overseas.”– “Relatives bet I wouldn’t

last 2 weeks abroad.”– “Fiancé dumped me and

parents moved to Spain.”


Format for Tonight

6:00 to 7:20: Presentation.Questions on material I presented welcome.7:30 to 7:40 break7:40 to 8:40 Presentation and related questions.8:40 any remaining questions.


Assumptions

“Independent Traveler” Not looking for prepackaged tour.Want to do what you want, when you want.Traveling on a budget.Starting to plan three to four months before trip.


Four Steps for Extended Trips

I) Destinations: 3 to 4 months out.II) Transportation: flight 6 to 8 weeks out.III) Accommodations: 6 weeks out.IV) Pre-trip Preparations: 6 weeks out.All urls and resources are on my Web site --see sign-up sheet.


Step I: Destinations (3 months out)

Interests?Length of Trip?Budget?Solo travel?


Interests

Sight-seeing.Exotic food, culture.Partying.Beach or mountains.Sports or activities.No idea? Try Rough Guide “First Time Around the World.”


Sight-Seeing

World Heritage Sites.Unofficial Web site:

worldheritagesite.orgLists 878 lakes, mountains, temples, monuments, etc.


Parties and Festivals

Rough Guide sort-able calendarworldparty.roughguides.com/Druggy raves to wine-tastings to nudity events.


Sports

Riverboardingwww.riverboarding.co.nz

Bungywww.ajhackett.comwww.faceadrenalin.com

Windsurfingwww.velawindsurf.comwww.club-mistral.com/en


Sample page from “First Time Around the World”


A Word About Guide Books

Outdated/Inaccurate (Read: “Do Travel Writers Go to Hell”)

Heavy (almost 1lb)Expensive. ($11 - $20)Too much infoNot tailored to U.S.Borrow them:

– Library, other travelers.

A New version Feb 2010

Best I found.

New 312 pages


My Preliminary Destination List

Windsurfing: Google search found velawindsurf.com (Brazil, Greece, Egypt).Sports: New Zealand.Cousin at game reserve in South Africa.I liked “Apocalypse Now.” (Vietnam, Laos)Asian architecture: Cambodia, MyanmarPartying: Beaches of Thailand.


Destinations: Safety

State DepartmentInternational Herald TribuneBBC NewsOriental Expat (Asia, Thailand)Thorn Tree Travel Forum (Lonely Planet)


Current Warning for Thailand


Country-Specific Info


Length of Trip

At least two weeks in a location. Three weeks is better.Don’t cram too much.


Budget: Destination vs Cost

Developing World is cheaper. (Asia, Africa, China, India, even South America)Hanoi: dorm, food, beer $18/day, $125 week, $6.5k a year.Melbourne: $55/day $385/week, $20k/yr

500K Vietnamese Dong $26

50 S. African Rand $6


Budget: Accommodations vs Cost

$500 a night (Hoi An beach, Vietnam)


Budget: Accommodations vs Cost

$11 a night dorm room, Storms River, South Africa


4-Month Budget: Lower End

Third World SE Asia, India, China, parts of Africa

Airfare and insurance $3k to 3.5kDorm room $10/night (120 days)Food/ day: 2 meals and beers from street stall.

$10/day (120 days) ($5/ meal)

20 percent contingency for travel, activities, etc.

$1500

Total About $7,500


4-Month Budget: Mid-Range

First, Second, Third World New Zealand, Venezuela, SE Asia

*Airfare and insurance $3.5k to $5k*Rooms: singles/dorms. Avg: $30/night (120 days)*2 meals and beers from cheap establishment.

Avg: $15/day (120 days) ($7/ meal)

20 percent contingency for travel, activities, etc.

$2000

Total: $12,500


Fine Tune Your Itinerary: Season

Europe: July/August crowded/pricey.South East Asia: Monsoons June to Oct.Southern Hemisphere: (South Africa, Australia, New Zealand). Our winter is their summer


Good Deals Right Now

Less Developed– Thailand (deals once

political climate settles.)

More Developed– Euro Countries ($1.23),

Ireland, Hungary, U.K., Australian ($.85), NZ.($.67)


Traveling Solo: Do it!

Pros:– Do what you want,

when you want.– Meet more people;

lose fewer friends.– Hard to find

someone else with same time off.


Traveling Solo: Do it!

Cons:– Will get lonely.– Women need to be a little more careful.– Single supplements.

But:– I met plenty of men and women ranging

from 20 to 70 who were traveling alone.


Paperwork: Passports ASAP

Go to Post Office– First passport, – Old passport was lost,

damaged. Issued when under 16. (4 wks $100, 2 wks: $160)

Mail to renew (4wks/2wks)For travel in less than 14 days, Boston passport service.

877-487-2778, www.travel.state.gov


Paperwork: Visas ASAP

Some countries let you order online. (Cambodia, Australia) D.C. consulates may want passport. If time is tight, ask if you can send Xerox. Visa expediting a rip-off.


More on Visas

Photos: Fed Ex KinkosNot cheap: $12.95 for two, $5.99 for extra sets of two. Bring extra photos for visas overseas.


Step II: Transportation (2 Months Out)

Have a rough list of destinations.Travel in one continuous direction: Boston across Atlantic or Boston to West Coast across Pacific.Zig-zagging from northern to southern hemispheres can add to fare price.


Transportation Overview

Handful of companies specialize in multi-stop. Kayak.com, Expedia, difficult for complex, multi-stop tickets.Traveling overland or by local transport to saves money.


Airfare Strategies for Multi-Stops

Buy tickets upfront: Low stress, $$$Find deal that’s close enough: Low Stress, $$Buy ticket to one city and travel. Not for newbies, $Get best price and haggle with agent.


Where to Look for Deals

airtreks.comairbrokers.comstatravel.com(Student? Office in Boston.)Only a few stops? Kayak.com, etc.


Pass vs. RT

Kayak: Boston-Bangkok: 8/31-9/30

– Prices about $1200 RT

– Check fees and taxes

– About 28 hours

Good for 6 months, flexible. Taxes? Fees?


Deal #1: Interesting

Airtreks.comTaxes: $500. Any other fees?

$2,400 three regions: Asia, Middle East, Europe.

$1399 to $1825$1399-$1825


Deal #2: Not So Good

Airtreks.com

Airfare to S.F.?

$1599 to $2099

Tax:$600


- Taxes or fees? (Add $125 for Boston –take Fung Wa bus and train to Kennedy? – plus $500 or so for taxes.)

- Interesting itinerary: Iceland, Moscow, South East Asia, gateway to China. (Europe, Central Asia, East Asia.)

-R/T Bangkok to Boston on Kayak.com $1300 (includes taxes and fees). 26 hours, 2 stops.

-Note max length of trip.

-Add $150 for NYC departure.

-Compare to Kayak/Orbitz at $2139

More Deals: Airbrokers.com


Interesting but lots of hidden charges:

-Old listing: add $200

-Taxes and fees: $400

-Baggage fees unknown

-Flight leaves from JFK?

-New total at least $2000


www.circletheplanet.com

Interesting: Middle East, India, SE Asia

Site made me a little nervous: No “About Us” page, got voice mail when I called, unclear about taxes and fees.


No Deals? Price Estimation Tools

Enter cities/pick from list. Choices appear in itinerary box.Produces vague price range – then click to request quote.They tend to use lower tier carriers.


Another Tool: www.oneworld.com

Click tab in middle of page for “Itinerary Planner.Click “Create New Round-the-world…”Price by number of continents.Expensive but uses big name airlines.


Now Contact Travel Agents

Get quotes from: airtreks.com, airbrokers.com, STATravel agents. (Star Alliance, OneWorld.)Play agent prices against each other.


Questions to Ask Travel Agents

Overnights in pricey countries I can avoid?Pre-book travel dates? Penalties for change?Names of airlines? (United vs. Air Afghanistan?)Pay by credit card?

What if airline cancels a flight? (Bangkok, India)Can I have 4 - 5 hours between connections?Can I get estimate in writing with all fees? Replace flights w/ overland/open jaw?


Cost-Cutting: Airfare

Open jaw: fly to one country and out other.Local transport/easy to book.Common routes: into Bangkok out of Singapore.


Open Jaw

Fly into BangkokFly out of Singapore 5 weeks later.


Local Flights

Web sites, Kayak.com, work from overseas.Ask hostels, guest houses for best fares.For SE Asia, www.airasia.com: – One way Bangkok to Hanoi: $13 – Best fare on Kayak.com: $204

Greece, Venez. – countries have local air.Vietnam Air only option and not cheap.


Buses: Hop on, Hop Off

Get on/off, like T-pass (Baz 2wks = $271)Stop at hostels, guest houses.Easy way to see S. Africa, New Zealand.Hanoi to Saigon: $32 by bus, $464 by plane.


Sample Hop On, Off Buses

Australia(Sydney/Cairns

Oz Bus 20-day $461 www.ozexperience.comBruce Pass

New Zealand Magic Bus 20-day min. $587

www.magicbus.co.nzWayward Wanderer

Vietnam (very rough!)

TNK-An Phu “open bus”

$32 Hanoi to Saigon (3 months)

http://www.tnktravelvietnam.com/html/opentour.htm

Vietnam “sleeper bus”

n/a n/a

S. Africa Baz Bus 21-day $376 www.bazbus.com

http://www.magicbus.co.nz/


Local Travel: Boats, Ferries

Comfortable.I took ferries in Greece, Vietnam, Cambodia.3-day, 2-night boat from Saigon to Phnom Penh for $47. (TSK Travel)2-day to Halong BayKeep receipts handy!


Cambodian-Style Tuk-Tuk


Quick and Dirty Recommendations

S. Africa: Baz Bus up and down the coast.SE Asia: Thailand, Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, Malaysia by land, boat, air.New Zealand: Magic Bus N. and S. Islands.


Travel Insurance

Big name insurer –Squaremouth.comGet health – does yours cover overseas? Evacuation?Get trip interruption, trip cancellation.Make sure covered for whole trip.


Step III: Accommodations

Hostel: Not just for kids.Guest House: Not a quaint Vermont B&B!Homestay: with a family. (Nice, France)Multi-night discount? Online booking: often per person!Lungile, Port Elizabeth, S. Africa.


More on Accommodations

A/C: usually extra, not always available.Quality: tough to tell from books, travelers. See room before signing in.Lie down on bed, check a/c and reading lamp.

Inn Longstreet, S. Africa


Lonely Planet Pick: The King

“Elvis lives on in Phnom Penh, in name at least! The range of rooms is as wide as the king's girth in the later years of his life, and there is a huge restaurant and a travel centre downstairs. Check out the handouts, with a handy ticklist of what all the rooms include.”


City Hostel Room price for 10/8/08

price for cheapest dorm bed

my rating books travel?

Athens Dioskouros double $60 $25

Dumpy, but in nice part of town. Mid-construction during my visit (hopefully). Note on toilet: don't flush toilet paper -- a little scary. But manager said it was ok. Breakfast included.

?

Cape Town Inn Longstreet double $37 $12

A Lonely Planet author's pick, but I thought it was a dump, noisy (my room across from the bars. Noisy till 4:00 a.m.), somewhat social. Web access.

yes

*Oudtshoorn Backpackers' Paradise double, priv bath $42 $8 Social, nice accommodations, bar.

yes

*Storms River Dijembe queen, priv bath $35 $11

Personal favorite. Set deep in the woods, nice room with queen bed, like a little bungalo, bar, very social.

yes

*Port Elizabeth Lungile Backpackers queen, priv bath $40 $13

Nice room, dumpy part of town, near sad aquarium. I had a cold the whole time, which didn't help. Good social scene, but early 20's and younger (locals would stop by to play pool.)

yes

*Wilderness Fairy Knowe double $33 $11

Nice location deep in the woods, room had decent bed, shared bathroom and shower were sketchy, not much social scene when I was there.

yes

*Plettenburg Bay Albergodouble <two single beds> $32 $11

Double room had two single beds, instead of one large one; a waste of money. Good social scene, bonfire every night, long, but do-able walk to beach.

yes

Bangkok HI-Sukhumvit single $21 $8 Dumpy, somewhat social; not near legendary Khaosan Road.

?

Hanoi Hanoi Backpackers double $18 $8

Very nice!, great social scene, bar happy hour. Includes Web access, but it was almost always in use.

yes

Hoi An An Phu (budget hotel) single, priv bath $30 n/a

Very nice, had a small pool. I negotiated and got "Superior" (midrange) room for $20. But advertising is misleading: claims hotel is .5 miles from beach. It's actually 2.4 miles. I believe hotel is owned by same company that ran bus company, which made it easy to arrange bus transport.

yes

SaigonRed Sun Hotel (budget hotel) single, priv bath $16 $9

Little flies in the room, checked out after one night. Includes breakfast and Web access.

?

** Phnom Penh Indochine II (budget hotel) single, priv bath

$20 (online price: $27)

n/a

Lonely Planet pick, one of my favorites. Great location near river, great staff, travel desk. My room had no windows. Window add $5. Hotel fills up fast. Rated as a two star hotel, but it was brand new and clean.

yes

Melbourne City Centre Budget Hotel single NO A/C $71 $35No a/c, checked out. Little social activity. Includes Web access.

yes, but not great -- never mentioned OZ bus.

Auckland The Nomads Fat Camel double $55 $19 Dumpy, room had no window; great bar.

yes

Sample hostels and prices in Athens, South Africa, South East Asia, Australia, and New Zealand.

Most were booked with hostelworld.com

Dorm rooms in Asia, S. Africa about $10 a night. Cheap room in Australia $20-$35.


Accommodation Strategies

Check options: guest houses, hostels See www.hostelworld.com, www.hostels.comOnce you have flights, book at least first night, I prefer two. (Can leave after one.)Pre-book cheap hotel with travel agent and cancel if you find something cheaper.

http://www.hostelworld.com/


Ways to Cut Room/Board Costs

Stick to Third World countries.If traveling in First World, buy groceries.Sleep in dorms instead of single (or rotate).Work/barter – read fine print and fees www.eslcafe.com, www.wwoof.org

http://www.eslcafe.com/

http://www.wwoof.org/


Recap: 6 to 8 Weeks Before Trip

Once plane tix purchased– Buy travel insurance.– Pre-book hostel for first night or two after red-eye.– Passport all set?– Visas?

SE Asia: get them in Bangkok? (don’t need for Thailand)S. America: Venezuela (no), Brazil (yes).Western countries: Generally, no.


Step IV: Pre-Trip Prep

Travel clinic.Gear and clothes.Money and security.Care for your Boston apartment/home.


The Travel Clinic

Vaccines and visit usually covered.Clinics all around: Mt. Auburn, Deaconess.Primary care will refer you.No fear!


More on Travel Clinic

What to expect:– Shots (I got 7 and had to

go back 3 times).– Blood drawing– Prescriptions for anti-

malarial pills.– Map of malarial zones.– Pamphlet that says not

to eat, drink, or leave your hotel.


What I Did in Dodgy Countries

Drank only bottled water and beer. (No ice).Brushed teeth with bottled water.Kept mouth shut in shower.Didn’t swim in fresh water or walk barefoot. (Wore Tevas even on beach)Ate anything and everything that was cooked and hot. Bought food from street vendors.


Results

Never got food poisoning.Didn’t meet anyone who did.Caught three colds, two in Western countries, one in Cambodia.Tip: be careful on mopeds.


Luggage: The Back Pack

– 40 to 60 liters (2400 to 3700 cubic inches).

– Prices: $200+.– Test Drive: 30

lbs/15 mins– Pack at home to

check fit.


The Day Pack

Need a second small bag, or day pack.For long trips, use it for items that you may need immediately, such as reading material, a toothbrush, snacks.On short sight-seeing forays, pack water, maps, snacks, and the like instead of lugging your back pack.


Clothes

Bring few as possible (multipurpose).Quick-dry for hand washing. (camping).Zip pockets for securing valuables.Shop at camping stores:– EMS– REI


Clothes: Best Things I Bought

- REI Sahara Tech Long-Sleeve ($50)

- Ex Officio Amphi Pant (couldn’t find women’s version)

- Coolibar swim tights (www.coolibar.com)

- Wide-brim hat

http://www.coolibar.com/


Packing Tips

Like items in trash bags.Airlines with strict weight policies, splitinto two bags.Use backpack coverPut heavy, bulky items at bottom of pack.Leave guidebooks, jewelry, items you can buy overseas


Carry-On Weight Restrictions

American/BA: 40 lbs +Cathay/Qantas: 15 lbs


Dress Code: Conservative

No expensive jewelry, watches.Wear swim shorts or the like for beach.When visiting religious sites and temples:

– no bare skin,tightclothes.

– No singlets, shorts, dresses, skirts, tops with low neck lines.


Money

Local cash for cab to first hotel. Stash $100 bill in pack.Money belt on plane and airports.Zip pockets.Out and about: small amounts of cash.ATMs in most countries


Top Travel Tips

Long flights: 5 hours been transfers.Bring bags on-board.Split a big bag in two.Center overhead bins are larger.Late arrival? Ask hostel for airport pickup.Pre-book first night in a new city.Miss flight? Check monitors not ticket agents.


Misc: Laundry

Most hostels have laundry – long lines.Wear clothes in shower, soap, rinse, hang to dry.Handwash in sink, dry outside.Southeast Asia: cheap to send out.


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how to plan a trip around the world

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