Round the World Travel: The Complete Planning Guide
Round the world travel is the most ambitious thing most people will ever do with a passport. We've been helping people plan RTW trips since 1999 — before smartphones, before budget airlines dominated, before everyone had a travel blog. This is everything we know.
What is a Round the World Trip?
A round the world trip is an extended journey that crosses multiple continents, typically lasting anywhere from three months to two years. It's not a vacation — it's a different way of organizing your life for a period of time. You're not going to see everything. You're going to go deep on a handful of places and skim others, and the skill is knowing which is which before you leave.
Most RTW travelers use a combination of flights, overland transport, and slow travel to connect their destinations. The "round the world" part is more philosophy than geometry — you don't need to literally circumnavigate the globe. You need to commit to a direction and keep moving.
RTW Flights vs. Building Your Own Route
The two main approaches are alliance RTW tickets (OneWorld, Star Alliance) and point-to-point flights booked independently. Alliance tickets offer simplicity and sometimes value if your route fits their network. Independent booking gives you flexibility and often better prices if you're willing to do the research. We've seen both approaches work and both fail spectacularly — it depends entirely on your route and how far in advance you're planning.
AirTreks, our sister brand, has been building custom multi-stop itineraries since 1993. If you want expert help routing your trip, that's where to go. If you want to understand the mechanics yourself first, keep reading.
How Long Do You Need?
Three months is the minimum for a trip that feels like a real RTW rather than a rushed tour. Six months is the sweet spot for most people — long enough to slow down in places you love, short enough that your life at home doesn't fall completely apart. A year or more is possible, but it requires a different level of life restructuring: visas, storage, finances, and relationships all become more complicated.
Budget Reality
The most common question is cost, and the most honest answer is: it depends on where you go and how you travel, more than how long you go for. Southeast Asia and South America can be done on $40-60/day including accommodation. Western Europe and Australia will run $100-150/day minimum. A realistic budget for a 6-month RTW trip ranges from $15,000 to $40,000 depending on your comfort level and destinations. That sounds like a lot until you compare it to six months of rent, car payments, and daily expenses at home.
The Guides
We've organized everything into sections. Start with the planning guides if you're in early stages. Go straight to flights and transportation if you're trying to understand RTW tickets. The money section will change how you think about trip budgeting.
How To
- 1
Decide on your direction and rough regions
East-to-west or west-to-east, and which continents matter most to you. You don't need a full itinerary yet — just a direction and a few must-haves.
- 2
Set your budget and timeline
Work backward from how much you can save and how long you can take. Most people overestimate what they need and underestimate how long they want.
- 3
Research your flight options
Compare alliance RTW tickets against point-to-point. Get a quote from AirTreks for a custom multi-stop itinerary. Don't book anything yet.
- 4
Sort your logistics
Visas, vaccinations, travel insurance, and what to do with your stuff at home. These take longer than people expect.
- 5
Pack less than you think you need
Seriously. You will buy things on the road. You will ship things home. Start with a 40L bag maximum.
- 6
Go
The planning is never complete. At some point you have to buy the ticket and go.
FAQ
How much does a round the world trip cost?
Realistic range is $15,000–$40,000 for six months depending on destinations and travel style. Southeast Asia and South America are far cheaper than Europe and Australia. The biggest variable is accommodation — hostels vs. budget hotels vs. anything with a pool changes your budget dramatically.
Do I need a round the world ticket?
No. Many RTW travelers book independently and get better flexibility and often better prices. RTW alliance tickets make sense if your route closely follows a single alliance's network. For complex or unusual routes, point-to-point is usually better.
How do I handle visas for an RTW trip?
Research each country's visa requirements for your passport well in advance. Some visas (India, China, Russia, Brazil for some passports) need to be arranged weeks or months ahead. Others are on arrival or electronic. We maintain country-level visa information in our destination guides.
Can I work remotely on a round the world trip?
Yes, and many people do. The practical challenges are time zones, reliable internet, and visa compliance — most tourist visas don't permit you to work legally in a country, even remotely. Digital nomad visas are now available in 50+ countries if that's your model.
What do I do with my apartment/house/stuff?
The most common approaches: sublet your apartment, put everything in storage, sell what you don't need. Most RTW travelers end up owning a lot less after their trip than before. Start decluttering six months out.
Is it safe to travel round the world?
Safer than most people imagine, and riskier than staying home — which is true of everything worth doing. The risks that actually affect RTW travelers are mundane: petty theft, food poisoning, transportation accidents. The dramatic risks people worry about are mostly overblown. Research specific destinations, buy decent travel insurance, and trust your instincts.
RTW Guides(584)
12 Reasons Not to Travel the World: Debunking Myths of Long-Term Travel
2-in-1 Conditioning Shampoos
35 Long-Term Travel Budgeting Tips
Budgeting for long-term travel requires planning, discipline, and flexibility. These 35 tips cover saving before you go, spending wisely on the road, and stretching your money across months or years of travel.
49 "On the Road" Tips for Long-Term Travelers
Fifty tips distilled from years of traveler feedback highlight a theme: preparation prevents problems, flexibility handles surprises, and humans are more resilient than anticipated. The tips range from practical (book your first night accommodation in advance so you're not hotel hunting exhausted) to psychological (make friends early because solo travel is lonely) to financial (use ATMs not currency exchange). Most experienced travelers will tell you they ignored most tips, broke all the rules, and still did fine - the tips reduce stress but don't guarantee success. Reading 49 tips sounds excessive but they're essentially variations on: prepare reasonably, stay flexible, take care of your basics (sleep, food, hygiene), and engage with people.
5 Options for Working While Traveling
87 Packing Tips for Long-Term Travelers
Packing tips from experienced travelers boil down to: less than you think, quality over quantity, versatility over "just in case," and accepting that you'll buy things during travel. Eighty-seven is an arbitrary number but the point is actionable specifics: pack 7-10 shirts not 5-15, merino wool not cotton, 2 shoes not 6, underwear you can hand-wash daily. The goal is fitting everything in a 40-liter backpack maximum so you carry your home rather than dragging luggage. Reading 87 tips sounds overwhelming but they're mostly variations on themes: choose lightweight fabrics, limit quantity, embrace hand-washing, buy locally as needed.
ATW vs. RTW
Aaron Herbert – Round-the-World Traveler
Accommodation Options for Long-Term Travel
Accommodation: Hostels & Hotels
RTW travelers can choose from hostels, hotels, guesthouses, and alternative accommodation like Airbnb. Each option offers different trade-offs between cost, comfort, social interaction, and flexibility. The best choice depends on your travel style, budget, and how long you're staying in each location.