Emmanuel "Bid" Bidegain is a 30-year-old international trade consultant from France who set off on an open-ended round-the-world trip in 2002.
The Snapshot
- Departure: 2002
- Age at departure: 30
- Nationality: France
- Location: France
- Duration: Indefinite
- Occupation: International Trade Consultant
- Original budget: approximately USD 73,400 in 2026 dollars
- Regions: Europe, Africa, Asia, Oceania, South America, Central America
The Route
Eastbound, starting with Europe, then Africa, Asia, Australia, South America, and Latin America.
In Their Words
Here's what Emmanuel "Bid" Bidegain shared about their RTW journey:
Is this job one that you actually like, or are you only doing it to pay for the trip?
One more paycheck and I’m gone.
Why did you decide to take this trip? What got you into this type of travel, and/or influenced you to go?
I love to travel and I get bored with doing any one thing for an extended period of time (aka work). By traveling, I never stay in any one place for a long time, and it is different everywhere you go. As well, I found the perfect person to go with, a person who enjoys travel as much as I do.
What is your biggest fear about this trip?
Snakes such as “The Black Mamba”. If I run into Jeff Corwin or the Crocodile Hunter anywhere along our trip, then I know snakes are nearby.
How do you think your round-the-world trip will change your life? How do you think it will affect and change you as a person?
I believe that it may drastically alter my life, in that I may not want to come back and lead a “normal” life, one that our industrialized society has deemed “normal” with the house and the white picket fence and the 2.4 kids. I know that a trip like this will give me a much greater appreciation for life and a greater respect for mankind in general. It will also make me realize how fortunate and grateful I should be in having the opportunity to travel around the world, meet different cultures and visit these different places.
If you had to sum up your thoughts/feelings about your round-the-world trip in one sentence, what would it be?
Carpe Diem - Seize the Day.
Why do you think people should go on round-the-world trips? Why not just take a regular old one- or two-week vacation instead?
A regular one- or two-week vacation has a start and an end. During that period, you know that there is a quick end in a few days. You know that you have to go back to the grind when you get back. Subconsciously, you only begin to relax when it is time to leave. As well, on a regular vacation, you usually only go to one place, one location; you can only see so much. Going on an RTW trip, you are able to spend the time to learn through other cultures and peoples rather than just do a touch-and-go landing into that area.
2026 Context
- Budget inflation: This traveler's original round-the-world budget equates to approximately USD 73,400 in 2026 purchasing power.