Noel Curtin is a 61-year-old tour guide from Limerick, Ireland, who set off on a round-the-world trip in 2005.
The Snapshot
- Departure: 2005
- Age at departure: 61
- Nationality: Ireland
- Location: Limerick, Ireland
- Duration: 1-6 months
- Occupation: Tour guide
- Original budget: USD 30,000 (approximately USD 51,000 in 2026 dollars)
In Their Words
Here's what Noel Curtin shared about their RTW journey:
Is this job one that you actually like, or are you only doing it to pay for the trip?
I’ll come back if they’ll have me.
Have you traveled around the world before?
Yes.
Why did you decide to take this trip? What got you into this type of travel, and/or influenced you to go?
I have walked the length and breadth of Ireland, crewed a yacht in the West Indies, and want to see more of our world.
What is your biggest fear about this trip?
Not sure, maybe illness.
Are your family, friends, co-workers, etc., supportive of you? What is their opinion of your going around the world?
Think I’m crazy, but used to me doing crazy things.
How much planning and preparing have you done?
Winged it a lot.
What are you packing? What do you consider your most indispensable item(s)?
Did not get this far yet.
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?
Give me a better view of my fellow earth inhabitants and make me a more rounded and understanding person.
If you had to sum up your thoughts/feelings about your round-the-world trip in one sentence, what would it be?
Let’s go and see the world.
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?
Insatiable curiosity in their brothers and sisters worldwide.
What is the biggest myth that people have about round-the-world traveling?
That every day is great.
Why do you like to travel?
To learn about different cultures, see different places, experience different foods, etc.
What is your advice for people planning their own RTW trip?
Don’t have any.
2026 Context
- Budget inflation: This traveler's original budget of USD 30,000 would equate to approximately USD 51,000 in 2026 purchasing power, reflecting roughly 70% inflation over the intervening years.