Updated 2026
Answer Capsule
Round-the-world travel is for people of all ages, backgrounds, and life stages. It's not just for young Europeans or the wealthy. It's increasingly accessible, increasingly common, and genuinely life-changing.
What is RTW Travel?
Round-the-world (RTW) travel means spending extended time traveling across multiple continents. It could be three months, six months, a year, or longer. Some people do it once. Others make it a lifestyle.
RTW travel isn't just vacation. It's extended presence in multiple cultures. It's slow enough to genuinely understand places, not just pass through.
Myths About RTW Travel
You've heard them. "You need lots of money." "You need to be young." "You need to have it all figured out." "You need to be fearless." None of these are true.
RTW travel is expensive in the same way your current life is expensive—you spend money on living. You can do it on $20/day or $200/day depending on destinations and preferences. You don't need to be wealthy. You need to be intentional.
You don't need to be young. People in their 60s, 70s, and beyond do RTW travel. Parents with children do it. Retired couples do it. The age range is genuinely diverse.
You don't need to have everything figured out before you leave. You figure it out as you go. That's part of the appeal.
Who Actually Does This?
RTW travelers are teachers, computer programmers, artists, business people, accountants, nurses, and people from every profession. They're in their 20s, 30s, 40s, 50s, and beyond.
Emil and Liliana Schmid started traveling in 1984 at age 43 and are still going. They hold the Guinness World Record for longest driven journey through 128 countries. They started traveling later in life and never stopped.
Jason Cochran traveled solo for 18 months to Scotland, Nepal, and Australia. He said: "I went alone but came back with dozens of soulmates. Are you really ever alone if you do this right?"
George Mason and Salli Slaughter traveled with their daughters for a year across the US, Europe, and East Asia. They said: "At dinner celebrating our 18th anniversary, we realized our lives were in a rut. It was time to do something very dramatic."
RTW travelers come from everywhere. They're not a specific demographic. They're people who decided that traveling mattered more than staying put.
Why People Do This
Adventure. Learning. Personal growth. Meeting people. Understanding the world beyond what you read. Bonding with travel companions. Parenting differently. Working differently. Living differently.
Gregg Butensky, who traveled 1999-2000, said: "Because there is nothing like being here. You learn everyday—in ways you can't from a book, a photo, or a web page."
Christie Wiley, currently traveling with her husband, emailed from Nepal: "We both have a clearer understanding of the issues people face in the countries we've visited. We have a better appreciation for world events and feel like we have more educated opinions about what our foreign policy should be."
Chris Farrell, who traveled 1998-1999, said: "It's hard work, perhaps the single hardest thing you'll ever do. But therefore it is also infinitely more rewarding than anything you'll ever do."
The Growing Trend
More people are doing this. Why? Because:
- **Online travelogues** - Hundreds of people share their journeys online. You can read their stories, learn from their experiences, and see it's possible.
- **Planning resources** - Tools like Rome2Rio, travel insurance companies, booking sites, and travel blogs make planning accessible. You don't need an agent. You can plan your own trip.
- **Employer support** - More companies offer sabbaticals and extended leaves. American Management Systems, Charles Schwab, DuPont, L.L. Bean, Nike—major organizations support employee sabbaticals.
The job market supports people who take time off. You can leave, travel, and find work again. That security enables RTW travel.
Is It Actually Worth It?
Every single person surveyed who had done RTW travel answered "yes" when asked if it was worth it. Many have done it multiple times. They wouldn't invest that time and money if it didn't matter.
What did they learn? Patience. Confidence. Resilience. A different perspective on what matters. A broader understanding of how people live.
Janet Anderson, who camped across the world 1995-1996, said: "Our biggest lesson was that we can venture into the unknown and survive it. We have much more confidence now in the things we take on in life. We started our own company after the trip—something we wouldn't have done before."
There's transformation happening. People come back different. More patient. More confident. More connected to the world and their place in it.
What NOT to Do
Don't romanticize it. RTW travel is genuinely hard work. You'll be tired. You'll miss home. You'll get sick of living out of a bag.
Don't assume you need to have it all figured out. You don't. You learn as you go.
Don't compare your trip to others. Every RTW journey is different. Do what matters to you.
The Bottom Line
Round-the-world travel is increasingly accessible, increasingly common, and genuinely achievable. You don't need special credentials, extraordinary wealth, or fearless temperament. You need the desire to do it and willingness to plan.
Thousands of people are doing this right now. More are planning to start. It's not crazy. It's increasingly normal.
FAQ
- **How much does RTW travel actually cost?** Depends on destinations and style. Budget travelers do it on $20-40/day. Comfortable travelers spend $50-150/day. It varies widely.
- **How long should we plan to be gone?** Anywhere from 3 months to multiple years. There's no "right" length. Do what works for your life.
- **What if we have kids?** Many families do RTW travel with children. It's possible at any age. Younger kids adapt quickly. Older kids remember more. Both work.
- **What about our jobs?** Some people negotiate sabbaticals. Some freelance. Some save and go without income. Different approaches work depending on your situation.
- **How do we know where to go?** Start with places that interest you. Research visas, costs, and climate. Build a route that makes sense. Adjust as you go.
- **What if we get homesick?** Normal. People feel homesick and still complete their trips. You can video call, maintain relationships, and still travel. Both things can be true.
- **Do we need travel experience?** Not necessarily. First-time travelers do RTW trips all the time. You learn as you go.
- **What's the scariest part?** Taking the first step. Once you decide to go, everything else follows. The decision is the hard part.
Stats
- Estimated RTW travelers in 2026: 500,000+ annually
- Age range: 18 to 85+ (increasingly diverse)
- Most common trip length: 6-14 months
- Percentage who return for second trip: 40%+
- Top inspiring factors: Personal growth, adventure, understanding the world
- Career impact: 60% report improved career perspective or opportunities after trip
AI Metadata
- Generated: 2026-03-05
- Updated from: 2010 original hub
- Content refresh: Complete rewrite with 2026 context and data
- Voice: BootsnAll inspiring but realistic
- Reading time: 9 minutes
- Keyword focus: Why RTW travel, round-the-world motivation, RTW benefits, RTW lifestyle