Traveling around the world in the same trip is usually cheaper than doing it in several shorter sections. The secret is to plan carefully and buy your airfare well in advance. The cost of such a trip has no comparison with its monetary cost. You will know so many places in such a short time that you will have memories of it for your whole life. Here are some tips for how to travel around the world.
Steps
Method 1 of 4: Information for your trip
Step 1. Quote your trip with a “Around the World” ticket
It will be much cheaper than a dozen one-way flights. The two largest companies offering this service are Star Alliance and Oneworld. Star Alliance is the most important.
- Star Alliance is based on how many miles you want to travel. They offer passes of 29,000, 34,000 or 39,000 miles. To give you an idea, with 29,000 miles you can visit 3 continents; with 34,000, 4 continents, and with 39,000, the 5 continents. The more miles you have, the more places you can visit and vice versa. Each pass allows up to 15 stopovers (one stopover consists of 24 hours in one destination) and you can travel first class, business class or tourist class. Star Alliance also asks its passengers to start and end their journey in the same country, although not necessarily in the same city. (Also, there are passes limited to geographic regions of the world.)
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Oneworld offers two different types of passes: one based on legs and one based on mileage. Global Explorer is the best known of those proposed by Oneworld and is based on mileage. It offers three options: 26,000, 29,000 and 39,000 miles in economy class, or 34,000 in business or first class. Like StarAlliance, all miles are counted, including stretches on land.
Traveling by plane is usually the most expensive way to do it. Use price comparison sites like Travelsupermarket, Skyscanner, and Kayak, or brokers like Travelocity, Expedia, and Opodo. Pay attention to the restrictions they impose. Many "Around the World" tickets indicate that you must always travel in the same direction. Example: Los Angeles to London, London to Moscow. You are not allowed to go from Los Angeles to Paris, and from Paris to London. For this reason you must be even more organized
Step 2. Take advantage of credit card mileage promotions
If you have a good credit card, some savings and are not afraid to use it, you can use the miles you add to your card to pay for your trip.
There are thousands of options that you can take advantage of. Many banks offer a card associated with an airline. If you spend a certain amount of money in a certain period of time, you can get gift miles that you can later exchange for an air ticket
Step 3. Consider other travel methods
For most of us, frequent flyer plans are not an option. They involve a lot of planning and, of course, money. Luckily there are more accessible and interesting options to live this experience.
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To travel by train. Amtrak is the national train company in the United States. In Europe, consider buying international passes from Eurail (for non-EU citizens) or Interail (for EU citizens). In Asia, the Trans-Siberian line runs from Moscow to Beijing, where you can connect with Shanghai and then with Tokyo.
- A Global Eurail pass costs about US $ 500 and allows you to travel in 24 different countries.
- Traveling from Moscow to Beijing on the Trans-Siberian (with stops in Irkutsk and Ulaanbaatar) costs US $ 2,100 and is a 16-day trip. For each extra ticket, the cost is reduced proportionally.
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To travel by bus / collective. In the United States, Greyhound offers bus rides. In Europe, Eurolines provides tickets to travel between more than 45 European cities. Megabus provides intercity bus travel in North America and Europe.
- All Greyhound buses are equipped with air conditioning, an onboard bathroom, reclining seats with head rests, foot rests, and tinted windows. In addition to making stops en route to refuel, these buses usually stop so that passengers can rest and eat at times as normal as possible.
- From Lille to London in Eurolines, the cost of a one-way ticket is US $ 36. If you will only visit a few cities, it may be a more convenient alternative than Eurail. You can also travel free of charge with up to two medium-sized suitcases.
- To travel by boat. Cruises can be cheap if you consider that accommodation and meals are included in the price. Cunard operates transatlantic cruises. You can travel from Hamburg to New York for $ 1400. TheCruisePeople.com compares cruise prices, similar to the airfare search portals.
Step 4. Find out if you will need a visa
Surely you do not want to stay halfway in Saigon because in Hong Kong you did not get the necessary documentation to continue your trip and there is no one who can help you in Spanish. In some places you will have to pay a lot of money to get an immediate visa, but you can also find out before and save that money for something better.
The length of your stay and your citizenship are two important factors. For most Westerners, the idea of going anywhere in the world without problems seems an indisputable fact, but that is not always the case. Find out ahead of time. Getting a visa can take months. If you will be leaving and entering certain countries, know that process as well. Maybe you need a special visa
Method 2 of 4: Finding Places to Sleep
Step 1. Get accommodation
Hostels are a good idea, as there are in all countries. If you have friends or relatives who live abroad, you can contact to stay with them.
Don't let one bad hostel experience ruin the rest. There are quite a few reputable hostel chains, there is no need to wander down dark alleys to find one. With Hostelling International, booking a hostel is as easy as booking a hotel. If sharing space to sleep with strangers is not a problem for you, you can take advantage of your money. And you can also meet interesting people
Step 2. Think about couch surfing or woofing
Although it may sound too good to be true, "couch surfing" grows year after year and is a highly recommended way of traveling. Through the Couchsurfing website (www.couchsurfing.com) you can connect with people like you around the world.
If you want to stay a little longer, consider "woofing." You will work on an organic farm for a couple of weeks and in return you will get a place to sleep and meals every day. You can improve your skills and get to know other people better than in a hostel
Step 3. Become a house keeper
Better still than "couchsurfing", you can take the responsibility of taking care of a house, enjoying it as long as you fulfill your responsibilities and comply with what has been agreed. Two of the most important sites for this are HouseCarers.com and MindMyHouse.com. You will pay a registration fee, you can offer yourself as a house keeper and meet people who need someone to take care of their home.
Understandably, there are many more people looking for a home to care for than homeowners looking for someone to care for them. When you sign up, do your research to create an attractive profile. Think of this as a job interview - there are thousands of people in the same situation as you. Find a way to stand out from the rest in all possible ways
Method 3 of 4: Prepare for your trip
Step 1. Pack a few things
Unless you are traveling with a personal assistant to load all your luggage, it is best to carry as little luggage as possible. There will be several times when you will need to carry it with you. It can be at the airport between check in and check out for a few hours or it can be all day because a hotel reservation was lost or because your flight was canceled.
In addition to a few changes of clothes, include in your luggage something to read, toiletries and an adapter for international electrical outlets. You will be surprised how useful it is to have it when in the middle of Asia you need to charge your laptop battery and book the next flight of your trip
Step 2. Establish a budget
Based on the places you want to visit, how much time you will spend in each country, and whether these are 1st, 2nd, or 3rd world countries, you will need an appropriate budget. There will be unexpected expenses, so add an extra in case you have an emergency expense.
Obviously, the first world countries (Europe, the United States, Japan) are the most expensive. The developing countries (Mexico, Eastern Europe, China, Egypt) are a group of countries that is difficult to characterize but they tend to have similarities with developed countries. Third world countries (most of Africa, Peru, Southeast Asia) are the cheapest but the most difficult to navigate
Step 3. Think about your safety
Going around the world can be as dangerous as you want. Take the proper precautions to avoid falling into unpleasant surprises.
- Notify your bank. Some banks are overly responsible and will cancel your cards if they detect suspicious activity. To avoid this, let them know before you leave so they know your itinerary, not just that you will be traveling. It's also a good idea to call them when you get back.
- Don't carry valuables in a backpack that can be ripped off your shoulder or stolen without you even noticing. Invest a little money in a purse that you can always have with you. Keep your money, your cards and your passport always inside it.
Method 4 of 4: Live Easy and Cheap
Step 1. Buy what you need to prepare your meals instead of buying them ready-made
Preparing meals will dramatically reduce costs. Europe may not be as expensive as everyone says.
Living like a local will be much more rewarding than living like a tourist. Go to local supermarkets, bakeries and stores to sample the flavors of the place. Not only will you save money, but you will also have an experience that in no way can you have at home and you will see things that you would never see
Step 2. Do your research
If you are on a low budget, don't worry. You can do many things for free or at a very low cost. Most big cities have such a lively cultural scene that you will have more options than you can take advantage of.
- Time Out offers a long list of activities to do and attractions to see in most of the world's great cities. If you visit some of these cities, visit the page to make the most of your stay.
- Travel guides can be great, but they can also confuse you. When in a travel guide they discover a corner that no one else knew, it immediately becomes a place visited by their own and others. Use the guides for guidance but take the information carefully.
- Question. Who better to advise you than the locals? If you are staying in a hostel, ask the employees who work there. If you are couchsurfing, your hosts can offer to help you get to know the city. And if you are concerned about the language, pay attention. Where do all the people go? Follow them and find out.
Step 3. Stay in touch
For safety reasons, go online and write to your parents or friends regularly so they know where you are in the event of an emergency.
- It is not difficult to get a phone for little money if you are going to stay a long time in one of the destinations you visit. It's as simple as buying it and starting to use it with your SIM card.
- Only take your laptop with you if you work with it or if you really need it. Otherwise it will become a concern rather than an asset.
Step 4. Make the most of it
You are about to start a journey of a lifetime. Meet all the people you can, do everything you never imagined you would ever do, learn from it. This may be your chance.
- Let yourself go. If you know a group of Colombians who need one more to parachute, join them. If 100 people are lining up to enter a club, join. Spontaneity can be your best card.
- Get away from the backpacker area for a bit and visit the areas where you will find men smoking and drinking a few drinks while playing cards. Ask for a portion of prawns prepared at the moment. You will not only take the photographs, but also a memory for life.
Advice
- Get international travel insurance. So, no matter where you are, you can get medical help if you need it.
- You don't need to carry everything, just the essentials. The idea is to save money. Get a backpack and start the adventure. This is a unique experience and you do not need to sleep, you only need to put your heart and soul. Trust some people who will make you taste delicious local foods and find good places to sleep. Now get out, and have a good trip!
- Find out the coins to use on your trip and plan ahead. Although traveler's checks are safe, they can be difficult to cash in small countries. You can almost always find, without freaking out, an ATM, which will give you money in the local currency.
Warnings
- Make sure you have all the necessary vaccinations for your trip (yellow fever, hepatitis, typhus).
- If you prefer to stay with homestays, contact them from Skype or call them well in advance. It is important that you can trust them. Check out the comments other visitors have made after visiting them.
- Look for tips on which regions to skip or what precautions to take when visiting them.