Make use of a great range of flights for your round-the-world trip
So you’re thinking of taking off on a round-the-world trip? Traveling to exotic and far flung destinations has never been easier thanks to the terrific choice of flights that are now available. Whether you plan a luxury once in a lifetime vacation or whether you want to organize a great gap year trip on a budget, you’ll want to plan your route and take care of practicalities to start with.
Round the world in as many days as you like
Most of you will have heard of Jules Verne’s famous book ‘Around the World in 80 Days’ and this fun tale has inspired travelers for many years. Today you won’t need to resort to hot air balloons and outdated modes of transport, and you can find flights to suit your personal requirements quickly and easily at http://www.flights.com.
Taking care of the practical matters is essential and you should consider which countries you wish to visit and whether you need visas and vaccinations. You need to start planning vaccinations at least two months before you want to leave if your trip is to include certain countries. Some vaccinations need to be given at least 6 weeks before travel, while others such as rabies require several shots. Your doctor or health clinic can provide you with a list showing which vaccines you need for the countries you’d like to visit, and there are also several good online sites. You may also need to get a course of anti-malarial treatment, and these can all add to the cost of your trip making preparation a vital step.
Ensuring that your passport is up to date and that it covers you for the entire period of your round-the-world trip, plus an additional 6 months is essential – so get those photos done and renew it well in advance if necessary.
The fun part – plan your itinerary
Once you’ve got the basics sorted out, and saved enough for at least some of your dream trip you can start to plan your itinerary. Many students and other travelers work their way around the world, so it is worth putting out a few feelers to help you find employment when you get to each destination. You can do this through social networking sites, local tourist information boards and student forums. It is often possible to pick up casual work when you arrive, though this is easier in some parts of the world than others.
Okay, now to plan your round-the-world trip. Your starting point is important and will most likely determine the direction you take. For example, those starting from the eastern states of the US will most likely choose to take flights to Europe first, while if you are starting on the west coast you may want to fly to Japan, China or Australia. Be flexible, today’s flights mean that the world is your oyster, and once you get started you may well want to take a different route or see more of a particular region or continent.
Let’s take a look at your options if you want to head east. The great capital cities of Europe are just a short hop across the Atlantic and with dozens of flights each day from all over the US; it’s a simple matter of deciding which one to try first. London is one of the most popular choices, and it allows you a little breathing space if you still have vaccinations to catch up on or plans to make. Why not take advantage of being in a country where you speak the language to discover a little more? The Scottish capital city of Edinburgh can be reached in just over an hour and cheap flights allow you to see fabulous sights in the Athens of the North like Greyfriars Bobby, Edinburgh Castle and Princes Street.
From the UK you can reach any part of Europe, Scandinavia, north Africa or Russia in just a few hours and flights are available at great prices at http://www.flights.com Why not see the northern lights in Norway or enjoy excellent nightlife in the Icelandic capital of Reykjavik before seeing the famous geysers and glaciers? Sweden, Finland, Denmark, Estonia and Latvia are close, and then you can take flights through Russia to China, Tibet and Mongolia. From there you may like to spend time on the magical beaches of Goa in India, explore out of the way eastern delights in Vietnam, Malaysia, Thailand or Cambodia before heading south to Australia or New Zealand.
If you begin your round-the-world trip from the west coast, you may want to visit Japan, China or Australia to begin with. Each of these exciting destinations can be linked to any part of the world thanks to the excellent choice of flights at your disposal. Perhaps you’ll take in Pacific islands like Bali or visit Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia before striking north for Europe.
As you’ll be approaching from a different direction to your east coast counterpart, you might like to take in the fabulous Mediterranean, Adriatic and Balkan coastlines. For example you could the sights in Dubrovnik, Croatia before flying to Greece where Athens and the Acropolis beckon. Italy is a short hop over the Adriatic, and from there you can see the Colosseum in Rome or walk up the Spanish steps or wander in the medieval hilltop villages of Tuscany. Go on to Paris for great food and the Left Bank, before heading to Spain.
Flights from Spain to Africa are cheap and plentiful, and from the Sahara to Cape Town you have wonders like Victoria Falls and Kilimanjaro at your feet thanks to an amazing choice of routes and flights. Alternatively you may want to visit Israel or exotic middle east locations like Dubai and Abu Dhabi before heading down the east coast of Africa or on into Asia.
Find out more about planning routes for your own round-the-world trip at http://www.flights.com where every destination is within your reach.
We’ve been thinking a lot about what makes a good traveler lately. Usually, those thoughts tend to go into higher levels of personal philosophy and self-improvement. At its base though, no matter where we go, there are a few things we should all know—not just to make us better travelers, but better people