Round The World Adventure

To Americans it may seem like a silly concept because seriously, "who in the world has time to travel the globe in one sitting???"

Well, for starters majority of Europeans, Australians, Kiwi's and Asian's do.  Those cultures all believe that students, when they graduate high school, should set off on an adventure of a lifetime.  And while it is up to them whether they stay in one place or travel the globe they planning is essentially all the same.

You may always be thinking...."how do students afford to do this???? I can barely afford to go to Florida!"

Have you ever heard of a Round The World Ticket (RTW)???

No?

Buying a RTW ticket can be far cheaper than purchasing separate tickets to link each of your destinations.  I do not think it is advisable to buy airline tickets while traveling.....simply a bad idea.  Normally, RTW tickets allow you to visit up to 16 different places with a minimum of three stops.  Most airlines are now part of a global alliance so it would be wise to pick a ticket with an airline that has multiple partners to open up your travel options.

At this point some of you may be thinking "why would I want to do this?" and the others may be thinking, "tell me more!"

Which one are you?  The person who is just fine sitting at home and learning from the comfort of his computer or are you the person that longs for adventure and to break away from the normal daily routine?

I am going to tell you more:

PLAN, PLAN, PLAN
I cannot push this anymore.  The planning part is the most essential while you are on home soil because once you get abroad everything gets more challenging....I mean everything.  Nothing is familiar and everything is unexpected.
What do you need to plan?
First, what is the mission of your travels?  Do you want adventure the whole time, do you want to explore nature, dine in all the food capitals of the world, mark off your bucket list?  Decide why you want to travel by making a list of ALL the things you want to see, that way you know what countries to visit and for how long.
Just remember - do not be in rush while on this adventure.  Take your time....you probably will not ever do it again.

How much do they cost?
That is up to you and how many stops you want.  So anywhere between $1,500 and $10,000.

Know the airlines.
The best way to travel the globe is to book your RTW ticket through one airline alliance like Star Alliance which is a coalition of 27 airlines and offer RTW tickets with a maximum of 15 tops.  Its member airlines fly to 1185 airports in 185 countries.

How you are going to book.
This is simple.  If you book through an airline directly you will follow a rigid schedule that will charge you fees if you dare change your mind BUT it will probably save you 30% off the price of point tickets.  These tickets are not really meant to be changed when purchased through the alliance.  When you book through a company like STA Travel you can change your tickets whenever you want with no charge and also you have people behind you to help throughout your voyage.
*It is kinda like when you book travel through United Military Travel it gives you a team of people with you the whole time to help in any way they can.  It is nice to know you are taken care of always.

East or West?
Believe it or not ALL RTW tickets require you to head in one direction or the other and keep moving the same way and also start and finish your journey in the same place.

Decide on your start/finish spot.
Now that you have decided on what countries you want to visit, how long you will be in each place and in which direction you now need to pick your start/finish spot.  Most RTW tickets require you fly in and out of a major hub like London, LA, Sydney, Bangkok or Rio and adding more out-of-the-way destinations will dramatically increase the cost of the tickets.
Does all of this sound confusing?
You are not alone in all this decision making.  Contact STA Travel or Trailfinders and they can help tailor your ticket to requirements.
Get creative with your travels...meaning you do not have to all of it by plane.  Once you get into a major hub rent a car or take a train to the next location. 

Understand the seasons and where you are going.
What if your whole reason for visiting Australia was to create an endless summer but you book your arrival in May.  Australia is in the southern hemisphere which means their winter is our summer vice versa.  Some countries have a rainy season, monsoon season, hurricane season, typhoon season, dry season etc so basically do you research and know what you want to do in specific areas.

So now that you have planned......prepare yourself for you being away.
I will not go into depth with this but cover your butt while you are gone......bills, house sitting, dog sitting etc.

Ok, it is time to leave.  Enjoy the ride!!!

> > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > 

United Military Travel 
866-582-9579