I won’t lie, planning for, and booking a round the world trip can be super overwhelming and time consuming. Lots of people have lots to say, and each of your choices, from locations to airlines, depends on so many factors, it’s a tad ridiculous.

Don’t stress too much though, T4F have the superhero cape out, and are totally ready to save the day. Below you’ll find all you need to know about planning one of the best trips of your life!

This is PART ONE of a pair of blogs to explain RTWFs, next week, tune in to find out how to plan your itinerary, pricing, and understanding the fine print.

What is a RTW ticket?
This type of ticket allows you to have a multi-stop adventure. Instead of heading from A to B and home again, you can knock a bunch of destinations and experiences off your bucket list.

Bookings include multiple flights across one of several airline alliances, to multiple destinations of your choosing. You can take short stays and hop from one place to another, or plan for a longer journey (gap year, anyone?) and see multiple countries and destinations along the way.

The tickets are flexible, but often require you to be taking a trip ten days or longer, with a maximum lapse time of a year.

Are they worth it?
Ah, the ever-elusive money question. This largely depends on a few things: -Where you want to go, how long your trip will be, how detailed your planning is, and how you make your booking.

First up, you need to be sure of your REASON for travel. Is it a short ‘I’m a cultural sponge style trip, or an ‘I’m going to find myself for 6 months’ a’la Eat Pray Love? Figure out why a RTW ticket appealed to you in the first place, and you’ll quickly be able to establish if they’re right for you.

For a lot of things these days, doing your own research and booking online is the way to go, but RTWFs don’t seem to be quite there yet. There are loads of websites that allow you to plan your own journey, but currently your best option, once you’ve made all the crucial decisions (see below), is to talk with travel agents.

Remember, a round the world trip does not just have to include flights. Agents will be able to help you work out the best ways to travel to destinations, and these might include other means of travel, like ferries, coach trips, even tours that take you from one location to another, making it an experience in itself, rather than a few quiet hours with a movie and a plane meal.

Find a company that suits you and offers the type of ticket you’re after, whether they specialise in student flights, or even in RTW flights themselves, and you’ll be able to sit with someone who knows what they’re talking about, and plan the trip of a lifetime.

Not only do agents have a wealth of knowledge from their profession and their own personal travels, they also have access to flight information and other details not made readily available to the public. Doing your own research is paramount to having the best holiday possible, but there are people beyond the screen who are more than happy to help.

Things to think about before make a booking:
Options for locations are pretty much limitless, BUT, some things you need to sit down with a glass of red and come to terms with, include:

– You can’t go everywhere. Prioritise. Where is your dream destination? Is there a cluster of them you could visit together?

– What kind of traveller are you? Luxury, arts and culture, or hostels, treks and beers in a local pub?

– What kind of schedule do you want to have? These types of tickets work best if you have a strict schedule and can plan and book in advance.

– Can you/Do you want to stop in major cities?

Tickets aren’t seasonal, but they are subject to availability, and you must book all flights prior to departure, so it’s best to book as far in advance as you can, and have as much planned out as possible when you make your booking.

Get those notepads out, jump on Pinterest, and start brainstorming as soon as you can!

Next time we tackle some of the finer points of planning and purchasing RTW tickets, stay tuned and subscribe!