Planning For Your RTW Trip

Planning an extensive adventure around the globe can be simultaneously thrilling and daunting. Learn from my mistakes.

Dream BIG:
Want to ride elephants in Thailand? Bungee jump in New Zealand? Celebrate Carnavale with locals in Brazil? Seriously, whatever you dream, you can do. Don’t limit your big dreams with irrational fears. Dream as big as you dare, then figure out the logistics later.

Hiking Machu Picchu in 2010

Create Structure:
I’m an organized person. I can’t help it; I love structure! To-do lists, goals (big and small), timelines… I love them all.

How well do you know yourself? What kind of structure do you need to make your trip work? Do you hate being rushed or would you prefer to have tight, set timelines? Are you open to meeting new people and straying from your planned itinerary? Define your “must do’s” up front and then fill in the rest of the details as your plans come together.

Research Early:
This seems like a no-brainer but neglecting to research your destination (or worse, making assumptions based on others’ experiences) could lead to disaster.

• Flying Accommodations: when are the cheapest seasons to travel and the best times to book?
• Currency rates: how is the exchange rate, the inflation? Where are the best places to exchange your currency?
• Visa/Passports: do you need a tourist or work visa for your destination? How long is it good for/when do they expire?
• Credit Cards Abroad: credit companies can gouge you with international withdrawal fees—check with your bank for the best credit option to avoid unnecessary expenses.
• Insurance: how long will you be traveling and what kind of coverage will you need?

Allow for Change:
Allow for natural shifts in the structure of your trip. Your timeline and destinations might look completely different after your first few initial rounds of research. That’s okay! Your adventure is uniquely yours and it’s unfolding exactly as it should. Allow for that change.