Best Countries to Start Your RTW?

Hello everyone! I am a writer here on BootsnAll, and I am working on an article about the best places to begin your RTW adventure, and I'm looking for feedback from you all. The article is geared towards first time RTW travelers, so we're looking for destinations that aren't going to be a huge culture shock, aren't terribly expensive, and are just good spots to ease into the whole long term travel thing. Just looking to cover all my bases and see if there's any country that maybe I hadn't thought of yet. Any suggestions would be much appreciated! Thanks in advance.

What are you paying for consultants fees

Hey seabass,
The countries that come to mind that fit your description are:
Australia
New Zealand
Argentina
Chile
United Kingdom
Germany
The Netherlands

You've probably considered most or all of these anyway but that's what comes to mind when you say "least culture shock, easy to travel in, etc." When you add "not too expensive" in the mix I'd say maybe Czech Republic, Costa Rica or Portugal.
Good luck with your article.
Ben

I'd also recommend Argentina as a good start. It isn't too expensive, has a good variety of things to do, and with Buenoes Aires as a landing point, it would be similar to a traveler from north america, europe, or australia (assuming that is the target audience for your article)

Also, with spanish as the central language for almost all of south and central america, the first leg of the trip could all be done learning / perfecting a single language as you venture into more exotic adventures in the rainforest or andes.

ben

My take on this question is quite different - it depends where you come from....I think one of the key reasons most people travel (other than for work or family) is to be exposed to something DIFFERENT, so choosing somewhere NOT like your home town is good. If you come from Singapore, then going to South America or Siberia will work. If you're from NZ (like me) then anywhere with a history of more than 200 years fits the bill (which is most of the world).
So then to narrow down your choice you need to consider other factors. What is the traveller interested in - outdoor pursuits or museum-hopping, learning a particular language or diving with dolphins......
So at the end of the day it comes back to the individual. No one prescription will fit everyone.

I agree and also think it depends so much on who you are and what your prior traveling experience is. I don't think I'd recommend a solo 18 year old who's never been out of the country head straight to SE Asia for example, but that's where I headed first because I'd already found my travel legs (in NZ).

Others may disagree with me of course but I think of how shy I was when I first started traveling solo and I just don't think I could've done it without having been to an "easy" country first!