BootsnAll Travel Community

Hey All, I'm getting (hopefully) a much better Job soon which means I may be able to get money to save up for a RTW Trip.

But the thing is that I don't know how much to try and save up. I don't care if it takes me 10 years to save up, I just need to have an idea of how much I need.

I've worked out a rough Itin of what I'd like (this will probably change a 100 times in the next few years) and I've tried to work out how much it will cost but I really have no idea.

Tunisia - 1 Week - £350
Libya - 1 Week - £350
Egypt - 2 Weeks - £700
Jordan - 2 Weeks - £700
Turkey - 1 Week - £350
India - 6 Weeks - £2100
Thailand - 2 Weeks - £700
Cambodia - 2 Weeks - £700
Indonesia - 2 Weeks - £700
Vietnam - 2 Weeks - £700
China - 2 Weeks - £700
Trans-Siberian to Moscow - £500
Russia - 3 Weeks - £1050
Mongolia - 1 Week - £350
Russia - 1 Week - £350
(Flight to Canada from Magadan)
Alaska - 1 Week - £350
Other Areas of Canada - 3 Weeks - £1250
U.S.A. - 6 Weeks - £2500
South America - 6 Weeks - £2100

Plus of course there will be pre-trip expenses such as Medication, First Aid Kit, Insurance, etc.

I am more than happy to stay in low-end accommodation (hostels are great!!) and eat locally.

I'm guessing that (including airfare) I'll need about £20k but that seems rather extensive...I think I've over-estimated how much I'll need for certain countries but many of them I have no idea about and so find it difficult to budget for.

Any idea's anyone?

btw, I plan to get a RTW Ticket rather than point-to-point (unless anyone can persuade me that point-to-point will be cheaper).

Thanks for you help in advance guys.

Hey Helen..hope you're doing alright hun...

Will take a look at your itin at work and see what i reckon..

At first glance I'd reroute slightly...and India kinda throws a spanner in the works a little...

I'd Middle East east it then upto Moscow..transib to Bejing, down to HKG and into SE Asia...then prolly route you through Australisia (maybe use the 6 weeks you have in India in NZ?) an then onto South America before North America and home..I reckon I could work that on a nice rtw ticket for you!

Its only what looks good to me at first glance but I see a fair bit of backtracjing which would make the rtw ticket quite difficult. Wil take a good look for you though.

I think budget wise some areas are over a fair but and Russia visa ads complications and cost although I think its well worth it. I estimate yor rtw at current prices to be around the £2300 mark inc taxes.

Thanks Card hunny....(long time no see!! Hope you're well!!).

I have no problem with re-routing, however I really DID want to get to India at some point...and New Zealand really doesn't interest me at all, neither does Australia.

I'll PM you hun with some details of prices...thanks!!

Wow! Much more interesting and daring places than I chose. Love it. Have no advice but wanted to wish you luck with the new job and the savings. I managed to save almost $20 000, (not including airfare which I paid back in Jan) and I'm leaving in a month, so it is possible. Just takes patience and sacrifice and a change in habits.

Hi Helen. Think you need to do more work on your costs. Unless you're staying at Claridge's I don't see how you could spend £50 a day in India and all of SA for example. Looks like that's your default figure for everywhere.

I'm sure someone put up a link to a spreadsheet on here ages ago which, while it may be a little out of date, might give you a better idea of comparative costs. Had a quick search and hey presto, the post in question is here.

£20k sounds a lot for a trip of less than a year, but I guess it depends where you end up and what you do. I'd hope to spin that sort of money out for a couple of years perhaps. All relative though. How about setting yourself a target figure, going when that is reached, then travel on it for as long as it lasts? My saving is on similar lines to that, which at least makes the end date relatively predictable. The final amount will be within a range of known figures. Good luck with it.

Thanks for all the advice guys...

Ralph, you are indeed correct...I basically thought £50 would work out quite well and would leave me with some leftover...but you are quite right, £50 in India for example would be waaaaay too much!!

Thank you for the Excel Spreadsheet reference Ralph...much appreciated...I'll have a look at that and see if I can tweek my Itin a bit...after all, I have quite a few years before my Debts are paid off and before I can leave...

Thanks again everyone!!