BootsnAll Travel Community

Okay everyone, here is my (rough, VERY rough) itinerary!
I don't plan to take this trip until over a year from now, I'm just putting this out there so I can get some feedback from all of you experienced RTW'ers out there. I used AirTreks to pick the flights, the numbered items are flights, the un-numbered items are overland (London to Singapore, Thailand to India, Nairobi to Rome, Madrid to Paris). I've found out the prices for some of the rail tickets, small flights (Kathmandu to Lukla), etc..
Anyway! Tell me if you think there is anything along the way that I should visit...or even go out of my way to visit (I am holding off on South America and Australia for a reason, I'm planning separate trips to those destinations later). I was contemplating whether or not I should pay a visit to the 'stans (Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, etc..), wasn't sure though. What about Africa? I'm clueless as of what to visit there, I know I'd really like to see Victoria Falls, seems like visa prices are outlandish there too (especially Sudan ($150 for Americans!)). I plan on doing some scuba along the way as well, any recommendations? The Middle East is a huge interest of mine but I'm worried about safety being that I am a lone female and American, whereabouts are safe/interesting places to visit under my circumstances (I'd really like to go to Yemen, Oman or Qatar)? I am a 22 yr old female traveler going at it alone keep in mind.



Itinerary as of the present time (subject to change, most likely will):


1. Nashville, TN, USA > London, England (Gatwick)



London, England > Singapore :

-overland by Eurail (Eurail Global Pass - 1 month) visiting Netherlands, Germany, Switzerland, Austria, Czech Republic, Poland, and Ukraine to Moscow (via rail from Kiev - $70 - add on approx. $718


-overland by Trans-Mongolian Railway, Moscow to Beijing - 26 days, see itinerary (will open in a new window) http://www.trans-siberia.com/tours-ultimate.html - add on approx. $2,870


-overland through China via bus/rail - currently unestimated cost, details to come in future


-overland through Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, Thailand, Malaysia to Singapore via bus/rail/boat/light aircraft - currently unestimated cost, details to come in future



2. Singapore > Kuching, Malaysia (used to live there, going back to visit some friends).



3. Kuching, Malaysia > Bangkok, Thailand



Bangkok, Thailand > New Delhi, India:

-overland through Burma (Myanmar) via tour bus/car (country insists on travelers being accompanied at almost all times, the only way an American citizen can enter the country is if they are part of a tour and with a visa...unless entering illegally....the consulate wouldn't like that.) -currently costs are uncalculated, details to come


-overland through Bangladesh, into Nepal and Tibet to India (possible side trip to Bhutan depending on whether or not I can find a cheap package tour and aquire a visa as they are both requirements), Annapurna Base Camp trek (14 days $80), Everest Base Camp trek (15 days about with acclimatization $102 for flight to Lukla from Kathmandu via Yeti Airlines, 13 day trek paying guide $8 a day from Lukla to Everest Base Camp, accomodation is included in guides fee)



4. New Delhi, India > Nairobi, Kenya



Nairobi, Kenya > Rome, Italy:


-overland through Kenya, Tanzania, Zambia, D.R. Congo and Sudan to Egypt via bus/car - costs uncalculated, details to come}


-overland/sea through Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Cyprus, Turkey by boat/bus/car - cost uncalculated, details to come


-overland to Greece and oversea from Athens, Greece to Brindisi, Italy, overland to Rome (visit to Vatican City) {boat via Hellenic Mediterranean Lines (seat only) from Athens (Patras) to Brindisi, Italy $71, with %20 discount with Eurail card, - other overland costs not yet estimated



5. Rome, Italy > Madrid, Spain:



Madrid, Spain > Paris, France:


-overland through France via Eurail Regional Pass -about $233



6. Paris, France > Nashville, TN, USA

-end-

Thanks a ton in advance, budget will be around $25,000, I plan on going for one year, possibly over depending on finances. I very much apologize for the billions of questions!
Oh yeah. I have a blog that I've created to document my planning and eventually my trip.
(it will open in a new window)
http://kailanik.blogspot.com/

Thanks!!!!!
~Kailani

quote:

London, England > Singapore :

-overland by Eurail (Eurail Global Pass - 1 month) visiting Netherlands, Germany, Switzerland, Austria, Czech Republic, Poland, and Ukraine to Moscow (via rail from Kiev - $70 - add on approx. $718

Only a month for this transit? I'd double that if you want to see all those places... unless you're just passing through...in which case, it might be cheaper to find some budget airline and skip places in the middle.

lots of overland travel. Why is the Trans Mongolian Railway $2870? That seems more then a flight.

Ok, so I was doing some rough calculations on what I see as good time frames for the place you are going and I reckon you should be looking at 2 years rather than one to do all that.

It sounds like an amazing trip but I fear you would be rusing through virtually every stage of it just so you could squeeze the next bit in.

Its not meant as a harsh critcism, more just something I think everyone whos planning extended travel like this does - We want to see it all!!! We want to cram as much in as possible, why wouldnt we?! In reality though, on such a long trip its beneficial; to lookrealistically at times you want to spend places and then double it. You need time to relax, to unwind, to have a day off every week or so, to actually stop and take it all in, to uncover a place, discover it, to get a feel for whats good to do there, to meet locals or just for plain unpredictibility!

I think its important to look at just a few must sees and take it from there.

I see England through Europe to Moscow as - 2 months
Trans Sib (Mongolian) - 1 Month
China - 1 Month
Vietnam/Laos/Cambodia/Thailand - 3-4 Months
Malaysia/Singapore <1 Month
Myanmar (you'll need to check this thoroughly before departure as routes through to India are ???) - <1 Month
Bangladesh/Nepal/Tibet/India - 2-3 Months
Everest and treks - 1 Month
African part Kenya - Egypt - 3 Months
Middle East - 2-3 Months
France/Spain - 1 Month

Ok, SO I make that 21 Montsh roughly. I think to try and do that in 12 would be biting off too much. Its important to prioritise where is important if you're going to drop places because I cant tell you which part of that is least important to you.

Again, its not meant to be a harsh criticsim jst hopefully something that you can go away and think about and maybe have a little rrethink. Heck, I've changed my plans more times than you can shake a stick at and sometimes its crazy when you look back over those initial ideas.

I hope some of thats helpful and I'm always happy to answer any questions you've got or any questions about anything I've said.

Thank you all so much for the replies (I've had it on thorntree for a good week or so and have had tons of views but no replies, one day on bootsnall and bam!) haha =)

My big problem is I do want to see everything, I do have unlimited time...but not money, I plan on trying to make my money stretch as much as possible and longer than 12 months would be incredible...I just don't know what to do as far as the RTW ticket goes. Should I just drop that (airtreks is who I've planned on going with) and just get tickets along the way or will that kill my budget?

Also, I want to see Europe but not as much as more of SE Asia (used to live there, love love it), Russia, Africa, and China. I just chose the 1 month Eurail because the only countries I plan on visiting there where Eurail will be beneficial at the beginning of my trip is Netherlands, Austria, Switzerland,Germany and the Czech Republic. I have friends that live in England. I want to spend more time in Asia and Africa because I can spend double the time in 2-4 countries there then I could spend a week in Europe.

China I'd like to spend a lot of time in, as well as Africa....but I'm clueless about that continent. Where are the best places to visit? Safest? I'd like to see Tanzania and Kenya for sure. Sudan I'll probably not see, every site I visit about the place has warnings against travel there and the visa cost is ridiculous.

The Trans-Siberian is so expensive because it a tour, it includes some activities along the way and stops at each main attraction along the way. Is there a cheaper way to go about this and see Mongolia and Russia?

Londoncard2: in your past experiences how long have you been able to make your budgets last? I plan on having about 20,000-25,000 (USD), I still have schooling left (bachelors in english) that I'd like to finish before I head out, as well as my TEFL certification, I'm doing this in case I come across a great opportunity to teach along the way.

Much thanks to all of you!!!

I replied to you a few hours ago on LP. You dont need to do a tour for the transsid - check the russia board on LP a poster called ruth there has fantastic info. IF you don't know what to see in Africa do some research - no one can do that for you because only you know your interests

quote:

Londoncard2: in your past experiences how long have you been able to make your budgets last? I plan on having about 20,000-25,000 (USD)

Budget questions are always tough as a lot of it depends on the individual in question. How you like to live, what sort of food you like, how much travelling you actually do, if you drink (alcohol that is) and how many sites.activities you want to do.

Here's a very rough guide to how I see it (everyone has a different opinion on this bare in mind).

Developed Countries - Approx US$2000-2500 a month. You can add on another couple of hundred if you're a heavy drinker, likewise take off a couple hundred if you dont touch the stuff.

Developing Countries - Approx $800-1800 a month. Depends where exactly and again on the individual and what you're upto.

You can survive on less of course and you could easily spend more.

My rough expenses -

US and Canada $3000 a month.
South America $1800 a month
New Zealand $2200 a month
Oz $3000 a month
SE Asia (excluding Singapore and HKG) $1600 a month.

What does that all mean? Well it was staying in hostels virtually all the way except for large parts of SE Asia where hotels worked out cheaper for 2 of us and hsotels were not available.

I did pretty much everything I wanted to do and see sights and museum wise. Including Sjy Dive, Scuba Course, Macchu Piccu, Grand Canyon, Uluru, Whitsundays, Angkor Wat. Also did Elephant tracking, white water rafting, bamboo rafting, jungle trek and hill tribe trek in Thailand. Plus a bunch of other activities throughout.

I ate out a fair bit. Not super deluxe or anything but I did want to try the local grub most places plus I treated myself every now and again to a good meal (normally in the cheaper countries).

A drank a fair bit of alcohol - That adds up pretty quickly. Not excessive but rare were the days when nothing was consumed.

I personally see $25,000 being good for a years fairly relaxed, tight but not too tight travel. It really depends on the individual. I spent fractionally more than that (rtw ticket excluded) in just under 12 months and for me I'd rather I did the things I did than not do them just to stay that extra month.

I guess what I'm saying is $25,000 is sufficient to travel for a year. Its easily possible to spend more whilst others could stretch taht out an exra couple of months. Its really upto you and how you travel. Generally we all like to travel cheap, just some of us can manage more cheap than others!

Londoncard2:

Thanks for the info!!
I've traveled/lived some in SE Asia (Indonesia, Malaysia (lived there), Singapore (lived there), and Thailand so I'm somewhat familiar with the low cost of living I can get away with there (which is great!) and after researching Africa (via internet, LP and Let's Go) I've found those to be fairly cheap countries too (with the exception of the visas of course).

I'm a fairly frugal person, I'll definitely be staying in hostels and eating strictly local food though there are some activities that I'd like to do along the way (scuba, Serengeti, Panda's, Elephants, Angkor Wat, etc.).

As far as drinking goes I do drink once in a while but being that I am going solo I won't be drinking as much as I would if I took a person along with me. I'm sure though I'll meet people along the way and have drinks here and there. =)

I was thinking of taking somewhere between $20-30,000 and hopefully extending the trip over a year.

I think I also might omit the western Europe leg of my trip all together and add a few more Middle Eastern and African countries. After some research I might not purchase a RTW ticket, I'm really afraid of being tied down or locked in by a single ticket...I'd really like to do a lot of overland travel and a few of the cities I had wanted to fly to and from weren't even an option on Star Alliance, One World, or Sky Team (but all available with Air Treks...but like I said, don't want to be locked in).

Thank you all for the replies and wisdom you've shared with me!
Midlifetravel: I replied to ya on thorntree, thanks again!!
Londoncard2: Thank you tons for the budget info!!!

sorry if i sounded abrupt above - you've obviously done a lot more work than many do before they post - particularly on LP - which probably why u got more comments here! The advice above for budgets sound spot on!
Paraphrasing you on LP:
Bhutan - is it worth it - dunno - haven't got there yet! I have never quite managed to get over the price. The place is apparently changing since they got tv a few years ago. most of the tourists will be middle aged and well off obviously!
If you really want to get to Poland you can always fly US/UK (or elsewhere in western europe) and then pick up a cheap flight to Poland - many poles work in ireland and UK so there will be lots of flights - from there you could overland to Vietnam :-)
Cant comment on Africa - havent done much of it. India is amazing!
Seasons are a big deal in parts of the world - particularly trekking in Nepal. Are u going next year - the olympics is going to book everything out in Beijing. I wrote about planning your trip here
Just to add an extra - do you know that US citizens under 30 can get a work permit for NZ ?

Thanks midlifetravel, you didn't sound abrupt at all! Thanks for the info once again. I had planned this trip about 4 years ago and ended up not going, too young, etc.
Now after some school and some growing up I'm at it again with every intention of doing it this time I'm an english major and getting my TEFL after I get my degree so I can maybe teach little english along the way. I won't be in Beijing during the olympics, it'll be probably not till '09 when I leave. (School to finish, saving to do).

So I did a little research on Bhutan and have found that the country charges a $200 per day tourist tariff not counting the cost of a visa. Crazy.

Yeah I've found it cheaper for me to fly into a major hub like Gatwick, Heathrow, Dublin, Glasgow Prestwick, etc. That's a great idea you have, I've found that flights from London to Warsaw are only about $100! =) and from Dublin to Warsaw $90! Thanks!

I plan on traveling overland there after as much as possible. All the way down in to SE Asia. India is a definite destination I plan on visiting. I would love to pay a visit to NZ, is it very difficult to get a visa there? It'd be awesome if I could manage to get job along the way (then just keep on traveling!), after all it's what I want to do with my life (teach english/travel).
Thanks again for the info, you have a wealth of info on your page! Thanks for the link!

Hiya Kailani

Sounds like a fab trip you're planning.

Just to add a few wee ideas - look up info about Truck Arica or similar trips that are really quite reasonable but most of all, safe. You'll meet a pile of great people and there are lots of different itineraries to choose from. You could end the trip in South Africa and stay there for a while or take a side trip to Zanzibar.

If you're interested in diving you've just got to include Egypt in your trip. I could easily live there, in fact I almost did. The Red Sea is a bit dived out so I'm always wary of telling people about it but it's just such an amazing experience I can't deny others the fun. You'll egt addicted to the diving so put aside a bigger chunk than you planned for that. Otherwise, Egypt is a very affordable country and relatively easy to get around. Travelling on the Nile being the best. One word of warning though - be very wary getting buses alone. It can be a bit daunting. Stay with a group if you're travelling through some of the more out of the way areas.

From Egypt you could cross to Jordan, up through Israel and so on...

Best
linds

www.ecotravellogue.com

Linds:
Awesome info!! Thanks! I was struggling with finding any amount of budget airlines in Africa. The truck idea sounds great, though I've found an announcement on their page that they are ridding of all the short term tours in Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Zambia, Malawi, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Namibia & South Africa and only offering long haul tours throughout Africa, which still actually isn't a bad idea, just not sure of the price yet. But with your recommendation I've done a search and found other outfits that offer great tours and just transportation throughout Africa, thanks!!!
Ahhh! Scuba! I've found that Mozambique has some great places to scuba. I didn't even know that there was scuba in Egypt! That's exciting because I definitely plan on heading there!! What (on average) does it cost to dive in Africa? Is it fairly cheap?
My plan now is to do what you recommended, travel from Egypt up through Jordan, Israel, etc. Is it safe to travel by land up to Turkey? Or would it be better to get to Turkey via Cyprus?
Thanks again for all your info!!!

quote:

Should I just drop that (airtreks is who I've planned on going with) and just get tickets along the way or will that kill my budget?

my vote is definitely yes. Sometimes its even cheaper and easier to get certain flight on your own. And for the freedom to book as you go its worth it if its a few extra bucks. Just go to kayak and get an idea of what it will cost before you go so you don't get sticker shock when you're already out there

You're route sounds well planned if you leave some time (or room for flexibitiy) in some places.

Scuba diving in the Red Sea was pretty cheap for me but then I was earning pounds sterling at the time. A dive is about $50 if you do just one but I would highly recommend doing either a course or buy a bunch of dives, that's usually the easiest way.

Sharm El Sheikh at the top of the Red Sea is probably the most popular resort as Ras Mohammed Marine park is protected. It has some really cheap places to stay. Check out the Ocean Lodge and Red Sea Diving College who have dorm beds so it's a great way to meet fellow travellers. I stayed there about 9 years ago when I was travelling around the Middle East myself and met some people who I've stayed close friend with.

Dahab on the way up the coast to Israel is cool too. Very backpacker orientated and has some awesome dive sites. And check out the relatively new Marsa Alam; I haven't been yet but I bet the underwater life is so far unspoilt. (I'm getting jealous even thinking about it!)

I would avoid Hurghada like the plague though. There are too many dodgy dive companies and it's way too dived out.

As for travelling upland to Turkey, just check what the borders are like when you're there. I never got to go through Syria as there was a bit of a kerfuffle going on at the time but I was dying to. You can always go via Cyprus on the ferry to Greece.

Be wary travelling though Turkey by yourself too, I had to be way more cautious there than any of the other countries because men believe all western women are game on. Cover up, get something for your head and don't show any more than you have to. Once you're in the toursity areas and beaches it's grand.

linds
www.ecotravellogue.com

RobinMarie: Thanks for the input, I'm most likely just going to acquire tickets along the way, I've found tons of little budget airlines throughout Europe and Asia that offer very reasonable to fares that'll get me to where I want to go. As far as my route goes, it's changing every day! haha I'm getting all kinds of great ideas from thorntree and bootsnall from experienced travelers! I've added in a few more countries in the Middle East and changed up Africa a lot, I also plan on shortening the European leg of the trip as it's too costly to spend so much time there, I can also head over there for a second trip later (after all I can't stay anchored for too long and I assume I'll want to head out again after finishing up this trip). haha =)

linds: Wow! That sounds like an awesome price for scuba! I plan on getting in a few courses along the way as eventually I'd like to become a Divemaster and then trainer. Thanks for all of the awesome info on dive locations as I'm totally clueless when it comes to locations in or near the Middle East! Thanks soooo much again! =)

londoncard just wanted to say that i'm always so impressed with how thoroughly you respond to folks' questions about their budget. thanks for contributing so much.

You asked that we comment on where you should not miss in your rough itenerary - here's my thought -

When you get to Singapore, make sure to go to the Night Zoo. (Unless you are opposed to zoos in general). It is fantastic. There are lots of plants and the lights are high, so they filter through the leaves like moonlight. The animals were chosen because they're noturnal, so they are much more alive. When I went, it was pouring down rain so many people left. I wandered all alone and sat for long times on benches in shelters by the enclosures. At one, i couldn't see any animals in the enclosure until I had sat for 5 minutes, then I saw there was a tiger right near by. It is so very very cool. I give it 5 thumbs up!

Thank you all again for your replies, I appreciate it all. Thanks Kathryn for the recommendation! I've actually been there! I lived in Singapore for 4 months. It was awesome!!!
=)
Thanks again all, check out my site to follow my travels/planning,
http://kailanik.blogspot.com

~kk

I wouldn't recommend driving from Bangkok to New Delhi through Myanmar with a tour group. Most of that money would probably go toward propping up the military dictatorship that substitutes for government there.

Myanmar itself is definitely worth visiting though. You can fly to Yangon from Bangkok for pretty cheap (arrange for your visa in advance.) Spend a few weeks exploring Myanmar and then when you want to head on you can fly from Yangon to Kathmandu, and maybe New Delhi, but I'm not sure.