BootsnAll Travel Community

Another thread got me thinking about this, and I was curious to know what all the "smart ones" would say on the matter. Does a RTW trip mean literally traveling in a complete circle around the earth, or does a six month trip to 3 or 4 continents (without actually circumnavigating the globe) count for you as well? Any thoughts?....

Good question... I always thought my trip that circumnavigated the globe was a RTW, until I read somewhere that RTWs must hit at least three continents, and I only hit two (Asia and Australia & the Pacific). I feel you should just have to go around the world for it to be a RTW. Hmph!

I think RTW implies a certain magnitude. I, for example, went on a a short trip to Australia (several weeks), coming in from the east and leaving to the west. I did go all the way around the globe, but I only touched one continent (well, two if you count my starting point) and wasn't on the road for a very significant amount of time. I do not consider myself to have done a RTW trip.

In my eyes, a RTW is when you circumnavigate the world, traveling in two or more continents, for at least several months. While I don't really consider a year-long trip to Africa a RTW, that's also quite a significant chunk of travel and I'm not going to squabble too much about terminology.

Round The World means around the globe and landinig in atleast three continents.

The trouble with decisively saying that a person has to travel 3 different continents to be considered to be on a RTW is the differing opinions on exactly how many continents there are in the world. There are those who believe there are as few as 4 and other who maintain that there are 6-7 continents in the world.

*shrugs* I have to say though, in my personal opinion, that if a person has only traveled extensively in one continent (Europe OR Asia OR one of the Americas, etc) then I cant acknowledge that as a RTW as one continent is hardly enough to offer the diversity of cultures and people and geography a RTW should experience.

However, this is all just a matter of personal experience really. RTW doesn't and shouldn't have any definite rules on how to be carried out or experienced. Thats the beauty of it, no?

I consider RTW to be circumnavigating the globe, starting and finishing in the same place, which is why I say it took me 18+ years to do it. When I landed in Vancouver in April 2005 coming back from Japan, I had finally completed a loop started in October 1986, when I visited the city en route to Anchorage.

I think the important thing is that you go "Round The World." In my case, it included four continents. However, couldn't it only be one, if you did the whole trip by boat and never reached land except for your starting/finishing point?

I wouldn't begrudge someone for saying they went on a RTW trip if they haven't actually circumnavigated the globe, but they would have to contend with everyone subsequently asking, "Wow did you actually go around the world?" and having to explain, "well, technically...etc."

I think any trip that lasts for a significant length of time and takes in quite a few countries in at least three continents. For me rtw is a shorthand for long-term, backpacking style travel, but now I write this, I realise that it isn't strictly true. You could do a five-star round the world cruise too.

It's a troublesome definition. A circle-pacific trip is as much an around the world trip as a traditional RTW hitting up NA, Asia and Europe.



Don't believe me? Turn your globe on its side.



I think the reason this forum is referred to as RTW and Vagabonding is to include different variations of long-term traveler. My big trip was by no means RTW (though I did hit up 3 continents), as I traveled slowly overland, so didn't really go that far distance wise. But it was several months long, and had most of the same challenges, just fewer flights.

i agree, rydmcalboy. i am getting those already, so sometimes i say travels within Asia.
Although with the 3-continents definition, my 10 month trip qualifies even though I spent 8 in Asia.. who knew a 24-hour layover in Paris could change so much (!?)