RTW 2013/2014 Itinerary Feeback

Hi All,

I am looking for feedback on the below itinerary. Primarily looking for feedback about schedule feasibility (# of locations as well as climate at the time I'm looking at), recommendations on places that should be more/less time that I've scheduled and cost. Obviously I am not going to be sticking to this plan to the day, but am using it as an outline.

Thanks!

Location | Arrival Date | Days Stayed | Departure Date | Schengen | Cost/Day | Country Cost
Oregon | 7/1/2013 | 5 | 7/6/2013 | | 40 | 200
US | 7/6/2013 | 35 | 8/10/2013 | | 80 | 2800
Europe | 8/10/2013 | 120 | 8/10/2013 | | 123 | 14840
-Russia | 8/10/2013 | 0 | 8/10/2013 | N | 70 | 0
-Finland | 8/10/2013 | 0 | 8/10/2013 | Y | 140 | 0
-Sweden | 8/10/2013 | 0 | 8/10/2013 | Y | 140 | 0
-Norway | 8/10/2013 | 0 | 8/10/2013 | Y | 140 | 0
-Ireland | 8/10/2013 | 7 | 8/17/2013 | N | 140 | 980
-Scotland | 8/17/2013 | 7 | 8/24/2013 | N | 140 | 980
-UK | 8/24/2013 | 7 | 8/31/2013 | N | 140 | 980
-Denmark | 8/31/2013 | 4 | 9/4/2013 | Y | 140 | 560
-E. Germany | 9/4/2013 | 4 | 9/8/2013 | Y | 70 | 280
-Czech | 9/8/2013 | 7 | 9/15/2013 | Y | 70 | 490
-Austria | 9/15/2013 | 3 | 9/18/2013 | Y | 140 | 420
-Hungary | 9/18/2013 | 3 | 9/21/2013 | Y | 70 | 210
-Turkey | 9/21/2013 | 4 | 9/25/2013 | N | 70 | 280
-Greece | 9/25/2013 | 7 | 10/2/2013 | Y | 140 | 980
-Croatia | 10/2/2013 | 7 | 10/9/2013 | N | 70 | 490
-Italy | 10/9/2013 | 14 | 10/23/2013 | Y | 140 | 1960
-Switzerland | 10/23/2013 | 3 | 10/26/2013 | Y | 140 | 420
-W. Germany | 10/26/2013 | 6 | 11/1/2013 | Y | 140 | 840
-Netherlands | 11/1/2013 | 3 | 11/4/2013 | Y | 140 | 420
-Belgium | 11/4/2013 | 4 | 11/8/2013 | Y | 140 | 560
-France | 11/8/2013 | 8 | 11/16/2013 | Y | 140 | 1120
-Spain | 11/16/2013 | 14 | 11/30/2013 | Y | 140 | 1960
-Portugal | 11/30/2013 | 5 | 12/5/2013 | Y | 140 | 700
-Morocco | 12/5/2013 | 3 | 12/8/2013 | N | 70 | 210
US | 12/8/2013 | 25 | 1/2/2014 | | 40 | 1000
Central America | 1/2/2014 | 40 | 1/2/2014 | | 50.75 | 2030
-Mexico | 1/2/2014 | 6 | 1/8/2014 | | 50 | 300
-Belize | 1/8/2014 | 4 | 1/12/2014 | | 60 | 240
-Guatemala | 1/12/2014 | 8 | 1/20/2014 | | 50 | 400
-Honduras | 1/20/2014 | 6 | 1/26/2014 | | 40 | 240
-Nicaragua | 1/26/2014 | 3 | 1/29/2014 | | 40 | 120
-Costa Rica | 1/29/2014 | 8 | 2/6/2014 | | 60 | 480
-Panama | 2/6/2014 | 5 | 2/11/2014 | | 50 | 250
South America | 2/11/2014 | 60 | 2/11/2014 | | 61 | 3700
-Brazil | 2/11/2014 | 10 | 2/21/2014 | | 70 | 700
-Argentina | 2/21/2014 | 10 | 3/3/2014 | | 70 | 700
-Chile | 3/3/2014 | 10 | 3/13/2014 | | 70 | 700
-Bolivia | 3/13/2014 | 5 | 3/18/2014 | | 45 | 225
-Peru | 3/18/2014 | 10 | 3/28/2014 | | 70 | 700
-Ecuador | 3/28/2014 | 5 | 4/2/2014 | | 45 | 225
-Colombia | 4/2/2014 | 10 | 4/12/2014 | | 45 | 450
US | 4/12/2014 | 20 | 5/2/2014 | | 40 | 800
Asia | 5/2/2014 | 48 | 5/2/2014 | | 64 | 3085
-Japan | 5/2/2014 | 5 | 5/7/2014 | | 140 | 700
-S. Korea | 5/7/2014 | 8 | 5/15/2014 | | 70 | 560
-China | 5/15/2014 | 10 | 5/25/2014 | | 70 | 700
-Laos | 5/25/2014 | 5 | 5/30/2014 | | 45 | 225
-Cambodia | 5/30/2014 | 5 | 6/4/2014 | | 45 | 225
-Vietnam | 6/4/2014 | 5 | 6/9/2014 | | 45 | 225
-Bali | 6/9/2014 | 10 | 6/19/2014 | | 45 | 450
Oceania | 6/19/2014 | 20 | 6/19/2014 | | 140 | 2800
-Austria | 6/19/2014 | 12 | 7/1/2014 | | 140 | 1680
-New Zealand | 7/1/2014 | 8 | 7/9/2014 | | 140 | 1120

descendents8085 wrote:Hi All,

I am looking for feedback on the below itinerary. Primarily looking for feedback about schedule feasibility (# of locations as well as climate at the time I'm looking at), recommendations on places that should be more/less time that I've scheduled and cost. Obviously I am not going to be sticking to this plan to the day, but am using it as an outline.

Thanks!

Location | Arrival Date | Days Stayed | Departure Date | Schengen | Cost/Day | Country Cost
Oregon | 7/1/2013 | 5 | 7/6/2013 | | 40 | 200
US | 7/6/2013 | 35 | 8/10/2013 | | 80 | 2800
Europe | 8/10/2013 | 120 | 8/10/2013 | | 123 | 14840
-Russia | 8/10/2013 | 0 | 8/10/2013 | N | 70 | 0
-Finland | 8/10/2013 | 0 | 8/10/2013 | Y | 140 | 0
-Sweden | 8/10/2013 | 0 | 8/10/2013 | Y | 140 | 0
-Norway | 8/10/2013 | 0 | 8/10/2013 | Y | 140 | 0
-Ireland | 8/10/2013 | 7 | 8/17/2013 | N | 140 | 980
-Scotland | 8/17/2013 | 7 | 8/24/2013 | N | 140 | 980
-UK | 8/24/2013 | 7 | 8/31/2013 | N | 140 | 980
-Denmark | 8/31/2013 | 4 | 9/4/2013 | Y | 140 | 560
-E. Germany | 9/4/2013 | 4 | 9/8/2013 | Y | 70 | 280
-Czech | 9/8/2013 | 7 | 9/15/2013 | Y | 70 | 490
-Austria | 9/15/2013 | 3 | 9/18/2013 | Y | 140 | 420
-Hungary | 9/18/2013 | 3 | 9/21/2013 | Y | 70 | 210
-Turkey | 9/21/2013 | 4 | 9/25/2013 | N | 70 | 280
-Greece | 9/25/2013 | 7 | 10/2/2013 | Y | 140 | 980
-Croatia | 10/2/2013 | 7 | 10/9/2013 | N | 70 | 490
-Italy | 10/9/2013 | 14 | 10/23/2013 | Y | 140 | 1960
-Switzerland | 10/23/2013 | 3 | 10/26/2013 | Y | 140 | 420
-W. Germany | 10/26/2013 | 6 | 11/1/2013 | Y | 140 | 840
-Netherlands | 11/1/2013 | 3 | 11/4/2013 | Y | 140 | 420
-Belgium | 11/4/2013 | 4 | 11/8/2013 | Y | 140 | 560
-France | 11/8/2013 | 8 | 11/16/2013 | Y | 140 | 1120
-Spain | 11/16/2013 | 14 | 11/30/2013 | Y | 140 | 1960
-Portugal | 11/30/2013 | 5 | 12/5/2013 | Y | 140 | 700
-Morocco | 12/5/2013 | 3 | 12/8/2013 | N | 70 | 210
US | 12/8/2013 | 25 | 1/2/2014 | | 40 | 1000
Central America | 1/2/2014 | 40 | 1/2/2014 | | 50.75 | 2030
-Mexico | 1/2/2014 | 6 | 1/8/2014 | | 50 | 300
-Belize | 1/8/2014 | 4 | 1/12/2014 | | 60 | 240
-Guatemala | 1/12/2014 | 8 | 1/20/2014 | | 50 | 400
-Honduras | 1/20/2014 | 6 | 1/26/2014 | | 40 | 240
-Nicaragua | 1/26/2014 | 3 | 1/29/2014 | | 40 | 120
-Costa Rica | 1/29/2014 | 8 | 2/6/2014 | | 60 | 480
-Panama | 2/6/2014 | 5 | 2/11/2014 | | 50 | 250
South America | 2/11/2014 | 60 | 2/11/2014 | | 61 | 3700
-Brazil | 2/11/2014 | 10 | 2/21/2014 | | 70 | 700
-Argentina | 2/21/2014 | 10 | 3/3/2014 | | 70 | 700
-Chile | 3/3/2014 | 10 | 3/13/2014 | | 70 | 700
-Bolivia | 3/13/2014 | 5 | 3/18/2014 | | 45 | 225
-Peru | 3/18/2014 | 10 | 3/28/2014 | | 70 | 700
-Ecuador | 3/28/2014 | 5 | 4/2/2014 | | 45 | 225
-Colombia | 4/2/2014 | 10 | 4/12/2014 | | 45 | 450
US | 4/12/2014 | 20 | 5/2/2014 | | 40 | 800
Asia | 5/2/2014 | 48 | 5/2/2014 | | 64 | 3085
-Japan | 5/2/2014 | 5 | 5/7/2014 | | 140 | 700
-S. Korea | 5/7/2014 | 8 | 5/15/2014 | | 70 | 560
-China | 5/15/2014 | 10 | 5/25/2014 | | 70 | 700
-Laos | 5/25/2014 | 5 | 5/30/2014 | | 45 | 225
-Cambodia | 5/30/2014 | 5 | 6/4/2014 | | 45 | 225
-Vietnam | 6/4/2014 | 5 | 6/9/2014 | | 45 | 225
-Bali | 6/9/2014 | 10 | 6/19/2014 | | 45 | 450
Oceania | 6/19/2014 | 20 | 6/19/2014 | | 140 | 2800
-Austria | 6/19/2014 | 12 | 7/1/2014 | | 140 | 1680
-New Zealand | 7/1/2014 | 8 | 7/9/2014 | | 140 | 1120

That looks absolutely miserable. WAY too rushed...and this is coming from someone who rushes himself. 5 days for all of vietnam? 3 days for morocco? 5 days for Japan? Why even bother flying to these places? You're going to be more familiar with the airports than anything else. I guess I don't see the point in flight/travel to some of these places if you'll literally have time for nothing more than seeing the city you fly into. I'd cut this list down by about 2/3 and then re-focus.

For instance..I've got a RTW coming up..I'll be seeing ~15 countries, about 3 weeks per country, give or take. Even this is rushed for some people, but it works for me. I'd seriously reconsider your schedule before moving forward with anything else.

Also, you're in the Europe and Southeast Asia when it's cold and rainy, and hot and rainy. I'd reconsider these times you're visiting as well. Netherlands, France, and Belgium in mid-late November doesn't seem so appealing to me...

I agree- WAAAAAY too rushed! You'll be burnt out after Europe alone at that pace (I'm not sure why the first four countries are listed as it looks like you're not planning to visit them?).

Second, one of the loveliest things about a long rtw trip is that unlike a normal trip you don't have to plan much- just "I want to wander around Europe for 4 months with a vague idea of where I want to go" is fine. If you were in, say, the Netherlands for 3 days (which I'm assuming means just Amsterdam- barely enough to see the city at a rushed pace) and realize you want to see more of the country than you can instead of thinking "what a shame that I have to catch the train to Belgium tomorrow!" Hard to believe, I know, but there will be future trips to return to the places you've skipped.

Wow! I'm exhausted just reading that list.

I get that you want to see EVERYTHING!! But going to more countries doesn't actually mean you get to see more. In Europe you can travel from capital city to city, but all you will see is cities (which can start to blend together). You won't see the little towns, the beautiful lakes or the mountains. But if you spent 3 weeks in one country, you can get to see more diversity.

To pick out a few countries - you have 5 days planned in Ecuador, but for me one of the highlights of my round the world was the week I spent sailing around the Galapagos which won't fit with your schedule. Particularly if you include the time hanging around in Quito to get a good last minute deal for the trip. Peru -you have 10 days, but when I was there there were protests that meant we ended up stuck for 4 extra days in Cusco as every road out was blocked. Vietnam - you have 5 days! I spent one month there, and would have liked an extra week as I didn't have enough time for everything I wanted to do.

My advice would be not to book anything. That outline is fine for working out budgets, but don't book flights or accommodation before you leave. That way when you get to Europe you can figure out what pace of travel works for you. Remember when you're travelling for that long you WILL get sick and need to stop and rest for a while. You will meet really cool people who are heading somewhere not on your list and want to go with them. You will realise that this is not a 'once in a lifetime' opportunity. There's no reason why you can't do a second round the world trip later on!!