Suggestions for Rtw Trip Itinerary

Hi!!!
Im in the planing stages for my rtw trip! This summer I'm spending three weeks in Germany as a test for everything. I haven't really traveled much before outside of east coast/ midwest USA and southeastern parts of Canada. I have a couple goals: inca trail, trans-Mongolian railroad, hitchhike/bike across Africa, take a freighter ship across an ocean... Any suggested itineraries? I'm planing not to leave until 2014 until I can save up so money and pay off student loans. Oh, I'm trying to travel as cheaply as possible and want this trip to be about the journey, not just the places seen. I'll be traveling solo and I'm female. Thanks!!

Oh my, that's a tall order and you're all over the place. You do love adventure and so do I but let's tie this to some reality. You didn't really say how long you'll be traveling but I'll try to help you sort this out. We've got you in Mongolia, Peru, and all over Africa, and Peru and Mongolia could easily take a couple of months each, and the flights will kill you financially. Africa could easily take up your whole year, esp if hitchhiking/biking. If I were you, I'd do something like Mongolia and other parts of Asia or Russia and maybe parts of Europe on this trip and all over S. America for later--or at least 6 and 6. Leave Africa for another trip or you'll be bypassing way too many cool things in your rush to get to another really far-away place and you won't be traveling as cheaply as possible this way. I'm assuming you're still young and have time--leave something for the next trip and never ever consider marrying someone who won't travel. A secret--it's just as much fun to travel at 50 as at 18.

Also, I don't think riding freighters or working your way around on them is an option anymore unless you're privy to some new info that I haven't heard yet. It wasn't even an option anymore when I was young and for a young woman it will be less of one for obvious reasons and less obvious ones as well. There are other ways--you could get a job helping to crew a yacht for instance. You might be able to get a job on a ferry or cruise ship but I don't know how hard those are to get.

As for hitchhiking in Africa, I've heard that it's easily done, but be very careful and pay attention to all warnings--many of those countries are at constant war--just do a youtube search of the Congo for instance. I know people who have moved away from S. Africa b/c too many of their families and friends have been murdered, and S. Africa is a favorite tourist destination but I'd imagine that it's only safe as long as you stay within the tourist confines. I want to go to Africa too, but when I go it will be to volunteer with a charity aid type organization and with plenty of references for the org so that I'll be going in to visit people who know what they're doing within the infrastructure. Does that make sense? Like otherwise, visiting Africa will be either too expensive or too dangerous--my mother went plenty of times but always on a tour and always on an expensive safari type trip. I am not a fearmonger or a super careful person, but I know too many people who've been missionaries there and they know the pitfalls. Also want to point out that over 99% of the African people will be wonderful but you don't want to get caught in the crossfire. And, did you realize that Africa is about the same size as 3 or 4 US's? That's a lot of ground to cover.

Well I'm not trying to discourage you--I want you to go and have a good time, but I'm the mother of a 17 yo and 20 yo and I'd be telling them the same thing only harsher. LOL, at 18, my older dd wanted to go to Peru and do the Inca trail and with just one friend who had never traveled and I insisted on going along and my dd is an experienced traveler. She was annoyed but I think she was glad I went. I refused to be the go-fer though--I made her go along and buy the tix we'd need by herself so she would know what to do next time and I didn't stop her from drinking alcohol b/c it was legal for her to do so there. We were in Peru only 2 weeks and it wasn't nearly enough.

Ditto what Go Girl Now says - narrow your destinations and wish list a bit. There will be plenty of opportunities for other trips, you've only got to make them and then take them.

Why are you worried about paying back student loans?

mictodric wrote:Why are you worried about paying back student loans?

I can't speak for cinco de Mary, but I personally hate to have loans hanging over my head. I will stop eating in order to pay more and get out from under one and needless to say, I've had no debt for years. It feels good.