Tom and I were idealistic and focused when we started to plan our RTW trip two years ago. We possessed an enthusiasm and basic backpacking knowledge which helped compensate for the overwhelming task of being prepared for a full year of travel. We had a map in every room of our apartment, even in the bathroom where brushing our teeth at night we would both trace our fingers across cities we had never heard of. We absorbed Lonely Planet’s advice on each country we were interested in visiting, we subscribed to blogs specifically about long term travel, and nightly we read suggested books on travelling the world on budget. We had a 4ftx5ft chalkboard calendar in our living room that had savings goals, vaccination schedules, research days and a growing list of countries we wanted to see. It also had a count down to our departure day, July 1st, 2016.

When we left, we wanted to hit every continent with the exception of Antarctica. We dreamt of some spectacular activities along the way like traveling the Trans Siberian Railway and trekking in Patagonia. We also hoped to visit at least five of the seven wonders of the world. We wanted to see everything and with genuine hopes we felt that 12 months was an adequate amount of time. Over the past year most of our plans didn’t happen. We didn’t make it to Patagonia, the Trans Siberian Railway would have been in the dead of winter, and traveling in Africa and Australia will have to come at a later date, but we’re not fixated on what didn’t happen. What did happen was worth all the mistakes and unexpected beauty we uncovered. We expected to accomplish a life time of travel goals in just a year, but after our first month in South America we discovered the beauty of traveling slow, leaving possibilities open and saving places for the inferred next time. We’re far from where we thought we would be physically on the map, but the growth we’ve undergone because we went with the flow far exceeds our expectations.

The truth is you never know where the road will take you. We did our best to plan, to be prepared, but it wasn’t until we were actually traveling that we began to feel prepared. It wasn’t until our first big mess up, or when we got robbed that we understood it was ok not to have everything planned. We learned more in a year of travel than I could have hoped for in a lifetime of school. We have put our best efforts together to answer questions we had when we left with the knowledge we've acquired since last July. 

Where To Begin

It really began for us when we bought our one-way ticket from our home in Denver, Colorado to Santa Marta, Colombia. From that moment on the reality set in that we were leaving and it surged our efforts to make sure we were prepared to leave. We had spent a few months beforehand whispering about the big trip, but there was a great deal of anxiety circling the fact that no one else we knew was doing something like us; leaving their life behind for a year, selling everything they own and traveling the world. 

We ended up taking a trip to Colombia in the summer of 2015 with our dear friend Dillon. We only spent ten days covering three major destinations and getting our first taste of South America, but we were all three like kids in this giant playground of possibility with new food, backgrounds and people. We met dozens of travelers that were pursuing long term travel goals and people taking the risk of selling it all to live out of their backpacks. We subtly uncovered that there’s no perfect recipe for who can travel and for how long. It’s up to the individual to make it happen, so with the perfect combination of bewilderment and luck we set our sites on July of 2016 to begin our travels.

How To Start a RTW Itinerary

The itinerary we left with in July consisted of four critical phases: South America, New Zealand, Southeast Asia and Europe. We came up with this outline in order to follow the summer season leaving in July and following warm weather around the globe. We also knew that we would need to find work as we traveled. New Zealand was a pivotal point in our trip, because with a working holiday visa the plan was to collect enough funds to support the second half of our trip in Southeast Asia and Europe. 

When we normally build an itinerary we load our days with the specifics of when, where, and how, leaving a bit of room for adjustment, but with a RTW trip, it was more skeletal. It’s a barebones itinerary if you will, deciphering which months to spend in certain continents rather than exact dates. We uncovered that it was unrealistic to expect to know where we would be in a year so we traveled according to our budget and the opportunities in the present moment. 

We discovered that the slower we traveled the better our trip would be. Instead of rushing through an extensive list of countries, we fell into a routine of slower travel. We savored new experiences and we avoided the rush of cramming it all in. We often extended our stay in places we really enjoyed, and because of this I believe that we saved ourselves from getting burnt out. We aren’t exhausted from constantly packing and repacking our backpacks because we were able to stay in places for weeks at a time rather than days and we’re still excited by long-haul bus rides because we have the time to space them out. 

Traveling slowly and breaking up long trips along the way also helped expand our budget. We traveled South America strictly overland, which was cheaper than flying and we were able to do that because we had time to do it. This freedom of a loose itinerary allowed us to see places we never imagined we could visit. It allowed us some time in Japan and South Korea while in transit to Vietnam and inspired us to spend five months in New Zealand rather than the planned two. Traveling open ended in a country also allowed us to delve deeper into the culture and bridge a connection with the people.

What Plane Tickets Should You Buy Ahead

Before we left Colorado, we bought just two plane tickets. One of course, was our one-way out of the states to Santa Marta, Colombia and the the second was our flight from Santiago, Chile to Auckland, New Zealand. It was critical that we purchase our New Zealand flights ahead of time because we wanted to be able to recuperate our budget while we were still working in the States. It also ended up saving our trip. We were way over budget at the end of our four months in South America and we weren’t in a place that we could have purchased an expensive plane ticket.  Having already bought and payed for our plane ticket across the Pacific allowed us to keep traveling for longer.  Traveling between continents takes a bit more planning and foresight than transportation between connecting countries. We found it helpful to purchase our long haul flights while still working. We did this again while working in New Zealand. We purchased flights to Southeast Asia and then to Europe with a few months to recuperate our budget.  

Is a Round The World Plane Ticket Right For Your Trip

There’s two strategies to executing a RTW trip. One is booking flights as you go and the other is pre-booking flights. Round the world plane tickets are ideal when you have a specific itinerary and because the flights are purchased as one consecutive journey, they will be cheaper. The majority of RTW tickets do have restrictions such as limiting travelers to continue in one direction around the globe or limiting the amount of stops you can take, but we have heard positive feedback when backpackers have the time and schedule for a RTW ticket. The major downside is the limitation of sticking with an exact schedule. Some RTW tickets allow you to adjust dates of travel, but usually not destinations so the itinerary you set up is the one you have to follow. We believe that RTW tickets are best when you have a limited amount of time and you know you want to cover lots of ground. Nomadic Matt has a good breakdown of when to purchase RTW tickets and more information on how they work.  

The Packing List

In retrospect packing for a RTW trip is no different than packing for any other trip, except it’s likely that you should encounter different climates and thus might need to adjust the clothes you pack. We expected to be following summer around the globe, but ended up experiencing cold temperatures in Peru and Chile as well as hitting Southeast Asia during the beginning of Monsoon season. We ended up having to buy cold weather clothes, like thick socks, scarves and long johns, which we then donated when we were back to warm weather climates. The key to a long trip, or really any trip is to pack comfortably, keeping the weight of your pack down, but also having everything you need. 

We set out our items a few days before we left, and then cut the amount we had in half before packing our 65 liter Gregory backpacks. We’ve encountered more people saying they over packed rather then under packed. We narrowed down a few items that we’ve found that made our life easier in the last year. 

*Head lamps have come in handy for hiking as well as on buses and when hostels down have the individual reading lights.

*Dr. Brawner’s soap which we used to wash our clothes when necessary and we always had soap when restrooms didn’t. 

*Bungee cords, which we used as clothing lines to dry out clothes or towels.

*An external charger for the phone or iPod which really came in handy while stranded with a dead phone and no map in Peru.

*Hand sanitizer or hand wipes are an absolute must. We can definitely handle dirt and germs, but there’s times when you just need to feel clean, especially on overnight buses

*Handkerchief was a must have when traveling in humid climates. It’s so nice to have when it’s 90+ degrees fahrenheit and 100% humidity outside. Plus, they’re easy to wash in the sink at the end of the day.

*A sarong which we’ve used to create a curtain for privacy in hostels, used as a blanket for the beach, or as a towel, certainly fashionable as well.

*A first aid kit, which we didn’t pack at first, but after consistently needing bandages and ointment, our friend Scott gifted us his first aid kit before his trip in Peru was over and he headed back home.

*After Bite cream for the hundreds of bug bites we’ve endured over the last year.

*A good travel towel that dries quickly and won’t smell after months of humid climates. We use Kathmandu’s Microfiber Pack & Go travel towel.

*A light weight down blanket which we’ve used on bus rides and airplane journeys. We’ve also had our fair share of overnight stays in bus terminals and airports where it’s been a nice comfort to have a blanket.

*A blow up travel pillow which meant a world of difference on the numerous overnight bus journeys we took. 

*The Life Straw water bottle saved us so much money in South America where we didn’t need to buy water. We could also drink out of rivers and actually drank the rain water in Machu Picchu because of the awesome filter it comes with. 

Things we didn’t worry about packing included beauty products such as shampoos and conditioner because we could buy them on the road as we needed them. We did find however that many countries outside of the States use roll on or spray deodorant rather than the stick, so personally for us that has been difficult to adjust to.  

How To Save For A RTW Trip

There’s no perfect recipe on how to save for an open ended trip. Adventurers from all over the world have their own methods, but in our experience it’s good to first identify what type of traveler you are and then create a realistic budget that includes attainable goals. If you travel like us and plan to enjoy good beer along the way, then the budget has to reflect that. If comfort to you means staying in hotels rather than hostels, than the budget needs to reflect that as well. There’s no wrong way to travel and what works for some may not work for others, but the key is to be realistic so that you enjoy your time on the road rather than worrying about every penny spent. 

After buying our flights out of the USA and to New Zealand, we started to asses how much money we could put aside each month after paying for bills and still enjoying everyday life. We set a goal of leaving with $12,000 each which we planned to make over a year of working. We ended up down sizing our living situation, Tom picked up extra hours at work and I got a second part-time job all in hopes of saving what we needed to. We each had a gallon glass jar to collect money the old school way in hopes to put at least a $200 cash away a week and just before we left we sold our cars, all of our furniture and most of our possessions in order to squeeze a bit of extra money into our budget. But over the course of a year, we had some unexpected expenses to pay for and we ended up taking a trip to Colombia as well as several trips to different States just because travel is in our nature. Tom also bought an engagement ring, no complaints here, but needless to say we didn’t meet our goal. Instead we left with roughly $7,000 each. 

The biggest thing we learned from not meeting our initial goal is that you can make any budget work. We learned that you have to choose carefully where you travel to, avoiding expensive countries, and for us that meant sticking to visa free countries in South America and Southeast Asia, traveling strictly by buses. We had to abide by a strict daily budget, and we were open to the possibility of working on the road, but we’re still traveling a year later.
In leaving with less than we planned, we put a lot of hopes in making money in New Zealand and that is the biggest difference between in a long term trip and a trip with a foreseeable end. It takes a lot of work and unless you have the funds, most of the time you’ll have to work to continue traveling.

What To Save Money On and When To Splurge

When breaking down our monthly expenses we found that most of our money went to room and board, two very important and unavoidable facts when traveling. But there are times when we spent more on accommodation and less on food or vice versa. We also found a few jobs that covered accommodation which saved a bit of our budget and we worked in the service industry which meant discounts on food at our work. We found that at the beginning of each month, and with the start of a new country we were pretty conservative on our budget. Mainly because it takes a few days to adjust to the change in currency and understanding the everyday cost of things. What cut the budget quite a bit in South America being able to cook in hostels. We ate out only at local street stalls and really tried to refrain from eating at restaurants. We always buy beer from the local shops rather than in hostels and at restaurants, but be mindful that some hostels don’t allow outside food or drink. It also helped that we didn’t have to buy water for four months because we had a Lifestraw.  

We splurged when it came to activities. We created what we called the fun budget. Ours was pretty small to start, only $1,000, which we decided we would put towards adventure activities over the year. We went rafting, bungee jumping, biking, sand boarding, dune bugging, snorkeling and island-hopping with our fun budget. We picked out a few key things we wanted to do in each place before hand and tried to assess the best and most affordable places to do things we wanted to. For example, we both wanted to bungee jump, and initially the Nevis Swing in New Zealand, the largest buggy in the world seemed like the best place to do it. We ended up jumping in Colombia with an incredible view and spent $13 rather than $195. We also skipped out on the Galapagos Islands in Ecuador, but with that money we climbed Machu Picchu, hiked the Colca Canyon, and trekked the Santa Cruz in Huaraz, Peru.  It’s a continuous balance between making sure the budget lasts and splurging on once and a lifetime experiences.  

Ultimate Day-Of-Travel Checklist

Every time we move from place to place we typically check a few things off the list and ensure that we have everything we need before we set out into the world without a signal. 

*Does the country you’re traveling to require a visa? Can you get it on arrival or do you need to apply ahead of time.

*Ensure that your bank card and bank have been set with the appropriate travel plans so that you have access to money when you arrive.

*Ensure that you either have a map of where you’re headed or perhaps you’ve downloaded Maps.Me for the region. 

*Have you written down the name and address for the accommodation you are headed to?

*Do you know the currency conversation rate of the country you’re traveling to?

*Do you have an idea of what transportation should cost before you head to a bus terminal or try to use a taxi service.

*Check that your phone charged.

*Check that you have water and snacks for any long haul journeys ahead as well as hand sanitizer and toilet paper. Buses with bathrooms won’t necessarily have toilet paper and rest stops along the way may not either. 

Staying Safe

It’s worthy to be attentive to the possibilities of theft and violence, but it’s very very unlikely that you will come in contact with trouble on the road. We like to say that there are good people and bad people everywhere in the world, and being aware of your surroundings will help you to keep living your life outside of fear.  

*When you’re out walking around and exploring during the day, just take what you need; a bit of money and maybe your phone. No need to bring everything if you can keep it locked up in your hostel room.

*When touring around keep any valuable items in your front pockets or in a money belt (something that securely hides underneath your clothing). It’s easier for a thief to take from your back pockets or something hanging around your neck or waist.

*When taking public transportation keep your hands on your personal items (i.e. in your pocket if you have a phone/wallet, or step on the strap of your bag if you put it on the floor). Most often we just stand and wear our backpacks forwards which also helps create space on public transportation.

*When in restaurants don’t leave your phone out on the table. Use it when you need it and then keep it in your pocket or purse.

*Having an over the shoulder bag or a double strapped backpack is better than having just a one shoulder purse.

*If you feel the need to travel with large amounts of cash then spread it out. Tom recently discovered that putting money in his shoes has been an effective way to travel with lots of cash. Usually this is when we first go to the ATM and we have to bring it back to the hostel.

*Most importantly be aware of your surroundings. There’s not much you can personally do about the actions of others, certainly in situations of violence or terrorism, but you can certainly be aware of your environment and control how you react. When traveling in crowds, be alert to the people around you and listen to your gut instincts. It may sound crazy and hyperbolic, but if something doesn’t feel right then change your environment— exit the crowd or find a different method of transportation if you feel unsafe. 

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