I Want to Travel the World

Traveling around the world is often a cheaper option than a return ticket to a single destination. The secret is to plan carefully and purchase the ticket well in advance. Of course, you will probably spend more than going to a single destination because of taxes, accommodation and activity costs and a longer trip but this is more than made up for by the amazing experience of seeing many places in a short time. And memories for a lifetime. Here are some tips for how to travel around the world.

STEPS:
1. Book your flight as an "Around-the-World" ticket. If you want to go by plane, or by plane for parts of the trip, there are Around-the-World tickets. These tickets allow you to fly from city to city around the globe on your own schedule for significantly less than you'd have paid for individual tickets. Pay close attention to restrictions. Many "Around-the-World" tickets mandate that you must always be going in the same direction, ex. L.A. to London to Moscow. You could not go L.A. to Paris to London, this takes significantly more preparation.

2. Some ideas for housing are hostels, which are located all around the world or if you have friends or family who live internationally, staying with them.

3. Buying groceries and making your own meals will dramatically cut costs, as opposed to eating out every meal.

4. For safety purposes, every few days find an Internet cafe and email your parents or friends, so they know where you are in case of an emergency.

5. Spend time with the locals and be aware of your surroundings.

6. IPanda has a language guide for Europe and Asia for your IPOD. This can be practical when asking for a bus or directions to the toilet.

TIPS:
* Use TimeReq.com to check the dates and times of the countries you're going to be visiting.

* Airtreks is not always the cheapest. Try calling the airlines directly and asking for their round the world desk to compare prices. Each airline is part of an alliance. For example United Airlines is part of the Star Alliance and each alliance will book your tickets using their member carriers. For more relevant info you can also try http://www.firstclasstraveltips.com. You will find great deals on airfare, hotels, car rentals and cruises.

* Star Alliance website has a useful down-loadable PC application called the Round The World Mileage Calculator that allows you to search for and compile your flight routes between their Alliance members and verify that your chosen routes are in compliance with their restrictions.

* If you plan on making an extensive trip, One World Alliance has very good explorer tickets.

* Follow other travelers who have set out to travel around the world. Ask them for advice and learn from their experiences.

WARNINGS:
* Currency and health are always the biggest issues when traveling.

* Find out what currencies you will be using throughout the trip and plan ahead. Although traveler's checks are safe, they can be hard to cash in smaller countries. You can almost always find an ATM, and they will dispense cash in the local currency.

* For health, get international health insurance, so no matter where you are, you can get medical help or be evacuated if necessary.