What do I need to do to prepare to travel around the world?

Question

I've been thinking of going on a long trip for a while but feel a bit intimidated.
How would I manage it financially? Should I try to work while I travel?
How would I be able to come back to my job? Would I just take a leave of absence?
How do I figure out where to go? Where do you recommend going?

I'd love advice on any of these questions. Thanks!

Answer 1

Howdy,

Traveling around the world isn't easy, but it's not as hard as you think either.

There are plenty of websites dedicated to helping people understand how to prepare, what to bring, what to see, and how to pay for it all.

I won't go into specifics, but I will point you toward some valuable sites (all listed below) that you can check out on your own...

1. CountryReports.org -- learn about the countries you're considering seeing.

2. U.S. State Department's tips on how to have a safe trip.

3. World Health Organization -- offers information on local health systems, diseases, and dangers.

4. Matt Gross' Reflections from a Round the World Journey -- the New York Times columnist talks about his budget-minded adventures while traveling around the world. Very entertaining.

5. Rough Guide's "First Time Around the World" travel book. An excellent resource for helping would-be travelers plan and pay for their adventure.

In the end, where you go and what you spend is really up to you. You can't travel for free, but if you plan well, and eat and sleep cheap, a leisurely trip around the world be done for less than $5,000. You probably won't get a shower every day, but you will have a great adventure

good luck and be safe,

Mike

Answer 2

The scariest part to traveling is always making the decision to go. Financially, you can look at either saving money beforehand or working during the course of your travels (or a combination of both). In terms of returning to your old job, more than likely you'd have to leave the job and then reapply once you returned. In terms of deciding what route you'd like to take, it's generally best to talk with a travel agent.

There are several routes you can take around the world, and an endless amount of places to see. I'd recomend giving yourself some flexibility with your itinerary, your plans may change drastically during the course of your travels.

I should mention that I am a virtual travel agent for STA Travel, and recently returned from a 26 month Round The World trip. If you would like to get some more information, or would like to book some things I'm happy to help with either.

Answer 3

After you find out what the law is about how long they will hold your job and talking to your boss about how it would work if you took a leave of absence for if you go around the world, don't forget to make sure that your passport is up to date (if you are in the U.S. it's said that it can take a bit longer to get a new passport). Also, make sure your vaccinations are up to date.

One country you could check out is Panama (my mom's home country). You can find out more about it not only by doing a search thru Yahoo for the general search but also the Panama category of Yahoo Answers which is under Travel. This question made me think about some places I would love to go to if I could travel around the world.

If I could travel the world I would love to go visit Holland, Norway, Japan, India (just so I could say I saw it and also because my mom worked there years before I was born), Russia, Denmark, Ecuador, Ireland, Iceland, Uruguay, Argentina, and Greenland.

Answer 4

you can try teaching English in China. They pay you to live there, give you an apartment and you only pay for your meals, well, it depends on the school you work at.
You can travel around in Europe. Train is always cheap. Thailand is nice and extremely cheap.
Mexico is always a sure shot. You can fly to Cancun and take the bus from there. But you can't work.
Wherever in the world you decide to travel, you can always look for hostels. Travel by night, and you save some money there ;) You sleep on the train and visit the city during the day.
email me if you have more questions :)
God bless u :)

Answer 5

If you truly love art and you really want to travel then be an artist while traveling. It would be hard I know but if its something that you have a passion for then why not? Also if you dont mind being low on money while your traveling then why not? You could also get a random job and do art on the side.

Answer 6

You can try the backpackers trail. You can also try to divide the world in continents and travel the select countries of 1 continent per trip. Like if you choose Asia, you can go through China, Hong Kong, Bangkok, Vietnam, Cambodia, Malaysia and Philippines or whatever country you want. If you opt to travel the world in one tour, choose and plan your route carefully so that you save travel time and actually spend time touring.

It would be hard to word while you travel. Unless you plan to stay in that country or area for a long time, like a month or more. Some that I heard of, they go to the countries where they have more spending power. Like if you earn US dollars, travel to Asia will generally be cheaper.

If your company allows a long period of vacation, then I suggest that you take that. Me, the most I can do is 1 month. And if I want to, I would travel to Europe for 1 month going to at least 8 countries in Europe. That would take me around 1-yr savings. I'm preparing for it and I want to achieve that goal before I'm 35 yrs old. That's just me, I suggest to write down your travel goal and plan for it. And just go for it.

Planes would not have been invented if humans were not meant to travel... Enjoy and be safe :)

Answer 7

hi well above there are some really great answers in my own personal experience[thrich around world] it's friends are the best source in all the countries I've visited it was through friends who have local knowledge who directed me in where to go what to see and yes travel agents are a must ticket wise and travel insurance wise it's taking the first step that's the hardest ,do plenty of research also save $$ like you want to go

Answer 8

YOU NEED TO SAVE MONEY FIRST THEN FIGURE OUT HOW YOUR GOING TO TRAVEL IT DEPENDS ON HOW MUCH VACATION YOU HAVE ON YOUR JOB OF COURSE YOU CAN GO BACK TO YOUR JOB GO TO PARIS AND ROME THE CITY OF LOVE..............