Home
| Around the World | Deals | Circle the Pacific | Asia | Business Class |
| Getting Started | |
| Keeping Ticket Costs Down | |
| Travel Documents | |
| Buying Around-the-World Tickets |
There are three interdependent considerations in planning around-the-world travel:
Budget - What is your budget for airfare?
Time - How long are you planning to travel?
Goals -What are the main interests determining where you want to go?
Once you answer these three questions you can begin researching routings around the world and airfares in earnest. This seems simple, but the myriad of available options quickly complicates things. So decide on these three items up front. You can always revise your ideas as you gain more information about around-the-world travel and tickets.
A limited budget does not necessarily mean a short trip. If you have 6 months but only $6,000 total budget, you can still enjoy a trip around the world if you spend the majority of your time in less expensive destinations such as India, Thailand, Turkey, Greece, and various countries in South East Asia.
On the other hand, if you have only three weeks for the entire around-the-world experience, you should consider westward travel around the world to minimize the effects of jet lag.
Are you seeking beaches and solitude, culture and people, or more adventurous activities such as surfing, diving, hiking and climbing as you travel around the world? As the answer to this question becomes clear, make a list of the places you want to visit.
Where and when you choose to travel may be greatly influenced by climate and seasonal weather patterns. In addition to the potential discomfort and inconvenience of excessive rainfall and/or heat or cold, you need to be aware of extreme weather conditions that prevail during certain times of year in some areas of the world, such as monsoons and hurricanes. Visit the Air Brokers International, Inc. Newsletter for general climate information or for more destination-specific information, check out this site about climate around the world.
Traveling around the world in one continuous global direction will help keep the price down. For example, a ticket from Bombay to Bangkok and Bangkok to Hong Kong will be much cheaper than flying from Bombay to Hong Kong, then back to Bangkok. Once you have your list of preferred destinations, look at an atlas or globe to figure out the best sequence for visiting them.
High season typically means the nicest weather/climate time of year for any given destination. But flights are fuller and accommodations scarcer, so it's important to book well in advance.
Low season tends to be less expensive with better flight and accommodation availability. There will also be fewer people at your destinations.
When you book your flight and purchase your round-the-world ticket, you do not have to fly in and out of the same city in every country you visit. In fact it's sometimes less expensive if you do not. If you have the time, we highly recommend as many independent overland trips as possible. That's how you meet local people and fellow travelers who can help you with information on where to stay and what to see. We believe the people you meet while traveling to be your best source for information on the road. For instance, when you stop in New Zealand on your way to Australia, chances are good you'll meet people there who are coming from Australia. They will have the most current information on what there is to see and do there. We've found travel book information is generally 1 1/2 - 2 years old for the best, most traveled routes. In more remote areas, the books will be further out of date. So talk to your fellow travelers and learn about their adventures in around-the-world travel.
To accommodate overland travel plans you will use "surface sectors" when booking your around-the-world ticket:
When you travel overland between two destinations and catch a flight in a city that you did not fly into. For example, consider the following partial round-the-world route: flight from Bali, Indonesia to Darwin, Australia; overland Darwin to Sydney; flight from Sydney to Christchurch, New Zealand; Christchurch overland to Auckland, New Zealand; flight from Auckland to Fiji. The overland segments in this route are "surface sectors."
Surface sectors can be combined to create some very interesting around the world travel routings and do not add to the cost of the tickets as they count as one stop - not two. Our travel counselors will do the work for you. Just let them know you're interested in incorporating overland travel and let them help you build your dream trip, book your flights and acquire your tickets.
Bangkok, Thailand, surface to Singapore
Sydney, Australia surface to Cairns, Australia
Auckland, New Zealand surface to Christchurch, New Zealand
Athens, Greece surface to London, England
Moscow surface to Beijing (Trans-Siberian)
Nairobi surface to Johannesburg
Bangkok surface to Shanghai
Cairo surface to Istanbul
Hanoi surface to Singapore
Perth surface to Melbourne
Get your paperwork together for around the world travel as soon as your plans are set. Once you know where you're going and roughly how long you're staying, you can research what kind of documents you need for each destination. It's very important to check all of your documents before your trip.
Your passport needs to be valid for at least 6 months following your return from the trip. It is advisable to carry a few passport photos during your travels. For more information regarding passport documents, visit: Frequently asked questions regarding passports and citizenship documents for U.S. Citizens.
For US passport holders, go to Travel.State.Gov, select the country you want to visit, and view the Entry/Exit Requirements section. For the most up-to-date information, contact the U.S. embassy or consulate of that country.
For travel to Australia, Air Brokers can work with ETA (Electronic Travel Authority) for visas via telephone and email for a nominal fee. This results in a tourist visa valid for one year allowing visits of up to 3 months in length at a time, and it allows you to have it taken care of without the paperwork or hassle of dealing with the Australian embassy yourself.
This is very important since the events of Sept. 11, 2001. Travelers used to be able to buy tickets elsewhere in the world to continue their travel. For example, after flying from San Francisco to Thailand, one could purchase a ticket in Thailand to fly to Bali. But things have changed. There is no country left where you can arrive on a one-way ticket unless you have a permanent stay visa, a student visa or a work visa. You must arrive with an onward ticket - a ticket out of that country or region. If you anticipate an issue with this due to overland travel plans, ask your Air Brokers International, Inc. travel counselor to help you with a work-around.
Visit the Buying Tickets section of our site to get the specifics on planning your itinerary and booking your around-the-world tickets.