I previously posted this to the US forum but didn't recieve much feedback. Hope you worldly travelers can help me out. My husband and I are retiring next May. We have the time and budget for a 2 month trip. We want to go around the world in 60 days. I am looking for suggested itineraries, with perhaps some feedback as to why you chose the route. Our criteria is:

-Start and end in San Francisco
-Exclude all other North America cities
-Northern hemisphere only
-Exclude Ireland, England, Paris and Italy.
(already been there)
-Preferably 4-5 total stops
-Any mix of land/air is OK

I did this several years ago, but spent 3 years and the world was a lot different then (went to Malaysia, Afghanistan and Iran, for example). But I can give you a few suggestions of how I would do it today starting from S.F.

First to Japan...then Hong Kong, S.E. Asia--Vietnam, Cambodia (now that they're safe--there was a war going on when I was living in Thailand), Thailand (don't know if Malaysia is safe enough now--check Asian board for that, but I loved it, especially Penang)

Then on to India and Nepal. One thing about India (again, check out Asia board for more information)--it is a fascinating country, but I wouldn't go back because the poverty really depressed me--depends on your threshold.

Then you would need to fly over Pakistan (would not recommend going there--especially for women) Afghanistan and Iran to Turkey. Maybe go to Israel depending on current situation (it's an incredible country) and on to Greece, Spain and maybe southern France.

I realize I've mentioned far more than 4-5 total stops, but just wanted to narrow things a bit and give you some feedback and ideas to start off your plans.

Go to bookstores and start checking out guides and do the same on the Internet to give you more of an idea of what appeals to you.

Also, I think if you could add at least a few more weeks (or even a month) this might work out better because you'd be less rushed and have more time in different places.

Good luck and have fun planning.

Wow congratulations Parrothead sounds like an excellent adventure. American Airlines has an around the world desk that deals only with these sort of trips. Also do you have any frequent flier miles that would be an excellent way to use them. Most around the world itineraries require you to travel in a continuous direction...no backtracking so you might want to keep that in mind with your planning. Good luck and congratulations on your retirement.

The two big airline leagues, Star Alliance and OneWorld, each offer various products for RTW travel. Star's is based on total mileage, OW's on number of continents visited. These are far cheaper than buying point-to-point fares, and to really treat yourselves, you can fly in business class surprisingly inexpensively. Go asap to flyertalk.com and read the postings under the "Global Alliances" topic on the "FT Miles" board. Many, many Q&As on RTW itineraries, dos and don'ts, all that.

Personally, I'd use the opportunity for RTW travel to get to places I wouldn't typically be able to afford or have time to get to; South America, Mongolia, the Indian Ocean islands, but everyone's different.

For something completely different, go to www.freighterworld.com and look at various RTW or segment itineraries using freighters. Very comfortable, interesting, affordable, and even if you're in some place where you might be nervous about local conditions, you can retreat to your cabin on the ship and wait for the next port of call. Spouse and I did this a few years ago (just across the Pacific) and have never had a more relaxing, fascinating travel experience.

Thanks for the feedback Katherine and Gardyloo. But the input I am seeking is where to go and why. The how and how long are not the problem. Also, books and websites are loaded with info, but they are usually indexed by location, so again I need help determining where to go, then I can research further how to spend my time while I am there. I cannot book anything without an itinerary. It is the itinerary I need ideas for. And since my time of year is May/June/July I am only interested in the Northern Hemisphere. I do agree the trip should be to unique, exotic, not otherwise traveled locations for us. This is why I am looking for help. It seems obvious to go to Spain, Italy, Germany and France; but this trip is about the more unique, once in my lifetime type of trip. I will get back to Western Europe in future trips.

Also, I have no interest in going to India.

Too bad you want to skip the southern hemisphere...many great places to visit. I love Chile, Argentina and Brazil...New Zealand, Australia, South Africa, Seychelles..etc..just a few places I would go to...If I were going on a once in a lifetime trip I would go to more out of the way places. I would skip Europe entirely..Thats just my 2 cents..
Good luck on your planning..

San Francisco to Thailand to India to the Seychelles and/or Kenya (go see the animals!)and/or So. Africa to Morocco to Spain to Portugal to San Francisco. This will give you a very wide range of cultures, climates and scenery.

I'm with Katherine - you're missing some great travel opportunites by limiting yourself to the Northern hemisphere. I assume you're doing so to avoid winter in the Southern hemisphere, but traveling in winter has some perks, unless of course, you just don't like winter!

We've flown around the world three times and have a fourth trip scheduled for September. We live in the Middle East, so our trip begins in Kuwait - we then fly to Dubai-Bangkok-Singapore-New Zealand-US-Germany then back to Kuwait.

The main goal is to get us to NZ for our holiday, then to the US to visit family, so we don't make many stops along the way. It's just the best way for us to

I'm with Katherine - you're missing some great travel opportunites by limiting yourself to the northern hemisphere. I assume you're doing so to avoid winter in the Southern hemisphere, but traveling in winter has some perks, unless of course, you just don't like winter!

By the same token, if you plan to visit any exotic places such as Egypt, Turkey, or the Middle East, you're traveling at the height of the summer season, and it's going to be miserably hot!

We've flown around the world three times and have a fourth trip scheduled for September. We live in the Middle East, so our trip begins in Kuwait - we then fly to Dubai-Bangkok-Singapore-New Zealand-US-Europe then back to Kuwait.

Our goal is to get to NZ for our holiday, then to the US to visit family, so we don't make many stops along the way.

You've posed a rather broad question. Perhaps if you provided some insight into your interests, the posters here could be of more help with an itinerary.

Some exotic locations I can suggest are:

Oman, United Arab Emirates, Maldives, Turkey, Jordan, Greece, China, Greenland, Iceland, wow, the choices are endless....

Best of luck with your travel plans - it sounds like a fantastic opportunity.

It would be helpful to know a little bit more about your personal preferences. Are u city people - ie culture, museums, shopping? - or country people - beaches, hiking? Why the Northern hemisphere only proviso? These 2 questions are connected. You also don't say whether cost is a factor. Deviating just a little from what the airlines want to sell you can cost a disproportionate amount.

Anyway - can I suggest a trip across the S Pacific for beaches and Polynesian culture in the Cook Islands (u will have to check the weather at that time of year. I don't know off the top of my head). And then to Sydney - vibrant city - enjoy the harbour, and the food. Take in a concert or something at the SOH. Then a side trip up to N Queensland (tropical rainforest, the Great barrier reef - winter is the BEST time to visit).

Now a choice: (1) on to Hong Kong (has to be seen); train to Beijing (centuries old culture) and then maybe (my own next project) the trans Siberian - for the journey - and then for Moscow and St Petersburg. You could continue by train to Warsaw? Prague? Berlin? Take your pick. I have only visited Prague of these - atmosphere, music, architecture - wonderful city.

(2) Or from sydney go to south africa (or on to kenya or tanzania) and do a safari - or to Egypt for a taste of Arab/Islamic culture and the fabulous ancient monuments.

(3) or - fly Royal Brunei Airlines from Brisbane if you don't mind a lot of stops where you don't STOP (if you know what I mean) - and take time in either Thailand or India (India for me). They fly Brisbane - Darwin - Brunei - Bangkok (or Singapore) - Calcutta - Dubai - London.

A lot depends on your budget.

Okay, northern hemisphere it is. SF to:
Edinburgh, tour Scotland esp. Highlands and Islands. Then
Norway, take the mail boat all the way to the top (even Spitzbergen if possible. Cool way to see the Euro Arctic.) Then
St Petersburg and historic Rus. Then
Prague and some of the Bohemian castle towns. Then
Istanbul, for an overdose of history and to dip toes into the non-western world. Then
Singapore, with excursions as conditions warrant into Malaysia. Instant Asia. Then
Tokyo and northern Japan to return to the Pacific rim. Then
Hawaii to decompress. (Alt NZ if you can cross the equator.)

This shouldn't be a hard itinerary to arrange, and it doesn't count in-country excursions in the various locations.

The answer to your question is very personal. You must decide yourself where you want to go. You may not be able to string all of these places in one RTW fare. However, if you pay for some side trips, this may make it possible.

Consider flying over the Pacific first as there is generally less jet lag flying west as one's body clock is thought to be 25 hours and flying east puts even more stress on the body to adapt.

Consider Japan* (Kobe), Hong Kong, Singapore, India? (Agra/Taj Mahal and Goa beaches+history), Maldives? (maybe-it has the world's best beaches), Dubai? (very commercial place), Jordan* (Petra), Egypt* (Giza pyramids and Luxor), Morocco* (Marakesh and Nador), Greece, and even Syria (Aleppo)

*must see's,

It is sometimes cheaper to fly West to East rather than East to West if that's ann issue. There are consolidators who can tailor an exact itinerary for you if you don't want to do the Star Alliance, etc., thing. And please realize that when you start complaining about someone's "attitude" toward your request you need to realize that you're asking other people to take a lot of time and effort to make honest suggestions to someone who has given very little info about likes, dislikes, etc. There are many here who are more than willing to help and spend a lot of time doing research so they can provide decent information and answers...but when one starts to feel as if they are being used for convenience sake then a little "attitude" might just start to creep into replies.

Intrepid,
I asked for itinerary suggestions with some commentary about why. I got 11 responses and only 4 were about itineraries. Thank you Artlover, Brotherleelove2003, Gardyloo and Hiroshi. As for using people, I spend alot of time researching, but I am interested in personal feedback from seasoned travelers, whom I respect very much. Avoiding the guidebacks and seeking personal response is why I post here. Call me crazy, but I thought that was the purpose of this forum.

Anyone who feels used by me is free to ignore my requests. For everyone else, I thank you all for sharing your time, experiences and energy with me.

FYI- I have already started researching the Norweigan mail boats, as of now it is on my semi-final list along with Iceland, Amsterdam, St. Petersberg, Istanbul, Greece and Bangkok.

Here's hoping all of your travels are happy.

Hi Parrothead,
I did a RTW some years ago (last blast before starting a family), started in Europe, and the places I enjoyed most were Indonesia (Java & Bali) and Japan (pretty much all over). So much, in fact, that if I were to do it again I'd include them again. Why? Culture, landscape, food, different experiences (the chance to play in a gamelan orchestra; visiting Japanese schools, etc.) and wonderful people. Here's where I wish I'd gone as well:
Malaysia
Thailand
more of India

I've travelled in China since then and LOVED it for the same reasons listed above, but communication and connection with people was more difficult than in most countries I've travelled. However, it's fascinating and fairly cheap.

Like Gardyloo, I recommend using the RTW experience to get to places one might otherwise not be able to visit!

Katherine - I agree. I can't remember the last time I bothered to reply to such an unpleasant OP. They ask for an itinerary - for Heaven's sake.

I hope they have a wonderful time and get back home having learnt something - God knows what it might be - but something would be a blessing.

My suggestion, based on my own RTW:

Hong Kong
Bali
Chiang Mai
Paris
Dublin

I enjoy trips that have contrasting harmonies. Bali and Hong Kong are both SE Asian places with great food and lots of character, but the contrast of Hong Kong's non-stop frenetic bustle to Bali's laid-back and smiling personality is especially charming. (OK, Bali is technically in the southern hemisphere, but just barely.) Thailand is a fascinating place, and Chiang Mai is the perfect place from which to explore it. (I found Chiang Mai 100 times more manageable, and interesting, than Bangkok.)

Paris and Dublin are another delightful set of contrasts. Paris is chic and vain and urbane, while Dublin is reserved and with an amazing combination of literacy and good cheer. Two totally different places, but places that go together on a trip like two courses of a grand dinner.

Hi Parrothead!

I like your idea of planning ahead very much!

I've travelled a great deal on business as well as for my own pleasure, so here are two lists (just a sampling, not too much discussion):

1) Places I've been and would recommend:

a) Peking, China - for history and culture or Tokyo,Japan - for a taste of a more modern Asian city

b) Hong Kong - for the food, silly! I once had the best Italian dinner I've ever had - in Hong Kong. {Some people also go for the shopping, but that's another story)

c) Bangkok, Thailand (or Phuket, Thailand, depending on whether you are a beach person or not) or Djakarta, Indonesia or Penang, Malaysia - each one is different, each is a taste of SE Asian culture

d) Singapore - because of all the the SE Asian cities, this is the most European and also because it is one of the most fasinating cities in the world, as long as you don't live there!

Wherever you go in SE Asia, it will be hot, since it is very close to the equator. The closer you are to the equator, the hotter it gets.

e) I understand you want to skip India. That's OK, can't do everything in one trip - you won't want to anyhow! But how about trying for a glimpse of the Himalayas and Mt Everest from Nepal?

f) Skip Pakistan and Afghanistan - at least for now, altho Kashmir is beautiful and the view of K2 is spectacular. Also the Swat Valley...never mind...

g) To continue - Beirut, to go to Byblos and the tremendous ruins there (Bible is named after this ancient city)

h) Istanbul - a gem of a city and very different, very exotic

i) And, since this is the Europe board, I'll let the other more knowledgeable people recommend their favorites in Europe. Just want to mention Moscow, St. Petersburg, Prague, and Dublin as possible choices for you to consider.

2) Places I'd like to go and haven't yet been in the Northern Hemisphere:

a) Oh, so many! Where to start? Mongolia, but not Ulaan Baator; probably somewhere outside the city to get familiar with nomadic culture which is rapidly disappearing in this world.

b) Egypt and the Pyramids

c) The rest of Turkey outside of Istanbul, especially the ruins along the West Coast

d) Sigh! Too many places I haven't been to yet in this beautiful world of ours!

Happy planning, Parrothead - and mebbe see you around some time somewhere!

Agree with rizzuto about ChaingMai over Bangkok. I lived in Bangkok and the traffic, polluction, etc. were real problems, but Chaingmai was lovely.

Hello,
well i went to china last year to bejing, for the great wall. Xain for the soilders and hong kong for the shopping. It was a trip I will never forget! To climp the great wall of china wow. The culture there is unbeveilable. To see the way the other side of the world lives. The 3000 year old buildings. If you are up for all the walking. It was a busy trip for us non stop til the end. The best part of the trip was having lunch at a privte home and going to a pre school. If you would like to go to china i would say book a trip thur Pleasant Holidays as they will take care of everything. We had a english speaking guide everywere we went. They pick us up at the airports and meets us every day of our trip to go to all the sights got our tickets. If you are not up for china than maybe Athens for the history. And of coarse a island or two for the veiws.