itzavious

Thanks again for all of your help so far!! After thinking for a while and doing some research I think I am going to expand the length of which I stay in each place (so I can really explore and experience the culture) and reduce how many places I visit (to avoid stress and/or burn out). Here is my suggested itinerary - my question now being how many days would you recommend to spend in each place?

***Let's not get side-tracked this time or discuss whether or not I should even do the trip, lol. I am just looking for advice on how much time you think is good to spend in each place. TY!! ***

Leg 1:
Iceland
Ireland
Germany
Austria
Italy
Greece
Istanbul

Leg 2:
Tibet
Bhutan
Myanmar
Vietnam
Cambodia
Japan

Leg 3:
Philippines
Bali
New Zealand
Fiji
Bora Bora
French Polynesia

CounterClifton

Wow, that's some trip.

I couldn't argue the itinerary because I don't know why you picked or left off the places you did. But I'd find that line up pretty incredible, and variable enough to have it feeling fresh with each move. Whether they are the right spots for you and whether or not you'll feel burnt out or go broke, only you know.

Start checking on routing, if you haven't already. Europe should be fine, but some of those connections could start getting difficult over in Asia (you have some of my favourite places over there, btw).

For instance, I imagine both Bhutan and Tibet have very limited ways to get in and out and I don't know that they would connect easily to each other. I know you can fly from Nepal to Bhutan, but could you go overland from Tibet to Nepal and fly from there or my air would you have to go back to a major northern Chinese city and then fly to India, then Nepal and then finally Bhutan? I'm not sure, but Myanmar may have similarly limited connections.

Also, weather will be a bigger deal in Asia and the South Pacific if you want to avoid extremes like monsoons and cyclones or even just sweltering heat (like **nothing** that exists in the US) , so start thinking about your timing. Roughly when will you be where? This is also a good time to start thinking about whether any special events are on at the time you'll be there. We love being a part of local fun but not everyone does and it may well drive up accommodation prices if not be completely full up.

Anyway, what an exciting trip. I'd love to do something like that. I say grab it while you can.

StCirq

<<Iceland
Ireland
Germany
Austria
Italy
Greece
Istanbul>>



For me:

Iceland: 4-5 days
Ireland: at least a week
Germany: at least a week
Austria: I'd give it a miss, but I really dislike the place
Italy: 2 weeks
Greece: 2 weeks
Istanbul: 4-5 days

No India?

Sounds like an amazing trip, no matter where you go or how much time you spend.

thursdaysd

The best way to decide how long you need in various places is to figure out what you want to do there. Someone driving the ring road in Iceland might need at least two weeks, someone who just wants to see Reykjavik and the Blue Lagoon might be happy with two or three nights. We can't do that work for you.

You need to post Part Two on the Asia board, and Part Three on the Australia and Pacific board. But I can tell you up from that your Asia section needs a lot more work.

For instance, Bhutan requires you to have a "tour" - a car, driver and guide - even if there is only one of you. Plus there is a minimum amount you have to spend per day, more if you are solo, and varying with time of year, but at least $200/person/night for a group of at least three. See: http://www.tourism.gov.bt/plan/minimum-daily-package

You have to book the package to get the visa, and you need the visa to book the flight(s) - you have to arrive or depart on Druk Air. You can do one leg overland to/from India (I found that convenient for reaching Darjeeling), but that's not on your list.

There is land access between Tibet and Nepal over the Friendship Bridge, but I think that is out only. You need to access Tibet from China proper, which requires a Chinese visa, you almost certainly need at least a fake tour group, and access may be cut off with no notice because of the political situation.

You need to add Thailand - access to other parts of SEA is easier via Thailand.

kerouac

Wondering how Bora Bora is different from French Polynesia, of which it is a part. In such a place (where I have been twice), you are unlikely to get much of "local culture" to which you will have practically no access unless you spend at least a month. However, it is fabulously beautiful, which is the reason that tourists go there. I would tend to say the same about Bali, but I'm sure you already know that the southern part of the island is exclusively devoted to (mostly Australian) tourism, and you would have to stay in the far north to hope to get "local culture."

CounterClifton

So true about Bali. Most of that southern tip is beaches, hotels, lots of cheap-o market stuff, lots of tourists. Think of that area as Cancun for Australians. Ubud, more central, is worth seeing though still touristy in a different way. You really don't have to get very far outside of town though to feel far away from all that. I've walked down some laneway and out into the rice fields and it was completely silent, except for breeze in the palms and little metal chimes on some shrines. Only people were planting or harvesting. Great walks around there.

itzavious

I forgot my question was originally on a Europe thread! Sorry about posting my 2nd and 3rd leg here. Whoops!

Reading all of the great advice now...

itzavious

CounterClifton: thanks! Good to know about Asia, I haven’t really started any research on my 2nd and 3rd leg so that’s where threads like this come in handy! I will definitely make note of it and might have to add or remove places if I can’t get it to work out.

StCirq: Thanks! That helps a lot and is kind of line with what I was thinking. No, no India. Middle Eastern countries (specifically their views on women) scare me a bit. Maybe one day, but not this time.

Thursdaysd: As far as what I want to do, I will look up some stuff, but will probably just wing it once I’m there also. In Iceland I will be driving the Golden Circle, that much I know so far. I’m going down my list one by one and researching each country, things to do, places to see, etc. … and good to know about Asia! That's crazy about Bhutan! I will definitely revisit my choices once I get to researching my 2nd and 3rd leg.


**I am also looking into a RTW plane ticket since my 2nd and 3rd leg will be a little trickier in getting around.

itzavious

kerouac: French Polynesia, I believe, is equivalent to what you would call the Big Island of Hawaii and Bora Bora is like Kauai, a smaller island about 50 mins away via plane

thursdaysd

For RTW plane tickets you can look at the three big airline alliances, but also check out airtreks.

Heimdall

When my daughter did her RTW some years ago she used STA Travel, student travel specialists with 450 stores in cities around the world. Although not in that age group, I used them for my first trip to Australia myself.
www.statravel.com

thursdaysd

Don't forget that there are cheap budget airlines in Europe and Asia once you get there. Although I prefer to travel on the ground.

dwdvagamundo

Itzavious--

I would allocate a five days or a week to Austria. I like it very much. Our impression is that it is the most civilized country we've visited.

But why are you leaving out the UK, France and Spain?

StCirq

<<Our impression is that it is the most civilized country we've visited.><

One of the most xenophophic for me. I'd rather go to the Middle East or North Africa in a heartbeat.

CounterClifton

<i>I'd rather go to the Middle East or North Africa in a heartbeat.</i>

Now there is a great choice. Since the OP seemed to be keying in on interaction with the locals, I almost suggested Morocco. You know how you can't go down a street there without getting into a conversation. When we crossed the straits into Spain, it was like suddenly becoming the guest no one knows at a quiet cocktail party.

But, OP surely knows her own mind and has a pretty extensive list and surely has tastes and interests of her own, so figured she didn't need even more ideas from me.