This topic will facilitate information exchange among travelers who are

considering or who are currently en route on a Round-The-World (otherwise

known as "RTW&quot journey. Information and advice will cover all aspects of

such journeys including things which should be considered before, during, and

after an RTW trip.

Among other aspects of RTW travel, this topic will cover:
- Developing an itinerary.
- Planning an RTW trip within a budget constraint.
- RTW airline tickets.
- Important details which need to be considered before initial departure, such as

visas, immunizations, driving permits, and all other matters which must be

settled to facilitate an enjoyable and worry-free trip overseas.
- Packing.
- Travel tips and advice for use during one's actual journey, such as advice on

finding hotels, booking local transport, eating, touring, changing reservations,

extending visas, or handling unexpected situations.
- Advice for reestablishing one's self at home following a lengthy RTW trip,

including how to pick up a career where one left off before traveling.

I would like to welcome all prospective or current RTW travelers, as well as any travelers who may have already completed an RTW trip. My name is Steve Braun, I currently live in New York City, and I would be delighted to answer any questions you may have about Round-The-World travel or to help you with specific aspects of planning and executing such a trip.

I have just finished a personal website which addresses many of the issues I have encountered on my three RTW trips since 2004 (it is located at http://www.goroundtheworld.com). You will find a lot of practical information there. Nonetheless, I would encourage as much interaction as possible in this travel forum/topic to allow as many travelers as possible to see what sorts of issues and questions were encountered by fellow RTW travelers.

I would also encourage posts from travelers who have already completed an RTW journey, with the objective of encouraging others to take that first "trip of a lifetime."

With warm regards,

Steve Braun

Steve, You're going to have a LONG wait, to hear from RTW travelers on Smart Travel Tips forum at Fodor's.

I AM a RTW traveler, my TR is at www.wilhelmswords.com/rtw2004, but the OP came across as way too pretentious and self-advertising for me to be interested. Actually, I send people planning long trips to Hasbrouck's "Practical Nomad" or Rough Guides "First-time Round-the-World". Or to Lonely Planet's thorntree - "The Long Haul - Living & Working Abroad" and "Gap Year & Round the World Travel".

I too am a RTW traveller. But I did most of it 30+ years ago. How did we ever manage without guide books, websites, pre-planning? We set off, asked other travellers along the way and managed just fine!

gertie3751 - good point! How can it be a voyage of discovery if you plan it all out in advance? Although having a framework but being willing to ditch it isn't all bad.

I think lots of common sense is an invaluable asset. Seems to have become unfashionable these days of insurance, no-risk strategies, over-planning. It's related to the 'do it if it feels right, don't if it doesn't' mentality'. That one has got me out of lots of iffy situations.

My website starts off by showing someone how to book an RTW airline ticket. It acknowledges there are other ways of transport, but I focused on that.

Then it says basically that a traveler has two choices after figuring out the RTW ticket stops - throw caution to the wind, or plan every detail. For those travelers who "tbink" they prefer the latter sort of travel, I say, "OK", but I also recommend that they at a minimum leave a week unplanned in each of their destinations. I also tell them to try getting on a random, local bus wherever they are, get off at the last stop, and they work their way back on their own.

I prefer the "throw caution to the wind" type of travel myself, but I am not going to judge someone who has been trained to be afraid of going somewhere unknown. I am, however, going to encourage them to travel anyway, and they will learn soon enough that many aspects of their lives have been managed by "fear" all along. The point is to get people on the road - they will find out soon enough that the best way to explore and learn is to head out without knowing where they are going.

No matter how anyone travels, or why, or how planned they think they need to be, it is an important experience.