Round the World Route Planning & RTW Flight Planner

The best way to start planning your round the world trip is to make a list of your preferred destinations - your dream route!

Then, with an atlas or a map of the world in front of you, try and put them in some kind of continuous order. Remember your plans will change a hundred times but you will need a basic starting structure.

How to I keep the cost of the ticket down?

There are a number of ways to keep the price down when planning your around the world trip but the main point is to plan your flights in a continuous global direction.

This means you should try to avoid any unnecessary 'backtracking'.

For example, this route is fine:

London - Bangkok - Sydney - Fiji - New York - London

But even though the following route can be done, it will raise the fare considerably:

Bad round the world route with backtracking

London - Bangkok - New York - Fiji - Sydney - London

But don't some round the world tickets have unlimited stops?

Most RTW tickets are still based on a combination of mileage and stops but some (such as the OneWorld) are now based on regions offering a greater combination of destinations available.

Remember though, the best round-the-world trips do not necessarily have to include the most stops that you can squeeze into a 12 month ticket! - less can be more. Plus it's much more fun travelling overland.

Enhance your RTW trip by including an adventurous trip to get between stops.

Do not worry too much about the weather at this stage - even though it plays a major role in what you see and do in certain areas you will no doubt have to make some sacrifices if price is an issue.

Where do most backpackers stop?

The most popular destinations for gap year round the world tickets are definitely Australia and New Zealand. Most RTW flights will go via there at some point. View trip ideas.

South East Asia has been a popular destination on round the world routes for a long time. Countries like Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore and Indonesia have always been popular with backpackers, but now Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam are definitely on the backpacking map. View trip ideas.

Africa is an amazing place to include on a round the world trip but the only way to get about is by overland tour - an extremely rewarding and memorable experience. View trip ideas.

South America is an increasingly popular place to go on a gap year or RTW trip but most people book a small tour in advance so they can get off the beaten track. View trip ideas.

North America is also popular and offers a gentler introduction to backpacking. View trip ideas.