Trip of a Lifetime
Posted on November 30, 2014 by bob in Features, Travel
Mark and Judy Weaver at Cape Sounion, Greece.
By Judy Stone Weaver. Photos by Judy and Mark Weaver.
A trip around the world may sound a bit over the top, but if you take time to plan it, based on your available funding and time, it could be a cherished trip-of-a-lifetime. Our experience (and mistakes) from the year 2000, when my husband and I traveled to 10 countries in 103 days, is shared here to assist with the fun creation of your own trip.
Planning your Air Ticket
Designing an around-the-world itinerary begins with your bucket-list — the places you want to visit as well as the time and budget you can devote to your travels. Typically, purchasing an around-the-world ticket is cheaper than booking individual flights. You must travel in one direction, east or west. There are other rules, as well, such as a minimum and maximum number of stopovers and the duration of the trip.
The price point is based on the number of miles and stopovers you plan. Today, there are several on-line planners that help you experiment with your itinerary, the dates of travel, and the cost. For example, using Delta’s www.skyteam.biz planning template, I just created a three-month, 31,646-mile itinerary that costs $5,610 plus tax and fees, for one economy class ticket. (The business class version costs $12,210.) Originating in Atlanta, the itinerary has stops in Dublin, Athens, Rome, Paris, Oslo, Singapore, Perth, Sydney, and back to Atlanta.
Using www.Staralliance.com, another possibility for around-the-world tickets, the same economy itinerary priced out at an estimated $4,815 plus tax and fees. The business class version costs an estimated $9,986. (The taxes can add as much as $2,000, depending on which airports you’re flying into.)
But don’t book your tickets just yet…
Mark Weaver diving on the Great Barrior Reef, Australia.
Searching for Reasonable Accommodations
Try to plan your accommodations before you lock in your flight schedule. The fun is just beginning! There are so many online sites to research affordable places to stay during your trip.
If you can spend a week at some of your destinations, apartments may be cheaper by checking in and out on a particular day of the week. Two-star hotels are typically good, just look at photos of the bed size and bathroom and send the owner an e-mail if you have questions. Your research will give you a good idea of what your accommodation budget is going to be. My personal goal is to average between $150-200 per night for accommodations.
Finding Culinary Delights Within Your Budget
Depending, of course, on where you are, the cost of food can be controlled with an adventurous spirit and a love of markets, 
street food, and picnics. In Paris, nothing beats the Rue Cler market for fresh, delicious, and eating like a Parisian. Watching the locals is always helpful. Best of all, you can justify indulging in gorgeous pastries, delightful cheeses, crusty French bread, and local wines with all the walking you will do.
Don’t be afraid to ask. My husband ordered andouille sausage and pommes frites in a Paris café. The waitress asked if he knew what it was. He replied, “Oh yes, I’m from Louisiana.” It was cooked beautifully and served in a white wine sauce, but cutting into it, he realized the sausage casing was stuffed with intestines. Yikes! He ate every bite. Sure enough, his French phrase book said, “Andouille sausage is made of intestines.” We still laugh about the dessert he ordered to clear his palate.
Budgeting $100 per-day for two to cover food, local transportation, and entertainment is doable if you schedule some “light” days along the way.
TIPS TO TRAVEL BY
Uber Planning
Don’t be surprised if it takes many days of your time to look at maps and research the general area where you want to stay in 
each location, as well as the accommodations, the flight itinerary, the sites you want to see, and all the details that will make your trip a joy.
Pack smart
Rick Steves (and numerous other travel sites) have so much advice on how to pack for a trip. Flying economy, you can check one 50-pound suitcase for free, so plan carefully. Business class allows two 50-pound bags, but practice walking up and down your driveway rolling two bags and a backpack before you commit. Use a secure backpack for medicines, cosmetics, money, credit cards, passport, and travel papers.
Emergency Services
We are MedJet members now for almost 20 years. Knowing we have options in case of illness overseas is reassuring.
A leisurely cruise past the Eiffel Tower, Paris.
Communication
We are all “airplane mode all the time people,” using wi-fi for all our communication while we are traveling out of the country. Phone cards, purchased as needed, are cheap if you need to make calls. Of course, a tablet or e-reader for books is a big space saver and handy companion.
Credit Cards
Make sure you travel with a credit card that does not charge foreign transaction fees. All credit cards charge big interest for any cash you withdraw using your credit card. A debit card for your currency needs is a must.
The author’s journal.
Keep a daily journal
Recording the details of your trip will be so meaningful later. When you read it three, five or 10 years after your trip around-the-world, you will laugh, cry, and start planning your next adventure.
Resources
Airfare
Accommodations
