Asian backpacker

The original traveling plan for my around the world trip was to get a one way ticket to some place and then depending on where I’d go, I would find a way to get there. Be it by bus, by train, by boat or by plane. Land transport tickets I could get locally, but for plane tickets, I could buy plane tickets online. I figured that last minute tickets would be cheap and it would leave me a lot of freedom and flexibility to choose where I would go. This “plan” of mine seemed pretty good, until a good friend of mine introduced me to around-the-world tickets. These are tickets that offer you the option to select a large number of destinations and flights to choose from, to map your own flight travel route. To me personally this had 2 major advantages.

First advantage: while the original idea offered a lot of freedom and flexibility, at the same time there is also a lot of uncertainty. When will I reach what destination? Will I actually be able to visit the places i want to? What if there are no flights left to leave the country and you are stuck for weeks? This is the risk that can be nullified by getting a round-the-world ticket. By selecting specific flights on fixed dates you can plan your travel route and assure the availability of your departure. I do believe that staying too long in 1 place would get boring eventually, and having some sort of time-constraint would make you want to go back once more in the future. Second advantage: How much will the trip cost me in the long run if i go with the first option? Sure it offers me the option to choose where I want to go and when I want to go, but you have to remember this is a low-budget trip. That means one way or another I have to limit my spending and try to keep a close eye on my budget. By getting an around the world ticket I’ve already paid up in front and know what the cost will be for all my air travels. This is a huge cost compared to the train and bus rides, so you can’t just spend whatever you want on tickets that you have to find online. Now for you readers I am not sure whether there are similar offers at your travel agencies. But here in Belgium there are several agencies offering the around the world ticket formula. (Airstop & Connections). Depending on the amount of stops and destinations you plan to visit they will offer you a range of solutions.Concerning the price, you would probably have to dish out €2000-€3500 ($2800-$5000). Once I’ve planned out my destinations and my agenda I’ll ask for an inquiry and will keep you guys updated. Feel free to share your experiences with traveling through multiple countries and for long periods of time.