Purchasing a round the world airline ticket for round the world (RTW) travel seems fairly logical and the easiest way to travel around the world. Despite their relatively low fares in comparison to round-trip airline tickets to certain destinations, tickets round the world have their drawbacks.
Custom RTW Route vs Fixed RTW Route
Options for the cheapest round the world tickets are usually offered as fixed RTW routes. These types of tickets are usually popular with backpackers and those looking to save money on round the world fares. However, fixed routes fail to provide for traveling off the beaten path. Most fixed RTW routes cost less money due to hitting travel hot spots like, London, Bangkok and Delhi; while hard to reach locales such as Crete cost more money. So, while you may travel the world with fixed route RTW tickets, these types of tickets only allow for experiencing the world’s more popular travel destinations.
Many round the world travel services now allow round the world travelers to choose their own routes for journeys around the world. Custom routes allow round the world travelers to tailor their trips to their own preferences. For example, STA Travel has a tool and service which allows travelers to plan their own round the world flight routes and receive quotes for their planned destinations.
However, along with more options comes an increase in price, so choosing custom round the world tickets can increase prices drastically. Also, certain routes may not be possible to create due to restrictions on airline flight paths, availability and timing. A viable solution is airline tickets priced by mileage, which is a mixture between fixed and custom round the world routes.
Round the World Ticket Flexibility
Flexibility in travel is another drawback to round the world tickets. Most round the world ticket providers expect travelers to stick to exact dates and destinations of travel when purchasing a ticket round the world. According to ThinkBackpacking.com ("Round the World Tickets", June 3, 2010), changing dates and destinations for some tickets can cost upwards of $100 unless a flexible round the world ticket is purchased ahead of time.
Proof of Onward Travel
In the post 9/11 world, numerous countries now require travelers have outbound tickets from their country in order to prove themselves not terrorist. According to GoNomad ("The Ins and Outs of Around the World Tickets"), you must show proof that you have a ticket out of certain countries. In order to avoid being forced to purchase expensive departure tickets for certain destinations, plan your round the world trip itinerary as much as possible. At the very least plan destinations and dates ahead of time.
A trained round the world travel agent can share which countries require this type of proof. Of course, it takes a bit of impulse out of a round the world trip, but it also provides the comfort of knowing you have somewhere to travel at a certain time and helps save money and time waiting in certain locations for visas and additional plane tickets.
Giselle Banks - I am a student working part-time as a freelance writer. I have been a 'ghost' writer for a nearly a year writing on topics ranging from ...
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