We have talked about this off and on for a few years. We will travel to Delhi, India
in November for a family wedding and so are revisiting this as a possibility.
Thanks!
IMO…if you like to travel it sounds like a “romantic” concept. but after a while you will be physically and mentally drained. (or I should say I would be)
on a side note whether you just go to india or around the world, buy medical / evacuation insurance. it is very cheap unless you are over 55 or 60. and if you are in your 20’s or 30’s it is super super cheap.
D1 went around the world a few years ago but she didn’t use an around-the-world ticket. The only ticket she bought in the U.S. was for her first flight, from Chicago to Ireland. She arranged transportation to the next stop from wherever she was at the moment.
S went around the world on United miles and had a nice time. They had extended layovers en route (up to 23 hours). They stopped in Germany, Japan and Hawaii in their trip from D.C. To Thailand. S did develop a cold along the way but had a great time. He get certified in scuba diving in Thailand and did stand up paddleboarding with my sister, plus had a nice mini-reunion with family during his brief stopover.
Personally, I think it would be exhausting as I find lots of layovers and stops tiring, as are long flights.
I’ve done it twice (one journey was work-related, the other a vacation). It’s a great choice if you want to visit a lot of destinations, don’t have many time constraints, and can be very, very flexible.
cameo43, can you share where you bought your ticket?
@oregon101 : I got my tickets directly through the airlines – I had a ton of miles that I cashed in (I was a travel writer). And this was many moons ago.
Delta used to have this amazing deal, where you could stop in several continents for only 180K airmiles, a little bit more would get you first class. I think they did away with that one, unfortunately.
My husband and I travel on around the world tickets at least once a year. We are expats in Asia and whenever we have a reason to go to Europe we get an around the world ticket and make one or two stops in the US. We do most of our traveling via United Airlines, so book the around the world tickets on the Star Alliance website.
The main restriction is that you have to keep traveling in the same direction, no backtracking. I think we get nonrefundable tickets which allow a change in dates, but not in the itinerary.
Thanks ciervo–that is very helpful!
I am confused about what I have read about where to begin the trip. It sounds like
where you buy the ticket for the best price is not ever in the USA. I gather you buy
yours in Asia?
Even if buying most of the longer flights from a major carrier, fill in flights can make the trip more interesting on the smaller airlines, as well as more reasonable in price. Air Asia has some amazing connections for cheap prices , as does Ryan Air and others in Europe. A few years ago I saved hundreds and some hassle flying HK to Chiang Mai, and then later with them to Bangkok. Then in Europe recently I had a reasonable flight from London to southern Spain.
@oregon101 Yes, I played around on the Star Alliance website, and a RTW fare originating in Asia comes out cheaper than visiting the same set of cities but with a US starting point. I never realized that.