My travel plans - TravelPUNK Backpacker College Student Budget Travel Message Boards!

fallenleafs · 01-06-2008, 08:25 PM

I am leaving on my RTW trip in November 08. I am looking for some feedback on my plans.

Fly to Reykjavik
Ferry to Norway
Surface travel through Europe for about 2 months
Trans Siberian railway through Russia and Mongolia into China
Side trip to Tokyo
Make my way south to Hong Kong and Bangkok
Then to Nepal for some Trekking
Back towards Bangkok
Fly to Australia
Honolulu
San Francisco
Then back to Ohio

I realize that this is far from organized but this is what I have planned thus far. My budget is $18,000 U.S. Does this seem Doable?

**Joker** · 01-06-2008, 09:47 PM

Sounds good, though the ferry from Iceland to Norway seems like it'd be a LONG ride. It may be worth hopping an Iceland Air flight to London, then EasyJet or RyanAir (depending on which one does it) to Norway.

**joe7f** · 01-06-2008, 09:53 PM

^I checked Iceland Air's website and for 236 USD you can fly to Oslo. My guess is you won't find a better deal on a ferry but I may be wrong

--Joey

**ajb3000** · 01-07-2008, 05:51 AM

How long are you going for?

**mbo108** · 01-07-2008, 06:20 AM

Sounds like a hot plan to me. I don't have much experience with RTW travel so I can't comment on your budget but to get a good idea you might want to try to decide how much you plan on spending per day on food and lodging. Of course this will differ greatly from place to place but if you can start guess-timating, you'll get a better idea now and more constructive comments from the rest of the board members.

**Esterina** · 01-07-2008, 07:29 AM

Great plan !

With $18,000 you can travel for a very long time, especially if you plan on spending more time in Central and Eastern Europe and parts of Asia. But as ajb asked, we can't say it's enough without knowing for how long you'll be gone. Also, does it include air travel, visas, vaccines and insurances ?

Did you know you'll need to get your visa for Russia prior to leaving ? And that among all Eastern Europe countries, only Belarus now requires a tourist visa, so you can access Russia via the Baltics, Moldova or Ukraine no problem.

Are you planning on travelling overland from Bangkok to Nepal ? If so, that will be a long and difficult journey, because you can't enter/leave Myanmar through land border. If not, in Bangkok you can get a flight to Kathmandu for about $250.

**BigE** · 01-07-2008, 08:18 AM

I'm so jealous. Go for it. The budget looks good. You just have to decide how long you are going ot be away and you need to establish how much you can spend in a day in addition to budget for trains, planes and automobiles.

**pinknic38** · 01-07-2008, 09:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fallenleafs

Trans Siberian railway through Russia and Mongolia into China

AHHH so jealous, I've always wanted to do this. Can't wait to hear stories!

fallenleafs · 01-07-2008, 02:10 PM

Thanks for the replies. I am planning on traveling for a minimum of a year. I want to go as long as possible. I also plan on trying to find work when I can.
I just turned in my paperwork for my Passport last Friday. I think I will buy my plane ticket to Iceland in the next few months so that I can get a good deal.

Thanks Adam

fallenleafs · 01-07-2008, 02:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by atchoum

Great plan !

Also, does it include air travel, visas, vaccines and insurances ?

Did you know you'll need to get your visa for Russia prior to leaving ? And that among all Eastern Europe countries, only Belarus now requires a tourist visa, so you can access Russia via the Baltics, Moldova or Ukraine no problem.

Are you planning on travelling overland from Bangkok to Nepal ? If so, that will be a long and difficult journey, because you can't enter/leave Myanmar through land border. If not, in Bangkok you can get a flight to Kathmandu for about $250.

Good information! Thank you. $18,000 is my total budget. So this has to cover all of my travel expenses, transportation, vaccines, Etc. I have my backpack and gear already as I travel pretty frequently. So I will not have those expenses. I am pretty good at budgeting and traveling cheaply. So I am hoping to make my dollars stretch as long as possible. I will limit my time in the more expensive countries.

**blinkchick2134** · 01-09-2008, 07:33 AM

18k is more than enough, at least to myself anyway.

I've been traveling for 7 months, wow seven already, and I've only spent about 1,500 USD but most of that has been since I was back state-side (going to concerts, gas, car insurance). I've also done work exchanges to avoid accommodation costs, living at an intentional community for several months where I get a stipend, and stayed with friends for a few weeks. I think you should be fine with that budget though...more than fine! Sounds like an awesome trip!

**worldwidemike** · 01-13-2008, 07:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fallenleafs

Then back to Ohio

I agree the budget seems quote doable since there is a lot of non-European travel planned. Now, the important question: Where in Ohio are you...?

worldwidemike

fallenleafs · 01-13-2008, 05:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by worldwidemike

Now, the important question: Where in Ohio are you...?

worldwidemike

I'm in West Salem about 90 miles north of Columbus. Howdy Neighbor!

**joe7f** · 01-15-2008, 08:12 AM

Why is Ohio the Tpunk capital of the world?

--Joey

**pinknic38** · 01-15-2008, 09:10 AM

^

quite obviously it's the place to be, whether anyone likes it or not!!

**worldwidemike** · 01-15-2008, 10:57 AM

Well, hey, neighbor! We'll let you know when we're having our next Tpunk meetup around here. With me, Jengt and LiveFreeOrDie all in Columbus, and pinknic headed our way in a couple months, we should be able to have a meetup just about anytime we want.

Poor Joe...so many Ohio Tpunkers that we've driven him not only out of Florida, but out of the country altogether...

To borrow one of Nicole's lines: "Don't hate!"

worldwidemike

**pinknic38** · 01-15-2008, 03:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by worldwidemike

To borrow one of Nicole's lines: "Don't hate!"

wise choice of words, if I do say so myself.

**millmuff** · 02-03-2008, 05:59 AM

Not to be a bummer but I think you should really start digging deep into your exact expenses for certain things 18,000 seems like a lot but once you book a RTW flight + the trans siberian your looking at a really good chunk gone right from there.

I headed out last year from Calgary via NZ and went with a Star Alliance ticket. Your RTW ticket will cost you any where from 2500-5000 and last year when I looked the Rail pass was a minimum 1500 to possibly 3000 to cross Russia/Mongolia and get into China. Say your in the middle of both of those figures your still throwing 5000 just on your main Tickets. This doesn't include any of your buses or rail passes once there which is another huge expense.

Of course it all depends on the kind of person you are and how much you spend money on things like alcohol etc, but even in cheaper countries things add up a lot quicker than you think when your getting around.

I'm personally in Lao at the moment and have been gone for just over three months. I've Been through NZ, Oz, Thailand, and Lao...even though I've back tracked a lot. I started back home with just over $20 000, and at the time our dollar was better than the american. After buying main tickets, insurance, and all that good stuff (and trust me you need it, I've been with people in hospitals here and you won't regret it) I had about 14 000 when I left and p for about 10 months or more.

If you plan on working then of course there's room there but keep in mind there's only certain places you can work for long enough and at a good dollar.

Also when you hear in books that you can live off this or that for extremely cheap don't even bother with it. Your not going to these places to live in your room and eat one meal of rice a day. You'll want to see things, meet people and do things with them, have a drink or two. This is when things add up...but that's why your doing it. Don't plan for the cheapest possible route, you'll regret it.

All I'm saying is that save way more than you think you need, because you'll need it. If you need and help when your looking for tickets and stuff let me know, I planned my trip for over a year and have probably seen some of the things your looking at.

Peace

**ajb3000** · 02-03-2008, 12:42 PM

I don't know where you got the figure of $1500 - $3000 from for the train from Russia to Beijing. If you buy the ticket in Russia it can be done for about US$300 in second class. Or, if you break up the journey and travel third class where available, it could probably be done for about half that.