When and how to book your round the world trip
In short, for the best fares book as early as you can. Airline schedules
are released for sale approximately 11 months in advance. If any of your
projected flight dates are more than 11 months ahead, don’t worry,
we can still book your tickets now! Round the world tickets cannot be
left ‘open dated’ like they could in the past, so it’s
perfectly normal to set off on your travels with 'dummy' dates towards
the end of your itinerary which you’ll change later.
This enables you to book early and benefit from the best fares. Of
course you may want to travel for up to 1 year and your plans may change,
so dates on most round the world tickets can be changed (subject to
seat availability) either for free or a relatively small charge. We’ll
advise you of any date change costs that apply to your ticket when you
book. On most round the world tickets it is even also possible to change
your route while you are travelling, though where this is possible,
it g this incurs higher costs.
Here are some major sporting or cultural events that will have an impact
on airline seat availability and accommodation prices. If you want to
attend these events, book early (11 months ahead if possible). If you
are not fussed about them, avoid these places at these times if cash
is tight !
- Flights to / from and around the whole of Asia are very busy around
Chinese New Year (of the Rabbit) : 03 Feb 2011.
- Forget trying to get Melbourne during the Australian Grand Prix
24 – 27 March 2011
- Hong Kong Sevens : Every March
- Total eclipse of the sun on 14 November 2012 in Darwin and Cairns
- Pushkar camel Fair in Rajasthan, India : 12 - 21 November 2010
- Any predominately Muslim country or area during Ramadan : 01 –
30 August 2011
- Around new year every year in Sydney
- Rugby world cup : 09 Sep – 23 Oct 2011 various locations in
New Zealand
- Ashes – various cites in Australia between 25 November 2010
- 07 Jan 2011
- Gay and lesbian Mardi Gras Sydney 05 March 2011
- Rio Carnival : 05 – 08 March 2011
... so for or hard core global party goers in 2011, it will just be
possible to squeeze in the Mardi Gras in Sydney and fly on to Rio to
take in finale of the carnival there. If you do this, send us the pictures
and we’d love to put a feature about your trip on our site !
Cheapest time to go on a round the world trip
The cheapest round the world ticket prices apply to departures in April,
May & June. Lucky you if this is when you happen to want to set
off. Don't spend the winter shivering while you wait for the cheapest
prices though. Fares in for departures form the UK in January / February
/ March or in September / October November are only usually between
£50 - £150 higher.
The best bargains are to be had if you avoid departures from the U.K.
in July, early August, Easter and Christmas. If you do have to leave
in the busy season, you should book as far ahead as possible (up to
11 months). Probably the hardest flights to find availability on are
those returning to the UK from anywhere warm in early January
Your departure date from the U.K. will normally also have a large bearing
on the cost of your ticket. An identical ticket in all other respects
that costs £2,000 if you depart on 20 December, can cost £500
less if leave 2 weeks earlier or later..
Follow the sun on your round the world trip ?
It is natural of course to want to have nice weather when you go away
on your round the world trip. We would advise however to avoid being
'over scientific' when planning where you will be when and consider
the following :
Weather is much less predictable nowadays. The UK is not alone in having
disappointing summers and freak spells of gorgeous weather at other
times of the year .
The phrase 'rainy season' touches on a British nerve, it just sounds
too close to home ! Whilst there are some rainy seasons to avoid. e.g.
June in much of India is not particularly pleasant, there are other
places where travelling in the 'rainy season' can be very pleasant.
Classic examples of this are in Vietnam in May-September, though it
may rain every day, it won't rain all day. When it does, it is very
dramatic and when it stops everything feels fresh and verdant.
Another is the wet season in the Northern Territory of Australia in
January - March. Again, there will be a lot less tourists around, this
can be a very pleasant time to visit.
Some may like it hot, but how hot ? There are plenty of places out
there where the temperature will regularly be in the high 30's or hotter
in the middle of their summers. This won't be everyone's cup of tea.
There is a reason why there is a mass exodus of people who live in the
middle east in June July and August !
I have worked out my route, how do I book my round the world ticket
?
Booking your ticket is a the fun bit. Everyone at Travel Nation has
booked thousands of round the world trips, so you will be in safe hands
as we guide you through the process.
Click here for full details of the booking procedure. Call us the general
number on 01273 320 580, or if call a consultant directly from the about
us section of our site.
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