Round The World Trip Questions and Answers
We have included extra information here to help you plan your trip.
Do not hesitate to contact us if you are unsure about any aspect of
planning your time away. That extra bit of information here could save
you time and money later on down the road.
What is a ’Surface Sector’?
A surface sector is a travel agent’s way of saying that you fly in
to one place and out of another e.g. ’ London, fly to Bangkok, make
your way overland to Singapore, fly to Sydney ’ is an example of
an itinerary that includes a surface sector between Bangkok and Singapore.
Costs of ground transportation between these arrival and departure points
are never included in flight prices that incorporate surface sectors.
To get from A to B some people will use public transport, others will
hook up with pre booked arrangements such as the Trans Siberian Railway,
a tour and others will arrive armed with an open dated bus or rail pass.
If you want information on your options for travelling across any surface
sectors on your trip, please ask us or see our Trans
Sib, Adventure Tour
and Bus Pass
sections for more details. More
about surface sectors.
How competitive are your fares?
We’re totally confident our fares are the best out there. However, there can be many different ways to make your route work, and by cutting out some stops or tweaking the route a little you may get different offers. On a like-for-like quote basis we’re confident we will never be beaten on price. If you do come up with a cheaper offer on a similar route while planning your trip, please do come back to us as we will happily match any genuine quote if we are able to do so.
What’s the story with taxes and fuel surcharges?
Up until the 1990’s, taxes and airport security charges were only payable in a handful of developing countries. These were collected by very sullen looking people who sat in little Perspex windowed kiosks in airports around the world whose main source of job satisfaction seemed to be to insist that you paid in $USD if you only had local currency left and in local currency if you only had $USD on you.
One by one, during the course of the nineties, one by one, most other countries started jumping on this bandwagon. and started making these charges. As the 90's progressed, starting with the USA and South Africa, they decided it was too much effort to collect the ‘free money’ themselves and realised that the could get travel agents and airlines to collect their taxes for free. To be fair, if these taxes have to exist, it is simpler to pay them upfront rather then encounter a nasty surprise each time you leave a country
Whilst there are still a few countries in which all or some of your taxes are collected in the old fashioned way (The Cook Islands, China and Peru for example), these days, you pay most of your taxes up front with your air fare.
See here for a list of countries
where you currently have to make some sort of payment on departure.
We update this list from time to time, but please bear in mind that there aren't any governments in the world who think to send travel agents a quick email to let them know that they have changed a locally collectable tax, so if you do come across any taxes that differ to the above, please do let us know and we will update the list.
As a rule of thumb, on a journey with say 6 or 7 stops, you should expect to pay around £100 in taxes - possibly more if you have a few stops in the USA / Canada . Australia adds a lot - and certain airports in Australia even more, especially Sydney (part of their tax goes towards a fund to provide triple glazing for people who live near or under the flight paths around the airport !) and Ayers Rock.
Things started to get complicated in 2004 when, following unprecedented increases in oil prices, rather than simply putting up their fares, airlines decided to add dreaded ‘fuel surcharges’ to each flight. These charges started off at a £2.50 per flight and have gradually climbed since then. The last rise was in April 2011 and you currently pay as much as £153 per each way between London – Sydney, or £100.50 each way between London – Bangkok (or £215 and £147.50 respectively in business class!)
Helpfully, different airlines have different fuel charges, and often charge different rates for different routes and give virtually no notice or literally no notice prior to changing them. It is not always possible to guess which way they will change next, as though these charges are of course related to the price of jet fuel, airlines different hedging policies mean that changes have sometimes been out of sync with changes in petrol prices. Curiously, though the price of jet fuel has gone up and down over the last seven years, airline imposed fuel charges have tended to only go up!
On a more complex route with a dozen or 20 stops, taxes imposed by other countries can easily add up to over £200 per person. However, the biggest single element of your taxes is, yes you guessed it, your round the world leaving present from HM treasury, your UK departure tax. We already had the highest departure tax in the world, but for departures from November 2010, these were increased dramatically, as detailed below :
| Band A |
(0-2000 miles) |
Economy cabin £11 / Premium cabins £22 ( Europe) |
| Band B |
(2001-4000 miles) |
Economy cabin £60 / Premium cabins £120 (e.g. London
– Dubai or London – Cairo) |
| Band C |
(4001-6000 miles) |
Economy cabin £75 / Premium cabins £150 (e.g. London
– Bangkok or London – L.A.) |
| Band D |
(over 6000 miles) |
Economy cabin £85 / Premium cabins £170 (e.g. London
– Singapore or London – Buenos Aires) |
One way to beat the tax, on a round the world ticket is to build in a stopover in Europe or the Middle East on your outward leg. If you are a couple flying in premium economy, business or first class to Sydney with Qantas, you could save £296 by having a night in Frankfurt on the way out, saving you more than enough for a nice hotel and dinner !
After the September 11 attacks, airlines introduced additional in flight security measures (e.g. secure doors to the flight deck). These costs (about £2.50 per flight) were added to tickets as a supplement. To this day these charges still haven't been included by airlines in airfares and are collected in the same way as taxes are.
As taxes and the other charges constantly change and new ones are introduced, the only way to advise you of the exact cost of the pre-payable taxes on round the world tickets with several flights, is to work them out when the booking is made.
On our ‘RTW flights
- search by route’ and ‘RTW
flights – search by fare’ sections of our website, we have made the effort to show all prices of the examples shown inclusive of taxes. Beware of other travel companies who only show the fare ‘+ taxes’
The good news is that currently, there is no VAT payable on air tickets.
How much money do I need?
This obviously varies depending on the duration and style of your trip,
which countries you are going to and what your priorities are. If you
are planning on a back-packing trip on a budget, there are plenty of
'pot-noodle travellers' out there getting by on £20 a day or less.
Much also depends on how much you book and pay for before you go.
In addition to being able to organise your flights, your Travel Nation
consultant will also be able to offer you great deals on hotel accommodation,
bus / rail passes and adventure tours and car / campervan hire. Apart
from saving yourself leg-work when you arrive, organising these things
in advance will help you to budget more easily when you are away.
Do I always need an onward ticket from each country I visit?
In general the answer to this question is ’yes’, however, what happens when you have surface sectors within your itinerary? The bad news is that if you look at the embassy websites of most non EU countries around the world, only a handful definitively state that possession of an onward ticket from a another country in the region is an acceptable alternative to a ticket out of their own country. The good news is that even where rules exist stating that travellers must have an onward ticket from that country, these rules are generally not enforced.
To illustrate this here is a quote from the Thai embassy website:
Foreigners entering Thailand by any means under the Tourist Visa Exemption category are required at the port of entry to have proof of onward travel (confirmed air, train, bus or boat tickets) to leave Thailand within 30 days of the arrival date (otherwise a tourist visa must be obtained).
So what happens if you wanted to fly to Thailand and then plan to explore Laos, Vietnam, Cambodia and Malaysia by land? You’ll perhaps want to fly to Thailand and fly out from Singapore 3 months later, so will the Thai authorities accept you if arriving with just a 30 day visa to be allocated on arrival and no onward travel booked? Officially the answer is no (according to the advice above from the Thai website), however in reality the answer is generally this is acceptable. So here we enter something of a grey area. At Travel Nation, staff and customers have flown into Bangkok and out from neighbouring countries 1000’s of times without a visa beyond the 30 days expected on arrival, and without being asked to produce onward tickets. The same actually applies for most countries round the world where tourist visas are not required for UK passport holders. So long as you respect the length of stay in any country (i.e, you stay no longer than your permitted 30 days in Thailand) and have an onward ticket from a neighbouring country you are generally fine.
Whilst the ubiquitous immigration official should be respected once you reach your destination, there is always a chance the ’onward ticket’ rule may be enforced by airline check in staff. The reason airlines may enforce it is because they can incur heavy fines boarding passengers who are refused entry at the other end. If there is any doubt about your ability to meet immigration requirements, airlines tend to err on the side of caution, meaning it’s possible to be refused boarding if you don't have the right documentation. Every once in a while a passenger may be asked to produce evidence of an onward ticket at check-in, whilst this only happens in the tiny minority of cases (we’d estimate no more than one in a thousand!), it’s good to be prepared for such situations. Factors that could affect whether this is enforced include your appearance (dressing and behaving conservatively at check-in and immigration is always advisable), and whether you can demonstrate that you have sufficient funds. If an immigration officer is suspicious of you when you arrive, he may well apply the rules more literally than if he has no reason to be suspicious. We once had a customer who was put on the next plane back to the UK, despite having a return ticket after they found copies of his CV in his bag!
As surface sectors are one the classic features of round the world tickets, this puts us in an awkward position. On the one hand we are duty bound to advise you of entry requirements, but in the other, we know that the vast majority of the time they are not enforced, knowing that common sense routes such as flying into Bangkok and out of Singapore, into Delhi and out of Kathmandu or into Lima and out of Santiago etc are well trodden paths. So before you travel, here are our tips on avoiding potential problems at immigration:
- Purchase an onward bus, boat or train ticket out of the country and have the confirmation handy when at the airport or border crossing. There are some instances where even this is not acceptable but it will generally suffice.
- Book an overland adventure tour and keep the confirmation handy as above.
- If you’re on a RTW ticket make sure your onward flight (even if from a neighbouring country) is within your authorised length of stay of the country you originally enter. For example, if you fly into USA on a British Passport make sure your onward flight from Mexico is within 90 days of your arrival in the USA. Some immigration officials will struggle with the idea that your onward ticket allows for time in their country as well as a neighbouring one!
- Book your first night’s accommodation for your arrival, and have the booking confirmation and address handy. ’Where are you staying?’ is a common question on arrival at immigration, if you arrive without anything pre-arranged you may be asked to ’step aside’ for a more thorough interrogation which can be problematic.
- If all else fails and nothing but an onward flight ticket will do, go to a ticketing desk at the airport and buy a fully refundable ticket so that you can claim all your money back. Do make sure it’s refundable. This will make it more expensive in the short term but will ensure you are not out of pocket in the long term. Alternatively, contact us and we’ll provide this service for you.
Of course travellers forums are great places to get up to date information, there are some countries where you definitely do need an onward ticket from that country if you don’t have a visa that allows you to enter without one. These include:
Australia
New Zealand
Panama
Costa Rica
If you’ re in any doubt, please just contact us for advice.
is it safe to travel alone?
As always, this is easier for men than for women. Don't worry about
meeting other travellers. If you want to, you will.
If you do want to visit a part of the world but do not want to do it
by yourself, speak to one of our consultants about an adventure
or overland tour. This way you will see everything you want
to, but with added security of travelling with a group of like minded
people with an experienced tour leader.
As well as providing you with the security of travelling with others,
travelling in this way will also take the headache out of finding accommodation
and sorting out transport.
Is my destination safe?
Staff at Travel Nation are well travelled and of course are in touch
with regular travellers every day. We can often give you a good idea
of what to expect in most parts of the world.
The link to the Foreign Office website is constantly updated and widely
accepted as giving excellent information. You should certainly follow
any advice given here. http://www.fco.gov.uk/travel/countryadvice.asp
Can you book my first night?
In most places, yes. Even if you are on a tight budget, booking the
first 2 or 3 nights accommodation can make all the difference and will
go along way to giving you a safer trip as when you arrive in a strange
country, jet-lagged and tired after a long flight, you are at your most
vulnerable. Click
here for details of accommodation prices.
Do I have to keep travelling in the same direction?
Roughly. Don't worry if your route involves a bit of zig-zagging. We'll
sort it out for you!
Is it possible to get work fruit picking in
Australia ?
Greyhound
Australia have produced this handy
guide for working holiday visa holders who are interested in a working
on farms at their busy harvest times. The attractions of fruit picking
work in Australia are:
1) Often unlimited work available, so you can go for it and work 12
hours a day for 7 days a week to give your traveling funds a quick cash
injection.
2) There isn’t a lot to spend your money on in the middle of a
massive farm, so you get to save more.
3) There is usually a great cameradere among fellow fruit pickers with
an impromptu ready made rustic social life after the sun goes down (you
know what we mean !)
4) You get to work outdoors.
Can I leave my dates open?
Sometimes. Often however, airline rules mean that we have to 'book'
every flight - even if you have no idea of when you will actually fly
it.
As you would expect, when you are travelling, these dates can subsequently
be changed - usually for free. Some exceptions are : Qantas / BA offices
in Australia and New Zealand will charge around £5 for date changes.
Air New Zealand charge around £15. We will advise you of date
change costs that apply to your booking.
If you want to travel at a busy time - e.g. Rio for carnival (starts
13 Feb 2010), anywhere in Asia for around the Chinese New year (14 Feb
2010) you will need to book well in advance. (Fair to say that if you
are looking for a real party, find some Chinese people in Rio next Feb
!). Christmas, New Year, Easter and summer are also of course times
when most flights will operate to capacity.
How much notice do I have to give to change
dates?
There is no rule here, except that the earlier you book your revised
dates, the better your chances will be of securing a seat around the
date you want.
IMPORTANT !!
If you decide to travel over-land on a leg for which you have a ticket,
or simply want to take a flight later than it is booked for, if you
don't advise the airline of this, the reservations on all of your subsequent
flights may be cancelled.
How long to travel for
Almost all round the world tickets are valid for one year and are
date changeable once you have left the UK . Some have a minimum stay
of 7 days but other than that the only factors determining your length
of trip are your visa restrictions and lust for travel!
"Can I get a ticket that is valid for more than 1 year?"
We are able to provide tickets that are valid for longer periods on
some routes. For more details, call 01273 320 580 to speak to one of
our experienced travel consultants.
Deep Vein Thrombosis
The following advice is given to do this and make other aspects of
your flight more comfortable.
- Don't cross your legs when flying.
- Wear flight socks available from chemists.
- Wriggle your toes and walk the aisle occasionally.
- Clench your calf muscles to stimulate circulation.
- Before flying, eat a lightmeal rich in carbohydrates and greens.
- Drink plenty of water and limit alcohol tea and coffee.
- Suck boiled sweets on take off an landing to protect your ears.
- Sleep on board if your flight lands in the morning, but not if it
lands in the evening.
- For humidified breathing air, cover your nose with a water-saturated
cotton handkerchief.
- Wear loose clothing for added comfort.
How important is it to speak Spanish in South
America?
You already know the answer to that! (Same answer about speaking Portuguese
in Brazil).
Can airlines take my baggage ahead of me
so I can pick it up later?
No.
If you want to send baggage on ahead, you will need to do this separately.
See 'Useful links' for
further details.
How much luggage can I check in?
Check in baggage : Baggage that you hand over to the airline at the airport to go in the hold of the plane. You pick this up again form the baggage carousel on arrival transit airport.
Hand baggage : Baggage that you take on board the plane with you
Excess baggage charge : A fee imposed at check in when your check in baggage weighs more than that airline allows or you check in more bags then they allow.
The name of the game here is not to be charged for excess baggage (this is an especially galling experience if you happen to only weigh 8 stone!)
Airlines tell us that 95% of people check in one piece of baggage such as a suitcase or a rucksack each that weighs less than 20 kilos. If you are part of this 95%, then there isn't any need to read further as you will sail through check-in on your round the world trip without being charged any excess baggage fees.
If you are one of the 5% and either your check-in bag will weigh more than 20 kilos, or you will be checking in more than one bag per person you might be charged excess baggage fees depending on what route and what airline you are booked on.
Up until the early noughties, there was a vaguely coherent global baggage allowance policy, with the rule of thumb being that you got 20KG unless you were flying into or out of North America you got a whopping 64 KG. This all started to unravel around 2004 when the oil prices started to rise dramatically and one by one airline accountants put the spotlight on the cost in fuel of each extra kilo of weight on board. So serious was this issue that one airline even politely requested its passengers to pay a visit to the lavatory if possible before boarding!
Now, even on flights to and from North America, many carriers limit check in baggage to 20 or 23 KG. On many round the world tickets, even if there are some flights with higher baggage allowances, there are likely to be others limited to around 20 or 23 KG and just one check in bag.
Baggage restrictions also of course vary depending on the cabin class you are booked in as well as for children and infants. There are sometimes special allowances made for certain items - e.g. sets of golf clubs, surf boards or diving equipment, but one by one, we are seeing these special allowances disappear and dimensional limitations appearing on items such as surfboards. Mobility aids for personal use, such as wheelchairs don't count as checked in baggage.
Airlines also differ on the size of your carry on baggage, .g. B.A. have recently reduced the maximum size of carry on bags. Though these rules don't seem to be applied usually, cautious travellers might want to take note!
If you want to see what check in / carry on baggage rules are currently being applied by an airline on which you are booked to travel, we have detailed a directory here to the relevant section of each of the main airlines websites. Alternatively, please feel free to call us and we will be happy to advise.
Sharp objects
Everyone in the world hopefully knows by now that you can't pack sharp objects such as knives / scissors / tweezers in your check in baggage. Curiously, airlines are more than happy to sell you duty free spirits in glass bottles once on board!
Valuable items
Subject of course to local security restrictions, never pack valuables like cameras or lap-tops in your check-in baggage. There is a significant risk that they will be missing from your bag on arrival. Travel insurance companies take a dim view of claims for items lost in this way
Is my passport machine readable?
A machine readable passport has the holder's personal details, e.g.
name, date of birth, nationality and their passport number contained
in two lines of text at the bottom of the photo page. This text may
be read by machine.
These two lines of text indicate that the passport is machine readable:
Is my passport biometric?
The Biometric British Passport (sometimes known as ePassport) has a
new design with additional security features, including a chip. Externally,
the new Biometric Passport appears very similar to the current one,
although it also features a logo indicating that there is a chip inside.
Internally there are many new security features including pages with
intricate designs and new complex watermarks.
If your U.K. passport was issued on or after 26 October 2006, you will
need a biometric passport to enter the U.S.A. If your U.K. passport
was not issued in the U.K., please check.
What happens if I lose my passport?
If you lose your passport before setting off on your round the world trip, you will need to get a new one as it is impossible to travel without a valid passport.
You can get a ’fast track’ replacement passport in 4 hours at the London office on Eccleston Square at the back of Victoria Station (this service may also be possible at offices in Durham, Newport, Glasgow, Liverpool and Peterborough) for £130 The standard replacement fee is £77. Surprisingly for the government, the London office has extended opening hours, but is closed on Sundays. If you do find yourself in the stressful position of filling out the dreaded replacement passport application form, you will at least be treated to the delicious question ’where did you lose your passport’ ! The only other consolation is that if your old one wasn’t, at least your new one will be biometric, which will save you time in immigration queues in some airports.
If you are abroad, the your nearest British Embassy or High Commission can issue you with replacement travel documents to get you back home and you then apply for a new passport when you get home. If you have onward travels, as is more likely if you on a round the world trip, embassies can also issue replacement passports for around £130
Will I always be within 100 meters of a Tesco Express when I travel RTW?
Sort of…
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