If you’re looking to travel around the world, it can seem like an overwhelming process to get started. You’ll have to secure your finances, take time off from work, and find comfortable travel accommodations that allow you to take in your surroundings freely. 

However, you don’t need to be rich or quit your job to experience the world in all its glory and diversity – some of the best trips you can take are much closer than you think! Here are our tips on how to travel around the world, no matter what your budget may be.

  1. How To Plan A Round-the-world Trip

Planning a round-the-world trip can seem like a daunting task. When you consider that traveling from one continent to another can be an incredibly expensive endeavor, it’s understandable that many people get cold feet when thinking about undertaking such an adventure. But with proper planning and preparation, there is no reason why traveling for six months or more shouldn’t be financially attainable for most people. 

The trick is to understand your financial situation, determine how long does it take to travel around the world, and set goals for what you hope to see and do along the way. With these three simple steps, plus a little hard work, you’ll be on your way in no time at all!

  1. Planning Your Budget, Transportation, And Accommodation

Planning your trip can seem like a daunting task. To save time and money, it’s wise to make a checklist of everything you need. In your first draft, include every possible contingency and base costs on how much you think each item will cost, not how much you hope it will cost. Then head over to Google Flights and do some research for dates when fares are at their lowest so that your travel plans remain within budget.

Next, start making a list of accommodations and transport options. Will you be staying in hotels? If so, plan to book ahead to get better rates. Decide how you will get from place to place—will you rent a car or use public transportation? Will any of your destinations be the off-the-beaten path? Find out whether transportation will be easily accessible and book in advance. After you’ve booked accommodation, transportation, and flights for your trip, call your bank about getting international coverage for ATM withdrawals during your stay.

  1. How To Survive On A Backpacker’s Budget

Plan your trip strategically. Visit destinations during off-peak seasons and find cheaper accommodations or hostels with monthly rates. Also, many countries have home-stay programs where you can stay with a local family for much less than you would pay for a hotel room. 

The same goes for transportation: Take public transportation if available or go by bike. These little money-saving measures will add to big savings in your bank account!

While some backpackers have tons of money and can spend without restraint, there are still many cost-conscious ways to travel. Many budget-minded travelers enjoy home-stay programs that allow them to live with a local family in exchange for light housework. 

Others, armed with recently-passed TEFL courses, work as English teachers, hostel managers, or bartenders. Or they may opt for extended stays at one destination rather than hopping from place to place. Whatever you decide, consider these tips on saving money when traveling so your next trip can be affordable and fun!

  1. How To Pack Light

When you’re taking off on a trip to foreign lands, you want to pack smartly—and light. Start by investing in a rolling bag that will serve as your closet and bed during your time away. You won’t have to worry about picking out an outfit every morning; grab whatever comes at hand and throw it on. 

A good piece of luggage also doubles as a day pack once you arrive at your destination. Tuck away any souvenirs or purchases and treat yourself to some free baggage room! 

On top of all that, packing light saves money—flying is more expensive than ever, with fees for checked bags being one of the fastest-growing costs for air carriers. So, before packing your luggage, consider the luggage weight limit for international flights!

  1. Ways To Make Traveling Cheaper

People often feel traveling is too expensive, but it doesn’t have to be that way. You can save a lot of money by choosing affordable accommodation and using local transport. However, suppose you’re willing to forgo luxuries like fancy hotels and gourmet food. In that case, you can travel further and still stay within your budget. 

There are many ways to cut costs when traveling: Couch-surfing is one great option. You can save a ton on accommodation by staying with people you meet online or through friends and family. If excess baggage is a problem to couch-surf, a great solution would be to leave them at convenient storage locations like luggage storage Penn Station.

  1. How To Avoid Picking Up Diseases While Traveling

Travel is great, right? It gives us access to different cultures and regions of our planet we may never otherwise have had a chance to explore. But while visiting foreign lands can be exciting, it’s important to remember that you’re literally on foreign soil. With that in mind, here are some tips for keeping yourself safe during your trip:

1. Get Your Shots. If you’re going to a country where you might be exposed to diseases not found in your home country, get vaccinated for them before you leave. (The CDC has a list of recommended vaccines by destination.) The exception is if you’re only visiting a place for a short time—say, less than two weeks. And do not encourage any areas with poor sanitation or high rates of disease transmission (like slums or rural villages). In that case, it may not be worth it to take on the risk of getting vaccinated and experiencing side effects like fever and soreness at such a short-term visit.

2. Pack Antibiotics. If you’re traveling to a country with a high risk of getting sick, pack some antibiotics in your bag and take them proactively if you feel like you’re getting ill. This is especially important if you have chronic health conditions that make it difficult for your body to fight off infections (like asthma or diabetes). Antibiotics are also a good idea if you’re traveling with kids—their immune systems aren’t as developed as adults so they can get sick more easily.

3. Stay Away From Tap Water. You should always avoid drinking tap water in a foreign country. Still, it’s especially important to do so if you’re traveling with kids or have a chronic health condition that makes it difficult for your body to fight off infections (like asthma or diabetes). Bottled water is fine, but check that it hasn’t been refilled from a local tap. Some unscrupulous merchants will refill used bottles with tap water and resell them as new! If you don’t want to buy bottled water, ask your hotel if they have safe drinking water. Some hotels will even provide filtered drinking water at no extra charge; ask for filtered drinking water when you check in.

4. Wash Your Hands Often. This should be a no-brainer, but you’d be surprised how many people don’t do it—or don’t do it enough! Before eating anything, wash your hands thoroughly with soap. And water for at least 20 seconds to help prevent foodborne illnesses like E. coli and salmonella (and keep yourself from picking up any other nasty germs). If you can find antibacterial hand sanitizer, that’s even better. Make sure you use it properly by rubbing it into your hands for at least 15 seconds before rinsing off.

  1. The Weirdest Things You’ll Find In Different Countries

And here’s something that will surely make you think about traveling! In some countries, you might come across some weird stuff. If you ever decide to plan a trip, keep in mind some of these weird things and maybe try them out on your vacation. You never know – they may taste amazing and make your trip even more memorable! As long as it’s not anything gross or forbidden in other parts of the world, do as you please 🙂 Here are just some of those.

  1. Cheese is made from donkey’s milk in Greece – you can get it on Santorini island, which is known for its beautiful beaches and historical sites. The taste is very similar to that of goat cheese, so if you like it, go ahead and try it! It’s not something most people are used to eating, though, so you might want to try a small piece first before devouring an entire plateful of cheese.
  2. Bizarre food in Japan – while Japan is known for being very traditional and conservative when it comes to their culture and cuisine, there are some pretty bizarre things that they eat in Japan! For example, a dish called natto consists of fermented soybeans – yuck!
  3. Baby mice wine in China – If you’re looking for a very special drink to try, you might want to head over to China! There’s a traditional Chinese alcoholic beverage called baijiu made from fermented sorghum. It can be served straight or mixed with tea. It comes in many different flavors, but one of them is made with baby mice! Yes, that’s right – baby mice! We don’t recommend trying it unless you have no problem drinking alcohol made from dead animals. The taste is said to be similar to that of whiskey or brandy. Yum?
  4. Crickets and scorpions in Thailand – If you’re a fan of eating bugs, you might want to head to Thailand! Many street vendors sell insects for food, and people eat them! The most popular ones are crickets and scorpions, but there are many others. The taste is similar to that of shrimp or lobster – so if you like seafood, you should give it a try! It’s said that they taste better when they’re deep-fried or grilled, though.
  5. Cow penis soup in Vietnam is weird because it doesn’t sound like something anyone would want to eat even if they were starving!
  6. Travelling Can Be Boring – How To Keep It Interesting?

Travelling can be exciting, but it can also be tiring and boring. It’s easy to get burned out on travel after the first few days or weeks between the unfamiliar sights, sounds, and people and the stress of getting from place to place without driving yourself crazy. 

However, there are plenty of ways to make travel more interesting while still enjoying the places you visit. Try these five tips when you next go traveling to keep your mind sharp, and your body rested as you see new parts of the world.

1) Change Your Point Of View

Whether looking out at a new city skyline or viewing an old landmark from a new angle, there’s a simple way to make your next trip more interesting: get up high. Many cities have iconic monuments that offer vantage points for views you never knew existed—not just for tourists but also for locals looking for a fresh perspective. 

2) Expose Yourself To New Things

Exploring a new city or country is exciting, but it can get repetitive quickly. Try taking a class that interests you or learning something new about your destination by reading a travel book to spice things up. One fun way of doing so is by checking out local libraries or bookstores in your destination city – it’s a great way to meet locals and learn more about the area.

3) Enjoy The Ride

One of life’s great pleasures is being able to travel. But all too often miss out on many opportunities while on vacation simply because we’re not in tune with our surroundings. The next time you travel, try observing your environment rather than just looking at it. You’ll be amazed at what you can discover about a place and its people by taking in what you see, smell, and hear. What new sights will you discover?

4) Get Lost

Getting lost isn’t always a bad thing. Sometimes you have to wander in order to find something new or stumble upon somewhere beautiful. So, ditch your trusty GPS app and strike out into uncharted territory. Be sure that you have a backup plan, though, just in case you get stranded!

5) Bring a friend

Traveling with your buddy makes for an interesting trip as you can learn from each other and exchange fun and funny stories at the end of it. After all, there’s nothing like a good laugh that brightens up your mood. Even if you go alone, make sure you bring a book or some games – solo travel has its perks but being bored is never one of them.

The Bottom Line: World Tour

Before you leave on your journey, set a goal for how many countries you want to visit and how long you want to be gone. If you are a US citizen, also read the guides like can US citizen travel to Canada right now before planning any trip. Take a highlighter with you when you travel and mark off each country. It’s exciting to see how quickly your list grows – it may even encourage you to push yourself! 

When traveling with friends or family, try not always travel in packs. It’s more interesting and fun when everyone explores on their own from time to time. Explore other parts of town or different restaurants without your group and make sure everyone knows their meeting place for dinner later that evening.