Do it up, do it big, do it right

You can totally do this in six months, I know people who have done RTW in less time than that. And sure they didn't spend ages in each place but they got some amazing experiences and memories to last a lifetime. So don't be put off by people saying it's not enough time :)

So I would start by flying to Australia (super-expensive so restrict yourself to maybe 3/4 weeks). Since you're starting in May, that's a good time for Great Barrier Reef, so why not East Coast Aus and down to Sydney? (I heard it's chillier down Melbourne and Tasmania way at that time of year.)

So after Aus, spend a good couple of months in Asia. Your money goes far in Thailand, Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam. Standard backpacker trail destinations, but for good reasons! Ha Long Bay, Angkor Wat, Bangkok, awesome.

Now it's around August? How about partying like crazy for a couple of weeks in St Petersburg, Russia? The White Nights in August are meant to be insane, and it's a good stopover to Europe, where you could spend the last couples of months. September is really mild and pleasant weather in much of Italy and Spain so you can get some beach time and culture before flying back to the USA.

k

#11
No-one has said you CAN'T do it...that would be a foolish thing to say.

People have said that they WOULDN'T do it,which is another thing entirely.....

I dare say you could go round the world in a week if you wanted to...that is not to say it is a 'good' way to travel.

I'm sure you know people who have done it in less time than 6 months.Probably people who had never travelled anywhere before,and have never done so again.Anyone with any decent travel experience would never attempt a RTW in that time...it is an absolute waste of money for one thing,and it constricts you to having very little time in e ach place and seeing only the major 'sights' (read..every other tourist in the world) rather than trying to get to know different places,local people,off the beaten track destinations..out of the guidebook destinations.

It also fits you into a timetable which is very difficult to adjust...no chance to stay longer in a place you like (without having to 'miss' others...no chance to change direction when you find something you had never heard of before.Travel should be about freedom,not constriction.Do what you want,when you want,how you want....

You can't do that if you are flying from continent to continent every few weeks....

You asked how we would do it, and people are saying they wouldn't. I think that's a fair enough answer.

I'd fly to Asia, spend 6 months there, then fly home. If I flew in the same direction, I'd technically be going round the world, so that would fit your "guidelines".

Hey guys. I really do appreciate all the input. I never meant to cause a scene of negativity though. I have no Interest making bad relations here or causing others to do the same.

Right now my roughly projected path leads me down the western side of Europe may-July culminating in Rome > Athens > Cairo. Then over to Delhi > Bangkok. .......ending in Seoul > Tokyo. Back to ft lauderdale by thanksgiving (end of November)

Ideas?

Edited by: ShadesPG

Leave Ft.Lauderdale for Reykjavik. Find the cheapest hotels throughout this trip as I don't plan on spending much time in any of them. Enjoy the hot springs and crazy nightlife for a couple weeks before hitting London. See all of the sights in a few days, and take the train to Paris. Stroll the Seine, see the tower, head to Amsterdam after a couple days. Do what people do there, and also see the Anne Frank house and the museums. Drink some beer in Germany, tour through Italy and head to ibiza for some more crazy partying. Fly over to St. Petersburg for the White Nights around July, make a stop over in Moscow, maybe coax a stunning Russian to join you on the rest of your trip. Fly to Bangkok for a bit of decadence, over to the Philippines to lounge by an incredible beach. Drop down to Sydney, climb the bridge, head to Hawaii. Spend a few days and then off to Vegas, double whats left and start all over! Of course stop back by Ft. Lauderdale to complete the spirit of the task before taking my winnings back on the road!

Are you overlanding / overwatering through Europe or budget air or both? I'd probably suggest both depending on where you're going. Eg UK to anywhere south of Paris it's normally cheaper and (obviously quicker) to fly. But once you get to Italy for example train travel is a bargain. You could technically - and quite easily - do the entire continent that way. What do you want to do in Europe? A lot of non Europeans miss out Spain and Portugal on their first visit as they seem to see it as a bit of a dead end but there are ferry links between Barcelona and Rome (well, near Rome) and budget airlines will link the two though you may have to divert back north. Your budget is high compared to a lot of people so lots of nice things to splurge it on!!

Month 1 - Australia and Singapore, to Thailand via Malaysia

Fly to Australia

2-3 weeks divided between Sydney, Melbourne, Perth, the Kimberleys, Darwin, the Red Centre. (You are traveling clockwise.)

Then, back to Sydney for departure to:

Singapore. Spend a few days there exploring the wondrous foods and multiple cultures/neighborhoods of the island nation, then head north by train, transiting Malaysia. (You may wish to stop for a few days in Kuala Lumpur.) Get off the train in Bangkok.

Month 2 - Bangkok, Northern Thailand, and (maybe) Burma

In Bangkok, you can acquire visas, and buy airline tickets at one of the better bucket shops. While waiting for the visas, travel north to to the Golden Triangle, and perhaps visit Burma briefly. Spend some time among the mountain tribes.

Month 3 - Cambodia and Vietnam

Return to Bangkok, gather visas, travel to and explore briefly Cambodia and Vietnam.

Month 4 - China and Nepal

Leave Vietnam for China, and, upon arriving, immediately set out by train through the country to Nepal. While in Nepal, trek the Anapurna circuit, then, fly from Jomsom to Katmandu, where you will take a bus to India.

Month 5 - India

First to Varanasi, then New Delhi, then Rajasthan (where you will spend extra time - you'll know why when you get there). Go to Mumbai. (If you have spent too much time in Rajasthan, you may leave off this upcoming last bit). From there, travel by train (2nd class two-tier aircon) to Chennai and Pondichery (French India), then back by train to Mumbai, from whence you will fly to South America.

Month 6 - South America

Spend your last month visiting the countries of your choice in South America before heading home.

You won't have seen all the world but you'll have seen a great deal of it. Much of your time will be spent traveling, but since much of that travel will be by land, you will see a lot while en route to other places. And, you will be stopping from time to time to get a taste of the local experience. It is often said that the journey itself is the destination, and that was never so true as it is here.

I'd go with the one described by Cleatz, great itinerary.

(we have traveled around the world with 2 very young kids in 6 weeks time - it has been the most wonderful experience, don't let anyone discourage you just because of different feelings about traveling)

Edited by: mexxem

I think if you really want to travel to many countries you should just go, doesn't matter how long you are going to stay there.
If it's probably your only chance to do it, go for it !!

If it's your dream, don't even think about not going !!

I did exactly that, went on a 6 months RTW trip and I don't regret my decision. It was a dream coming true for me.

Since we were living in New Zealand and going back to our country, Brazil, we did the following route:

Sydney - Australia
Jakarta and Bali - Indonesia
Tokyo, Hiroshima, Kyoto and Osaka - Japan
Beijing - China
Hong Kong
Kuala Lumpur - Malaysia
Bangkok, Phuket, Ko Tao and Ko Pa Ngan - Thailand
Luang Prabang, Vang Vieng and Vientiane - Laos
Siem Reap(Angkor Wat) and Phnom Penh- Cambodia
Ho Chi Min and Ha Noi - Vietnam
Macau
New Delhi, Varanasi and Agra - India
Amman, Petra and Wadi Rum Desert - Jordan
Jerusalem and Bethlehem - Israel
Cairo, Alexandria, Luxor and Aswan - Egypt
Madrid and Barcelona - Spain
Rome, Florence, Venice and Milan - Italy
Paris - France
New York and Idaho and Pennsylvania to visit family - USA
Sao Paulo - Brazil

It's an amazing experience, if you can, do it , you won't regret it.

Good luck !!

@lucapal

You miss the point, and the spirit of the assignment: put together a RTW trip, or something approximating one, for $25,000 or less and six months time.

If you only have six months to travel but want to see as much of the world as possible, it makes sense to strike a balance between covering territory and stopping to smell the flowers. It just takes an open mind (which you'd have developed, hopefully, if you'd traveled much).

You can see a lot traveling by train. It would be better, of course, to get off the train for a few days here and there while in China, but for this assignment there isn't time for it. Transiting China via train is a great way to see some of the country while moving through it.

Trekking the Annapurna circuit doesn't mean you have to do the entire circuit. Obviously on a trip like this the paramount restriction is the time you have to work with. You have to make a general plan and be open to adjusting it as you move, always keeping in mind that your time is short. Some things will take longer than you anticipated, and you may wish to spend more or less time in a place than you'd planned for.

You can trek from Jomsom to Kagbeni through the Kali Gandaki valley, from there to Muktinath, and back to Jomsom, in about three or four days without rushing. Let's say you spend a week doing it. That leaves three weeks to get from your entry point in China to Tibet by train, and then to Nepal. Granted that would be rushing it, but you can allow yourself an extra week or two if you remain flexible. Enjoying a trip like this is all about being flexible.

All we've heard from you, lucapal, is "can't do it, shouldn't do it, wouldn't do it." Stretch your mind a little. Use your imagination. Dream, and offer up some encouragement. The OP will find plenty of discouragement and negativity by those around her/him. She/he doesn't need to hear that here.

Edited by: Rondure_II