When is a trip actually a trip around the world?
“There is no official definition,” says Eva-Maria Sauerwald. “A nine-hour flight does not make a trip around the world. But anyone who travels to more than three continents in one vacation is, in my opinion, on a world tour - that also has to do with experiencing cultural diversity. "
What is a typical mistake when planning the itinerary?
Tip 1: List the countries you want to travel to with the respective travel time, for example in an Excel table, so that you can sort by travel time and options in the country. A good overview can be found on the Internet at www.theglobalspy.com "
How much time should you plan for a trip around the world?
“One shouldn't undertake too much. I recommend planning at least three weeks per country. In principle: keep as much flexibility as possible. Flexible tickets should be booked. In addition, I only recommend making appointments and planned trips with friends at the beginning, in order to be able to flexibly organize the time on the route.
Tip 2: Reduce the obligations at home to a minimum. Stress only takes away the magic of the trip. You should never forget that you are on vacation. "
How do you choose the right countries?
“Here you should listen to your heart. Often people have had dreams for years that they would like to fulfil once in a lifetime. However, you should inform yourself well beforehand. Commercials and films sometimes give the wrong picture of a possible travel destination. For example, I've already had customers who wanted to go to Costa Rica to experience a lot of cultures there - but there isn't that much culture there, the country offers more nature experiences.
Tip 3: Be clear about your own ideas and the possibilities in the individual countries: Would I like nature or culture, would I rather have peace and quiet or action on my planned vacation? "
Where is the best place to find out about possible travel destinations?
“Everyone has to decide for themselves how effectively they want to approach the planning. The wealth of information on the web is often unmanageable. You lose a lot of time researching and in the end, you are not sure whether the information you find is really complete. You can of course also buy a travel guide, but for some, this is just another source of information in the flood of information.
Tip 4: Based on my travel experience in over 50 countries, I offer backpacker consultation hours and world travel advice. If you don't want to spend money, however, you can talk to people who have already been to the respective country - insider tips are always helpful. "
What does a world trip cost?
“Every trip involves one-time and ongoing expenses. There are one-off costs for flights, travel insurance, passports, visa procurement, equipment and vaccinations in advance. The current expenses can be calculated depending on the travel destination and personal travel style.
Tip 5: You should plan a quarter each for accommodation, food, sightseeing/transport and other things such as souvenirs. An overview of the accommodation costs can be obtained from a hotel or hostel booking portal. This makes it easy to calculate the daily budget per country. Some countries such as Japan are a bit more expensive and therefore not feasible with every budget. "
What's the best way to move from A to B?
“With the Around-The-World-Ticket you can create a rough route for a fixed price - that is well suited for the big jumps from continent to continent. The route remains fixed, but the times are still flexible on-site. Smaller flights can often be booked on-site at a very good price. Local means of transport are also recommended, true to the motto: live like a local.
Tip 6: You can find subway plans for major cities worldwide on theglobalspy"
When do I need a visa?
“This is regulated differently in every country and changes frequently. Therefore: It is essential to inform the Federal Foreign Office in advance which conditions apply in which country. Some travel destinations send holidaymakers back to the airport without the need for a visa.
Tip 7: Obtaining a visa can be time-consuming. You have to go to some embassies in person to receive the visa. Not everyone lives near the embassies. But there are visa services in Germany that prepare all the documents for you and take over the handling of the individual embassies on your behalf. "
Who is the contact person abroad in an emergency?
“You should have good travel insurance for accidents or illness. For other topics, the embassies are the contact persons in the respective country. An overview of all contact details of the embassies in the targeted countries is useful.
Tip 8: If you are in a country for a longer period of time in a crisis or if you are there at a travel time in which you have to reckon with natural disasters, you can tell the respective local embassy that and how long you will be in Country is located - by email or phone. "
Can you go on a trip around the world with children?
“Yes, a trip around the world is possible for children of all ages. I myself have met parents with toddlers and babies in the most remote corners of the world, who really enjoyed their intensive family time and who easily walked around the world. I recommend my customers to travel to child-friendly countries such as South Africa, Thailand, Australia, the USA and Chile - countries in which there is little or no risk of malaria and good medical care is available.
Tip 9: plan a few countries and a longer time in one place. For more information, I recommend the theglobalspy blog. "
What do seniors have to pay attention to when travelling the world?
“Anyone who makes long-distance trips at an advanced age should make sure that the trip is well organized in advance. If you don't speak English very well, you should book German translators or even German-speaking accommodation. In many countries, there are emigrants who run bed and breakfasts. "
Tip 10: Ayurveda trips are very popular with older people, for example in India or Sri Lanka. You are picked up from the airport, the hotels often have a German translator and it is about health, massages, healthy food and wellbeing. "
What do women travelling alone have to consider?
“On my many trips, I myself am travelling alone most of the time and have had good experiences so far. I follow a few simple rules and keep my eyes open.
Tip 11: I recommend a group tour to women who are unsure. Everything is organized and you often meet friends for life. Unfortunately, young women, in particular, today often have unfounded prejudices against group travel. But there are also special trips for the target group for up to 40 years. These are active group trips beyond butter trips. "
How do you know a country for travel?
“My motto is: live like a local. With so-called homestays you can stay with the locals for a few days: milk cows, sleep on bamboo mats, do everything the locals do - these experiences are more sustainable than any luxury resort! Homestays are also great for children. I have travelled extensively to over 50 countries myself and I associate special moments and people with each of them.
Tip 12: Online platforms such as Couchsurfing and Airbnb help you to find a way to live with locals - however, the providers often live in a more westernized environment. If you want to spend the night in a typical way, you should ask around on-site and you will surely find what you are looking for. "
How should you manage your money on a trip around the world?
“I recommend taking two different credit cards with you (e.g. Visa and Mastercard) because sometimes only one of the two is accepted. You should also make sure that you can withdraw money free of charge worldwide with the cards. It is advisable to withdraw money more often than to carry too large amounts of money with you.
Tip 13: A cash reserve of 150 euros is enough to travel safely around the world. "
What should you watch out for with luggage?
“99.9 percent of all world travellers are with a backpack: You are simply more flexible, you can carry your piece of luggage through the jungle and always have it with you. A suitcase rucksack that can be opened from the side and packed well is ideal. In addition, there are now also rucksacks with wheels that can be used as a trolley suitcase or rucksack as required! However, the roles are heavy and take up space.
Tip 14: Only things that you can bear to lose should be in your backpack. In addition, the backpack shouldn't be too heavy: It is a relief to travel light. Every gram counts when packing. Nowadays the most essential things can be bought in all major cities around the world. "
These 15 things should be done before travelling the world *
- Check passport for validity and blank pages
- Apply for the necessary visa
- Scan documents and send them to your own email address
- Set up travel blog (if necessary)
- Organize regular backups of photos (e.g. USB stick, Dropbox)
- Photographing equipment for insurance
- Vaccination advise at the Tropical Institute (tip: www.theglobalspy.com )
- Final check-ups with your family doctor, dentist and (if necessary) other specialists
- Take out travel health insurance, ideally with a complete package.
- Organize online banking and inform your house bank about your trip
- Provide a person of trust with power of attorney
- Set up a forwarding request or mail storage
- Sublet or terminate the apartment
- unsubscribe car
- Prepare terminations or arrange temporary suspension of contracts (insurance, subscriptions, club memberships, mobile phone contracts, electricity, landline and internet, etc.)
The country check for the world trip
Before going around the world, you should find out more about individual travel and transit countries. Eva-Maria Sauerwald recommends seven questions for the country check:
- How do I get to the country and how do I leave?
- Are the borders open when entering the country?
- Can I meet the entry requirements?
- Is an exit ticket required upon entry?
- Is the travel time in the country cheap?
- Are the travel expenses within budget?
- Can I implement my plans for the planned time?
Tips for women travelling alone *
- Pay attention to the dress code and do not dress too conspicuously.
- Mention husband, invent if necessary. A wedding ring has also proven itself as a defence in many countries.
- Pepper spray in your handbag, but be careful: importation may be prohibited in some countries.
- Take licensed taxis and, if you are unsure, fake a phone call and mention the taxi number and driver name in the local language. That scares off taxi drivers, you feel much safer. And: never get into a taxi that already has two men in it.
- Avoid lonely places and do not go out on the street alone in the dark.
- Always be very confident and not be intimidated.
- Most importantly: pay attention to your gut feeling!