Frequently asked Questions
Do flights have to actually go round the world?
Not at all, you can do pretty much anything you want, although prices can vary hugely depending on the complexity of the route. Some round the world tickets will insist that you actually go round the world but others don't so it's down to your consultant to find the route that most suits you.
What's the best way to book flights?
Step 1
Note down where you fancy going.
Step 2
We'll tell you if it can be done or how to alter it to save cash. Whilst you may well end up having to alter your route to save money, don't assume that what you really want to do isn't possible or will be too expensive. It might not be! Ask us we're on 0844 844 2540
Step 3
Get them into a rough order of importance eg Australia, New Zealand, Vietnam etc.....
Step 4
Put your destinations into a rough geographic order ie keep them going in the same direction e.g. London - India - Thailand and Vietnam and Cambodia - Australia - New Zealand - Pacific - the States - UK is great but UK - Africa- South America - Europe really doesn't work without spending a fortune!
Also don't assume that you have to 'Round the World' i.e. you can go out and back via the same part of the world.
Though most RTW trips take in Australia and or New Zealand and the States, we have been finding that certain passengers don't really fancy the States (because of the extra security precautions) or Oz and NZ (time restraints/have been there before) - so you don't have to go via these countries - ask us for other options.
Step 5
Work out in your head what your budget us and call us for advice and a quote on on 0844 844 2540. When you call, it would be handy if you have a map and a calendar near you - it'll enable to visualize your trip better (or print off the calendar here or design your own RTW online here)
Step 6
Once you've worked out where you want to go, that's half the battle - then you need to speak to an expert - Visit us in Islington, or call us on 0844 844 2540 - it really can be that simple (although not always!)
If I don’t live in the UK can I still make a booking with you?
Yes you can - but it is usually cheaper to organise flights that commence in the UK and get a low cost carrier over from Europe. Please feel free to ask us.
When is the cheapest time to go?
Generally after Easter and before the summer holidays - all airlines have different seasons - ask us and we can get the best deals!
What does the phase ‘surface’ mean?
This means you will fly in and out of a different city or country. In other words you will travel between them by other means, perhaps by train, bus or boat. By choosing the right overland journey you can see and experience more of a country or region. A round the world trip should be more about seeing things you’ll never see again, rather than rushing through airports and sitting on buses ‘just to get there’. Really “see” each country rather than just “visit”.
These are just a few of the overland choices that are always extremely popular:
1. Bangkok to Singapore is, justifiably, a very popular overland journey. Stop at the southern Thai and northern Malay islands, the Cameroon highlands and Kuala Lumpur before arriving at the bright lights of Singapore.
2. The Reunification Express train runs almost the entire length of Vietnam; hugging the coastline for much of the journey. Take your time and stop at destinations such as Hoi An, Hue and Nha Trang. A tip is to be sure to book each section as far in advance as you can…it’s popular with locals and travellers alike.
3. Agra to Manali, India. Start your journey at the wonderful Taj Mahal before heading north, stopping in Delhi and Daramasala, home to the Dalai Lama and Tibetans in exile, before reaching the hill station of Manali. You can even continue on to Ladakh, close to the Chinese border.
4. Moscow to Beijing click here for more Trans Siberian Train details
5. The Great Ocean Road between Melbourne and Adelaide, simply stunning.
6. The Queensland coast between Brisbane and Cairns. There are some great stopover points, the surf can get big and the parties last all night.
7. The south western corner of Australia. You’ll enjoy the drop in pace in comparison to the craziness of the east coast
What is the tax that everyone keeps quoting - is it V.A.T?
No it is not V.A.T. or calculated as a percentage of the ticket price. The tax is airport tax, money that the airport is charging you to use its facilities, government taxes (such as £40-£80 APD in the UK), and fuel surcharges ( the way airlines offset the relentless increase in the cost of a barrel of oil). This used to be collected at the airports but is now usually payable in advance and shown on your ticket. There are still a few countries in which your taxes are collected at the airport, for example The Cook Islands, Fiji and China. However, most airport taxes are paid upfront with your airfare. Your consultant will advise you of any you can expect to pay along the way on departure.
Recently there has been two new extra charges – Security Charges, about £2.50 per flight and secondly Fuel Surcharges, which can be brutal but do reflect the cost of a barrel of oil (which keeps going up!). All airlines have different fuel surcharges and these can be as much as £135 per flight sector, although not for every round the world combo. As these taxes and surcharges frequently change we will advise you the exact amount when you make your booking and pay your balance off. And yes it’s true, the more flights you have the more tax/fuel surcharges that you do pay, but sometimes we can get you more stops without increasing the ticket price. The good news, unlike most countries worldwide, the UK does not presently charge V.A.T. on flights, although give it time....
As a rule of thumb, on a journey with say six or seven stops, you should expect to pay as much as £850 in taxes including the dreaded fuel surcharges - possibly more if you have a few stops in the USA, Canada or Australia. However it can be less if we switch onto carriers with cheaper fuel surcharges - this is what we're here for so ask us about the best deal for you! Unfortunately Governments, cities and airport operators have found raising taxes, fees and charges a very easy way of creating a new and guaranteed revenue stream. The good news is that once your ticked is issued (ie paid for in full) then there are no more airline supplements (although government reserve the right to increase tax whenever they want without being polite and giving a warning! Grrrr!). As the old saying goes, taxes and death are the only two certs in life....Still ticket prices haven't really changed much over the last 10 years so in real terms you can still get a cracking deal!
Is roundtheworldflights.com just another Internet start up?
Not at all, roundtheworldflights.com is now in our 11th year and is a Global Village company, trading since 1997 - more.
Why should I book with you?
The list is endless; we hardly even know where to start! In short it's because this is an area that we specialise in. Our consultants spend hour upon hour, day upon day just working on round the world enquiries. During this time they come across new airline routes and unusual schedules and services. This enables them to help you get just that little bit more out of your round the world ticket. All our consultants are well travelled and 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. For example overland travel is a magnificent way to see more of a country. The most popular overland journey has to be “Bangkok to Singapore” and we would highly recommend this choice. However if you were thinking of travelling overland from India to Thailand, we would strongly advise you against attempting this. Travel through Myanmar is extremely difficult due to visa and border restrictions. 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 - www.fco.gov.uk
Is my money safe with roundtheworldflights.com?
Absolutely. We are fully bonded with both ATOL and IATA and we sell flights on behalf of an ATOL agent. We also include Schedule Airline Failure Insurance onto every ticket so that if any airline you are using goes bust, then you are covered and will be either moved onto another airline or refunded your money.
What about once I'm there?
We can take care of as little or as much of your plans as you want us to. Many of you will book tours or bus passes. Some of you want to do it all yourselves once you are there, with just a night booked here or there to make that late arrival in a new country just that little bit more bearable. See our Tours and Passes section. It's worth remembering that many of these products cannot be purchased in the countries you are visiting and we are selling many others at a cheaper rate than if bought locally.
Check out our Exclusive RTW Hotels!
Check out our roundtheworldflights.com hotels online - from 3 star to 5 star luxury!
Destination Brochures !
Call 0844 844 2540 or email us for one of our great new 2008 destination brochures - Australia and the Pacific, New Zealand, Asia, Latin America, North America or Africa We have great flight deals and we've got superb deals on hotels, car hire, camper van hire and cruises.
Can I leave my flight dates open?
Unfortunately not, as the ticket cannot be issued this way. All airlines want you to book every flight in advance but in most cases they will allow free date changes. Airlines recognise that you cannot set in stone your schedule for something that is a year or more away. For that reason you can change your dates, sometimes for a small administration fee (e.g. Qantas: AUD25 - approx £10), and sometimes for free. Before you leave home, we can make these changes for you.
How much notice do I have to give to change my dates?
If you do not intend to take a confirmed flight, you must change your dates before the flight departs. Failure to do so may result in the airline cancelling your remaining flights. As a rule of thumb it is important you change your flight dates at least three days before the flight is due to depart.
Can I change destinations whilst I'm away?
In most cases you will be able to re-route your ticket although this will cost a little more (usually US$75) and involve you going into an office to have the ticket re-issued.
How much luggage can I take?
The most common system used, is the weight system. This allows you to take the following amount of luggage at no extra cost to you.
• Economy Class 20-23kg (depending on the airline)
• Business Class 30kg
• First Class 40kg
If you travel via the North America then you are sometimes allowed to take two pieces of luggage, each piece up to 62 inches (158cm) in total dimensions (length + height + width) and maximum weight 20kg each.
Important: If you have a ticket with several flights, bear in mind that the same baggage allowance may not apply to each flight on your itinerary! If you plan on taking more than your allowance, we recommend that you contact the airline in advance so that you know what excess baggage charges to expect. At the discretion of the airlines, you may be allowed extra baggage allowance for certain items such as sports equipment, including golf clubs, skis or a surfboard. It is essential that you confirm these details with the airlines you will be travelling with.
Children (paying 50% or more of the applicable fare) will receive the adult baggage allowance. Infants (paying 10% of the applicable adult fare) will be permitted a free allowance of one checked in bag, not exceeding 20kg.
What is the difference between a paper ticket and an e-ticket and what do I need to carry?
E-tickets are the future of air travel and are issued in approximately 95% of all cases with round the world itineraries – this figure is increasing on a monthly basis and the day is not far off when we will have all tickets issued as e-ticket.
Why not yet? – simply because smaller airlines and airports are not yet ready to issue and accept them due to the necessary technology not being present.
With a paper ticket – you must have this with you whenever you check in for a flight just as you always have had to.
With an e-ticket – you just need your passport and a smile! Some airlines insist that you bring a copy of the receipt (rather doing away with the point of e-tickets!) but the number is dwindling.
We recommend that you always keep an itinerary with you to remind yourself of flight dates and times.
What Gear will I need?
We've been talking about this list in the office for ages - we reckon this is what you need to enjoy yourself - but all lists are personal - print it off and work out what you want or need. But remember you can buy most things abroad.....
Essentials
Backpack (About 65 litres capacity should do)
Day pack
Passport - don't forget it - by the end of your trip you will know your passport number off by heart
Insurance
Flight tickets or e ticket receipts - you will always get a booking confirmation from roundtheworldflights.com
Bus pass,
Visas - double check which ones you need Immunisation record, Travel Insurance documents, Diary, Address Book, All emergency numbers,
Passport photos (8 minimum), Pens, A pencil, Glasses/contact lenses, Prescriptions Medications, Photocopies of documents, Sunglasses, Identity cards (student or Under 26 card), Discount cards (VIP backpacker card)
Medical
First Aid Kit
Extras for your first aid kit
Anti malarial tablets, Inoculation certificates, Immodium,
Paracetemol,
Rennies,
Nurofen (Ibuprofen),
Savlon,
Small plasters, Athletes foot powder,
Talc, Moisturiser,
Throat lozenges,
Multi Vitamins,
Tweezers,
Pointed scissors (or a Swiss Army knife),
Water purification tablets,
Thermometer
Bedtime
Sleeping bag
Inner sheet Sleeping bag (Save cash and make your own!)
Thermarest
Travel Gear
iPod,
Camera (Digital),
Mobile phone (Enabled for abroad),
batteries, Charging units,
Travel adapter,
Waterbottle, A good Money belt,
Combination padlocks
Money - make sure you've saved enough!
Visa Credit card (get your PIN!)
Mastercard Credit Card (get your PIN!)
ATM "hole in the wall" card like a cirrus or maestro (Check the back of your normal ATM card - remember your PIN!)
Pre-paid card (get from the post office)
AMEX US Dollar Travellers Schedules
Washbag - stay clean - stay well - smell better
Travel toothbrush,
Toothpaste,
Suncream (waterproof and factor 25 at least),
Shampoo,
Conditioner
Shaving stuff,
Sewing Kit,
Ear plugs,
Contraception,
Tissues (big box),
Lip balm,
Safety pins
Flannel,
Female sanitary towels,
Brush or comb,
Deodorant,
Condoms,
Toilet paper,
Wet wipes
Dental floss,
Moisturiser,
Nail clippers, Travel towel,
Tooth brush guard
Essential Gear
Universal sink plug ,
Peg free clothes line,
Travel wash (for clothes)
Lighter or waterproof matches, DEET repellent , Electronic repellent
Swiss Army Knife (with corkscrew...), Small Maglite torch , Head torch
Knife, fork & spoon set , Compass ,
Tea spoon, mug (try making a cup of tea on the Trans Siberian with a swiss army knife...)
Clothes and Footwear and if you forget anything you will curse
Long sleeved shirt,
Jeans,
Smart combat trousers,
Sun hat,
Travel sandals,
Trekking shoes
Shower proof jacket,
4 pairs of pants and socks,
Shorts,
Belt,
Cotton T Shirts,
Swimming gear
Cotton shirts,
Long sleeved T Shirts,
Sweater,
Sarong (for your Beckham moments),
Fleece
Woolly hat,
Scarf and gloves,
Thermal underwear
Handy Gear that makes travelling more enjoyable
Books (Dostoyevsky soon gets a little dull on the beach),
Guidebooks (We like the maps in Lonely Planet),
Phrase book,
Address book,
Telephone card,
Job reference letter,
Family photos,
Diary,
Re-sealable plastic bag,
Large black bin bag,
A toilet roll (Super Essential!)
Make a list of the following and give photocopies to your family or good friend.
Ask them to put them in a safe place in case you need to contact them.
Also take a set with you.
Also email them to your hotmail or gmail account.
Drivers licence
Embassy Addresses
Serial number of tickets
Glasses/contact lens prescription
Passport number and date issued
Serial numbers of travellers cheques
Serial numbers on valuables e.g. cameras Youth Hostel card / other membership
All insurance details & emergency contacts
Credit card numbers (Do not take copies with you)
Emergency numbers to cancel your card (Do take copies with you)
Emergency Numbers of family and friends
