In 90% of cases a round the world flight is a once in a lifetime experience, a trip that will never be repeated. It is a chance to discover new places, find oneself, make new friends and have the longest holiday you are likely to ever have!
A major factor of any round the world trip is planning. It is at this point you need a knowledgeable travel agent. Good travel consultants have usually travelled extensively themselves so as well as having a knowledge of airline and alliance routings they are also in an excellent position to advise travellers as to best destinations in their regions of interest, the best way to travel between cities, points of local interest and ways to make travel safer and easier. Round the world tickets are complicated and in many cases there is no real logic in the rules that apply to them. However the following are some general guidelines that are worth bearing in mind.

In most cases: Tickets are valid for 12 months of travel and allow you to choose the length of time that you spend in each individual destination. The price will be based on the date that you depart your home/start destination, with the dates of any subsequent flights not affecting the price. April 16 - 30 June are the cheapest departure dates from the U.K.

The variables: Not every airline flies to every destination and therefore your choice of itinerary may well dictate the airline(s) that you will fly with. Some tickets now have an unlimited stops allowance; however this does mean that you have to stick to their route and there will also be a maximum mileage that you are allowed to fly. Your agent will be able to advise you of this.

What to expect: expect the unexpected, keep your ideas and your expectations as flexible as possible. It is unquestionably a great idea to have a rough idea of where to go and what to do but no research can replace meeting like-minded people with first hand experience.

Top tips: It is always worth booking the first couple of night's accommodation in any destination, especially if you are arriving late at night or very early in the morning. Not only does it get the cost out of the way, but also the convenience of it after a 10-hour flight is well worth the extra UK£2you may have spent by booking it at home.

Whilst everyone is keen to keep their costs to a minimum, try not to cut corners just in order to save a few pounds when purchasing your round the world ticket. At the end of the day an extra UK£100 will become insignificant if it means that you get to have the trip that you wanted.