17 Ways to Book an Around the World Ticket
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Written by Woodrow Matthews
It sounds like a dream, doesn’t it? To hop across the globe from continent to continent, between cities and countryside, from beaches to mountains, and anywhere else your compass takes you is a desire for many travelers. An around-the-world ticket is possible and not necessarily out of reach.
What took great explorers like Marco Polo and Christopher Columbus years or decades is now accessible in denominations of months, weeks, or even days for those who desire!
Each continent is accessible and can be affordable with the right planning. If you’re unsure where to start planning an around-the-world trip, you aren’t alone – it can be a complicated affair!
That’s why we’ve compiled this list of ways to do it and tips to make it efficient, affordable, and enjoyable. Let’s look at how you can best travel around the Earth by plane, boat, train, and car.
Around the World Plane Tickets
The fastest and most common way to travel around the world is by plane. The world is increasingly interconnected by air routes bridging continents and travelers to almost anywhere.
We have several options for booking an around-the-world ticket by air. Most of them involve taking advantage of airline alliances. The big three airline alliances are Star Alliance, SkyTeam, and Oneworld.
An airline alliance is a group of carriers that team up to offer a level of coordinated service.
You may notice, for example, that searching for a flight from New York to Corfu in Greece returns an option that involves a United flight to Frankfurt, connecting to a Lufthansa flight to Corfu. That’s because United and Lufthansa are Star Alliance partners, and they collaborate to help improve both their networks.
Imagine that rather than flying from New York to Corfu, you wanted to continue to Moscow, Tokyo, Sydney, Honolulu… or wherever your wanderlust leads you.
Thanks to alliance partners with routes all over the world, it is very possible for you to do just that and find yourself 35,000 feet up and en route to just about anywhere.
1. Round the World Tickets with Star Alliance
The Star Alliance network consists of 26 member airlines and can connect travelers to each inhabited continent. As for North American airlines, you’ll notice United and Air Canada on the list. They are well-connected to a vast network of partner airlines in Europe, Asia, Africa, and South America.
Star Alliance has a webpage dedicated to booking around the world tickets, which they refer to as Round the World. It can be accessed via a button on the alliance’s homepage or here.
According to their website, a Round the World ticket with this airline alliance opens the possibility of having over 1300 destinations in 190 countries.
There are a few guidelines that must be followed: your trip must start and end in the same country (but not necessarily the same city), it must follow one global direction (for example, east to west), it must make at least two stops, and it must cross the Pacific once and the Atlantic once.
Your world trip can be between three days and one year, and rebooking is free. One single ticket can be used for an entire month of travel, and it can be flexible as well! It would be understandable if you are a bit lost about where to start (or where to go, or where to go next…).
Luckily, the Star Alliance Round the World site has a fantastic tool to help inspire some ideas. You can explore a ton of themed trip ideas with suggestions for destinations, time spent at each, attractions to see, and sample itineraries.
From relaxing on exotic beaches, tasting the world’s foods, and a tour of iconic hotels, there should be a theme for everyone.
Using the website to book an around-the-world ticket is easy and intuitive. Clicking through each step will walk you straight through the process.
You’ll notice that rather than searching airport codes, your various destinations will be searched by city. An interactive map will shift as you choose more cities and help you see where else you can go.
As you add stops, a counter will show how many you have selected and the estimated total price. You might be surprised to find lower prices than you expected.
Don’t forget to add your frequent flier number to your reservation for any of the member airlines’ programs. You’ll be earning miles on each segment, all around the world, towards that program. Imagine what that amount of miles will buy you when you get home!
Star Alliance’s Round the World booking site also has a great feature for trip planning. You can save your RTW itinerary and return to it later, making changes until ready to book.
This can be very helpful as a Round the World ticket involves a lot of coordination and potential shifts as you go, and you can avoid repeating the search for all your flights later.
See Related: Layover vs Stopover: What’s The Difference?
2. Skyteam’s Round the World Ticket
The next airline alliance in terms of size is SkyTeam, with its 19 airline members. The big North American names on their list are Delta and AeroMexico. They are well-connected to Europe thanks to their partnership with Air France and KLM.
SkyTeam also has a dedicated webpage for tickets around the world, which they also refer to as Round the World Tickets. Its Round the World Planner advertises 1150 destinations in 175 countries.
Rules are very similar to what we have seen previously: travel must begin and end in the same country, it must include one transatlantic flight and one transpacific, and various rules about stops and fare types. The minimum trip duration is 10 days and a one-year maximum.
You might find SkyTeam’s booking and information site more difficult to navigate than Star Alliance’s. Their Round the World Planner page, where you’ll find the various rules and conditions, is written in language that some might consider best suited for professional travel agents.
There are several rules about stops based on “World Areas”, conditions based on your fare type, and more industry jargon that the average traveler doesn’t know.
Further, a good portion of the page lists entry codes for travel agents to input into booking systems, and you can more than likely ignore that if you aren’t a professional.
One of the main differences you’ll find when searching tickets on SkyTeam is that you will need to manually enter your requested trip itinerary, along with your contact information, and be contacted in one to three business days for a personalized quote.
I am not a huge fan of this process for several reasons. For one, the point of searching for such a complicated itinerary like this on the internet in the first place is simplicity, flexibility, and speed.
Waiting for someone to contact me in a few days defeats that purpose. Second, having to type out my destinations and dates manually rather than choose as I type and select on a calendar is frustrating.
However, overcoming these challenges can still land you a lucrative around-the-world ticket. SkyTeam’s network reaches the globe, and the coordination on a single ticket will lower the price.
You will also earn miles on your airline of choice for the entire journey for use on free tickets or upgrades on your next trip. Finally, SkyTeam offers flexibility on changes for these tickets and includes at least one free bag.
See Related: Delta Airlines Review: Is This The Best Airline?
3. Fly Around the World on Oneworld
Last but certainly not least, of the three major airline alliances is Oneworld. The smallest in terms of airline membership, Oneworld, counts 14 airlines in their network.
Finishing off the “big three” airlines of the US, we find American Airlines in Oneworld’s network, as well as Alaska Airlines. Notably, Oneworld is the only airline alliance to include a member based in Australia (Qantas) but lacks a member based in the South American continent.
Regardless, Oneworld can get you there and just about anywhere. They advertise up to 1000 destinations in more than 170 of the world’s countries. You’ll find a link to their Round the World ticket site directly on their homepage.
Oneworld has an interesting approach to Round the World ticketing, which is relatively easy to understand and can benefit the traveler in terms of cost and simplicity.
They offer three “types” of Round the World tickets: the Oneworld Explorer, for continent-based travel; the Global Explorer, for distance-based travel; and the Circle Pacific, for Pacific rim continent-based travel.
The Oneworld Explorer fare is the simplest, equivalent to a classic around the world ticket, which gives access to all member airlines.
It must be booked in one continuous direction and stop on at least three continents, with a maximum of 16 flights and/or one-year duration.
The Global Explorer fare has the same rules but allows access to even more airlines that aren’t necessarily in the Oneworld alliance but have partnered with them.
This allows you to expand the reach of your journey to places remote or otherwise unreachable in the standard network. This fare type is broken down into a few tiers based on mileage, allowing you to benefit from incremental fare differences based on your total travel distance.
Finally, the Circle Pacific fare is an intuitive option for a traveler who has certain countries in mind. Rather than traveling completely around the world, this ticket lets you explore the countries surrounding the Pacific in a circular route. This can be an exceptionally diverse trip thanks to all the Pacific Rim has to offer, not to mention the beautiful islands of the Polynesian region!
Booking a ticket worldwide can be done directly on Oneworld’s website without needing someone to contact you with a quote.
The smart and user-friendly system will identify routes requiring different dates or destinations, saving you the trouble of experimenting. For each leg, you will be shown the three shortest flight options, with the option to see more if you’d like to.
Don’t forget to add the loyalty number of your preferred member airline because, as usual, you will earn frequent flyer miles as you hop around the world.
Oneworld also offers the option to save your itinerary to return to later, as well as printing or saving it as a PDF and emailing it to yourself or others.
4. A Do-It-Yourself RTW Ticket
While airline alliances offer great tools and networks to fly you around the world on one easy ticket, it is not necessarily the only way to circle the globe by plane.
You could, of course, create a DIY itinerary on many separate tickets. The pros of this method mainly surround the access it opens to other airlines that are not part of any alliance.
Specifically, this would include low-cost carriers and smaller ones in general. Budget airlines can offer ridiculously cheap flights, which may turn out to be far less expensive than any major airline in an alliance can offer.
In the US, we are talking about Southwest, Spirit, and Frontier, while in Europe, the big ones are Easyjet, Ryanair, and Wizz Air. You’ll find several equivalents across the other continents as well.
Besides their low fares, these airlines often reach less-traveled destination airports that a big carrier can’t get you to. This is great to get out of the major cities and see more.
On the other hand, there are several cons. Low-cost airlines will charge for every add-on you need, including things that larger airlines don’t even consider an add-on.
You’ll need to pay for bags, seat assignments, food and beverages, and potentially even the printing of your boarding pass.
Besides that, the fact that you will be on multiple tickets can be a bit constraining. Firstly, if you want to change a flight voluntarily, it can mess up your entire around-the-world voyage if later flights also need to be changed.
If you experience a delay or a cancellation, leading to problems making your next flights, you will have no protection in rebooking. Booking flights separately could be a very expensive problem.
If you prefer to create a DIY round-the-world trip by plane, you should carefully understand what extras you must pay for on each ticket and factor those costs in.
You should also pad your schedule with plenty of extra time to be sure you won’t be gravely affected by a delay or cancellation. Finally, consider buying trip insurance to cover some unforeseen costs.
I enjoy using Google Flights to book one-way flights as their fare calendar will show the cheapest dates. Remember that while a search there will include most airlines worldwide, it doesn’t necessarily include all.
For example, Southwest doesn’t allow Google Flights to access its fares, and they often have some of the cheapest flights (plus free bags).
See Related: Free Printable Travel Planner
Around the World by Boat
Besides flying, the only way to travel completely around the world via one form of transportation is by boat. Sailing the seas may be more time-consuming than a few hours of flying, but it may be a more scenic journey.
We have some advice if you choose to boat your way around the world, and most of our trips involve cruising or ferrying.
You could, of course, charter a yacht or sail your own; but if that’s the case for you, then you probably don’t need to read ViaTravelers! Let’s see below some of the top ways to sail around the world.
1. Royal Caribbean’s Ultimate World Cruise
Royal Caribbean is probably a name you’ve heard before, even if you’re not a cruiser. But you probably haven’t heard of their Ultimate World Cruise because it’s something new that is taking reservations now.
The Ultimate World Cruise will take place on the Serenade of the Seas and set sail from Miami on December 10, 2023.
Possibly the world’s longest cruise, the entire voyage will take 274 nights to completely circle the globe and return to Florida. It will visit all seven continents (Antarctica included!), more than 150 destinations in 65 countries, and 11 great world wonders.
Royal Caribbean also allows guests to join for portions of the journey, separating it into four expeditions. You can hop on for the Americas and Antarctica, Asia and the Pacific, the Middle East, and the Mediterranean, or the capitals of culture in Europe and Greenland.
You may not be shocked that this isn’t a cheap round-the-world ticket. Prices aren’t advertised on the website; you must call for a quote. However, reports say tickets are sold for more than $60,000 per person at the cheapest price. Some lucky sailors are sure in for an amazing trip.
2. Princess Cruises – World Cruises
Similarly, Princess is a name you may have heard if you are a cruiser. One of the biggest cruise lines in the world, Princess is owned by its well-known parent Carnival, but is positioned as a higher-end product.
Princess ships sail all over the world, but they also offer dedicated World Cruises. These voyages cross the earth, hitting up to six continents. You’ll enjoy all the amenities of being on a cruise ship, such as pool and leisure facilities, several restaurants and bars, entertainment offerings, and more.
You can find specifics on Princess’ dedicated World Cruises page. These voyages typically start and end in Fort Lauderdale or Los Angeles and can be nearly four months long.
This isn’t the cheapest way to cross the world, starting at well over $15,000 per person, but it sure would be nice, wouldn’t it?
3. Viking Ocean Cruises
Originally a river cruise line, Viking has expanded significantly in recent years and now operates a fleet of ocean liners. Cruisers enjoy the luxurious amenities of this line, and you can go much further than their base in Europe.
Viking Ocean Cruises offers World Cruises & Grand Voyages for those who want to spend more time on their ships. You’ll find world cruises from anywhere between 36 and 138 days, crossing an ocean or crossing all the oceans.
Sticking with the theme, these cruises aren’t cheap and can be nearly $60,000 per person for the longest voyages. However, Viking advertises some free amenities, such as business class flights before and after the expedition.
4. Silversea World Cruises
If you are going big, you may as well go really big. That’s why it is worth mentioning Silversea, an ultra-luxury cruise line owned by Royal Caribbean but worlds away in terms of experience.
With boats slightly smaller than the typically massive cruise liners, Silversea can offer guests a more intimate and personalized experience who appreciate all-inclusive offerings and exotic destinations.
One of their destinations is the entire world, as you can find on their World Cruises page. They generally sail one yearly, so it is an exclusive experience. Each year’s itinerary is around 130-day days and truly crosses the planet, with stops you’d probably never get to by plane.
Silversea also allows you to break up the journey and book individual portions, which they separate and brand themselves. Prices aren’t advertised on the Silversea website; you are instead asked to call for a quote. We can only imagine what the magic number may be…but maybe someday.
5. MSC World Cruises
The World Cruises that MSC offers are worth mentioning, because all of their future voyages are sold out. You must be on a waiting list to join one, so they must be good.
Another big-name cruise line, MSC offers large ships, wide-ranging onboard entertainment, all-inclusive packages, and an overall highly acclaimed product by cruisers. Their around-the-world cruises count around four months of sailing in the true circumnavigation of the globe.
Prices for these journeys would be high, but that didn’t stop those lucky enough to book rooms before they were gone. Those who will be aboard are sure to see some very exotic islands and continental coasts alike.
6. Repositioning Cruises and One-Way Cruises
We shouldn’t end our section on cruising around the world without mentioning a way to do it that the average traveler can afford. And while you’d need some great alignment of sailing dates to make it completely around the globe on these cruises alone, they could at least be components used with other methods to get around the world.
Most cruise lines like Royal Caribbean, Princess, MSC, Norwegian, and others offer one-way and repositioning cruises. A one-way trip is exactly what it sounds like, where your boat departs from somewhere like Spain and arrives in Egypt.
These are common and operate like any other cruise, stopping for various destinations and activities. They can be reasonably priced, considering all they include. On the other hand, a repositioning cruise is a bit different. This is when the boat needs to move to a new port, usually because of the end of one season and the start of another.
For example, ships commonly reposition from the Mediterranean at the end of the summer to the Caribbean to keep guests where the weather is warm.
A repositioning cruise may not have exotic stops and may even have a limited level of onboard service. However, the prices are incredibly low when compared to a standard cruise.
This could be the cost-saving answer for someone looking to cross the globe and do a portion of it by boat if your travels are in the right season.
Most major cruise line websites have a dedicated page for repositioning cruises. Booking in advance will get you the best deal and ensure that cabins don’t sell out.
See Related: Norway Cruise Packing List
7. Around the World on Cargo Ships
Suppose you are on the other end of the spectrum from the traveler who may prefer to take one of the above ultra-luxury cruises worldwide and instead are willing to rough it a bit for the journey. In that case, you can actually book a spot on a cargo ship and save money.
Sites like Voyages en Cargo and Cargo Ship Voyages specialize in this type of trip. Rather than going worldwide simultaneously, you’ll have to coordinate departures carefully or use these voyages as components combined with other methods to traverse the globe.
You can expect a basic cabin, meals, and little entertainment onboard. Wifi may not even be an option, and it may not be the most comfortable accommodation. However, some very remote destinations can be found on cargo ships, and they can be a form of affordable travel.
Around the World via Train
While you can’t travel the world by train, you can make a considerable portion of the trip by rail and then use other methods to cross the oceans.
There is something nostalgic about traveling by rail that I have always loved, and it would be amazing to see so much out the window along the way.
1. Amtrak’s California Zephyr, Texas Eagle, or Sunset Limited
If you want to cross America by rail, the Amtrak network has two routes: The California Zephyr and the Texas Eagle.
The California Zephyr is the company’s second-longest route but the longest which runs daily. Terminus points are the San Francisco Bay area (Emeryville and Chicago), which gets you nearly across the continent in under 52 hours.
A connecting train can get you to or from Chicago to points on the East Coast to make it a true cross-country journey. The Texas Eagle is their longest route by distance, running from Chicago to Los Angeles. The Chicago train meets up with another long-distance route in San Antonio called the Sunset Limited.
This train originates in New Orleans, and the two combine to make the journey to Los Angeles together. The Sunset Limited could be another nearly trans-continental train option as well.
On these trains, you will surely want to spend a bit extra for a sleeper cabin, where you can get some true relaxation as you watch the Great Plains, Rocky Mountains, and the rest of the US go by out the window.
2. The European Rail Systems
A trip around Europe is synonymous with rail-based travel, especially for the young American eager to see the old continent. And while low-cost airlines can often be cheaper nowadays, traveling by rail is still a great experience in Europe.
Each country on the continent is extremely well-connected with tracks. Journeys can be regional, meaning relatively short-distance journeys which always cost the same price.
Or long-distance, which offers superior comfort and service and price tickets more similarly to airlines, getting more expensive as the date gets closer.
You can do a DIY Europe rail trip, individually connecting various countries’ networks. Or, you can invest in a rail pass like Eurail, which offers a one-ticket concept similar to what we saw with the airline alliances above.
On the Eurail website, you will add your starting city, the places you want to stop at until your final city, and the number of nights you want to spend in each.
The system will propose various types of tickets, often allowing unlimited train travel for several days. That’s great for flexibility and simplicity when you get there, and their network of partners is vast.
If you want to do it yourself, I recommend the site Omio to search train schedules and even purchase tickets. Remember that many train companies do not sell tickets or release schedules more than three months in advance, so keep an eye on the calendar to book on time and get the best deal.
See Related: Alaska Rail Road Review: GoldStar or Adventure Class?
3. The Trans-Siberian Railway
The longest continuous rail route in the world is in Russia, the largest country. This rail service is also the only one that can take you across multiple continents.
While the continuous trains technically begin in Moscow, you could begin your journey just about anywhere in Russia or even Europe with a connection. The classic Trans-Siberian journey runs straight through the tundra of Siberia, terminating in Vladivostok on Russia’s far east coast.
But, travelers enjoy branching off the line to places like Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, and Beijing. Twice a month, the trans-Siberian train from Moscow even runs to Pyongyang in North Korea, but don’t plan on simply booking a ticket for that one online!
This journey can take several weeks, so you will want to spend a bit extra on a cabin. If onboard offerings don’t suit your taste, pack plenty of food and drinks. Finally, it would be best to consider breaking this journey into several overnight stops.
The Trans-Siberian journey is great, but you won’t want to miss the towns the train calls at along the way. While you probably won’t get off at them all, village residents are known to come out and meet this train with local products and food to sell.
Booking a Trans-Siberian journey can be challenging. Technically, it can be done on the Russian Railways website, but it is not user-friendly and seems to return many errors when using the English version. Consider using a specialty travel agent such as TransSiberian Express.
If we combine all the trains we’ve covered here, you can use railways to travel completely across the northern hemisphere when combined with flights or boats across the oceans!
See Related: Best Websites for Cheap Flights and Hotels
A World Trip by Road
While we could develop many more creative ways to get around the world (biking, swimming, hot air ballooning…), it’s probably best to finish off with a favorite of many travelers: a road trip.
It would be long, require a lot of fuel, and you may get tired of sitting in the same seat, but you could drive across the continental landmasses the same way you’d take the train.
Of course, you’d have to book flights or boats across the ocean, but you might be surprised how much of your round-the-world trip can be done on the road.
1. Rent an RV
Camper vans are especially common in the USA, where we have miles and miles of road just waiting to be discovered.
It’s a great way to travel as there will be no need to pay for a hotel or Airbnb, no search for a bathroom, and little need for restaurant stops.
Sites like Cruise America can help you find a rental to pick up all over the US and Canada. A normal driving license is sufficient for RVs up to a certain size, but you may need to upgrade to a commercial license to drive a big bus.
A clear favorite for RV trips is seeing the national parks across the country and enjoying the beauty that nature has to offer. Don’t forget to research where you can stop, where you might have to pay to park, and where you can replenish your water supply and dump waste.
See Related: Outdoorsy vs RVShare: What is Better?
2. Outfit a 4×4
These might be a bit more difficult to find when renting, and while they are out there, you may need to consider buying and building your off-road vehicle for an extreme road trip. Most of the world is connected by paved roads, but certain destinations require you to roll on the dirt.
From North America’s western deserts and mountains to the Alaskan frontier, the Amazon jungles, and even the Russian tundra, a 4×4 can unlock sights that only a few humans can ever say they’ve seen.
You could drive from northern Canada or Alaska straight through Central America; after a tiny cargo ship connection to Colombia, continue down to Patagonia.
You could also drive from the southwestern tip of Portugal on the Atlantic to Vladivostok in the Pacific, where pre-Covid (and hopefully post-Covid) car ferries could extend your drive to South Korea and Japan. That’s a journey of nearly 9,000 miles, so you may want to bring a driving partner!
See Related: Best Places to Visit in Alaska | Top Attractions
3. RTW Trip by Personal or Rental Car
Finally, you could take routes like those in your car or a rental. However, be careful not to push the limits of a car that can’t handle off-roading, and ensure you are legally allowed to cross borders with a rental!
Driving a normal car across great distances should be checked thoroughly by a competent mechanic before departing to ensure it is up for the journey.
Getting stuck with a large repair bill or needing a tow from the middle of nowhere would not be an enjoyable portion of your world trip by car. Plan carefully what you must pack, and consider carrying spare parts, emergency food and water, first aid, and medication.
Shipping cars between the US and Europe for temporary personal use is also possible. It would be a pretty cool photo if you could get your American license plates for the Gobi Desert or on the streets of Tokyo.
FAQs
How many stops do you get on a round-the-world ticket?
A round-the-world ticket is a type of airline ticket that allows travelers to fly around the world with multiple stops. The number of stops on a round-the-world ticket can vary depending on the airline and the ticket purchased. Generally, most round-the-world tickets offer between 3 and 15 stops, but some may allow for more or fewer stops depending on the traveler’s needs and preferences.
How much is an around-the-world flight ticket?
An around-the-world flight ticket is a type of airfare that allows travelers to circumnavigate the globe by visiting multiple destinations across continents. The cost of an around-the-world flight ticket varies depending on the airline, route, and travel dates but generally ranges from $3,000 to $20,000. Factors such as the number of stops, duration of the trip, and class of travel can also affect the price of an around-the-world flight ticket.
How much does a first-class round-the-world ticket cost?
This premium airline ticket allows passengers to travel the world in luxury and comfort. These tickets typically cost anywhere from $20,000 to $60,000, depending on the airline, route, and other factors. Some airlines offer special deals or promotions that can lower the cost of a first-class round-the-world ticket but are generally quite expensive.
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