Planning for a RTW Adventure

[dcray]

Howdy,
I'm planning on a round the world tour in August for five months with the oneworld explorer air travel pass.

I backpacked Europe for 2 months after college, but now I'm going for the whole enchilada. I have a few questions I hope some veterans could help me with. Are there any general resources, online or otherwise, available for global travelers, without getting specific for continents and countries? I'm trying to get a macro-view of the trip and will focus on the details later.

I plan on going from August - December 2004 and would like suggestions on clothing and a general route (east or west bound) among other things.

Any suggestions? Thanks for your help.

[worldwidemike]

I find that linen pants are nice and cool when you're in those hotter climates (like SE Asia). They get wrinkly, but if you're not a fashion maven, then that shouldn't matter. I also own a light-weight jacket that is waterproof. This, when layered with a hooded, zip-up sweatshirt, can pretty much keep you warm in the cold spots. Dark colors are best, of course, as they show the stains from the road less!

Can't help you much on the route, as I've never done an RTW. Reading others' posts, it seems the SE Asia/Australia/Japan/USA/Europe route seems to be pretty popular. Or the other way around, depending on where you're starting.

One other tidbit: Make sure you have an ATM card and the account it is tied to is well stocked. There are very few places in the world that I've been that you can't get money out with an ATM. And for backup cash, I used a belt that has a zipper on the inside which you can use to fold up dollars and stuff inside. Not a money belt that goes on the inside of your clothing, but a real, live belt that goes through the loops and has a zippered pocket on the inside.

Lots of quality, ziploc style bags to keep tickets, passports, etc., dry in.

Oh...and keep in touch! We'd love to hear updates from you on the road! Good luck...

worldwidemike