[Wmcmanus]

WARNING: Long (but I hope, interesting) thread. Don't say I didn't warn you!

For several years, I've been thinking about doing such a trip. I've never been anywhere, really, other than North America and the Caribbean, and feel that now is the time to become more "international" in my thinking.

With the OneWorldAlliance, this Jules Verne idealism ("Around the World in 80 Days") has become a rather realistic possibility. Certainly, it is much more affordable and convenient now than ever before. I'm semi-retired, and run an online university as my "day job", so have laptop, will travel. The best part about it is that my ticket will be paid for, so long as I visit with students and faculty along the way, and they really are all over the globe. Plus, there will be people who are willing to put me up at many of the stops, so lodging won't be too bad either.

I'm figuring about 12 weeks in total and want to hit all 6 continents, with a departure date sometime in the Spring of 2006. If I'm "seriously" dating by that time, then by all means I'll take her along. If not, then I really don't have a problem travelling solo. I'll just wait to see how things go with her, and keep it under my hat for the time being.

The maximum number of "legs" is 20, but of course I/we could do fewer. Part of me says "quality over quantity", but since I've never really been anywhere before, I'm kind of thinking in terms of the "big gulp" theory, where you try to do it all on one trip - just in case you never get the chance again.

Here's a rough plan:

(1) Day 1, Leave Cayman to Miami to New York
(4) Days 2-5, New York (and East Coast driving tour)
(4) Days 6-9, San Fransisco
(5) Days 10-14, Aukland, New Zealand
(5) Days 15-19, Sydney, Audtralia
(4) Days 20-23, Singapore
(5) Days 24-28, Bangkok, Thailand
(5) Days 29-33, Hong Kong
(5) Days 34-38, Tokyo, Japan
(4) Days 39-42, Moscow, Russia
(7) Days 43-49, Rome, Itlay
(4) Days 50-53, Paris, France
(4) Days 54-57, London, England
(4) Days 58-61, Madrid, Spain
(4) Days 62-65, Cassablanca, Moraco
(4) Days 66-69, Cairo, Egypt
(4) Days 70-73, Nairobi, Kenya
(4) Days 74-77, Cape Town, South Africa
(3) Days 78-80, Beunos Aires, Argentina
(3) Days 81-84, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
(1) Day 85, Back to Miami to Cayman

EDIT: See post #18 for an updated list of destinations. Europe is out due to time constraints.

North America:
I've been to a lot of the major US and Canadian cities (and although places like Montreal and Vancouver would be nice, those are much easier mini-trips for some future date. In fact, if I end up doing a solo trip, I would skip NY. So no advice needed here.

Australia / New Zealand:
This part of the world has always fascinated me in terms of the people, the terrain, and to some extent, the culture. Yet, I feel that the essence of it can be absorbed in a relatively short period of time. I wouldn't feel the need, for instance, to spend weeks on end in the outback, although an "out of city" experience driving tour would be essential. Maybe 3 days in New Zealand and 5 in Australia, instead of 4 and 4?

Asia:
So much to do and see, so many cultures, and so little time. India is also tempting, but maybe next time. The Northern progression should help in terms of reducing travel fatigue. I can't imagine less than a week in either Hong Kong or Tokyo, but 5 days should at least give "us" (see, some positive thinking) a sense of it. But hey, if she doesn't come along, maybe I'll meet a new friend in Bangkok!

Europe:
This is the part of the trip that is not mechanical at all in terms of my thinking. One thought would be to skip Europe altogether, because 1) it can be done another time rather easily since the London-Miami route is so well worn, and 2) there is so much to do and see. The close proximity of major cities makes it less important which ones we actually fly into and out of.

One thought would be to "arrive" in Athens from Moscow, then drive up (or take the various trains) through Italy and into Eastern Europe, including Berlin (a must for me), Amsterdam, etc., and then catch a flight "out of sequence" whenever it seems time to make it to London. Then to Madrid. This means that Rome and Paris would be "visited" but not flown into and out of.

By "out of sequence", the way the OneWorldAlliance works is that so long as you move from city to city as scheduled on your itinerary, you can travel on any day. This means that if you plan to spend 4 days in London, but decide to spend 3 or 7, that's fine, so long as Madrid is next (if that's the way you have it scheduled). So I guess my question for Europeans would be, what would be the best way to arrange a whirlwind trip for 19-20 days with no more than 4 flights, coming into Europe from Moscow? Fewer than 4 flights would be fine, as that would free up a leg or two to be used elsewhere.

The 7 days that I've shown for Rome would not all be spent in Rome. The idea was to allocate a good number of days for "Central Europe" which would allow a trip to Germany, etc. As I've asked above, maybe this isn't the best way to do it?

Africa:
The only "must see" for me would be Cairo. I'm told that Moraco is lovely, but I've never had any particular fascination with Africa in general (as I have had with Kangy and Kiwi land). Here is where it would be fun to "explore" and any suggestions would be welcome.

South America:
Again, I've never had any particular interest in this part of the world (no offense to anyone, I just don't know much about it). Any other places in South America that you regard as "must see"? There could be a leg or two saved from Europe or Africa, depending on the advice I get there.

12 weeks really is the max, so it's either a matter of shifting the number of days from one destination to another, or cutting out certain destinations to allow more time at others.

Any and all advice will be appreciated, either in this thread or via PM. If there are any experienced travelers or travel planners among the head-fi crowd, your input would be especially appreciated! I'm at the "95% sure" I'm going to do it stage, barring any unforeseen circumstances. It's just a matter of whether I'll have a "date" or not.

 

[GoRedwings19]

Travelling is so much fun. I plan to do a little mini tour of North America. But I am keeping it simple. Not as complex as yours. I have been to france, switzerland and germany. Last year I went to Hong Kong and China. So I thought this year I will hit North America.

I think you would like hong kong or sinagapore. They have loadsa of hi fi shops with gear catered for all needs. When I went to Hong Kong last year there was a typical shopping mall and hidden away in it was a very high end hi fi shop. I could of spent an eternity in there.

 

[minya]

If I were a woman, I'd marry you, Wmcmanus, you dog.

I'm drunk so keep that in mind.

edit go to Bogota, Colombia! That's where my dad is from.

 

[GWN]

That is a very ambitious schedule. Don't forget the travel time required will take away from your visit time. Travel time is more than flight time. Packing, getting to the airport, waiting for your flight, flying, customs, trip from airport to new hotel, unpacking. Sleep. For example the flight time from Sidney to Singapore is around 8 hours if memory serves well.
You are going to be bagged about 1/3 of the way thru your trip, from the jet lag, new foods, and unfamiliar surroundings. I've travelled extensively both as part of the military and as Director of Engineering for a Hi-tech company that had clients all over the world. The most I would ever schedule for a business trip would be a month away from home after that I was more than ready to come home. On a pleasure trip like you are planning I would schedule for a rest period by planning a longer stay in a single city or country every thrirty days to allow myself time to recuperate. You might want to reduce the number of countries and allow some slack time to rest or to explore more a of country or area that you discover to your liking. You won't know until you get there. So I would leave most of my flights open ended. Out of your 85 days schedule there are at least 20 days lost to travel time. Take the time to enjoy your trip.

On a separate note, five days each for Singapore and Hong Kong seem long to me.

 

[Wmcmanus]

Quote:

Originally Posted by GWN That is a very ambitious schedule. Don't forget the travel time required will take away from your visit time. Travel time is more than flight time. Packing, getting to the airport, waiting for your flight, flying, customs, trip from airport to new hotel, unpacking. Sleep. You are going to be bagged about 1/3 of the way thru your trip, from the jet lag, new foods, and unfamiliar surroundings. I've travelled extensively both as part of the military and as Director of Engineering for a Hi-tech company that had clients all over the world. The most I would ever schedule would be a month away from home. You might want to reduce the number of countries and allow some slack time to rest or to explore more a of country or area that you discover to your liking. You wont know until you get there. Out of your 85 days schedule there are at least 20 days lost to travel time. Take the time to enjoy your trip.

This is exactly the kind of advice that I need. I can always go to the blogs, but I don't know those people. Head-fi is more of a sense of community, and I know there is going to be some headphone listening going on at some point! Nik in Italy, for one.

This is why I've thought of skipping either Europe, Africa or South America. Oddly enough, it would probably be Europe because I know I'd go back for that, whereas Africa and South America don't hold as much appeal for me. I've always wanted to travel through Europe to see the castles and the museums, and to get a fair dose of the different cultures and languages. This could be done on a seperate 3-4 week trip a couple of years later, and maybe allow me to cut this trip down to 9-10 weeks.

 

[GWN]

Nothing wrong with 12 weeks if you pace yourself. Flying is the part that is a pain. Try and group your trip into three areas of the world. This will reduce the number of long flights. For example once you get to an area like Europe the train is a very efficient and fast way to travel from one country to the next. In a day you can cross most of Europe by train.

In the first part of your trip I would cut down the amount of time in Singapore (I would cut it altogether) and Hong Kong (2 to 3 days at most) and increase my time in Australia and Japan. I would also cut the USA portion down because that is within easy access from Cayman and could be done at another time.

Should be a fun trip, out of your list there are only 3 or 4 cities that I have not visited (never made it to South America).

 

[myself, aka me]

Auckland's kinda dull. Definately wanna get out of the city, the bush is nice. It rains a lot. Do you like rain? You'd better like rain.

If you wanna do the scenery part of NZ then Auckland's not where you wanna be.

 

[Wmcmanus]

Quote:

Originally Posted by myself, aka me Auckland's kinda dull. Definately wanna get out of the city, the bush is nice. It rains a lot. Do you like rain? You'd better like rain. If you wanna do the scenery part of NZ then Auckland's not where you wanna be.

Thanks, myself! YGPM!!!

 

[Genetic]

Quote:

Originally Posted by GWN That is a very ambitious schedule.

Yes it is. And I dont know how risky the expedition will get if Wayne do all of this specially as a «new couple».....

On the other hand the travel alone option will take all it's sense when staying in Amsterdam....

Amicalement

 

[GWN]

And he will be able to get some practice in Bangkok before he gets to Amsterdam

 

[dffman2001]

For your European tour, you would porbably want to fly in and out of Athens and Moscow, because they are much further from the other hot European destinations that travel time by car or train would be exhausting. I was in Euope last summer by train and going through Vienna, Prague, Munich, Amsterdam, Strasbourg, and Paris all required only moderate travel time by train. I believe that getting between Southern Germany, Prague, Vienna and Venice will all require short (perhaps 3-4 hours) train rides. The scenery from trains are fantastic - they are always on time, comfortable, and cheap if you have a Europass.

Of ther Cities I went to, I highly recommend Strasbourg for a short visit - very historic, beautiful and wonderful small town charm that might be appealing after 50 days of big cities.

On another note, if you find the time to do so, I would recommend a stop in either Shanghai or Beijing - Both these cities are rapidly changing and you can get a glipse into the next emerging superpower. They are quite clean and safe these days and are very well developed for tourism. Shanghai would more be a tour of a modern city with most of its history in the 19th to 20th century, while Bejing will take you back several hundred to imperial China and its rich history - the great wall is only an hour or 2 outside the city, its another must see.

 

[Permonic]

Just briefly.

Definitely try to change the means of transport, it adds more fun to the journey so it wouldn't be stereotypical.

I would recommend to skip Europe if you think you would like to explore it entirely. On the other side, in order to pick up some European jewels, I pretty much agree what dfman2001 said as I would go to Paris, Rome, Venice, Amsterdam, Prague....I would personally not choose Madrid, it was quite boring capital for me.

Rome for 3 days might be OK, while I would recommned to stay more days in Paris. I personally love Paris atmosphere (have been there 3 times) and even 10 days isn't enough for me. Prague 3-4 days, Amsterdam the same.

Russia: you must visit Sankt Petersburg and its surrounding, a former capital and a place with many cultural heritages. It's a must if you would like to understand the Russian history and culture. I have been 2x there before I finally visited Moscow. 3 days for Moscow is ok, I guess, but count double for St. Petersburg.

 

[Wmcmanus]

Quote:

Originally Posted by GWN And he will be able to get some practice in Bangkok before he gets to Amsterdam

Now, now, boys... I'd be Ok about skipping Amsterdam. Wild and crazy has never been my style, and I don't have a big thrill seeking side (at least not at this stage in life). What I'm missing more than anything at this point in life is the close companionship that you happily married guys have. If that element is still there by Spring, then I'm sure we'll get along great on the trip. She's quite petite, so that means I'd have extra space to stretch out on the flights and maybe I'd get half of her prepackaged "meal" as well.

If not, then I'll go solo. I'm kind of like Ray Samuels in the sense that I'm "at home" anywhere I go and have no trouble making quick friends, finding people to talk to, things to do, etc. I've done a lot of US travel over the years on solo missions, but never for 2-3 months. So long as I have a small laptop for "work" and to stay in touch with everyone, an iPod or Rio of some sort (I still need to sort that out), an SR-71 and my trusty UE10-Pro's, I'll be fine even during the lulls.

 

[Wmcmanus]

dfman2001 and Permonic, nice posts. Again, very helpful! As you can see, I'm in the very early stages of planning. I've gotten past the "Should I do it, and if so, when?" stage, but not much further than that.

St. Petersburg rather than Moscow, no problem. Makes sense, now that I think about what I've read and have heard form friends who have travelled there.

Beijing also needs to be added! How did I miss that?

Cutting out Europe altogether is starting to look more and more possible, because I really do want to explore the different cultures there much further than time would allow on this trip. Spending more time in Oceania and Asia makes a lot of sense. The main concerns that I'd have if I kept Europe in this trip are: 1) the fatigue factor, too many stops and not enough time at each stop, and 2) the frustration factor, especially in Europe which requires so much energy and would come right at the time that "travel burnout" would be setting in, and 3) the weather wouldn't be right in the Spring. Europe would make more sense as a seperate 4-5 week trip in the Summer/Fall.

If I end up travelling alone, I'd probably cut Europe out. But we'll see what the "boss" says when the time arrives. If she's "in" then her vote is equal to mine.

 

[Oink1]

I'd also suggest you arrange a seperate trip to europe - If you're interested in the places/architecture/history then i don't think you'd be able to 'soak it all up' in the limited time you had

Also the weather is going to pretty much suck at that time of year... Come and see us when you have more time to spare!