heading to south america around august/september. have family over there, plan to stay for about 6 months...not sure what to do after!!
i would love to keep traveling but dont know where to go!
have thought about going through north america, or even doing a round the world ticket.
i want to experience as many cultures as i can, have already been to india, thailand, sri lanka and bali and would go to those
places again.
my main concern is money for the trip, not sure of a good amount to have saved, for say, a round the world trip going for a year?
any ideas or advice would be much appreciated!
xx
Reply to this Hey Kristen the whole money debate really depends on what you want to do and what accomodation you want to use, if you eat out or make meals in a hostel, if you drink lots etc, normally the best idea is to take as little stuff as possible and always double the amount of money you thought you should take. if you have an idea of the countrys then it will be easier to formulate a daily budget, for example Chile is more expensive than Argentina and Argentina is more expensive than Boliva and so on, certainly if you have family in South America then that cust accomodation costs, but then dont blow money on other stuff and then be stuck when you go elsewhere, North america would be an idea its were i started my trip and i couchsurfed all the way which A made it cheaper and B i met more local people , Couchsurfing is a site for like minded travelers were people offer a bed or a couch to other travelers, the is also hospitality club and freeloaders all based on the same principles, the are other sides like rideshare to get you round the US and other places and you could try the lonely planet forums and bootsnall forums for ideas and suggestions, south america, central america and mexico do not have a rial system so its local buss or planes to get around. In the US for $469 you can get an unlimted 30 day amtrak pass and this is how i got round, greyhound do a pass aswell, but i wouldnt recommend using greyhound, also the are some cheap airlines in the US but you have to book 14 days in advance at least or more to get bargains.
If doing an RTW and visiting Asia then getting around is dead easy as the are so many cheap asian airlines these days, an rtw ticket lets you change dates and routes and is open for a year so depending on your plans it can be a good idea.
Let me know if you need anymore advice
Thanks
Mike😊
Reply to this Kristen -
How much money do you need for a one year trip ? I have traveled to 90 countries and stick to a budget of $55 USD/day, regardless of where I am. Sometimes that money buys more and sometimes it buys less. But it is enough, with planning and budgeting.
So, in one place, I might pay $30 a day for lodging, $10 a day for food, and $15 a day for transport. The next area, I might pay $10 a day for lodging, $15 a day for food, and $30 a day for transport.
The point is, the costs have a way of evening out. I have tracked my costs in writing for years and it works out.
So I figure $55 USD/day around the world. That is about $20,000 USD for a year of traveling, and worth every penny.
Reply to this I agree with the estimate from Susan - though - if you spend a year travelling in India it will be a lot less, in Western Europe a lot more.... drinking and partying are also big impacts for the budget - and finally - those special have to see places - don't skimp on them as that's part of the reason you're doing this.
Currently $20,000 per person per year is a good rough estimate for independent budget travel - assuming a mix of countries and reasonable budgeting.
Reply to this When I budget, I include ALL of the costs in that - including the transportation of getting to the country. So, in the example of India, it is expensive to get there, but cheap to be there. In the case of England, it can be inexpensive to get there but oh-so expensive to be there.
Therefore, I budget $55/day around the world. The costs even out. I stay at 2 and 3 star budget hotels, eat lightly, spend on museums and gardens, but spend very little on drinking. I buy a bottle of wine now and then and - woohoo - live it up.
A round-the-world ticket starts looking good when you find that you have flown already halfway around the world. No point in doubling back, may as well just keep going the same direction.
A lot of people get a cheap ticket to a beginning point that has local consolidators - like Istanbul or Bangkok. Then buy their round the world ticket there at a better price than you probably get back home. That is, you continue from Istanbul or Bangkok on that RTW ticket to get home.
Kristen - You might enjoy reading the tips at a travel site for solo women travelers like www.wanderlustandlipstick.com.
Susan in the US
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