When you're just dreaming about a RTW trip, it can feel like anything is possible. When you move into the planning stage, that's when the rubber meets the road. Pricing out round the world tickets can be alternately exhilarating and frustrating, especially if you find that not everything is as it looks. BootsnAll member wanderingnotlost...

For months we've been simultaneously grimacing at the bad economic news and rejoicing at the fantastic travel deals that resulted from said bad news. We know we've been repeating ourselves on this subject, telling everyone who'll listen, but some of the prices on airfare, cruises, hotel rooms, and vacation packages were just too good not...

There are typically two schools of thought when it comes to taking long trips - either people save up enough money to just go and do the kind of trip they want and home when the money runs out, or people plan to work along the way to support an even longer trip than they...

I know we keep going on about how the economic downturn - while bad for lots of people - is great for travelers. And that's still true. If you can afford to travel right now, you'll find airfare and hotel deals pretty much everywhere, at prices you wouldn't have imagined possible (especially when we're heading...

Even though all the travel industry gurus keep telling us that prices on international airfare are going to keep going down and we'll be seeing more great deals right through summer, I continue to be amazed at some of the incredibly low fares being offered. And that's true for simple round-trip tickets and more complicated...

One of the most common questions asked by people who are planning a RTW trip is, "Is this budget adequate?" Long-time visitors to RTW forums have no doubt seen this question in various forms countless times - but for the person who's asking, it's absolutely critical to their planning process, which is why I'm always...

As I'm writing this, it just so happens to be April Fool's Day. The interwebs are crawling with hoaxes, and finding anything resembling a real news story is challenging - especially when the real news seems fake half the time, anyway. Having said that, there are some really funny fake travel stories out there today,...

Planning and then taking a RTW trip is often talked about in sweeping generalizations. It's all about the big picture, about embarking on an adventure of either very long or even perhaps unknown duration. But it has to start somewhere, right? BootsnAll member Skylab is hitting the road for his first RTW trip in a...

Anyone who spends their time traveling or dreaming of travel has no doubt heard from at least one friend or beloved (and well-meaning) family member suggesting that given the current economy it might be time to stay closer to home right now. And if you weren't brilliant enough to come up with the idea to...

For some people, the research they do before a trip is part of the fun of travel. Poring over piles of guidebooks, asking question after question on message boards, whiling away the hours reading travel blogs... There's no end to the places where you can find information, and no end to the time you can...

We all know that it's good to know what's going on in the world, but sometimes when you're paying attention it doesn't feel like a good thing. Right now, for instance, even a cursory glance at the news is enough to turn just about anyone's stomach. But if you can manage it, this is the...

While the decision to take a round-the-world trip might be the exciting culmination of a lot of hard work and deep thought on your part, it might catch some of your friends and family off-guard. And for some people, it might seem like a totally bad idea even after they've had a chance to get...

Happy New Year, travelers! I don't know about you, but I'm really excited about what's in store in 2009. If you're having a little trouble shaking off the holiday haze and getting inspired about a new year, though, then let's see if the January multi-stop airfare specials available on BootsnAll can help you with a...

Last month we talked about the issues that long-term travelers have when they're trying to transition back to "regular" life after a big trip. But there are things that can complicate the other end of the trip, too - things that can make leaving your "regular" life in the first place really challenging. Specifically for...

At this time of year, what you're focused on depends quite a bit on what kind of person you are. Did you map out a Black Friday shopping route or spend Thanksgiving day camped out in front of the local electronics store? No? You'll forgive me if I'm not shocked to hear that. The fact...

While some people certainly do spend years living the vagabond life, many of them traveling with no definite plans to "settle down," others set out on their adventures knowing that one day they'll probably be back in what other people might call a normal routine. If you're one of the people in that latter category,...

I tend to think of RTW travel as a year-round thing, not a seasonal thing, so I have to confess it kind of struck me as surprising when I realized that even RTW tickets have seasonal highs and lows. Sure, I'm used to the idea of a high season and a low season when I'm...

I don't know about you, but every time I talk to friends these days they're all doom and gloom about how the economy is going to make people stop traveling, and they wonder if I'm going to need to update my resume anytime soon. Personally, I'm optimistic about the long-term outlook for travelers - but...

With the US economy seemingly heading for the toilet (and taking several other economies with it), this might seem like exactly the wrong time to be contemplating a long trip. Hunker down, stay safe, and prepare for the worst, right? Well, maybe not. BootsnAll CEO Sean Keener thinks this could be a great opportunity for...

While some long-term travelers aren't setting out on their trips with the intention of keeping a blog or a journal, and most don't intend to write books about their travels, more and more people are not only keeping track of their journeys for their own amusement - more and more travelers are making their experiences...