Planning a round-the-world trip takes between 9 and 12 months of solid preparation. The key steps, in order: map out your itinerary and trip duration, estimate your budget, handle the administrative formalities (passport, visas, electronic authorisations), plan your vaccinations, choose the right travel insurance, pack your bag, then sort out the practical details at home before you leave.
Step 1: Map out your itinerary and trip duration
The first decision you make is also the one that shapes everything else: how long will you be away, and which parts of the world do you want to explore?
Duration and pace
A round-the-world trip typically lasts between 6 months and 2 years. Leaving for under a year may allow you to keep your job through sabbatical or negotiated leave, depending on your employer and employment contract. Longer than that, and a cleaner break becomes necessary. The pace you set, whether unhurried or full-throttle, has a direct impact on your budget: changing countries every week costs significantly more than spending a month in each destination.
Building your itinerary
Two constraints need to line up: seasonal weather patterns and visa processing times. A table with countries as rows and months as columns helps you spot the best travel windows. Many round-the-world travellers follow the rotation of the Earth from west to east to make the most of the round-the-world airfares sold by the major airline alliances.
On legs where low-cost carriers operate (Southeast Asia, Europe, certain domestic routes), it can be more economical to piece together individual segments using Google Flights or Skyscanner rather than buying a global pass.
Step 2: Set a realistic budget
The cost of a round-the-world trip varies enormously depending on your destinations, your comfort level and how long you are away. Here are the main costs to plan for on a one-year trip:
- Flights: round-the-world tickets from the major airline alliances start at around €3,200 to €3,500 in economy class.
- Visas and authorisations: budget €25 to €100 per visa depending on the country, plus the US ESTA, the Canadian eTA and the Australian ETA.
- Accommodation: from €5 to €10 per night in a Southeast Asian hostel dorm to €60 to €80 for a private room in Oceania or Northern Europe.
- Travel insurance: allow €500 to €700 for comprehensive cover over 12 months.
- Vaccinations and pharmacy: between €200 and €400 depending on your vaccination history and destinations.
- Initial gear: keep this to a strict minimum so you can travel light.
- Daily expenses: highly variable by continent: this is the line item that fluctuates most depending on your pace and choices.
For detailed funding strategies and tips on trimming each cost, see our guide on 6 top tips for funding a round-the-world trip.
Step 3: Administrative formalities
This is often the most time-consuming part of the process. Do not underestimate it: some visas take several weeks to process.
Your passport
Check your passport validity right at the start of your planning. It must be valid for at least 6 months beyond your exit date from the last country on your itinerary. Some countries also require a minimum of two blank pages on entry, since each visa can take up a full page.
Allow several weeks for a new or renewed passport, and longer during peak periods or if you live in a rural area.
Visas and electronic authorisations
Requirements vary by nationality and destination. For French citizens, the main areas to plan ahead for:
- United States: an ESTA is mandatory and must be applied for at least 72 hours before departure through the official website.
- Canada: an eTA (Electronic Travel Authorisation) is required for flights to or transiting through Canada.
- Australia: an ETA or eVisitor visa depending on your profile.
- Asia: e-visas are becoming the norm (India, Vietnam, Sri Lanka…), but some countries still require a consulate visit, with processing times that can exceed a month.
- Brazil and parts of sub-Saharan Africa: proof of yellow fever vaccination is required at the border, and you must present an international vaccination certificate.
Always check the latest entry requirements for each country on the official France Diplomatie website, as rules can change quickly.
Register with your consulate
For a trip lasting several months, register with your country’s consular service. French travellers can use Ariane, the French Foreign Ministry’s online registration service. In the event of a crisis (natural disaster, political unrest), consular authorities can locate you and get in touch.
Step 4: Health and vaccinations
Book an appointment at a travel medicine clinic or international vaccination centre at least 2 months before you leave: some vaccines require multiple doses given weeks apart, and need to be administered early enough to offer full protection by the time you arrive.
The Institut Pasteur provides detailed country sheets listing recommended and mandatory vaccinations by destination.
Vaccines commonly recommended for a round-the-world trip include:
- Hepatitis A and B
- Typhoid
- Diphtheria, tetanus and polio (booster updates)
- Rabies (for extended stays in rural or remote areas)
- Meningococcal disease (endemic zones, particularly the Sahel belt)
- Yellow fever (mandatory for entry into certain countries in Africa and South America)
Also put together a travel medical kit: painkillers, anti-diarrhoea medication, prescription antibiotics from your doctor, insect repellent and sun protection. If you wear glasses or contact lenses, bring a spare pair.
Step 5: Choosing your travel insurance
Travel insurance is one of the most important decisions you will make when planning a round-the-world trip. A hospitalisation, an accident or a medical evacuation abroad can run to tens of thousands of euros: without cover, you foot the entire bill yourself.
Make sure your policy covers:
- Medical expenses abroad (hospitalisation, emergency treatment), with a high enough limit for countries where healthcare costs are steep (United States, Australia, Japan).
- Medical repatriation: your return home by air ambulance if your condition requires it.
- 24/7 assistance, whatever the hour or time zone.
- Trip cancellation or curtailment in the event of a serious unforeseen event before or during your trip.
Worth noting: Cuba requires proof of travel insurance on entry, and the policy must explicitly confirm this cover.
To fully understand what travel insurance actually covers and which clauses to read carefully, see our article on travel insurance: what nobody tells you before you go abroad.
Get my round-the-world travel insuranceStep 6: Packing your bag
Travelling light is not optional: it is a practical necessity. A bag you carry yourself through every transfer, crowded station or mountain trail needs to stay manageable. Between 40 and 60 litres is the right size for a round-the-world trip, depending on your build and the climates you will encounter.
A few tried-and-tested principles:
- Write a list, then cut it in half. The things you pack “just in case” almost always end up untouched at the bottom of your bag.
- Borrow before you buy. Before purchasing any piece of kit, check whether a friend or family member can lend it to you.
- Test your gear before you go. Walking boots, a waterproof jacket, a universal adaptor: do not discover their flaws once you are abroad.
- Go up a size in shoes. Feet swell after several days of intensive walking.
- Secure your documents. Scan your passport, visas and insurance policy; email them to an address you can access anywhere, and keep copies separate from the originals in your bag.
For managing expenses, offline navigation and day-to-day organisation, dedicated apps can make life considerably easier. Discover our pick of the 10 best free travel apps you cannot do without.
Step 7: Practical steps before you leave
Preparing a round-the-world trip also means sorting out what you are leaving behind.
- Housing: give your landlord the required notice (typically 1 to 3 months depending on your lease); consider subletting if you plan to return to your flat.
- Banking: let your bank know about your extended absence to avoid your card being blocked; look into fee-free foreign transaction cards (Revolut, Wise, N26 or equivalent) to keep overseas charges to a minimum.
- Health cover: outside France (or the EU), your French national health insurance (Sécurité sociale) no longer covers you. Your travel insurance policy picks up the slack. Keep your social security number for when you return.
- Tax residency: for trips lasting over a year, your tax residency status may change. Seek advice from a tax adviser or check impots.gouv.fr before you leave.
- Family and friends: share your rough itinerary, your emergency contacts and your insurance details with someone you trust at home.
For a thorough pre-departure administrative checklist, our guide on how to plan a successful trip abroad covers everything in more detail.
Recommended timeline
| Time before departure | Key priorities |
|---|---|
| 12 months | Define itinerary, duration and provisional budget |
| 9 months | Renew passport; book a travel medicine appointment |
| 6 months | Start long-lead visas (India, China…); book main flights |
| 3 months | Finalise gear; take out travel insurance; apply for ESTA, ETA and eTA |
| 1 month | Notify your bank and landlord; scan all documents |
| Day before | Check every document is valid; download offline maps |
FAQ
How long does it take to plan a round-the-world trip?
Allow between 9 and 12 months of preparation for a smooth round-the-world trip. This window gives you enough time to process the most complex visas, complete multi-dose vaccination schedules, secure flights at the best prices and build up your budget. Squeezing it into 3 months is possible, but stressful and usually more expensive.
What budget should I allow for a one-year round-the-world trip?
Total costs vary widely depending on your destinations and travel style. As a rough guide, a solo one-year trip covering flights, visas, accommodation, food, insurance and everyday expenses typically comes in between €12,000 and €20,000. Southeast Asia and South America are considerably cheaper than Oceania or North America. The best approach: build a destination-by-destination budget based on local cost-of-living research.
Do I need to quit my job to do a round-the-world trip?
Not necessarily. Several options are available: a sabbatical leave (in France, open to employees with at least 6 years’ service, subject to conditions), a negotiated departure agreement (which may entitle you to unemployment benefit), or going freelance if your work allows it. For trips under a year, some employers will agree to unpaid leave. Check with your HR department or an employment lawyer based on your specific contract.
What travel insurance should I choose for a round-the-world trip?
Look for a policy specifically designed for long-haul travel, covering medical expenses abroad, medical repatriation, 24/7 assistance and trip cancellation. Check that the policy covers every country on your itinerary, the full duration of your trip, and that reimbursement limits are high enough for countries with expensive healthcare. Some countries, including Cuba, make travel insurance compulsory on entry.
How do I handle visas for a round-the-world trip?
Work through visas by region and start with the most complex ones first. Some countries (China, India) require a consulate visit with processing times that can exceed 4 weeks. E-visas are increasingly available across Asia. Electronic authorisations (ESTA for the US, eTA for Canada, ETA for Australia) are quick to obtain online but easy to overlook. Check the France Diplomatie website for up-to-date entry requirements for each country.
