What We’re Reading: Round-the-World Trip Costs Revealed

This week, we’re reading about the true cost of epic round-the-world adventures. (Hint: It’s cheaper than you think.) Get the scoop on this and other travel stories that caught our attention recently.

How Airlines Prepare for Big Storms

Airlines grounded thousands of flights because of Nemo, the winter storm that struck the Northeast and New England last weekend. But many of those carriers canceled flights before the storm had even arrived. Why? According to a report from the Associated Press, “It’s a strategy that has served airlines well in recent years: Cancel flights early and keep planes and crews—and passengers—away from snowed-in airports. The idea is to avoid having crews and planes stuck in one area of the country. Airlines also face fines for leaving passengers stuck on a plane for more than three hours under a rule that went into effect in 2010.”

So it turns out that the passenger rights the Department of Transportation (DOT) proposed a few years back are to blame for the flight cancellations that now happen ahead of bad storms. This may not be a bad thing, though. These days, it’s less likely you’ll end up waiting at an airport for hours on end when big storms ground large numbers of planes. Instead, you’ll probably find out the status of your flight well before you’ve even ventured to the airport.

Parrot Robs Tourist

Travel Smarter! Sign up for our free newsletter.

By proceeding, you agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.

Sign Up

A parrot stole a guy’s wallet in New Zealand after the traveler stopped to take a picture of the bird. The man reported the bird-glar to the local police, who laughed in his face. Read more on Travel + Leisure’s blog, Carry On.

Round-the-World Trip Costs Revealed

So many travel writers promise that a round-the-world isn’t as inaccessible as you might think, and that with proper planning and budgeting, a dream vacation across the globe is within your reach. Are they telling the truth, though? BootsnAll, which specializes in content on round-the-world trips, reveals actual budgets for various multi-national itineraries. Most of the trips cost the equivalent of a year or two’s salaries; this looks intimidating at first. But look closer: The per-day budget for most of the trips is less than $100 a day—an extremely low price for a vacation.

Do you think you could swing a round-the-world trip? Have you tried? Share your experiences in the comments!