Approximately the same size as the United States, with only 7% of the population, most of the landscape is made up of arid desert. Not surprisingly, the majority of the residents live along the 22,000 miles of coastline where most tourists tend to flock as well (and where you can find many hotels on the gold coast).

Traveling slowly by campervan also helps with the budget, as it’s both your ride and bed!

Fraser Island

If you’re starting in Sydney, exploring the city by foot is a great and affordable option. Moving up the coast, Hervey Bay is best known for its whale watching in their springtime, and may be an ideal place to do this activity if it is high on your list. However, it is also a launching point for exploring Fraser Island – the world’s largest sand dune. With 75 miles of coastline and rainforests, which is best explored by 4-wheel drive, it is a once in a lifetime opportunity.

Further North in Queensland, you can combine two incredibly authentic Australian experiences into one – exploring both the Whitsunday Islands and the Great Barrier Reef. Setting sail from Airlie Beach, several sailboat excursions will explore both. (You can find many other cheap holidays in Queensland as well.)

The Red Centre

Perhaps the most unique Australian experience (and probably the priciest) is a visit to the Red Centre to explore Ayers Rock and the Olgas. If time is limited, you’ll want to book internal flights to get there, and the accommodation options aren’t cheap. But it is truly a magical place that absolutely should be on your list.

So there are ways to stretch your budget in Australia, but if you do have one splurge experience, it is our opinion that it should be exploring the Red Centre. There are great beaches all around the world – there are certainly better dive spots as well – but Australia’s Red Centre isn’t replicated anywhere else.

A trip to Antarctica is not easy on the pocketbook. But when you are ready to check this off your list, Daniel Pott shares some tips on how to stretch your budget when it comes time to stock up on cold-weather gear.

I live in Florida. Daytime temperatures are normally in the 80s or 90s Fahrenheit. A cold winter means mid-50s. Those are the days when my co-workers arrive bundled in puffy Carhartt jackets. My own wardrobe consists almost exclusively of short sleeve t-shirts. An extreme weather condition in my life might be New York City or Europe in late autumn. That’s when I throw on a leather jacket and tough it out. There was never a question of buying sweaters or mittens if I could get away with less. It would be like buying a tuxedo: way too much money for something I’d wear once.

Bundling up in Antarctica

This year I decided to visit Antarctica. It’s an expensive trip. There are only a handful of cruise ships in the Southern Ocean. You’ll have to board one of these in Tierra del Fuego, which you can reach via Private Jets Charter. But hey, it’s not going to get cheaper in the future, and you have to visit Antarctica once in your life. It’s also darned cold. Minus 12 degrees celsius during the summer on the northernmost arm of the Antarctic peninsula sounds like a fictitious temperature to someone who is more accustomed to see thermometers read three digits than one. I decided it was time to spend some money on cold weather clothes.

Googling “sub zero clothing” brings up a British company with that name and the first item on their front page is a $90 undershirt. Not cheap enough for me. Sierra Trading Post provides better deals and I chose them.

First up is base layer, right next to your skin. Sierra has silk long underwear, top and bottom for $25 each. It’s lightweight, which is good because packing space will be at a premium. It’s warm, which is good because it’s darned cold out there. And it provides wicking. Wicking was a new word to me, but it’s apparently a big deal among cold weather clothiers. It refers to the action of drawing moisture away from your skin. Similarly you’ll need glove liners for your gloves and sock liners for your socks. Socks are already shoe liners themselves, so you can see there’s no shortage of layers.

The mid layer is for insulation. Wool is traditional here and merino wool seems to be the most popular. Merino is soft and has a high-warmth to weight ratio. I went with a merino cardigan at $140. It retails at $240, if that means anything. In addition, I already own a sweater that my dad gave to me as a Christmas present 10 years ago. I’ve never worn it because it is unpleasantly warm in Florida. I also stocked up on long wool socks. The expedition staff makes a point of saying “You can never have too many socks!” Fleece neck gaiters and balaclavas are quite cheap, in the $7 range.

The outer layer is to repel the elements. It’s easy to spend a thousand bucks or more on a high-tech insulated jacket stuffed with the down feathers of the rarest birds and maybe you should, but since I’m counting on my other layers to keep me warm I’m opting for a simpler waterproof jacket in the $100 range. There’s much less variation in prices for gloves and boots. Expect to pay $50 to sheath your hands adequately and $80 (retail $140) for snow-stompers.

Altogether I checked out at $550. I had mentally prepared to drop seven or eight hundred, so I was pretty satisfied with that. But wait! Searching RetailMeNot.com revealed a coupon for 30% off. $385 plus shipping. Not bad.

This is a sponsored post brought to you by Private Jets Charter.

• How do you figure out a budget for something like accommodations, particularly if you’ve never been to that region before?
• How do you get the most bang for your buck and save some cash on where you lay your head each night?

Estimating your accommodation budget

It’s difficult to accurately estimate exactly what you’ll be spending on accommodations for a long-term, RTW trip. You can get pretty close, and the best way to keep your budget in check is to be honest with yourself in those early planning stages. It’s tempting to think and assume you can slum it around the world, staying in 16-bed shared dorm hostels with questionable cleanliness. And many RTW travelers can, but not all (I am one of them, at least now that I’m in my 30′s).

The best way to estimate costs is to go to your favorite hostel booking site and start checking prices. Find out exactly how much it costs for all manner of accommodations (dorm rooms, private rooms, guesthouses, cheap hotels). One thing that’s critical to keep in mind is what season it is. High, low, and shoulder seasons are always going to differ in pricing. If there’s a major festival in town, expect prices to double or even triple (and book up really far in advance). Keep all these things in mind when planning your accommodation budget.

Ways to save

There are a plethora of cost-cutting measures when it comes to accommodations. First and foremost is looking at all your options. Hostels, hotels, and guesthouses are not the only places to sleep.

Alternative options

Check out a site like CouchSurfing, where you can stay with a local for free. Not only do you not have to pay for accommodations (though it’s nice to do something thoughtful for your host – buying a little present for the house or apartment or taking him or her out to a nice dinner is a good gesture), but you also get the opportunity to get tips and advice from someone who lives in the city or town you’re visiting.

Airbnb is another helpful site for travelers. This service offers apartment and house rentals for travelers. Sometimes you can get a place all to yourself, and sometimes a room is offered for rent in someone’s home. There are a variety of different situations depending on what you’re looking for.

In some parts of the world, you can save some money by house-sitting. It’s a lot more common in more developed regions like Europe and the US, but there are house-sitting services all over the world. This is a great way to save money on accommodations and also gives you the chance to slow down (always a great money-saving tactic) and live like a local for a while. House sitting gigs are often in the less touristy parts of town, so you can see a totally different side of where you are visiting.

Renting an apartment somewhere is also another option. Airbnb can help you out with that, as can a site like VRBO. There are apartment rental sites all over the place, so simply googling “apartment + the city you are visiting” will give you plenty of options. During our RTW trip, we rented an apartment in Buenos Aires for a month for about $25USD per day. This was a little lower than the price for private rooms in hostels, but it also gave us our own space – kitchen, balcony, living room – which was quite welcome after a few months on the road.

Cost cutting techniques

If you choose to go the hostel/hotel/guesthouse route, there are also plenty of ways to save some money. Traveling outside of high season is the best way to limit costs. Shoulder and low seasons see lots of empty rooms, so not only are prices lower as a whole, in many places in the world, it gives you bargaining power. Don’t be afraid to bargain for the price of your room or bed; it’s common and expected in many parts of the world.

When arriving in a new city, you can do one of two things. Some like to book ahead of time (depending on what time of day/night you arrive), and if you’re the kind of person who likes to have a place to stay when arriving in a new city, that’s understandable. But only book a room or bed for one night. The beauty of long-term, RTW travel is that time is on your side. So if you arrive and don’t like where you’re staying, you can walk around first thing the next morning, leaving all your bags behind, and search for a new (and often cheaper) place to stay.

Many travelers like to just wing it and arrive with no place to stay. This is not recommended during high season, holidays, or festivals, but any other time of year, it’s advantageous to do so. Obviously the downside is having to schlep your bags along with you, but if you pack light, that shouldn’t be an issue.

What cost-cutting measures do you have for getting the best and cheapest accommodations?  Comment below to share your tips.

Photo credits:  Barnacles Hostels, krissikes

On the road again
Goin’ places that I’ve never been
Seein’ things that I may never see again
And I can’t wait to get on the road again
—Willy Nelson

On April 1st we packed our backpacks, said our tearful goodbyes to new friends, and headed back out on the road. Traveling feels as close to a “home” as we have and it feels great to be moving again. This time we’ve decided to add a bit more adventure as we head over-land from Thailand to Portugal. As a result, over the next 5-6 months you all can watch as we slowly make our way across Asia to the edge of Europe via trains, buses, camels, ships, cars, and whatever else may come up. Along the way we’ll be tracking every yuan, ruble, and euro to give you an accurate picture of what it costs one couple to travel this 18,000km route.

April turned out to be a great month in terms of our monthly budget. We spent $1,757, despite traveling faster than we have in over a year and having a great time getting to know China. China has turned out to be a great surprise for us both. The friendly people, the beautiful scenery, massive public works projects, but most important for this post…the costs. Before coming to China we did very little research on costs here, so finding out that we can stay, travel around, and not scrimp on what we want to see and still stay well below our budget has been good news for us both. We’ve been able to consistently find private rooms w/baths for <$25. In addition it is easy to find great food for just a couple bucks.

The biggest increase of course was our intercity travel costs (buses, trains, etc). However, we’ve been happy to discover that over-land travel in China is very affordable. While the distances are great, the prices are quite reasonable. We’ve taken 10 hour buses and trains that cost around $25 each. This price is on par with Peru, which was a nice discovery. We are heading into bigger (aka more expensive) cities but we’re hoping we can keep our core spending low and splurge on even more sightseeing as there is a lot to take in as we get closer to Beijing.

Let’s Get to the Numbers

• Total spending to date (for entire trip) through April 2012: $36,573
• Total spending for April 2012: $1,757
• Daily average for April 2012: $58.57
• Overall daily average (19 months on the road): $63.38

Expense Breakdown:

Frequently Asked Questions:

Over the course of providing these monthly spending reports, we’ve received a lot of questions and requests for clarification on our spending and finances. In order to spread the answers to more of you we’ll start including one each month here.

Do you all sleep in dorms with shared bathrooms or do you tend to stay in private rooms?

Our preferred mode of travel is to have a private room with en-suite bathroom whenever possible and affordable. We enjoy the little luxury and privacy this provides and since this is our full time life we choose to spend a bit extra to make it happen. Luckily most hostels provide excellent double rooms, especially in South America and Asia. We;ve elected to stay in dorms on a couple occasions due to the cost or when there was no alternative (i.e. trekking in Peru).

But traveling in low or shoulder season isn’t always as bad as it first sounds.  The first thing you have to realize when going on a RTW trip is that it’s practically impossible to travel to all the regions of the world you hope to and hit every one when weather is ideal.  It’s simply unreasonable to think you can always be at the right place at the right time.  It rarely works out like that.

So instead of wracking your brain trying to come up with the perfect scenario, embrace the fact that you will have to travel during periods that aren’t the most ideal weather-wise.  Honestly, it’s not as bad as you might think.

Benefits of traveling in the off-season

First, costs are going to be lower. When there aren’t as many tourists around, that means hotels and hostels aren’t as full. They automatically lower their prices during the off-season, and in many places in the world, negotiating the price of a bed or room is common practice. Saving money is always a good thing.

Another benefit of traveling in the off-season is that the crowds are almost always smaller. Nothing is more frustrating than going to see a particular site you’ve been excited about and having to battle massive crowds to do so. It can definitely impact your perception of a place, and after a while, large crowds simply get old. Having a site, or museum, or restaurant all to yourself is actually quite nice sometimes, especially when on the road for a long time.

But what about the weather?

What most travelers worry about when it comes to traveling in the off-season is that it typically means the weather isn’t ideal. While that can be true in some cases, you really have to do your homework on this one. It can be dizzying when reading about wet seasons around the world, as reports often suggest that the dry season is one six month period while wet season is the opposite six month period.

This is partly true, but there’s so much more to it than that. We traveled in SE Asia during the rainy season – from May to August – and we had very few issues. Most of the time it would rain daily, but only for an hour or so, and the rest of the time the weather was fine. Sure, we may not have had beautiful blue skies all the time, but rain never hampered what we wanted to do.

On the flip side, we were in India in September and early October. When in Goa, the rainy seasons supposedly ended a few weeks before we arrived. So convinced that the rain was over, touts and vendors sold away all their umbrellas and rain gear and weren’t planning on stocking up until the next year. What happened? It promptly rained for nine straight days – unprecedented rain for that time of year. My point? You just never know what’s going to happen when it comes to weather, so stressing about it is really a pointless endeavor.

Traveling in the off-season certainly has its benefits, and instead of trying to avoid off-season and always try to travel during the high season, you may want to re-think your strategy.

Have you traveled anywhere during shoulder or low season before? What was your experience? Comment below to share your story.

The photo belongs to the author and may not be used without permission.

From a spending perspective this month was significantly higher ($2,314) than all our previous months in Thailand, though still well below our overall budget of $3000/month. The reasons for this spike in expenses was primarily due to fun. That’s right, we had fun this month. We enjoyed some of the sights and experiences we’d put off since arriving. We spent an amazing day at the Elephant Nature Park hanging out with 30+ beautiful creatures and getting our hands dirty as we fed them.In addition, we spent a day at a Thai cooking class in order to add some new recipes to our repertoire. For just $55 for us both it was an easy investment and a day we will not forget given how much fun we had with the restaurant owner. Oh, and massages. Wonderful and relaxing massages.

The other hit to the budget was our much delayed (ok, pushed out) visits to the dentist. After 18 months on the road it was time to head back in and get the teeth cleaned, polished and camera ready. In the end both visits to the dentist, including some minor work, ended up costing just $216, which is a far cry from the huge bill we’d have seen in the US.

Let’s Get to the Numbers

• Total spending to date (for entire trip) through March 2012: $34,816
• Total spending for March 2012: $2,314
• Daily average for March 2012: $75
• Overall daily average (18 months on the road): $63.65

Expense Breakdown:

Frequently Asked Questions:

Over the last 18 months of monthly spending reports, we’ve received a lot of questions and requests for clarification on our spending and finances. In order to spread the answers to more of you we’ll start including some of them each month here.

Is your spending breakdown for 1 person or for both of you?

All of our spending figures represent the total spending for 2 amazingly happy people living their dream. We travel as a couple and keep track of all our expenses together, as trying to separate them would simply be too big of a pain. Any expenses we encounter, whether individually or together, are included in our expense totals for this happy couple.

2. Celebrate New Year’s in Chiang Mai
Songkran, the Thailand celebration for the New Year, is a wild party that includes a lot of water splashed on locals and tourists.

3. Visit Temples in Chiang Mai
Most of the temples in Chiang Mai charge nothing to enter. Here you can discover the beauty and serenity of a Buddhist temple. While the temples are not advertised as a tourist attraction, all are welcome as long as you are quiet and respectful.

4. Check Out the Beaches
Thailand has some great beaches. Unlike some countries around the world, Thailand does not charge an entrance fee. Here you can get a tan, splash in the water, or take part in some recreational water sports.

5. Visit The Bangkok Art and Culture Center
The Bangkok Art & Culture Center was built in 2008 and exhibits modern art. It is free to enter and if you are in the mood for some shopping, it is across the street from the MBK mega mall.

6. Explore The Bangkokian Museum
The Bankokian Museum is a great place for history lovers. Here you will discover exhibits depicting middle class life of the people during the twentieth century.

7. Check Out Lumphini Park
Lumphini Park is a public park in Bangkok. Many events take place in the park daily, including Tai Chi practice and dancing. There are also free aerobics classes held in the evenings.

8. Explore the Bangkok Butterfly Garden and Insectarium
The Bangkok Butterfly Garden and Insectarium is an enclosed garden located in Rot Fai Park. Here you will be able to see hundreds of species of butterflies and insects.

9. Visit the Silpa Bhirasri Memorial and Museum
Silpa Bhirasri is the father of modern art in Thailand. Located in the artist’s former studio, this memorial and museum is small in size but features the artist’s best known work as well as some of the work from his pupils. The Silpa Bhirasri Memorial and Museum is located just a short walk from Sanam Luang.

10. Tour the Outdoor Markets
All of the major cities in Thailand have expansive outdoor markets. These are the heart of the old fashioned ways and can give tourists a better glimpse at everyday life in Thailand.

Thailand is a beautiful opportunity to explore different people and places. Once you’ve found some cheap flights to Thailand, planning an affordable trip is as easy as finding your favorite free attractions in Bangkok, Phuket or Chiang Mai.

This is a sponsored destination post brought to you by Flight Centre Australia.

February was another great month here in Chiang Mai. We enjoyed more wonderful time exploring the temples here as well as getting out of the city for a bit. However, the biggest news is that Betsy completed the manuscript for our next book! She handed it off to the editor and we are on track to launch on March 15th. This also signifies that we are winding down our time here in Thailand, which is a bittersweet thought.

In terms of spending the only significant deviation of our spending was our 5 day trip to the mountains of Chiang Dao, 1.5 hours north of Chiang Mai. We went up there to give Betsy a change of scenery to complete the manuscript. We have found that for the final push on our book projects this provides a great source of inspiration and motivation. We spent a bit more on food while we were there, but having cut back the rest of the month the final results show we did great in terms of our budget.

Let’s Get to the Numbers

• Total spending to date (for entire trip) through February 2012: $32,502
• Total spending for February 2012: $1,397
• Daily average for February 2012: $48.17
• Overall daily average (17 months on the road): $62.99

Expense Breakdown:

Big Announcement:

We are excited to announce that starting this month, RTW Expenses is joining together with Meet, Plan, Go to deliver more robust articles, guidance, and information to help you plan your holidays and long term travel. Betsy and I have been tremendous fans of the idea of helping others to plan their own around the world adventures, and this joint venture is a perfect synergy with our message.

In case you don’t know Meet, Plan, Go are THE leaders in the career break movement in North America. They provide encouragement and teaching to show others how to travel the world and have it be beneficial to your career. They are passionate about the idea of incorporating the term “career break” into everyone’s career plans.

Going forward we will be providing you more in-depth articles and advice to help you plan your own adventure. We will be publishing more regularly and giving you deeper insights into how you can save on visas, health insurance leads, gear, travel, and much more.

We know this partnership will provide you all all with a host of new resources and ideas as you plan to hit the road. We’ve been anxious to  share this news with you all as we know you are going to love the wealth of new inspiration and ideas we can deliver together.

A vacation provides a much-needed break from the stress of modern life. However, if you’re working with a tight budget, planning your next vacation may be difficult or even seem impossible. You can have the break you want without sacrificing your financial stability by planning with your needs and goals in mind.

Enforce Your Spending Limits

One way to make sure you stick to your spending budget is by placing restrictions on what you can spend. A separate bank account or prepaid credit cards can help you stick to your limits. Put the money you earmarked for spending on specific items, such as food, into a separate bank account or on prepaid credit cards. Only use the account or prepaid credit cards for the expenses you earmarked those payment methods for. Have one payment method, such as a regular credit card, just in case you experience an emergency while you’re away.

While you’re away, stick to the restrictions you placed. Don’t use other payment methods to cover shortages unless you absolutely need the money. Placing spending limits on your vacation budget helps you avoid unnecessary purchases but only if you follow the rules you set.

Research Your Destination

Lodging isn’t limited to hotels anymore. Short-term apartment rentals, for example, are often available to vacationing travelers and cost less than a long-term stay at a hotel. You’ll be able to make your own food in an apartment, saving you money on eating out. You’ll need to research the rental areas and minimum stay length to see if an apartment rental is the best option for you. The apartment needs to be near major sights and transportation, so you don’t spend money on taxi services or other methods of traveling while you’re away.

If you’re only staying for a short period of time, such as a few days, or if the only available apartments are too far from the sights you want to see, a hotel may be a better choice for you. Compare package deals if you’re going with a hotel. If food or other amenities, such as a car service, are available in a package, it may save you more than a cheaper hotel room with no extra services included.

Don’t be afraid to negotiate rates for anything you’re booking before you leave. Hotel and apartment owners will cut rates to avoid empty rooms. Talk to tour organizations and destination activity businesses before you leave to book activities early and negotiate prices.

Check major airlines for deals if you’re flying. If you’re willing to fly during off-peak times or have a layover, you’ll save on your ticket. Some airlines still offer courier flights. You’ll get a break on your ticket for helping to deliver a package to its destination. You won’t actually carry the package, but you will be responsible for collecting paperwork and delivering it to customs.

January also meant our first visa run. We headed out for the 4 hour ride to the Burmese border and hoped to spend a couple days enjoying the border town of Mae Sai. Unfortunately, we discovered once again that border towns around the world are meant not for stopping, but for passing through. As a result we chose to spend a couple days enjoying the countryside, away from connectivity and the city. It added just a bit to the monthly expenses, but was immensely helpful to take some time from the hard work we’re doing on our next book, Stripping Off Your Fear, which we’ll be launching March 15th.

As you will see from the numbers, January we got back on track with our expenses and came in $100 below our “Thailand budget” of $1,500/month. This number even includes all the expenses from our visa run as well as Betsy’s full physical, blood tests, and prescriptions ($110 for all). Thailand is a great place to reset and we’re taking advantage of our time here to get all our check-ups and ensure we are ready for the next leg of our trip (see big news below).

Let’s Get to the Numbers

• Total spending to date (for entire trip) through January 2012: $31,105
• Total spending for January 2012: $1,387
• Daily average for January 2012: $44.75
• Overall daily average (16 months on the road): $63.73

Expense Breakdown:

Ready to Travel Again

After 4 months here in Thailand, Betsy and I are getting itchy feet. While we absolutely love it here in Chiang Mai, we are ready for the next adventure and we have started to plan the next destination and it’s a big one. Starting in April we will be heading over land from Thailand to Finland. This journey will be over 10,000km and take us through Laos, Russia, China, Mongolia, Russia, and then into Helsinki. As you’ve come to expect from us we will take our time and expect to spend 4-5 months enjoying every moment of this journey. It will be fun as well to share with you all the expenses along the way so you can plan your own cross-Asia experience.

If you have specific questions about our expenses or the next leg of our journey, please let us know. Drop us an email or include them in the comments below.