Master Checklist for Planning Your Trip

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Some of us are list people. Whether it s planning a RTW trip or simply a trip to the grocery store, we don t leave home without a list. When planning a trip of this magnitude, we like to have all our ducks in a row, which is why we created this master checklist to help you stay organized in your RTW planning.

The timeline we suggest is exactly that a suggestion. Some people take years to plan their trips. Some do it in a month. For those who signed up for Plan Your RTW Trip in 30 Days. this checklist coincides with the emails, articles, and action steps for each day.

For those who signed up for the Family Edition of Plan Your RTW Trip in 30 Days, you want to download this checklist, which is customized for families . 

For those signed up for the Career Break Edition, this checklist  is customized for you.

You can print the page and/or download the PDF . and start crossing stuff off as you go, or just bookmark it (hit CTRL-D) and come back as often as you need.

Master RTW Planning Checklist

1 year + away prior to estimated departure

• Decide why you are taking this trip. Coming up with your why will help shape your trip.
• Choose the pillars. or must-sees for your trip. These will help shape your itinerary.
• Come up with a preliminary budget
  • Research your pillar countries and per day costs of traveling there
  • If you signed up for Plan Your RTW Trip in 30 Days. download the RTW Planning Spreadsheet (introduced on day 4) and enter countries you plan to visit and per day costs in tab 1 (if you are not taking part in RTW 30, start your own spreadsheet to stay organized)
  • Go to Indie. enter your estimated route and dates to get a price on your flights
  • Total your flights and costs per country to find out your preliminary budget
• Figure out how much you can save per month
  • Enter income, and monthly bills into the RTW Planning Spreadsheet to see how much saving potential you have per month
  • Put a plan together to cut unnecessary spending
• Find ways to make more money
  • Evaluate all your possessions
    • Make a list of what you will keep
    • Make a list of what you can get rid of (add these to the RTW Planning Spreadsheet)
    • Make a list of what you can sell for money
    • Make a list of what you can give away
  • Start selling some of your unnecessary possessions to add to your travel fund
  • Devise a plan for storing the things you will keep for after your trip

6 months 1 year prior to estimated departure

• Find your departure date
  • Evaluate your current bank balances
  • Look at recurring monthly bills you ll have to pay while on the road
  • Come up with an amount you want to have for your coming home fund
  • Add all these figures into your RTW Planning Spreadsheet to figure out how soon you can leave
    • Figure out the total amount you need to save, divide that by your monthly savings potential, and you have how many months until your departure date
  • Set your departure date
• Getting rid of housing
  • If you rent, look at your rental agreement and give the appropriate notice that you are moving out
  • If you own, decide on renting vs. selling
    • If selling, talk to a real estate agent and get a plan in place for when you will put your house on the market
    • If renting to someone else, look into all options
    • Ask family, friends, and friends of friends if they may be interested in renting
    • If you don t know anyone interested, have a timeline in place to take out ads in the local newspaper and on sites like Craigslist and Airbnb.
    • If renting, find a family member or close friend in your hometown to be your go-to person for any issues that may arise
• Start the immunization process
  • Research which shots are required for the countries you will visit
  • Research which shots are recommended for the countries you will visit
  • Research costs of these shots where you live
  • Make a decision on which ones you will get
  • Schedule your first round of shots (remember that some shots are done in a series, with the first shot 6 months before the second)
• Decide what to do about your job/career
  • If you want to return to your current job, look into sabbatical policies
  • Talk with your boss/HR about the possibility of a sabbatical or leave of absence
  • If you don t want to return to your job, start planning now for what you will do after your return
• Passport :  If you don’t have one, order it. If you do, make sure it s valid for the length of your trip and has enough pages for stamps for each country you will visit

3 6 months prior to departure

2 3 months from departure