A whole ton of stuff!…
First up is money (decide what your budget is) and then time (how long can you be away from home?). After that, start doing your research! You also need the motivation to make the trip happen!
Once you really get started, you will need to tackle this list:
-Decide on your Round the World ticket provider (we are using Star Alliance)
http://www.staralliance.com/en/round-the-world
-Choose if you want to travel West to East or East to West
-Think about the weather in different locations
-Figure out the logistics of getting from country to country as well as various cities within the same country
-Make reservations for trains and flights
-Make hotel reservations or other housing
-Get immunizations
-Check the Center for Disease Control & Prevention website:
https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel
-Check individual countries for travel warnings:
https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/traveladvisories/traveladvisories.html
-Visit your doctor for travel meds (antibiotics, anti-nausea, malaria etc.)
-Apply for foreign visas
-Make sure that your passport is good for at least 6 months after your final travel date
-Get travel insurance
-Check on your international medical coverage
-Take pictures of your passport and other important documents. Travel with them in case yours are lost or stolen. Leave a copy of your itinerary and important documents at home or with a trusted friend or family member -bring 2 extra copies of a passport photo for visas upon arrival
-Put your mail on hold
-Ask your awesome friends and neighbors to check on your house (thank you!)
-Clean out the fridge and pantry
-Clean your house
-Make sure that it looks like someone is still living at your house (put lights on timers, consider having a landscaper clean up your yard)
-Pay all of your bills
-Turn off the gas
-Turn down the water heater
-Put all of your travel plans into an online travel itinerary like TripIt
https://www.tripit.com
-Pack!
-Plan more and then go over your plan again!
Laurie Travels Sometimes 