Circumnavigating the planet and stopping off wherever you fancy is the ultimate trip – perfect for travellers who want to see it all, or who are just plain indecisive. But booking a round-the-world (RTW) trip can be a complex business. Here is a guide to get you started.
對那些猶豫不決又想要到處看看的旅行者來說，最完美的旅行莫過于環游世界并且想在哪停就在哪停。但是預訂一次環球旅行（RTW）可不是什么輕松的事情。接下來，就讓我們來告訴你該怎么開始吧。
How to do it
要怎么做？
The most economical way to circumnavigatethe globe is to buy a RTW air ticket that uses one airline alliance. Theoretically, any routing is possible, but knowing how the RTW booking system works will make your trip cheaper. For example, the Star Alliance, a coalition of 27 airlines which fly to 1,185 airports in 185 countries, offers a RTW ticket with a maximum of 15 stops.
最省錢的方法就是訂購同一航空聯盟的全球套票。理論上來說，任何的路線都是可能的，但是了解整個訂票系統的運作方式會讓你的旅行更加經濟節約。 比如說星空聯盟， 涵蓋27個航空公司，185個國家內的1185個機場， 提供的全球套票最多包涵15站。
There are rules: you must follow one global direction (east or west – no backtracking); you must start and finish in the same country; and you must book all of your flights before departure, though you can change them later (which may incur extra charges).
你需要知道的規定：必須順著一個方向旅行（向西或向東，不能走回頭路）； 起點與終點都必須在同一個國家。另外必須在出發之前預訂所有的機票，不過之后可以改簽（可能要加錢）。
How long you will need
要花多久的時間？
You could whip around the world in a weekend if you flew non-stop. However, the minimum duration of most RTW tickets is 10 days – still a breathless romp. Consider stock-piling annual leave, tagging on public holidays or even arranging a sabbaticalin order to take a few months off work. The maximum duration of a RTW ticket is one year.
如果你馬不停蹄的話，一周可以游完世界。 但是，大部分全球套票的最短航期是10天， 即使這樣，旅行者仍沒有什么喘息的空間。可以考慮把年假和公共假日累積起來或者是利用休假年來進行環球旅行。最長的全球套票航期是一年。
When to go
什么時候去？
The weather will never be ideal in all of your stops. So, focus on what you want to do most and research conditions there. If a Himalaya trek is your highlight, do not land in Nepal mid-monsoon season; if you want to swim with whale sharks off the coast of Western Australia, be there between April and July. Then accept you will be in some regions at the “wrong” time – though this might offer unexpected benefits (for example, Zambia in wet season means lush landscapes and cheaper prices).
在所有去的地方中，不可能每個地方的天氣都很理想。 所以，把重點放在你想做的事情上面并且做好充分的調查。如果你想去喜馬拉雅山徒步旅行，就不要在季風季去尼泊爾。 如果你想要去西澳大利亞的海岸邊與鯨魚游泳，那最好就是在4月到7月之間去。做好心理準備，有些地方可能去得不是時候，但是也可能會有出乎意料的驚喜。 （例如，雨季的贊比亞郁郁蔥蔥，而且價格會比較便宜。）
In general, city sightseeing can be done year-round (escape extreme heat/cold/rain in museums and cafes) but outdoor adventures are more reliant on – and enjoyable in – the right weather.
一般來說，城市觀光不限季節（博物館和咖啡館是遮陽避寒擋雨的好地方）但是戶外的探險還是需要有好的天氣。
Where to go
去哪里？
The classic (and cheapest) RTW tickets flit between a few big cities, for example London – Bangkok – Singapore – Sydney – LA. If you want to link more offbeat hubs (Baku – Kinshasa – Paramaribo, anyone?), prices will climb considerably. The cost of the ticket is based on the total distance covered or the number of countries visited.
經典的（也是最便宜的）的環球旅行路線在世界幾大城市之間穿梭，如倫敦-曼谷-新加坡-悉尼-洛杉磯。如果你想要加入更多不尋常的城市（巴庫-金沙薩-帕拉馬里博，有人想去么？），價格就會向上飆升。RTW機票的價格是基于飛行的里程或是游覽國家的數目而定的。
Remember, you do not have to fly between each point: in Australia you could land in Perth, travel overland and fly out of Cairns. Or fly into Moscow, board the Trans-Siberian train and fly onwards from Beijing.
記住飛機不是唯一的交通工具，你可以飛澳大利亞的珀斯，陸路環游澳洲，再從凱恩斯坐飛機離開澳洲。或者是飛莫斯科，坐跨西伯利亞火車到達北京，再從北京坐飛機飛往下一站。
Pick some personal highlights and stringthe rest of your itinerary around those. For instance, if you are a keen trekker, flesh out a Peru (Inca Trail), New Zealand (Milford Track) and Nepal (Everest Base Camp) itinerary with Brazil (Rio’s a good access point for South America), Australia and northern India.
選幾個自己特別想去的，剩下的再根據這些來定。 例如說，如果你喜歡徒步旅行，可以選擇秘魯（印加古道），新西蘭（米爾福德步道）和尼泊爾(珠峰大本營）一線，加上巴西（南美旅游可以從里約熱內盧開始），澳大利亞和北印度。
If budget is an issue, spend more time in less expensive countries. Your daily outgoings will be far higher in Europe and North America than in South-East Asia. Indonesia, Bolivia and India are particularly cheap.
如果預算是個問題的話，建議多選擇花銷比較小的國家。北美和歐洲一定是比東南亞要貴。印尼、玻利維亞和印度東西超便宜。
Tips, tricks and pitfalls
溫馨提示
Talk to an expert before you book: you may have an itineraryin mind but an experienced RTW flight booker will know which routings work best and cost least – a few tweaks could mean big savings.
訂票之前先請教行家： 你可能已經勾勒好路線了，但是一個環球旅行的訂票行家會知道什么樣的路線最好最便宜，稍微調整一下可能就可以省下一大筆錢。
Be flexible: moving your departure date by a few days can save money; mid-week flights are generally cheaper, as are flights on Christmas Day.
訂票要靈活：適當改變出發的時間可以省不少錢，周中的機票一般比較便宜，圣誕節當天的機票也是如此。
Think about internal travel: it can be cheaper to book internal flights at the same time as booking your RTW ticket. But, with the global increase of low-cost airlines, you may find it better (and more flexible) to buy them separately as you go.
建議國內旅游： 全球套票和國內機票一起預訂會比較便宜。 但是隨著全球廉價機票的興起， 環球機票和國內機票分開來定或許會更省（也更靈活）。
Be warned: if you do not board one of your booked flights (say, on a whim, you decide to travel overland from Bangkok to Singapore rather than fly it) your airline is likely to cancel all subsequent flights.
注意：如果旅行中有一站你沒有登機（比方說，你突然心血來潮想要從曼谷走陸路到新加坡），剩下的航班都有可能被取消。
（實習編輯：劉偉）
