Since I started my plans for travelling, I have learned a lot, mainly that there is a lot!  A lot to learn, a lot to do, a lot to consider and choose, decide, share, explain, manage and monitor!

Visas

Image courtesy of Brandon Sigma via www. freedigitalphotos.com

These are difficult to manage en mass, with a round the world ticket it can take a few weeks – and a fair cost – to sort them all in a timely manner.   And this is something I haven’t got.   Not booking my ticket until all is confirmed and real, I need to also send off my passport to get the visa stamps.   Fine.  Until I realise that each one needs to go, come back and go again.   I might have to give up on Russia this time as that also involves a trip to London or Scotland, and a day’s waiting and processing, and then maybe not get it anyway!  Also, booking accommodation before I confirm my ticket so they know where I’ll be and when, yet without the ticket booking I can’t plan that.  But apparently, people have to do this and manage it.  However, my short timescales don’t allow, and I shall be travelling in Europe rather than trying to sort this one visit out, and may have to leave it until another time – but I did fancy the Trans Siberian Express and Mongolia.

Also, I have learned that I can’t get visa’s through another country’s consulate, only my home country.  That would have perhaps been manageable, but no, it isn’t going to happen.  😦

Still, there are other countries to visit, more time in some places and things to see and do.

I may also have to shorten my trip to Europe because of the house delays now, but I could tag that on at the other end!   Including Norway and the fantastic fjords I have only read about in The Stonor Eagles, many years ago.  But it served to pique my interest and yearning to visit the fjords, as many books do for me.

 The Stonor Eagles from Amazon

Travel Agents

Are many and varied, online, offline, high st, network meetings, you name they are there!  And you get a different perspective from each, different ideas and pricing, and of course, options!   My favourite to date is Trailfinders – they are big for a reason.  The only one though who said I could do the trip I wanted to and visit where I wanted instead of places I had to stop over at or just drop in and waste my mileage on the visit!  Why would I?! Others I have looked at have been Sta and Flights Only, online with Bootsnall, and a few other links I’ve looked at.   Like Visa’s, each agent does these too, but seem to share some common ones and just maybe stick their name on (and a few extra ££££s on!) as well.

But I guess it is worth that cost if it saves time, effort and stress!   Updates will keep coming!