How do you stay on budget for travel expenses? This month’s Round the World Ticket Watch focuses on money + traveling, so if you’re not already a subscriber, go sign up!

Here are the September ticket deals – these prices are good through September 30, 2010.

• SE Asia & Europe Budget Ticket: San Francisco or Los Angeles – Manila – Borneo (Kota Kinabalu) – Singapore – Angkor Wat (Siem Reap) – surface – Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City – Bangkok – surface – Kuala Lumpur – London – Amsterdam – surface – Paris – San Francisco or Los Angeles from US$1299 (plus taxes) Code: HAT915427
• Oceania Explorer: Los Angeles – Fiji – Auckland – Sydney -Bali – Hong Kong – Los Angeles from US$1949 (plus taxes) Code: HAT570849
• 4-Continent World Tour: New York – Los Angeles – Shanghai – Beijing – surface – Hong Kong – Singapore – Bali – Bangkok – Delhi – surface – Bombay – Nairobi – Cairo – Istanbul – surface – Athens – Rome – surface – Milan – Barcelona – surface – London – Reykjavik – New York from US$2699 (plus taxes) Code: HAT915427

Or create your own adventure with the round the world trip planner. Happy travels! photo by Ed Yourdon

Bringing an iPod on a trip has been de rigeur for years now (although some of us are old enough to remember toting a Walkman overseas many moons ago), but these days more RTW travelers are utilizing the multi-tool aspect of the iPhone on their trips, turning it into a phone that also navigates, translates, organizes, blogs, and – who knows – maybe by the time you read this it makes coffee and packs your bags for you, too. There are more travel iPhone apps than it’s possible to keep track of, and as the iPhone continues to evolve into a more and more useful travel tool it won’t be surprising to see it on every must-have RTW gear list.

If your RTW plans involve lots of blogging or at least computer work that you’d prefer not to do on a little touchscreen, then you essentially have three alternatives. Either you plan to bring an iPad, you plan to bring a netbook, or you plan to spend a lot of time in internet cafes. Assuming you’re not in the latter category (because that’s not really gear-related, after all), then the main decision will be whether to go iPad or netbook.

With the iPad, you have one decision to make, so if that’s your choice then get thee to an Apple store and hope they’re in stock. With netbooks, there’s so much variety nowadays that you’ll need to do a bit more research on the best netbooks for traveling before you make a purchase. There are different factors to take into consideration, so read about the benefits and drawbacks of the various models to see which one suits your needs best.

And after you’re done with that research, go on to some other aspect of trip planning that’s a little more fun for a break. Look up the best beaches in Spain, figure out when it’s shoulder season around the world, hunt for flights to Nepal, plan road trips through France, learn where to surf in Bali, or what those Italian gelato flavors mean.

Just remember that if you’re properly equipped with tech gadgetry when you leave home, you can look up all that stuff while you’re on the road, too.

photo by scriptingnews

Perhaps the most important gear decision you can make – whether you’re on a RTW trip or any length of backpacking adventure – involves the pack you get. It’s not uncommon to feel a little bit of sticker shock when you start looking at the best travel packs out there – they’re definitely an investment. You know that saying about how you get what you pay for? In some cases it’s not true, and a bargain find can be an excellent option. But when it comes to what you’re going to carry all your belongings around in for a long period of time, the investment is worth it. Absolutely hunt down deals on the best packs if you can find a sale or have an REI dividend burning a hole in your pocket, but don’t skimp on a lesser-quality pack.

Even if you don’t consider yourself a “flashpacker” or plan on bringing lots of tech gadgets with you, you’re probably going to bring along a camera of some kind to record your trip, right? Camera gear isn’t completely at the opposite end of the spectrum from backpacks, in that you do still need to invest a little bit of money to get something that’s good quality, but you don’t have to buy huge professional-grade DSLRs to take amazing travel photos. So many of the compact point-and-shoot digital cameras are of high enough quality that they’ll take exceptional shots – so long as the photographer has a good eye!

What do you think is the most important piece of RTW travel gear you can invest in before a trip?

photo by obscure allusion

So how do you narrow down your route? This month’s Round the World Ticket Watch focuses on tips for deciding on a RTW route, so if you’re not already a subscriber, go sign up!

Here are the August ticket deals – these prices are good through August 31, 2010.

• SE Asia Explorer: Los Angeles or San Francisco – Bangkok – Singapore – Denpasar (Bali) – Hong Kong – Los Angeles or San Francisco from US$1149 (plus taxes) Code: HAT909387
• China India London Trip: Los Angeles – Shanghai – Delhi – London – Los Angeles from US$1199 (plus taxes) Code: HAT909450
• The World Tour: New York – London – Paris – Prague – Rome – Athens – Overland On Your Own – Istanbul – Dubai – Cape Town – Overland On Your Own – Johannesburg – Dar es Salaam – Overland On Your Own – Nairobi – Bombay / Mumbai – Delhi – Bangkok – Singapore – Denpasar (Bali) – Darwin – Cairns – Overland On Your Own -Sydney – Nadi (Fiji) – Honolulu – Los Angeles – New York from US$3499 (plus taxes) Code: HAT909462

Or create your own adventure with the round the world trip planner. Happy travels! photo by rachfog

Here are the July ticket deals – these prices are good through July 31, 2010.

• South America Grand Tour: Miami – Rio de Janeiro – Buenos Aires – Montevideo – Asuncion – Santiago – Lima – Bogota – Miami from US$1249 (plus taxes) Code: HAT902343
• The Glamorous Route: Los Angeles – Seoul – Shanghai – London – Paris – Los Angeles from US$1399 (plus taxes) Code: HAT901525
• One word – EPIC: New York – Los Angeles – Nadi (Fiji) – Auckland – surface – Christchurch – Sydney – surface – Perth – Bali (Denpasar) – Singapore – surface – Bangkok – Kathmandu – Delhi – surface – Bombay / Mumbai – Cairo – Istanbul – surface – Athens – Rome – surface – London – Reykjavik – New York from US$2499 (plus taxes) Code: HAT903607

Or create your own adventure with the round the world trip planner. Happy travels!

Here are the June ticket deals – these prices are good through June 30, 2010.

• 3-Continent RTW Starter: New York – Paris – Dubai – Beijing – New York from US$1199 (plus taxes) Code: HAT869704
• Backpacker Trail: Los Angeles – London – Bangkok – Sydney – Nadi (Fiji) – Los Angeles from US$1699 (plus taxes) Code: HAT869963
• Asia/Oceania Explorer: San Francisco – Manila – Singapore – Bangkok – Bali (Denpasar) – Perth – surface – Sydney – Nadi (Fiji) – Honolulu – San Francisco from US$1999 (plus taxes) Code: HAT880373

Or create your own adventure with the round the world trip planner. Happy travels! (photo by: lindyireland)

Here are the May ticket deals – these prices are good through May 31, 2010.

• Europe/Asia Adventuring: San Francisco – London – Moscow – Beijing – Hong Kong – San Francisco from US$1249 (plus taxes) Code: HAT881658
• Oceania Explorer: Los Angeles – Sydney – Christchurch – Tongatapu (Tonga) – Nadi (Fiji) – Honolulu – San Francisco – Los Angeles from US$1699 (plus taxes) Code: HAT559271
• Ultimate RTW: New York – Beijing – Hong Kong – Singapore – Bangkok – Bombay / Mumbai – Nairobi – Cairo – Athens – Rome – Copenhagen – Berlin – London – New York from US$2499 (plus taxes) Code: HAT570723

Or create your own adventure with the round the world trip planner. Happy travels! (photo by: christopher.vanbelle)

All of the “there’s an app for that” commercials might drive you bonkers, but the premise of those ads is kind of true – and getting more true every day. There are apps for just about every purpose you could imagine (along with thousands you couldn’t and wouldn’t want to), including plenty that are really handy for travelers. Some of them are location-dependent, but there are also loads of great iPhone apps for round-the-world travel – apps that are flexible enough to grow with your itinerary.

This list of iPhone apps for RTW travel isn’t exhaustive, so if your favorite travel app that’s ideal for long-term travelers isn’t listed please let me know in the comments!

Best iPhone Apps for RTW Travel

Frommers Travel Tools
FREE
One app to rule them all… Okay, not quite, but it does combine several different handy travel apps into one, which saves memory space on your iPhone and helps keep your screen uncluttered. You’ll get a currency/measurement/distance/etc. converter, time translator, tip calculator, customizable packing list, fun travel trivia, links to Frommer’s city guide apps you can buy, and even a flashlight – all in one app.

Trip Journal
on sale for $0.99 (normally $2.99)
This app includes all kinds of tools to easily record and share elements of your trip with whoever you like – geo-tagging photos, video, and trip notes and then allowing you to share things via Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Flickr, and more. Plus, the app looks all old-school journal-y, too.

City Maps 2 Go
$1.99
There are a zillion map apps (say that without thinking “grape ape” and you’re a stronger – or younger – person than I am), but rather than downloading a new one every time you move on to a different city, this app lets you constantly download new cities within one app – and the additional map downloads are free. Plus, while you can the GPS capability of the iPhone for these maps, you’re not incurring roaming charges because the maps are downloaded onto your phone.

Babelingo
$1.99
Translation apps are great, but if you’re going to lots of different countries it might be better to get one app that has a few common phrases in lots of languages instead of downloading an app for every single language you’ll encounter. Babelingo has 11 languages with 300 words and phrases. If you’ll be immersed in one language for awhile, then you can augment your app library with a translator or dictionary for that language specifically.

ICOON Global Picture Dictionary
$0.99
Is the language you need not included in Babelingo? Maybe the words you’re looking for aren’t common enough phrases? Then be sure you’ve got this picture dictionary on hand as well. There are several categories covered in this app, and the most useful ones might be “health,” “hygiene,” and “authorities.” You don’t want to count on your command of the local language in an emergency.

World Customs & Cultures
FREE
Don’t get caught nodding for yes when nodding actually means no. Don’t reach out to shake someone’s hand when touching is considered rude. This app covers all kinds of cultural tips and social norms for 165 countries around the world. It’s a must-have app for anyone who wants to leave a good impression in their wake (which is a good plan).

The World Factbook
$0.99
This app includes some basic information about 250+ countries, including major industries, type of government, geography, religion, languages, etc. The database is updated regularly for free, so you’ll always have the most recent information at your fingertips.

HearPlanet: Audio Guide to the World
$4.99
This does require a cell data or network connection to work, but if you’re in a place where you’re connected then it’s handy. Using the phone’s GPS locator, this app knows what attractions you’re close to and pulls up the Wikipedia entry for that place. Even better? It then reads the entry to you.

IAmHere
$0.99
For anyone who set up a round the world blog for the sole purpose of letting your mother know where you are and that you got there safely, there’s IAmHere. Push one button and it’ll send an email to someone with your exact location (accurate to within 150 meters) on a Google map.

Super Twiddler
$4.99
Spin the wheels on this app to tell it much time you have to spend and what mood you’re in, and it’ll come up with activities near you that fit your parameters. Unfortunately it’s only available for 27 US cities, although they’re apparently working on more.

Whizzer
$0.99
Restroom locator with almost a million restrooms around the world in its database; it includes information on bathroom amenities, too, like whether they’re free to the public, open 24 hours, have baby changing stations, or have a place to buy feminine products.

Traverter
$2.99
Traveling shoppers may want to download this app in addition to the Frommer’s app, even though the latter has a good all-purpose converter in it. What Frommer’s doesn’t have is a clothing size converter – but Traverter does (along with a few other conversions). This app also includes a directory of international area codes.

Skype
FREE
Skype is the international traveler’s best friend, and you can take it with you on your iPhone. Call anyone on Skype via a WiFi connection on your phone without incurring huge roaming fees. You can also call non-Skype numbers (land lines and cell phones) for pennies per minute if you’ve got money in your Skype account.

Kayak
FREE
It’s everything you love about Kayak’s site – in an iPhone app. Search for airfare, hotels, and other travel necessities right from your iPhone. There’s a paid version ($1.99) that includes First Class & Business Class fares in its searches (the free app doesn’t).

TripIt
FREE
Forward all your trip emails to TripIt, and it tracks everything – flights, hotels, car rentals, everything. It’s one way to keep from going insane when your travel plans alone start to take on novel-length proportions.

Weather Channel
FREE
If you’re on a long trip and you only brought what you can carry, you might not care as much what the weather will be like where you’re headed – you packed what you packed, and your clothing has to suffice in whatever weather you encounter. But having this app will at least let you know how many layers you’ll need to pull out of your pack that day, or whether you might be springing for an umbrella in your next destination.

And since the iPhone’s camera isn’t exactly the best in the world, this list of great iPhone apps for travel photography on World Hum is worth perusing before you set off.

photos, top to bottom: CarbonNYC, cloneofsnake

One of the best ways of accomplishing #2, while learning to better appreciate #1, is to volunteer while on your trip. Among the reasons to volunteer abroad, many people say it was to make a deeper connection to the local culture, and to make their own meaningful contribution.

Hanging out in the hostel, drinking beers with fellow travelers in the pubs, browsing the markets for souvenirs for the folks back home – these are all fun activities you may want to do on your trip. Buy why not intersperse those experiences with a few weeks, days, or even hours of volunteering in a new place?

You don’t have to jump right into long-term volunteering, though this is the ideal way to see how your contributions can help the community, and make lasting connections that you’ll remember for life. If you have less time in an area, you can still do some good.

If you’re planning on living abroad for some time though, check out ongoing opportunities. Not only will you be able to learn the ways of the organization and stick around to see how your time is helping out, but sometimes volunteer organizations will offer free accommodations to long-term volunteers, which means you can save money, stay longer, and know that you are making a difference in the world you are exploring.

Photo by Dave Bezaire and Susi Havens-Bezaire

Here are the April RTW ticket deals – these prices are good through April 30, 2010.

• RTW Down Under: Los Angeles – Sydney – Bali (Denpasar) – Singapore – surface – Bangkok – Los Angeles from US$1199 (plus taxes) Code: HAT881267
• SE Asia Explorer: San Francisco – Hong Kong – Bangkok – Bombay / Mumbai – Bangalore – Singapore – San Francisco from US$1549 (plus taxes) Code: HAT671916
• World Cup Grand Tour: New York – Frankfurt – Cape Town – Kuala Lumpur – Bali (Denpasar) – Singapore – Bangkok – Hong Kong – New York from US$1999 (plus taxes) Code: HAT844375

Or create your own adventure with the round the world trip planner. Happy  travels! (photo by: astique)