Well their are many options out there and this is a question that I am asked all the time! So let us provide you with a quick breakdown of the best option that we used (along with the websites to purchase your tickets) to travel and experience the world affordably and with none of the constraints associated with a return ticket:
If you are Canadian this is about the only thing that is unfortunate with our great country - our transportation system is priced extremely high because of the low traffic volume that we have (small population). The best bet is to start your journey from the closest US major city - get there by bus, train, hitchike, friend or discounted flight!
If you are from the United States your lucky... in this regard at least ;)
North America to Asia:
www.farecompare.com - your best source for initial flight price research!( A quick tip: once you find the price, check the airlines website to see if it's cheaper before purchasing from farecompare ;)
The route that we took was Detroit - Phoenix - Hawaii (staying for a week) before going to Sydney
e.g For a close friend looking to fly from Vancouver I found that Seattle to Singapore in October is around $560pp
- The reasoning was to give him and his wife a chance to experience South East Asia for few nights before heading to Australia. Singapore is a great first step into SE Asia and it's flight network coming out of the Country is huge.
Asia to Australia:
www.tigerairways.com and www.airasia.com- great source for discount flights around Asia and into/around Australia ( A quick tip: be aware of additional costs for baggage as they keep costs low by eliminating the fluff ;)
e.g For my friend flying from Singapore to Perth Australia 70SGD + 35SGD baggage = $105SGD or $80CAD
- The reasoning was to allow a few days in Perth which is paradise on earth and an untouched part of Australia that many want to but rarely see, as they probably won't have another chance it's a great option.
Within Australia:
www.jetstar.comand www.tigerairways.com - both are the top sources for inside Australia flights! ( Tip: check their sites often for special deals to lure people in... though they provide sometimes unreal value)
e.g Again for the crazy married couple I found Perth to Melbourne from Tigerairways for around $160AUD = $150CAD including all luggage and taxes.
- Their end destination was Melbourne and especially as most of the popular attractions/population in Australia are on the East Coast, whenever there is a chance to do Perth you must! Australia is a massive country so the West is explored much less.
Australia to UK:
Same deal people - use the above sites to get your butts to Asia from where i'd recommend exploring the island of Bali in Indonesia, then heading through Malaysia to Borneo then up to Thailand - Cambodia - Vietnam - Laos then back into Thailand to fly from Kuala Lumpur to the UK.
www.airasia.com - THIS IS HUGE PEOPLE! Airasia just in early 2009 opened flight to London England! For CHEAP!
e.g With a quick search you can fly from Kuala Lumpur to London UK for under $280! (A big tip is make sure to check/book in advance as these fill up rather quickly)
- This is a great new option for those that need to head over the pond in a quick/cheap and effective manner... though my approach was to jump into India and head up through Turkey into Eastern Europe - Which I highly recommend ;)
UK to North America:
www.canadianaffair.com - Best option to fly into North America! Fly into Toronto and take it from there :)
e.g Will give you flights from the UK from Gatwick to Toronto for under $350 taxes in if you watch their web deals then for even under $300
- UK is an awesome hub to explore Europe so it's a great place to fly into - though extremely expensive to be aware of the added travel costs in and around the many airports surrounding London.
So Voila - there you have it a quick guide to help out the trekking path. I recommend that as much as you think it's bullshit make sure to offset your carbon footprint as it is regulated by a few bureau's and highly illegal for the company's to embezzle the money - so do it. Also open many windows while searching to compare all your prices, searches and to exchange currency to know current values.
Good Luck!
Important Note: The best Currency Exchange website is www.xe.comso use it whenever you are converting your prices on the web. Also these are prices searched for 1.5-2 months in advance (the best time to search/buy) and as of September 2009 - they are approximations so just check out the sites and grab the bull by the horns!
