Deciding to take some time off to travel the world is the first step towards the adventure of a lifetime. Now comes the tricky part: with the whole world to choose from, the question is where to go? Not to mention when to go, how long to go for, how much to budget for, what to pack, which songs to download onto your iPod... the list goes on and on, until the whole thing can start to feel a bit overwhelming. However, planning your round the world trip of a lifetime should all be part of the fun, so here are a few tips to help you to plan effectively and get the very most out of your trip:

1) Research
Take the time to do some research. There's no shortage of information out there on round the world trips: travel magazines, specialist websites, books, blogs and travel forums are all great sources of information. Also, don't forget to talk to fellow travellers - speaking to friends and family who have been there and done it is a great way to pick up tips and get recommendations on places to visit, where to stay, which restaurant not to eat in because your uncle Bernard got food poisoning there just after the Korean War, and so on.

2) Destinations
It's always best to start with your ideal wish list of places to visit. Write down all the places you'd like to visit and prioritise them into 'must see' places and those that 'would be nice'. You may well find that to get a round the world ticket within your budget you'll need to compromise on certain places, but always start with your ideal trip. Next, with the aid of a world atlas, arrange the destinations in a logical geographical order. As a general rule, the more off the beaten track places are, the more expensive your ticket will be. So, if you've always had a hankering to visit Equatorial Guinea, just bear in mind that your budget will need to stretch accordingly.

3) On the ground
Once you've decided on where to go, have a think about what you want to do when you get there. Round the world tickets are very flexible and will generally allow you to incorporate 'surface' sectors, in other words fly into one place and out of another. This is a great benefit as it saves you backtracking to the place you flew into. There are lots of great travel passes and group tours that you can book to help you get the most out of your overland travel.

4) When to go
Decide on when you would ideally like to depart and how long you'd like to be away for (round the world tickets are valid for up to a year). The cheapest time of year to depart is mid-April to mid-June and the most expensive is mid-December to mid-January and July to mid-August. Work out what the weather is going to be like in each place but accept that it's impossible to guarantee sunshine everywhere you go! However, you'll want to make sure you avoid trekking in monsoon season, or swimming during jellyfish season....

5) How much
Prices for round the world tickets can vary dramatically depending on your route and when you depart. The most basic round the world fares start from around 1000GBP but can cost anything upwards of 5000GBP.

6) Enlist expert help
Round the world tickets are complex and can be a mind boggling minefield for the uninitiated. Enlisting some expert help will be invaluable to help you find your dream trip. Bon voyage!