RTW for Students
Planning a gap year or a round-the-world trip, but not sure how far your budget will stretch? This page used to promise student fares on round-the-world tickets. Here is what's true in 2026.
Student fares, then and now
In 2010, student travel agencies such as STA Travel sold round-the-world tickets at student rates. STA Travel went into administration in 2020.
Today most of the saving comes from the route and the timing. The AirTreks planning guide advises routing through hub cities such as London, Los Angeles, Hong Kong and Singapore, because direct flights between smaller cities are often not bookable on round-the-world fares. Book 6 to 11 months ahead if you can: the AirTreks guide on when to buy puts 3 months as about the latest that still works.
For a sample student route with a current estimate, see Students RTW Ticket.
Work on the way
Students have one big advantage: age. Working holiday visas let you travel and take jobs for up to a year, and most have an upper age limit.
-
Australia gives working holiday visas to 18 to 30 year olds, or up to 35 for British, Canadian, Danish, French, Irish and Italian passport holders (subclass 417). US citizens apply for the subclass 462 visa, from 18 to 30. Three months of specified work in regional Australia earns a second year, and six more months in the second year can earn a third.
-
New Zealand runs its own working holiday schemes, with age limits and conditions that depend on your passport. Check yours on Immigration New Zealand.
More in Gap year: work and travel around the world.
What students actually spend
BootsnAll has interviewed round-the-world travellers since 1999, and its RTW Traveler Profiles show how many are students or just out of school: 81 of the 293 who gave their age were under 25. Of the 161 who said what they saved, 32 set off with less than US$5,000, and the median was US$10,000. One of them, Marquita, was a 22-year-old student who planned one to six months away on $1,500.
Two things stretch the money furthest: sleeping in hostels and spending most of your time where daily costs are low. The cost page has the numbers.
Planning a round-the-world trip? AirTreks has built multi-stop itineraries since 1987. See sample routes or ask a specialist.