I bought a map

[Nick]

I'm planning on a lot of travelling in the next few years, cross continent sort of things and thought it would be really cool to have a World map to stare at.

I went a little crazy but I thought it was funny to buy it anyway, well, I purchased a big map... it's 1950mm (w) x 1200mm (h). rofl Which is about the size of a Smart Car, I have a large space for it to go, thankfully.

I thought it was a bargain, £29 posted and laminated too or maybe I really am crazy?

[J C]

How come you didnt get a portable satnav?

[allan1010]

Probably because it's cool to pin out where you're going and where you've been both as a planning aid and as a reminder of happy times and big adventures once you're home.

I used to drive as far afield as North Africa and I've been into Asia several times (including before the first gulf War into Iraq when we were friends witn Saddam!!) and I had a "Sunday Times" world map, about A1 size, on my office wall doitted with loads of coloured pins. each pin was an amazing story in itself.

[X13SMD]

I'm planning on a lot of travelling in the next few years, cross continent sort of things and thought it would be really cool to have a World map to stare at.

I went a little crazy but I thought it was funny to buy it anyway, well, I purchased a big map... it's 1950mm (w) x 1200mm (h). rofl Which is about the size of a Smart Car, I have a large space for it to go, thankfully.

I thought it was a bargain, £29 posted and laminated too or maybe I really am crazy?

Where did you buy it from Nick?

[Samari]

I want to get the same kind of thing, although maybe not quite so big.

I've been travelling for 8 months now and when I get back I want a map to draw my route on and stick pictures onto different places I've been. Where did you get yours Nick?

[Nick]

I got mine here:

http://www.mapsinternational.co.uk/product...p;viewsubcat=16

I have the same idea as you Samari, the laminated one allows you to draw on it with board markers. It says £33 but for some reason I got a £4 discount and free postage as well, maybe because it is so big. I wanted the physical (£50... ) one but I guess the Political one is more useful.

I'll take some pictures of the beast when it arrives. Where have you visited Samari? I was thinking of doing around the world as much as possible, the only thing stopping me is the flight costs (I'm guessing it adds up) but a lot of the countries are cheaper than living in the UK, so that's cool (South America, Eastern Asia, Australasia).

[Ziggy122]

Do what some people i saw on tv do

Just get a cheap 1.99 world map

a dart set

Throw the dart randomly at it - and see where it lands

Just be greatful u dont land in the middle of the sea

Ziggy

[Samari]

You can get a "Round the World" ticket for around $2000 but they don't offer much flexability. A better option is to get single tickets to key hubs, e.g. Munich, Bangkok, Buenos Aires and travel overland from there. Even better you can do the big trips by sea, either working as a yacht hand or getting a lift on a container vessel - (which is what I did.)

How long are you thinking of travelling for? 6 months is a fairly typical period and in that sort of time you're better off concentrating on a few areas (for example Eastern Europe and S.E Asia) than trying to speed around as many places as possible.

On this trip I went to the U.S East coast to West coast from there to China. From China to Thailand then Laos and Vietnam. From those places I crossed the borders to Canada, Mexico, Japan, Malaysia and Burma for short trips. Then from Vietnam to Singapore to work for a few weeks. From Singapore I went to India where I am posting this from.

[Thunderwolf]

and heres me thinking you where in the UK

[Nick]

You can get a "Round the World" ticket for around $2000 but they don't offer much flexability. A better option is to get single tickets to key hubs, e.g. Munich, Bangkok, Buenos Aires and travel overland from there. Even better you can do the big trips by sea, either working as a yacht hand or getting a lift on a container vessel - (which is what I did.)

How long are you thinking of travelling for? 6 months is a fairly typical period and in that sort of time you're better off concentrating on a few areas (for example Eastern Europe and S.E Asia) than trying to speed around as many places as possible.

On this trip I went to the U.S East coast to West coast from there to China. From China to Thailand then Laos and Vietnam. From those places I crossed the borders to Canada, Mexico, Japan, Malaysia and Burma for short trips. Then from Vietnam to Singapore to work for a few weeks. From Singapore I went to India where I am posting this from.

Laos looks amazing. Thinking of 6 months, maybe 8. Doing exactly what you are. I want a lot more flexibility than a "World Ticket", I like the idea of Antarctica too, as it's becoming available to tourists now, theres a Norweigen Ice Breaker that goes there from Peru. Bolivia salt lakes look brilliant as well.

Did you plan much, how are you able to afford it (if you don't mind me asking)?

[Ziggy122]

its a LONG LONG time....

PARTY!!!! NO ADMINS!!

Untill Doom gets on Since tony not seen that often

How can u prepare for like 6 weeks of yah life? Wonder how yah get the washing done

Ziggy

[TAMIYAMANUK]

good idea mate go for it while you can was looking to do the same thing but as am very very very low on money i can only make it Manchester if that lol

i will take first Dibs on prezzies could do with a new monitor and a new Graphics card

[arris]

sounds good, where ya putting it on a wall nick?

i want to travel but got a job, an i really like an enjoy it so gonna stay an jus go holiday to places,

fav place i been so far is china, hopefully going again this year,for the third time

[Nick]

It might come tomorrow so I'll get pictures.

[Tony]

That's massssive.

[Samari]

Did you plan much, how are you able to afford it (if you don't mind me asking)?

I had a very rough plan, basically that I was arriving in NYC and had to leave from L.A to go to Shanghai and that I had to end up in Singapore. I decided to come to India at the last moment, I'd originally planned to go to Oz.

If you go to big backpacker destinations like South America or South S.E. Asia you'll see that there's a gringo trail and people tend to go to the same countries.

Look at $6000 for a starting point of how much you'll need, you could easily go up to $8000-$10,000 though depending on how you travel and where you go. I worked for 2 years to save up and got some money from my grandparents on my 18th. Like I said before the biggest cost is air travel which I've mostly avoided by doing the two big journeys by container vessel.

These websites are good for ideas and information:

http://travelindependent.info/

http://thorntree.lonelyplanet.com/

[Nick]

Thanks for those,

I got my Map today, I need another person to help me put it up though. It's very big!