Whether youre taking a gap year, wanting to enjoy some spare time between jobs, or getting to see some of the sights youve always wondered at in books, a round-the-world trip is usually a journey of a lifetime. It doesnt come around every day. So, a little planning is essential to make sure you get what you want out of your time.

Of course, planning can bring big benefits. You can make sure you get to see what you want to see. It can limit the chance of you getting into problems on strange shores. It can save you cash too.

Here are some of the things you could be thinking about ahead of your trip.

1. Earning the money to travel How much do you need for a round-the-world trip? It really depends on how long youre going for, where youre going, and how lavish you want to be. To give you somewhere to start, tot up some of the fixed costs: flights, visas, immunisations, accommodation (look online for basic figures). Give yourself a daily budget for food, entertainment and attractions. And remember, home life doesnt stop when you travel make sure you include any mortgage, rent or bill payments in your budget.

2. List your top destinations Where do you really want to go? Get your destinations in order of preference, and arrange them roughly in geographic order before you speak to a travel agent. If you need to find out more about whether destinations are safe, check the Foreign Office.

3. Book as early as possible Although, flight prices change on an hour-to-hour basis, being organised and booking your trip early usually gets you a better deal.

4. Working out what you take You wont need the kitchen sink, and you will be able to pick cheap clothing up abroad if you need to. Some useful things that are often forgotten are spare passport photos, an international travel adaptor, condoms, insect repellent, a sun hat and sun cream.

5. Check your passport Make sure its valid for the full duration of your trip, and that it looks in a good enough condition.

6. Shop around for insurance Baggage insurance is important, but medical and legal insurance is vital. Ensure the company youre thinking of signing up with has a 24-hour helpline in case anything goes wrong. Make sure too that your insurance covers the whole time youre travelling.

7. Ordering cash or travellers cheques Although its often worth arriving at a destination with a little bit of local cash (it cuts down on the stress), travellers cheques are still the safest currency. If you lose them, you can get them replaced you will need to confirm every cheque number and its value to get them replaced, so bear this in mind. Another tip is to take a small amount of US dollars for emergencies, as they are accepted almost anywhere.

8. Take emergency numbers Its always worth having these written in a safe place. As well as the details of family or friends (with international dialling codes), take along debit and credit card cancellation numbers, and those of your insurance company helpline. It might also be worth leaving photocopies of your travel tickets and itinerary with someone at home.

Planning some things in advance is certainly worthwhile especially some of the more boring things. But, leaving a bit of flexibility in your itinerary and space to explore is often what round-the-world travel is about. So, dont stress if planning to the nth degree is not your thing.