I have just seriously started to look into a RTW and am a little over-whelmed with all the details... I understand the basics, but could use help in a couple of areas. I have about a month and a half starting in the middle of Ocotber, and am not sure how many stops to try and fit it - worried about trying too much. The accumulation of miles - do you pick one airline, or are they accumulated for use on any of the members of the alliance? Cities to purchase the ticket - I have noticed that there is a pretty big difference in price between a couple of cities. I am currently in Spain, and am curious what some of the cheaper cities to purchase and then begin my trip from might be. Im looking at a four continent ticket, and any advice anybody could give would be much appreciated - cities, tips etc. Thanks

you must supply more information - you can get an itinery but why would you want mine- or someone elses..
plan where you want to go first then search is forum - then come back with your basic itin for help

Regarding which carriers to use: in general, they'll all credit whichever FF program you want to use to accumulate your miles, so you can mix and match. But there are enough nuisance differences that you should suggest here which FF programs you're considering, and the real experts will pontificate. I use AA and have to remember that BA flights to the United States don't generate AA miles (I could put them into a BA account) and that some coach-class fares also yield little or no credit to my AA account.

Regarding which city to start from, read the messages in this group back a week or two and you'll find a comprehensive list. Near you, Cairo is pretty cheap. Actually, you probably should do a lot of reading of messages here, going back as far as you can muster without getting too bored, to get a grasp on what the rules are, and what they mean. You can ask about anything, and the wise and patient ones will respond, but there's a lot to know and you might forget to ask some important questions.

Regarding trip duration - that's up to you and your style and interests. If you want to hit 20 cities for a few days each, or laze on the beach for three weeks, it's your personal decision. If it's your first rtw, and your resources will allow you to do it again, be advised that they're habit-forming, and you probably will, as soon as practical.

Also note that you don't have to do the whole rtw in one swell foop. For example, if you start in a cheap city (e.g. Colombo) you can do a tour of Asia, fly back to Europe, hang around home for a while, fly around Europe when you have time, and eventually head west, ending up in Colombo. You just have to be done in a year.