I'am planning a RTW april 2011-russia/mongolia/china/vladivostoc/alaska/usa and back home to wales- bike-gs1150- can anyone help me get started on my planning arrangements. regards richie

Oh boy what a trip! Well no better place to start China loads of paper work there are a few post a bout it use the search in the upper right of the screen for them was told $10,000 usd a few years back.

Russia you will want a good long visa with a option to get in and out as you see fit most are just one in one out and that will not do for you.

Vladivostoc to Alaska think you will need to go to Japan or South Korea first. May as well rid around when you are there. Then you will need to ride threw Canada to get lower 48.

I have said it before unless you NEED to get in to overland in to China and it may be easer to gust fly in and rent or buy a bike there then ride it about sell it and fly out as with much of South East Asia. the money you save can be better spent in SE Asia or South America $10,000 will get a lot of riding that a guided trip in China gust will not. I do not like the Idea of a guide telling me where to go and what to see But I still want to go to China and ride some day they will open it up and I can go but $10k to look at the back of some one just dose not feel right to me.

Now the bike you will need good going threw like strip it down and rebuild it may as well paint it when you have a bits off it. You do not need to but will get to know the bike a bit. anything that can go wrong will so new brakes and lines and stuff like that. Get all the numbers you can and see they mach up and know where they are.

you will need to get in touch with the consulate of each country you are going to ride in and start there paper work get a new passport and then get the visas.

remember half the junk 2x the money and time of what you think.

And go to HU meeting http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/meetings/

You are in deep so this is the one you need to get to so register and pay now as in today this is the mother off all meeting you will have any and all of your questions answered by the people that have done what you are looking to do. AND tell you things that you have not even thought of. It is not far and will more than pay for it self on the trip.

UK Spring, 24-27 June. Ripley, Derbyshire. Numbers limited. As usual, early birds are encouraged by a price break until end-December, so register here now! This is the Tenth Anniversary Event of HU Meetings, so be sure to be there, it's going to be amazing!

thanks for the info i will certainly go to the meet in ripley and hopefully decide on my route.

doing same as you, but on a goldwing and around the same time. forget china as just had a quote for 20 days for trip from mongolia to laos of $20,000 plus guides expences and fuel. but now looking to do Afganistan and all the stans b4 doing russia-Japan then AMERICA, north,central,south then To the australia/newzeland-laos,cambodia-India then south africaback up to scotland.. so the $20,000+ for china will complete the return from south africa back home... how does 4 years sound.

Oneworldbiker
spend it ass you can't take it with you.

P.s China will be done but only when I can go where I want and no guide

can help you in vladivostok.

Hi Mammut is it possible to fly the bike to Alaska, also do you think i could venture up to the "road of bones" envisage getting to Vlad approx june 2011

Me and my pal Mark are leaving UK on 2nd April 2011 but we are going West to States and then up through Canada/Alaska - onward to Japan and then ferry to Vladivostock. Mark wants to do it this way to avoid the anticlimax of finishing the trip in the States and shipping home from there - he wants to ride back into europe and then home all the way on his bike instead of picking it up from a shipping agent.

Anyone that wants to ride with us is welcome.

Fly the bike to Alaska.... i don't think so. The best way is going from vladivostok to south korea or japan by ferry and then try to find any possibilityes to reach Alaska by plane or ship.

Now about "road of bones' (funny name ) . every year it has a big changes. my be after this winter it will be almost ok. i don't know. but don't belive about fears on this road. it's very interesting and you will have a big "bird"

June is not good season here. rains are often. august is more better!

Hi,

Did similar last year. See my blog and look at my other posts. Detailed info in one post about shipping out of Vlad, and loads of info about visas.

Any specific questions feel free to PM me. I have detailed route plans, visa schedules, GPS mapping, etc etc.

You have plenty of time, which is good. You'll need plenty of it to understand and sort out visa arrangements. Check out my previous posts cos I went through it all last year.

You're going to have the best time of your life!

The Road of Bones (the English like this name, it's known as the Kolyma Highway in Russia) leads to/from Magadan which is far, far from Vladivostock.
Magadan is effectively at the end of a very long 'no through road'.
Our bikes were on a cargo ship for a week, while I took the 4 hour direct flight, between them.
If coming from the west, the final decision/split point is about 1,500 miles before Vlad or 2,500 miles from Magadan. There is no nearer road or track linking them, but there are some interesting alternatives from further west.

The main federal maintained Kolyma Highway is now perfectly good for any bike, even Gold Wings (enjoy, you will). A friend out there is organising it for a 1950s Cadillac Eldorado!
Much though depends on the weather.
Surfaces are fast and smooth gravel with a few stretches of pebbles and possibly mud. Many new concrete bridges. It can be done without any significant river or water crossings if using the more northern route via Ust-Nera and Artik and not taking the old direct road between Kubeme and Susuman.

But Magadan is a complete dead end with an airport that handles no international flights. The sea port has international cargo shipping but nothing as regular as a ferry.

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