...yes, I got to agree. Japan is one of the most expensive countries in the world - but it is definitely worth to visit and experience. So, once again, if you (or anyone else) plans to come to the "land-of-the-not-always-rising-sun" get with me. There are lots of foreigners ("gaijins") over here who would gladly help you (out!!)

Klaus
http://virtulanguage.com

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Hmmm, I guess easy is a bit hard to define. The route martheijnens took sounds interesting, but I want to go through South east asia, I've been there twice as a SLBP (stupid lousy back packer). It was in south sulawesi I first got interested in motorcycle traveling after meeting stefan from germany who was traveling aroun the world on a BMW (his bike broke down in malaysia and he was in indonesia while he was wating for the new spare parts). Anyway the criteria for my trip would be (I'll probably change my mind several times):

- Doable on a small bike, I guess my suzuki 350 two-stroke twin isn't up to the task, so I'll try to get a cheap 250 offroader. I'm a mechanic so maintenance and repair shouldn't be a poblem.

- Doable in a reansonably short time so I don't forget everything i learnt in university before I get back.

- Reasonabley cheap. So no shiping of the bike by air, and I want the option of cheap acomodation, so time in europe and USA would be minimum.

There is probably a whole lot of other thing as well, but I need a starting point for my planing.

I don't have an Israeli stamp in my pasport, but if I go trough north africa I thought of going from egypt to turkey trough israel.

Thanks for all the help so far, I love this board...

If you want to goto isreal, you can always ask for the stamp on a seperate paper in which they staple it to the passport. Then once you leave you only then need to rip out the paper!

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“Not all those who wander are lost.” - J. R. R. Tolkien

Hi,

I guess if you want cheap and not to much hassle with visa's you should avoid africa and the middle east.
From europe you can ride all the way to bangladesh without shipping. Visa's are easy to get in advance and the political situation is pretty sollid.

But... if you want real cheap you could opt for america (south, middle and north) because you don't need a carnet (and that is a expensive piece of paper). Also there are no visa hussles (even less then in asia).

Australia is expensive. You need a carnet and pay hundreds of dollars to get your bike in (aquis, registration, insurance: all obligated).

Africa: need a carnet and lots of expensive visa's and a truckload of bribe's

But maybe you should decide what you absolutely want to see and do and then figure out a route that fits in that.
Who care's if you went "round the world" as long as you had a good time. What is "round the world" anyway. There are so many definitions (try a search in the hubb).

Instead of traveling "around the world" try traveling "in the world" and make it fit your needs and funds.

Hope this helps,
Enjoy it!!!!

Maarten

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maartensworld.com
beyond-anywhere.com

Our route is down through Mexico, C.A. ferry to Columbia, ride around S.A., shipping from either Georgetown or Caraccas to the cheapest place in Europe, zagging all over Europe until it gets cold then head for somewhere warm like the Canaries. (seeing Egypt and the middle east along the way) 18-20 months. In spite of the bribes and visas, we want to ride down the west coast of Africa, stopping to teach at orphanages along the way. Back up the East coast to Kenya, shipping out of Mombasa. Haven't yet decided to do India yet, depends on politics. If India, then into Mumbai. If not, then to Kuala Lumpur. Down through Salawesi--blah blah to East Timor to Australia, Papau N.G. back to Korea. visit the family for a few months and pick up enough change to ship back to Oregon. somewhere around 3 years, maybe 4. Retired soon, so no hurry. If we get too worn out. Well wherever we have been, whatever we have seen, it will be one heck of a trip.

But... if you want real cheap you could opt for america (south, middle and north)

Hi, I'm planning an AWT starting this summer, I figure to keep the costs down in N.America by camping as much as possible. Costs in Latin America seem to make camping unnecessary. I figure that by the time I get to Argentina I will have enough experience to get by anywhere. Time at the end of that first stint to relax a bit while getting visas for the rest of the journey maybe.
There is a RoRo ferry to Halifax in Canada for about £400 but they only take the bike -not the rider. The airfare from UK is under £300 last time I looked. So 40,000 klm later I will have to decide how to get to New Zealand, but hey, that could be in a year or two, and things change so damn quick nowadays.
Then up through Oz then Japan and across Russia, but you're also close to Alaska, so could drive back to Halifax again.
My augument when looking at gear to take is 'what would the equivalent cost if I stayed at home?' take a tent for instance, I pay £300+ a month mortgage, so one months mortgage will buy me 3 decent tents!!! Getting to work costs me £100 a month + £150 repayments on the car, so £2000 on a used BMW f650 don't seem so bad. Also remember that Scandanavia is one of the most expensive places on earth to live, so everywhere else is cheaper.

After you get back from your trip I'm sure some of 'the important things' won't seem so important, so follow your dreams because as I'm sure you already realise, the little man in your head is the real you and the task ahead is to find out what life really is for yourself and not to rely on other people telling you what it is.

Anyway, who can resist a man with a good story to tell?

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Happy Trails

Stagbeetle

It is not the Journey nor yet the Destination, that is the Prize; it is the people you meet on the way.

Blog on http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/tstories/fairless/

To the original poster -- do you really want to do RTW quick and cheap? I know many people do it like that but there is not much to see on highways. Take your time and go small roads, your experience will be completely different. If you have little time and resources, consider one continent, not RTW.

About difficulties with bribes in Africa -- I did western route lately, alone in a car, and hardly had to pay any bribes. Yes, people ask for money everywhere, but that does not mean you need to pay immediately. Take you act together, play with them a bit -- they like it and later you are "friends". Going via small, less visited border posts also helps.