Funk,
Well put. I spent 5 months in Mexico and stayed every night in a hotel, drinking and eating with no concern about the cost.
I spent a little over $10k.
You will do fine. Check out the "tent space" on ADVrider.com.

Most people will be happy to have you stay and live vicariously through you.

Travel well….


Peace, Love and Open Trails
K.



[QUOTE=funklab;

**an aside to the guy who was talking about spoilt brats**
I am one of those spoilt brats I guess. When I was born, my father had a great job selling shoes at a local department store, and my mother stayed home to raise me. I attended fancy public schools and even managed to get a job when I was 14. I have rarely if ever been hungry with no idea where my next meal is coming from. I have been lucky enough to start a business which has allowed me to save up money for this trip while limiting my monthly expenses to around $1100 US. I have been very spoilt as you might say.

But then again I imagine you have also. You were probably born in a 1st world country with access to an economy that can support you and your dreams. We are all spoilt brats, so deal with it** (rant off)

Hope to see many of you on the road.

Thanks,

Funk[/QUOTE]

__________________
If you’ve never stared off into the distance, then your life is a shame.
www.NationalCPRCertification.com

Sorry to argue with you Grant but you do NEED a carnet (or cash bond at customs) to bring a bike in to Australia

From the Aus Customs website (importing a motor vehicle)

Concessions for tourists and temporary residents

As a tourist or temporary resident, you may bring a motor vehicle or a motorcycle and attached trailer or a caravan to Australia for a period of up to 12 months (or longer under certain circumstances) without paying duty on them, provided they are subsequently exported from Australia.
For this concession to apply, you will need one of the following:

• a Carnet De Passages en Douanes issued by an overseas organisation which has a reciprocal arrangement with the Australian Automobile Association, or
• a cash or bank security, equal to the amount of duty and GST and, where applicable, LCT otherwise payable.

If your vehicle is stolen, damaged or destroyed whilst you are in Australia you should notify Customs as soon as possible at your original port of arrival.
All fittings and accessories imported with your motor vehicle, motorcycle, trailer or caravan must also be exported with that same vehicle.

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2000 Africa Twin
http://two-up-ona-twin.blogspot.com

last year I managed to spend 7 months riding trough Brazil, Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia and back to my hometown in Argentina with a budget of U$s3000. Mostly camping, but not much cooking, not a single dollar spent in spare parts. The bike (jawa 350) had no issues al all.
So with $30.000 you should be able to spend a really long time in the road.
Good luck and just choose a simple and reliable bike.

america en jawa 350

My wife and I on our 1150GS traveled from South Africa (Cape Town) to United Arab Emirates (Dubai) in nine months, 28,000km. It cost us ZAR40,000 ($5500) 2 years ago. Camping and cheap hotels all the way. We funded this trip by selling all our posesions, except the bike, and decided to go and explore the world by traveling and finding jobs on the way. My first job was a 3 month contract in Malawi, wife did some volentry (free) work at a local church in Blantyre.
We are planning and saving up for our second leg of our RTW any time from next year shipping our GS to USA or Canada, drive to Alaska and down to Argentina (10 - 12 months), from where we will ship and fly to Oz, and tour NZ and Oz for 4-6 months.Our budget is similar to yours, $35,000.
When we run low on money, or out of money it is time to find a job (like we've done in Dubai) or go back home (South Africa for us).

Maurizio is right, it's all to do with your attitude, rather than your budget. The lower the budget, the more interesting the adventure!

Happy travels.

Johan & Charmaine

Funklab, it looks like you're about a week away from heading off!! Excellent move to head out sooner rather than later. You probably won't regret it. Good luck, you'll probably pass me going through S. America. I go slow. $30,000 could probably last me almost three years and I'm in an old Chevy van, and you know how much petrol they consume! The trick in my case is to hang out longer in places so as to not use so much gas. I'll probably be in Equador a while if I can find great camping because gas is only $1.48 a gallon and food is cheap. We'll see. Don't like planning too far ahead, who knows what life will toss in front of me. ;-)
Lorraine

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I've got the same problem.
We're planning a 2 person trip with 2 bikes to fly from Aussie to Chilli and drive around SA to NA and hopefully fly the whole lot back to Oz from San Fran.

I've come up with this budget and would love to get some feedback:

[all prices are Aussie dollars which currently trades at 1 US$ - 1.21 AU$]

flying bikes there and back: 10000
flights ourselves there and back: 5800
crossing Darien: 3000
ferry to Baja: 600
nice hotel and a good night out (or 2) in Vegas [gotta do it]: 750
general personal items: 500 [one of us is female]
Spanish course in the UK: 900
sleeping: (4 night/ week average at 40/night): 4200
eating: 5500
oil changes: 200
international driving permit: 60
travel insurance: 1600
petrol: 3000 (21km/litre for 2 x 23000 km)

Totals nearly : 40000 aussie which is nearly US$ 36000 or US$15k each.

Am I losing it?

We've done a trip from Dublin to Vladivostok before and suffered the soviet overpriced accomodation more than we wanted. We camped more that 3 nights a week, but I like to have a margin. Just in case shipping out of San Fran will drag out and we end up staying in an expensive city longer than we thought.
It's our experience that hanging out in a place (depending on the place) cost more than riding a distance you would have riden anyway. We're not very good at chilling anyway. That's probably why.

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Tacos Tyring Travels.com

All this talk of budgets and planning is scaring the out of me. I am in Buenos Aires at the mo and i am trying to buy a bike for under 1000 USD.
I have no plan and no budget.!! I have until next October to get me and my intended bike to Mexico. Am i insane and crazy to be even attempting this. After i buy myself a bike and some gear i'll have about 5500 euros left in the pot!!
Is this even enough for fuel for me and my machine? Or should i just forget the whole spontaneous nonesense!!!
Gingergringo

Gingergringo,

Sounds like enough to get there and back.

No worries...

PLEASE tell me where it is.... I wanna dig it out and ride it home!

Hes right though, its more about attitude and the way you are as a traveller than what you ride and how fat your wallet is.....although sayin that I wouldn't mind havin 30,000 Dollaz in the bank....... I would be out kitting my 18 yr old XT600 out with new spokes n rims and some panniers and Vrrrooooomm!! Dakar here we come! ( for starters)

Martyn

Mate,
I just got back form Mexico to Chile... 15 montyhs, ziz-zagged the whole way down. Had one big stop (4 months) in Colombia, and a 6 week detour via Medevac to Florida. I spent $13,000 USD to do that part.

Basically, if you just want the stickers... ride all the countries via the main drag and thyen move on you can do that leg in about 3 months, for about $3,000. If you wanna live it I did it bloody hard (max budget $7 accomodation) eat the local tucker, seldom buy a tourist etc..., but saw everything, and to be honest never went without. I was drunk constantly, high mostly and ate maginficent foods by following some basic principles:
1) Walk 2 block past the touro prcinct and the food/booze/craic is 4 times cheaper and twice as good...
2) Y buy a $30 guide book when a $3 copy can be done one block away...
3) Buy a Jap bike that is common (Honda is almost a rule in Sth America), I had a DR200 (way too small) and spent $5USD for clutch plate and $100 for a cam shaft (fitted)
4) Sell the bike and rebuy when you move continents (Research bets countires for buying/selling. I suggest Leave US with a bike and sell Peru or Chile with a lawyers assistance so you are in te clear if the "import" shiite gets hairy). Brazil is muy difficulte!
5) Panama to Colombia by boat via Colone... but be bloody careful, Colone is a shithole you will wanna escape very quickly. Wanting to get out too quickly cost me four days being held for ransom and a "Welcome Bcak To The World" letter from my consulate. There are simple ways to avoid this, I can let you know.

If RTW means Western Europe... you have no chance whatsoever! UR gonna have to work or do it how I do it... spend all ur money, go home and work, go away again...spend all ur money...etc....lol

I suggest if you really wanna have agreat trip plan a time not a detsination and see how far u get

Goodluck,
I am happy to send you heaps of (quetsionable) advice on the run if you like, feel free to email me.

Chris

"Of course I'm lost... how else could I find somewhere no-one has ever been!" Cpt Barbossa, Pirates3

Ginger... You'll romp it in mate, that's heaps of money.... Piece of piss. The main thread was talking about Round The World.

Mate: allow for a lot of time in Colombia on the way back. It is a mad party and a phenominally beautiful place, I was atounded by the range of landscapes so close to each other: bit friendlier than most of the other Latino cultures... I believe. (compliment to the Colombianos rather than ragging the others)

Oh, and Cusco, Peru DO NOT MISS Hostel Loki. $2 dearer for constant good time in a 600 year old ex-monastery and the best hot showers you'll see till you get back home.
Enjoy dude.

Dude,
I'm an Aussie just got bcak from that trip:
Two big adjustments for your budget if you wanna save.
a) Bikes: Buy there and sell in Chile/Peru (there are ways to do this, I did it last year)(US or colombia best) or; boat them ahead of you ( about $500 each ex: Europe, reckon equivalent Aus) ; book them as excess baggage at about $2.50 kg plus 70kg crate is a lot less than $10,000.

b) boat 2 x bikes/people from Colone in Panama to Colombia $400USD. You also get the advantage of sailing purple waters, stopping amongst the Kuna people, Flying fish, giant turtles, dolpihins, sharks. I just walked into shipping admin and asked about a boat. You may have to wait up to a week and Colone is a shithole, but it has the biggest Duty Free shopping in the world outside HongKong so there's a week for the missus lol... Panama city is only 3 hours from Colone so you could just book the boat and head back there while waiting.

There y'are mate. Now you owe me about 3,000 s when ya get back home to Aus.

just an update on our spendings so far.
Europe (Including Turkey) cost us about $110/day, due to the high cost of petrol and camping. I cannot see how you would be able to do this part cheaper, we slept many nights next to the road to save on camping fees. ($30 and up)
USA and Canada cost us about $80/day. This can be done in less, if you drive less distance in a day than we did (500km a day).
This includes all costs for two people including a lot of replacement parts on the bike(BMW1150GS)
Now we heading into Central and South America, where our cost should be half than that of USA ($40/day), or else we might run out of money before we reach Argentina.

Johan

Hi,

yes, 30000 USD is enough for the trip You plan. I just doing a world tour. You should calculate between 50-70 USD including all costs!

If You have more questions contact me directly

joachimvonloeben@web.de

maybe check out

Motorrad Weltreise - Joachim von Loeben - www.triparoundtheworld.de

cheers
joe