I know it's possible to ship a bike from Shimonoseki (Japan) to Shanghai, but is it possible to ride from there to Kunming and then on to Laos and Thailand via the 4th Friendship Bridge? I would imagine you'd need a carnet for China or is there some temporary import scheme like there is in Japan? How does the visa work for China, please?

The journey would start in Portugal, and Japan would be entered by ferry from eastern Russia and Sakhalin island.

Mate - if you ever make it to Shanghai get in touch, might be around and myself staying away from the China discussions on forums as the "experts" will chime in I am sure. Safe travels and hope your China red tape is a very short one!

My personal China business rules below, came up with them decades ago - they real do apply more nowadays....

TIC = This is China!
1. Everything is possible in China.
2. Nothing is easy.
3. Patience is the essence of success.
4. The answer "yes" is not necessarily an indication of agreement or confirmation.
5. "You don't understand our country" means they disagree.
6. "Provisional regulations" mean they can change the rules any time they want, even retroactively.
7. "Basically, no problem" means a BIG problem.
8. "Signing a contract" means the beginning of the real negotiation.
9. When you are feeling optimistic, think about rule number two.
10. When you are feeling discouraged, think about rule number one.
11. It’s easier to ask for forgiveness than it is to get permission.
12. If they tell you, that you know China very well, say NO - otherwise they'll show you, that you don't!

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Somewhere down the road in China since '89 ~ along the route I've learned the hard way that pleasing everyone is impossible, but pissing everybody off is a piece of cake....TBR

Looks like it's just me and you on this thread, TBR-China. You could answer one question. Would I need a carnet for China? The route I have in mind means that I'd enter Japan by sea and thus wouldn't need one for there. I also wouldn't need one for Laos or Thailand. The idea would be months later to ride through Malaysia (again, entering overland, so no carnet) to Singapore to ship the bike back home.

Mate, if you could enter the lovely motherland called China with just a carnet ~ we had thousands of international ADVbikers / 4x4's / Overlanders in the country every year... You got more to worry about but what do I know after just 27 years biking around all over Mainland China. As mention above in my earlier post, the true "China travel experts" will come sooner or later ~ give it some time....

Spent your hard earned $$$$'s wisely and do your research in details... 'nuff said on the subject from my side as many threads and "expert" post about China on the HUBB and the rest of the interwebs....

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Somewhere down the road in China since '89 ~ along the route I've learned the hard way that pleasing everyone is impossible, but pissing everybody off is a piece of cake....TBR

Hey, sorry ~ shameless plug here, no need for any sort of special China documents or any additional bond / import tax but motorbike license + registration needs to be sorted out from buyers side. Well ~ besides a legal China visitors visa, you would need a Chinese Driving License as overseas IDP and international driving license still not accepted in the motherland called China....

BMW F8GS 2015 based in Shanghai / China....
http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/hub...ai-china-88897

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Somewhere down the road in China since '89 ~ along the route I've learned the hard way that pleasing everyone is impossible, but pissing everybody off is a piece of cake....TBR

How the hell do you go about getting a Chinese drivers' licence from outside the country?

Slightly confused by this message. Should it say: 'if you could enter the ... we WOULD HAVE thousands of international adv bikes' etc?

And if you've been there 27 years, you must know something. No one else is going to join in this thread.

Sorry - typing on my iPad while sitting in heavy traffic jam on a China expressway doesn't help as sometimes autocorrect twists the words and grammar.

Look up the HUBB "traveller seeking traveller" section [China] and you will get a basic understanding why entering / crossing China is complicated and costly as approved guides are still needed during the entire journey. Travellers (motor vehicles) crossing China trying to form legal travel groups to bring the overall costs down and to make it more interesting and challenging, detailed routes need to be preapproved well in advance through PRC government licensed travel agents.

The rules and regulations change all the time and during recent years some travel agents got shut down by the PRC government due to illegal activities, not getting into full on details on a public forum for obvious reasons.

Myself, not involved in the tourism / travel business but get the reliable info from travel industry contacts and be warned, quite a few shady China tour and travel agents out there...Get in touch with some of the well known and reliable tour operators (foreigners) based aound Northern Thailand and sure they are able to assist or give you straight forward info, arrange a legal enjoyable ride through the country for a fee including the temporary China driving license.

Safe travels....

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Somewhere down the road in China since '89 ~ along the route I've learned the hard way that pleasing everyone is impossible, but pissing everybody off is a piece of cake....TBR

Thanks. It sounds a hassle.

Be careful. You may not get into Japan without a carnet.
http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/hub...hokkaido-81084
(This is about the discontinued Wakkanai ferry, but others have been known to reject you if you don't have a carnet.)

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Japan touring information

Thanks for the warning, Chris. It doesn't look good.

Highly doubt you can just ship a motor vehicle via ferry service from Japan / Korea to Shanghai (China) and handle all the paperwork (temporary import) on arrival nowadays like famous COLEBATCH during 1994 = http://www.tokyotolondon.com

Mate, China by own motor vehicle as short term visitor, it is a major hassle with miles of red tape and advanced preparations required. China is quite a interesting very diversified country with great riding regions mainly out in the "Wild West". RTW / Overlanders really miss out on the great country in my opinion as everyone just wants to get through quickly due to high costs involved. Well ~ motor vehicle entry restrictions, seems to the recent trend with South East Asain countries like Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, etc... unfortunately.

As mention in my earlier post above, in case you pass through Shanghai, get in touch and might be around town...

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Somewhere down the road in China since '89 ~ along the route I've learned the hard way that pleasing everyone is impossible, but pissing everybody off is a piece of cake....TBR

It doesn't look like this is viable at all, but thanks for your help.

Well - by the look of the situation, looks like travels from the motherland to the land of smiles will be easier once again in the future but who really knows just yet....

Thailand Authorities mull easing tourist vehicle ban
The Transport Ministry is considering easing measures curbing the influx of foreign-registered tourist vehicles entering the North of Thailand, particularly from China, following a plunge in Chinese tourist...

http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/gene...st-vehicle-ban

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Somewhere down the road in China since '89 ~ along the route I've learned the hard way that pleasing everyone is impossible, but pissing everybody off is a piece of cake....TBR

But probably not euro tourists.