Hi there folks, I'm a new guy here, so please don't jump on me if this post is old stomping ground (I've searched the site, but nothing I can find quite answers my needs).

I'm at the beginning stages of planning a round the world adventure, ideally overland, starting in the UK and heading east through Europe. I shall largely be using local/public transport as unfortunately I can't ride a motorbike - although may obtain CBT before I depart.

What I am really looking for is some guidance as to how to set about my planning - you see, I don't wish to be tied to a specific schedule or route, as I personally want some freedom to wander and explore along the way, but at the same time don't wish to go blindly into an area, only to find that through ignorance I've bitten off more than I can chew.

My thoughts therefore are as follows:

• Decide which countries I wish to visit
• Find out visa/entry requirements for these countries
• Research where Border Crossings are
• Research the sort of terrain/climate I will be entering
• Find out how safe or otherwise the area is, or whether it's a no-go

That is fairly much where I am at the moment, and frankly feel at a bit of a loss as to how/where to start. Am I thinking along the right lines? Any recommended resources as to how to go about this? Am I missing something screamingly obvious?

I don't wish to over-plan my trip, but similarly I don't want to go in blind either... so any thoughts on hitting a happy balance?

Many thanks in advance folks, helpful comments are greatly appreciated.

Cheers - Mike

Wow... 76 views and not one response. Really?



:confused1:

Although there is a wealth of travel information and experience here it is mostly related to people using there own transport, motorcycle, car/4wd and bicycle. People will be quite happy to answer specific questions but you don't give any information about time scale, budget or route which are all things only you will know or can decide on. I would suggest reading a few trip reports and deciding where you want to go and how to get there, you might also find this a useful site as you do not plan taking your own vehicle https://www.lonelyplanet.com/thorntree
As to getting a CBT you will need a full licence to be able to ride legally outside of the UK and any travel insurance you have will be invalid if you have an accident without one.

Nothing wrong with that as a basic plan, but try reading a few books about the places you may visit, to help decide where may be of more interest to you.

If you like cities and want to party there isn't much point in going to rural Ukraine for example. On the other hand if it is culture and history that is your buzz, not a lot of point in going to Las Vegas!!

Travel guide books will give you a rough idea about Visa requirements but beware they change very quickly! And if you read it in a lonely planet guide its most likely confused and wrong :confused1:.

Don't get a bee in your bonnet about 'safety', there just aren't that many really dangerous places if you mind your own business, don't flash too much cash and don't act like a demented American/Aussie frat boy.DO NOT go by advice given on government websites like the UK foreign office about where to go/not go.Your a lot more likely to get mugged in the Western world, than anything else.

Firstly

You have not given 'us' much information .. east could mean Russia .. or Iran?

Your probably best served by saying what interest you have and then going to the places that have those things..

Public transport .. means? Bus? Trains? I prefer trains for any distance.. much safer and more comfortable. The slower it goes the better - more time to look out the window.

Give some idea of what you want, what you are comfortable with and you might get more helpfull information .. here or elsewhere. Keep thinking and dreaming, then go!

get a land cruiser and go.myself i wouldn't enjoy depending on public transport

though it would be very interesting and culturally educational

good luck

kp

You can get some useful general information here:

Overland Aventure

although, as you may have noticed, this forum is dedicated to people riding or driving their own set of wheels.

Laurent

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2- and 4-wheeled explorer and photographer
Overland Aventure

Many thanks to those who have gotten back to me.

I do fully appreciate that for the most part, people who use this site will be those who have their own transport, so your needs will be slightly different. But there seems to be somewhat of a shared agenda in my approach, as I am aiming to overland as far as possible, hence my posting here.

My initial posting was rather open-ended so as gleam perhaps some very general guidance in terms of my planning etc regarding the information I will need, where to source it from - my apologies if this was perhaps a little too vague.

I guess my agenda for the journey is to explore what the world has to offer - meet people, see places, explore cultures, new foods, beautiful architecture - just soak up as much of the world as I can. Although I will be taking in a few of the big cities and perhaps some of the nightlife/parties etc along the way, that is not my main focus. I would rather get into the heart of a place, amongst those who live there or see the wildlife and natural beauty, rather than hang out with a crowd of foreigners who are just there to party. Some might think that boring, but that's up to them.

My route through Europe has been near enough worked out, so i'm not too concerned about that stage. Whilst I would really like to see Iran and Jordan, as i have heard wonderful things about them, the Foreign Office currently has warnings out around that area, and given the religious/political tensions in the region, I think would make travel overland rather fool-hardy if not impossible.

I had also considered going through Eygpt and down the Suez canal into Saudi Arabia... but as I'm not a Muslim, that seems like a bit of a non-starter...

My root through Europe then takes me to Turkey, from there back up to the Ukraine and to Moscow, as i plan to take the Trans-Siberian rail across to Beijing. From there, I am aiming to double back down towards, Tibet, Nepal and India.

Currently though, the next stage is where I am getting rather stuck again - travelling east overland from India, Myanmar (Burma) sits right in the way, and from what I have read so far, I can only enter it overland from the Thai border. I would love the chance to see Myanmar, but I don't know whether it's best to forget it, or either re-enter China (though what route from there would be best I don't know as going through Bhutan is very expensive, and Arunachal Pradesh seems to be a bit of a political hot potato), either that or oversea to further down in Thailand. I am hoping to visit Thailand, Laos and Cambodia (having previously been to Vietnam) before moving down through south east asia and onto Australia.

That is where I currently am in terms of route planning at this stage, and any suggestions or knowledge on this matter would be fantastic.

Regarding my funds - I am looking to travel as budget as possible, although I have money available when necessary. I will be looking at homestays, hostels along the way, and whilst in europe will be wild-camping wherever possible to keep the costs down. Whilst I intend to use the Trans-siberian railway, the 3rd class tickets seem very good value considering distance travelled and having a bed to sleep in.

So, in summary, I guess now I am looking for general hints and guidance as to my planning, anything that I should be aware of, and if anyone has any experience of overlanding via public transport i'd love to hear from you.

Also, if you have any experience/knowledge or guidance you can give regarding travel in Arunachal Pradesh/Tibet/China/Myanmar, please sing up and let me know!!

Many thanks in advance

Hi there I have just seen your post and thought I would give you the benefit of my experience of overland budget travel.
I done this trip in 2009 and had an amazing time spending 3 weeks in Thailand 3 weeks in China a week in Laos a couple of days in Mongolia and a week in Russia, all the times mentioned were my downtimes relaxing and staying a couple of days here and there in these countries, ie I went to Bangkok, Kanchanaburi, Pattaya, Koh samet, Phucket and Chiang Mai My total trip lasted 18 weeks and the main source of information was from seat61.com which had everything that I needed including helpful hints in obtaining visas for the more difficult areas Russia ETC. I also gleaned a lot of information from here thorn tree and travel blogs.org. One excellent example of this is I paid 1100bht in Bangkok for my Chinese visa which is about £20 and it was ready later on the same day because I downloaded all the application forms and had all the information I needed. The forms were in Chinese but the way round that is to download and print the originals then download and print another set using google translate so you can see what information fits where, repeat this process with Russian Mongolian visas etc and you are ready to go. I used a travel service from Russia for my invitation letter at a cost of $15 and had no problem.
My advice to you would be research research research the amount of money I saved even just on the Trans Mongolian express was phenomenal I paid a total of £450 from Beijing to Moscow in a four berth Cabin with a three day stopover in Ulan Bator, I stayed mainly in Hostels in China Russia and Europe but was in Hotels throughout Asia because of the relative cheapness and easy availabillity of rooms.
If there is anything specific you think I may be able to help you with pm me and I will do my best to help. The destination isn't that important its the journey that counts so go and do it.
I am planning on repeating a trip to Singapore this time by moped well a Honda ANF 125 going through the Stans China Laos leaving in August 2015 mainly camping possibly couchsurfing until I reach Asia where the hotels are plentiful and cheap.
Enjoy your journey Billy

I am coming to the end of an awesome trip around Northern Thailand and Northern Laos, if its culture your after then it is great, there are lots of homestay villages in Laos and some awe inspiring sights to see in both countries, have a look at my RT for where I have been, have fun where ever you decide to go



Wayne

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The Balkans
https://new.horizonsunlimited.com/poi_entity/8417

Hi W_C_W,

I'm in a similar stage of planning an overland trip... but thought I'd add my 2 cents... pence worth, on what I've learnt so far.

This is all you need: "I guess my agenda for the journey is to explore what the world has to offer - meet people, see places, explore cultures, new foods, beautiful architecture - just soak up as much of the world as I can." Planning too much will completely get in the way, and generally, I'm of the opinion that 99% of plans don't work anyway. Find out the countries you need to get visas in advance for, and if it's 1 month in advance, just apply for it about 1 month in advance. These people might be helpful: The Visa Machine - Plan your trip. If you have the luxury of a loose schedule, I think you will have a much more enjoyable trip the less you plan it.

1. If you are on a limited budget, definitely do your CBT, get a sub-125cc bike (Yamaha TTR125 or a Honda XR125 - single cylinder, 4 stroke, air-cooled), and go nuts. You'll learn everything you need to know on the way. If you think that sounds ridiculous, check out some of the videos on here: Welcome to my C90 Adventures. The common misconception (thanks to some inspired marketing by BMW) is that to travel across/around the world you need a £15k 1200cc BMW monster with more electrics than the Millennium Falcon, and parts that cost more than the annual income of some of the people you will be riding past. I made the same mistake, and am in the process of trading my 650cc BMW down for 250-400cc Honda/Yamaha to ride home to NZ. My hero Austin Vince did it a number of times on a 350cc/400cc bike, and my heroine, Lois Pryce, has done numerous epic journeys on a 250cc. They have enough grunt to get wherever you want to go, and they're light to pick up if you do fall, or need to lift it on a boat/train/whatever. Spend some time perusing these websites: Austin Vince Lois on the Loose - the books, adventures and general escapades of Lois Pryce They do a great seminar at the Adventure Travel Show at Olympia. Their first piece of advice was: If you have a bike, a passport and a few quid in your pocket, you can travel round the world... right now... very cheaply. So don't think it needs to be expertly planned, and be fully kitted out with all the most expensive gear. I think he said one of his round the world trips cost him less than £8k... for everything... including the bike, and freight/shipping/flights etc. over water.

2. Check out the entry requirements for Iran. It is by all accounts (other than what you hear from Western governments) an incredibly beautiful and friendly nation, and is top of my most-wanted-to-visit list. (See Ed March's youtube clip of travelling thru Iran on his C90: https://www.youtube.com/watch?featur...&v=_2LEgowbzSc, and Lois Pryce's video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?featur...&v=eqb3lab-3Wc). However, apparently American, British, and... ??... some other passport holders either cannot get in, or have to have a government guide at present, which like China, can be prohibitively expensive.

3. With regard to your concern on travelling through Egypt etc., you not being a Muslim has precisely diddly-squat to do with anything. Don't believe any of the sensationalist, newspaper-selling bovine fecal-matter you hear in the media. 99.87% of Muslims are the most tolerant, generous, and friendly people you will come across (moreso than some Christians I know). Unfortunately, there are few slightly confused people out there at the moment, who would probably do bad things to you, regardless of your faith, if you were in the wrong place at the wrong time. It's nothing to do with what religion you follow, and everything to with with plain common sense: it is not at all wise to travel through areas on conflict or political unrest. Sorry, that turned into a bit of a rant, but please don't believe anything the newspapers tell you about people or places, unless you have experienced it first hand.

4. With regard to where to get your information, this website is probably about the best you can get. You will find info in a number of places, but this will prob be the most helpful (WHEN you get your motorbike )

Well, this spiel ended up being much longer than I intended... I should finish by saying other than a few very easy motorbike trips, I haven't done what some might consider "epic adventures", so take this with a grain of salt - maybe some of the more seasoned veterans and veteranesses can back this up... but all my experience, research, and conversations with people have reinforced the same thing: just go, and worry about problems when they arise - not before and not after. It's all part of what makes a trip memorable. There is a solution to almost every problem. For anything else, there's travel insurance. Someone once relayed the quote: "Adventure is moments of extreme discomfort, recalled in comfort, after the event"... or something along those lines, I forget now - there were a number of s involved. Imagine how awesome it will be when you tell people about heading off into the unknown, with no fixed plans, on a motorbike you hardly know how to ride!

So... when are you leaving?

Well I´m no expert on this, but just followed Burma travel situation for several years now, mostly right here at the HUBB... and I am under the impression, that this thing has changed considerably within the past 2-3 years. There are even reports of travellers passing all the way through the country with their motorcycles, something that was practically unheard of before. And the vehicle is probably the biggest stumbling block, if you would be taking public transport, then there should be less “red tape”.

Note, that I still would not expect this to be very easy, and you have some Indian states next to Burma, that may require special permits, and yet another permits to even approach the border, etc. It could very well be, that still you need a lot of time, and the patience of a saint to make it. But bottom line is, it now looks much more do-able than, say, just 5 years ago. If I was now planning to ride between South Asia and Southeast Asia, going via Burma would be my #1 option.