RTW plans
 

Hi everyone. Just joined up after I found the site while searching for info
I'm planning a circumnavigation along with a couple of friends by bike in Spring 2014. A while away yet, but it gives us time to arrange the finances and out things in order.

Our initial thoughts about a route takes us through Europe on a road yet to be decided due to HM Governments travel advice to avoid Georgia at present. So maybe a ship across the black sea into Russia and crossing into Kazakhstan. Into China and down to Vietnam, Cambodia and Thailand, south into Malaysia and onto Indonesia's multiple islands.
A freight ship will transport out vehicles onto Australia, where allowing for immigration difficulties that I have heard are sometimes tough to overcome we will journey around the east coast and down to Melbourne along with a friend who lives in Melbourne and plans to fly up to Darwin to meet us and travel back with.

From there, hopefully we can catch a container ship heading to the USA, where landing on the west coast we plan to follow the legendary rout66 across the states to Chicago.

So questions that I'm sure have probably been asked before, If the have apologies and if you can point me to the thread on here I would appreciate it


Black Sea Crossing
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I can't find much information about getting vehicles across the black see. The original idea took us through Georgia, but that seems a very dangerous idea

China
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As difficult as it is reported? If so what alternative route would we be able to take - there seems to be a huge road block across the middle part of our journey Its either China or middle east /India and then stuck again at Burmah. ?

Any thoughts ideas or suggestions welcome.
See Chasing Dreams and Racing Father Time for all our ideas so far.

Cheers

Mark

You might want to try going to Turkey and then take the ferry from Trabzon to Sochi (Russia).

As far as China goes - why not consider going to the 2nd September HU meeting in Somerset. Tiffany Coates will be there and she will be giving a talk 'Trail to Tibet' and will no doubt be able to answer some of your China questions

great - thats about the fist positive I've heard about getting across the Black sea.

2nd sep is a bit short notice to get to somerset now, but will keep an eye open for further meets

Thanks :)

Hello

Crossing the Black Sea is not a problem. We did it this summer. Also there are no problems in Georgia, many did it this summer also. Read this tread:
http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/hub...5-6#post347595

Best regards
Adrian

I wouldn't have though that Georgia is an issue, especially if you just go up from Turkey, stop in Tiflisi (Tiblisi, Teflis, spell it how you want!) and then over to Azerbaijan (I assume this is your plan).

A fairly standard way to avoid the China syndrome (and Myanmar) is to fly from Kathmandu to Bangkok. You can pass from the stand down across China into Pakistan via Kashgar, but you'd better have deep pockets!

I'm thinking that getting a job in China might be the easiest way to import a motorcycle! Colebatch managed to get some Chinese number plates but he might have just got very very lucky (they were numbered '2' and '3')

China to Vietnam probably ain´t gonna happen... China to Laos might, but as was said here you´ll need considerably deeper pockets than most of us have.

Thanks for the responses folks, some interesting information. Been reading through some of the other content - Loads of good stuff here!!!! :)

I would like to keep away from air travel if possible but from everything I have read it seems a Kathmandu - Bangkok freight might be the thing to do. :(

My brother is in Cambodia at the mo (well he was last time I heard from him)
so my route definitely includes a visit there, but that's "doable" if we land in Bangkok.

As I said at the start I have enough time to figure out all possible options and the original idea was not based on any factual information. So I guess its a case of not pressing on regardless and taking a step backwards to find the best solution.

I'm looking at a similar(ish) route for 2013,

The rough plan is Thourgh europe and the balkans into turkey then Accross Iran. Afganistan and Pakistan, India nepal, Bangladesh Burma Thailand, Cambodia, Laos Malayisa.

If we can get into indonesia we would like to get as far as denpasar and ship to australia.

The possible difficulties I percive on route are Iran, pakistan, afaganistan, then the bangladesh/burma border.

The other option is to go into china/ tibet from nepal, but my research says i need to join an offical tour to do that.

Any info on any of these border crossings and visa situations would be good orm just general tips on the best way from nepal to cambodia (with the bike, and ideally with out flying)

FMF

Iran/Pakistan is an obstacle that can be passed as far as I'm aware - you might need a 'No Objection Certificate' for the Balochistan region from the Pakistanis before you can get the Pak visa -which you will need to get the Iran visa.

Myanmar is basically a no-go. In the word of Baz Lurhman 'If you succeed in this, let me know how'!

There is regular shipping from East Timor to Darwin. I'm trying to get the permits sorted out to cross Indonesian West Papua into Papua New Guinea so will hopefully be shipping into Australia on that route and out of Australia on teh East-Timor boat.

Nepal to Cambodia without flying would be a logistical coup, hats off to you if you manage it! One overland option would be to go through Tibet and China but you would be looking at a very hefty bill for a guide. I'm sure that there will be some grey-area way to get in and get Chinese plates printed up somehow......

Thanks, Henry,

Ok how do most people get their bikes from the Indian sub continent to the Thailand/ Malayasia/ Loas Cambodia pennisula.

Is it either a case of shipping from India or like henry suggests cargo plane from Kathmandu??

Most people freight by sea or by air between the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia.