I have been saving for a motorcycle trip for a long time, just wondering if anyone has done uk to oz before. Suggested routes? I plan to leave in march if this makes a difference to the route etc.

Thanks

I would like to get Kazakhstan in and India too

Hi,

The are many who have done this before - read there blogs on this site! ("GET INSPIRED" bar at top left)

This site is not just the HUBB... see the blue bar across the top -
click each one and spend an hour or two reading those..

That will give you more than a few ideas...

Kazakhstan and India, difficult and expensive in the one trip. China is in the way and that is a problem for most.

Don't over plan. It is a long distance you will need to be flexible! You'll find things closed, other things are suggested along the way that could be better than your original plan. The most important bit of the plan “Adapt and Enjoy”.

Lots of people have done this.

Start with a site-specific google search:

Type in:
site:horizonsunlimited.com UK to Australia

Try some different search terms.

Read the 'Ride Tales' section of the HUBB, too.

China will be expensive, if you are solo maybe around $5000+ for a few days. In a group maybe a bit cheaper, $3000. Most people avoid it unless they have a particular interest.

Maybe tell us a bit more about yourself and what you like. What bike are you thinking of riding? What scenery do you enjoy? Are you camping everywhere or staying in hotels? Overall budget? That might help the HUBBers offer some advice.

The key thing to decide is the broad brush of your route:
- Option 1 - South through Pakistan and India - you need a carnet which is a bit of a performance, but more importantly can be very expensive.
- Option 2 North - through Russia (and Mongolia if you want to and you'd be crazy not to). No carnet needed - just a bit of visa beaurocracy to negotiate (well described elsewhwere on this site - look for info on Business Visa's).

I (like many others who contributr to this site) have done the Russian route albeit in reverse. The info on my trip which was a year ago is at the blog link below my signature.

Happy planning - and if you start to get something specific questions don't be afraid to ask.

All the best

__________________
Martin

finally back on the road again


http://awayonmybike.blogspot.com/

There are 2 'main' overland routes from Europe to Pakistan (and India): South or north side of Afghanistan. North will have the visa circus of some Central Asian countries, and also require you to get your bike into China, a major PITA, but a relatively short route in China, so that option has been used by some, if not many travellers.

South means having to get visa for Iran, and areas in western Pakistan are somewhat dodgy, but very few seem to have any real safety issues.

Carnet will be required for Pakistan and India (possibly Iran, too), but it's not really the big monster that some make it out to be. Or anyway I would not plan the whole trip around it, it adds to the paperwork, but you typically arrange it before you leave. And if you want to go to Oz, then you will need it anyway.

I'd advice the OP to search this site, there's truckloads of threads about these routes and paperwork.

I am looking for a drz 400 (after selling my er6n), I will be planning on camping for most of the time. Hopefully making it cheaper. I have 7.5k. But already have all the gear I need (apart from bike). So will have 7.5k spending (still saving?)

Get the DRZ400, fit a bigger tank, and have 7.5k spending - you'll have 95% of what you need. The rest will be details.

Good luck

__________________
Martin

finally back on the road again


http://awayonmybike.blogspot.com/

Sounds like a good plan!

Hi there.

I'm still doing my uk to oz. currently in Bangkok heading to Phuket tomorrow then onto Sumatra, java and Bali.

See my waffle here

__________________
Steven
Perth to Perth 2012

Hey Steven, I think we were parked next to you in Chandigarh a couple months ago (ours is a washington DC plated 800gs). Sorry we missed you, we were hanging out with the local bikers.

We joined a group of 10 motos to do the china crossing earlier this year, we all hooked up here. Everyone crossed turkey but then some went Iran-Turkmenistan-Uzbekistan, we did Georgia-Russia-Kaz-Uz (long and arduous but amazing) then Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan...crossing into china then Pakistan via the high passes. Down the KkH and we had to put all 10 bikes on a boat across lake Attabad which submerges 13 miles of the KkH. Into India via Amritsar. IMHO I don't think I would've preferred the southern route up Pak as much, tons more security and more long hard slow riding. Baltistan is simply amazing. The KkH is not all paved but there is lots of variety

Now we are in India, just left Meghalaya. I'm finding that India can go really quickly or really slowly (if you love it as we do!)

Visas & carnet are all pricey. Circus is a good description. Doing the group for china was one of the best parts. It's great to mix up riding with company, and we keep reconnecting which is so fun. I'm sure several groups for 2013 and beyond will form on this forum

Sounds like an amazing part of your trip!
Could you give us a brief summary of your expenses for all this? How big was the China part? Did you find all your company here at the HUBB?
I want to an equal trip down to AUS with getting into Georgia in July next year and still not sure about taking north or south route into India.
But it could be already too late getting into the " 'stans" in August??

7.5k are you talking all the time? I guess it's GBP? I'm also looking into this amount, but in €. Not sure how far I'll come...


Ciao ALex

China for us was about $900usd (2up) which also included lodging. Without the group this would've run us $2-3k so a group saves a lot. It's still pricey, only 5 days for us and we had to deal with long useless waits at the DMV, crappy hotels & extra charges. Still it was very interesting. We all met right here, I think the initial thread was Fern's.

Visas for the stans...super expensive. I think we were paying $200-250 per visa but because we were working multiple jobs we used a visa service for most of it. Russia & India were both business visas. The only 2 we got on the road were taj & uz from Istanbul. We had 2 sets of passports and left a set at home processing while we traversed Europe. The timing is tricky...also very important (thank you HU peoples) you must apply for Pakistan from your home country. And they take their time. If you do all of your own consulate hopping, you should save a lot.

We entered Georgia the beginning of August (had to spend a month in turkey, it's awesome) and did Kazakhstan mid August. It was hot as balls. By the time we got to china the climate had gone all over the place. To avoid snow on the high passes we didn't go too late, ended up in Pakistan in sept. haven't been south in India yet, still riding the out of this world mountains in the north, Nepal, next Bhutan...but the monsoon is well over. The others report 35 & humid in Bangkok

Hi guys. Yes sorry i missed you. By the time I got out of bed you had gone. Have you guys got a website or similar?

Cheers
Steven

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Steven
Perth to Perth 2012

Er, hasn't been updated since Austria. We are lazy. I'm all over FB tho (Si Kailian)