Hi,

I'm currently in the process of planning a RTW trip in 2009 and trying to work out what sort of budget this would require. At the moment I don't have an exact route planned but very roughly would be heading from UK, through Europe, then either northern or southern Asia before shipping to the Americas. After reading through many helpful threads it seems that the overall cost could be divided into the following sub-categories:

Initial costs: bike, bike setup, riding gear, carnet, visas (+ travel agent fess where necessary), travel insurance, shipping, jabs.

Daily costs: fuel, food and drink, accommodation.

Additional costs: insurance purchased at boarders, miscellaneous 'fees' to boarder guards, spare parts and maintenance, toll roads.

I would be very interested to know what RTW routes you guys have previously taken and, if you don't mind divulging, what the overall expense involved was. I realize that this is extremely dependent on the person or persons involved, the route taken, the bike used, lifestyle choice etc etc.

At this early stage I have budgeted a total of approx £15k, £5-6k to cover initial cost with the remainder for on the road and additional costs. If anyone out there has completed a similar route to this do you think that my overall budget seems reasonable or not ?

Thanks

Dave.

The problem with your question is many-fold... it is a reasonable question but can have a load of differing answers...... Dave, let me explain it like this.......

If RTW Rider 'A' said "No way it cost me £26,458" you would be disheartened and maybe feel like giving up......

alternativeley, if RTW Rider 'B' said " I did the lot for £11.250 " then you would feel like you had way more than you needed.

The thing you have to look at is this, read as much as you can on this site, on other sites too, ( even Grant the owner of this site looks on other sites for information.....) compile a general idea of what it will cost you for your daily living in each Country, UK & europe expensive, africa cheaper...etc etc
Figure out your costs for Bike transportation & shipping ( don't think about paying bribes to border guards, it shouldn't have to happen, if you do, you make it harder for those that follow, but if you have to, the less the better.ok? look on here at the many threads and postings on that subject!)

Work out a route that suits YOU. its your Journey, your trip, your experiences & your money...... don't let others spend it for you!, take advice, listen to everything and select what suits, even what I am telling you, maybe you will or wont, thats your prerogative.

£15,000 is a good chunk of cash.. the further from the UK or Europe you get, the more in real terms its worth so the further it should take you.

Always always always have an Emergency/ Contingency plan though.....

Martyn

hi

i am also planning a rtw and my calculations give me a figure like 25-30K USD including everything you wrote, except the bike, mods and gear.

but it really depands how many miles you gonna do, what sort of food you like, where you want to stay (camping-hotel,etc). I will camp as much as I can, eat local, not too much high quality equipments, etc.. I just want to that rtw, just want to be on the road. dont care about comfort and pricey toys. I will keep the money for the travel

hope this help.

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ozhan u.
website under construction

I also plan to camp as much as possible, eat locally and generally keep the expenses down; so it's good that our estimates agree favorably ! I think my budget for on the roads costs may be a little low but I'm hoping to save a few more pennies before I leave. I couldn't agree more with you about just wanting to be on the road, what route are you planning on taking ?

Dave.

hi,

this would be my route:
ozhanu.com

the major cost is the cost of petrol then comes the maintaince cost. insurance, border crossing, shipping via air is things you cant avoid. rest, you can always choise like gear, mods on bike, bike, accom., food., etc..

but, as the Martynbiker it is many-folded and always have a plan b!

enjoy!

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ozhan u.
website under construction

Hiya,

Yes, I too am in the very early stages of planing a RTW. Hooray! It's been a long time coming. I have dreamed of doing africa on a bike since i was about 15 - I am now 33. Through various events of the last year or two I have decided that the next 18 months (October 2009) is a realistic time scale to get all my stuff sorted. And get on the road. I wish i could go sooner but i must be patient. I have a rough ballpark figure of 8 - 10K for about a years riding.

My route so far, or rather what i feel right now is where id like to go is:

South through France, Spain and into Morocco and then travel to South Africa (via whatever countries i am blown to). I then want to ride up the east coast of Africa in a similar vein and visit a few places on the way to Egypt and then over to the top of the Middle east, through Syria, perhaps and head for Kazakhstan and if im feeling really adventurous, head to Mongolia. Finally returning to the UK via a little bit of Russia and Eastern Europe.

Ideally, I'd like to spend 6 months in Africa, but id rather not tie myself down to any hard timescales.

I am not planning to Hotel it all that much and I think I can survive on pretty basic food. As I dont plan to visit the Americas or too much of Asia, I am hoping that i can save considerable dosh by not having to freight myself and the bike as I will be land bound for most of the journey.

Do you lovely, seasoned travellers reckon that i have budgeted a realistic amount? I do plan to perhaps get some sponsorship (if im lucky) and try and sell photos while on my travels.

>so it's good that our estimates agree favorably !

Yeah, im wondering if i have mildly underestimated the cost. I dont include the cost of the bike in this though.

Like i said, im in the early stages of this damn exciting plan.

Cheers all!

Don't forget currency can change its value .. by as much as 20% during your trip.

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Regards Frank Warner
motorcycles BMW R80 G/S 1981, BMW K11LT 1993, BMW K75 G/S

Another thing which is hard to assess upfront is your state of mind! While, in the beginning of the trip you'r stronghearted, camp out a lot, rough it and enjoy it, but while the trip progresses, many people tend to lean more towards a minimum standard of living, i.e. take slightly better hotels, camp out less, eat more often in local restaurants etc. An important factor that ads to that sliding scale is whether you meet the right fellow travellers, being homesick, bad weather etc. Raising the standard of living will considerably add to the cost!

cheers,

Noel
exploreafrica.web-log.nl