since riders are now chosing to cross Africa without carnet it maybe useful to have a border crossing repertory with all info given by riders per country

Hi Isaac,

Thanks for your shared insights! I'm leaving on a trip down the African east coast in the next month, but would prefer to avoid Egypt - UK Carnet is extremely expensive.

Do you know how it would be coming from the other direction (north to south)? Ferry to Egypt from Turkey/Greece and then trying to get an Egyptian CDP?

Other options? Ride through Turkey/Iran/Saudi and take a ferry across to Sudan? Has anyone any experience coming though Israel and trying to get into Sudan recently?

Any advice appreciated.

Sorry I have not experience nor heard of anyone doing the trip this way recenlty. But I guess it should be as easy from turkey as from Sudan.

About avoiding Egypt, If you don't care about crossing europe to Turkey, I believe there is a ferry between Italy or France and Sudan, but I don't know details. Just Keep in mind crossing Egypt will cost you about 2k dollars and a lot of time and headaches... so now, if I were you, I would try to avoid it if possible.

Entering arabic countries with an Israel stamp in the passport may be impossible, but I do know Israel borders allow you to get the stamp on a separate paper (or you can try to get two valid passports in your country, as I did in Spain).

Good Luck!

We are in New Zealand, planning a trip to Africa.

A carnet here costs approx $600 plus 15% of the value of the bike (that you get back when the bike comes home).

If I have a carnet (as above) and arrive at a border to Egypt, what else do I need to pay? I am a little confused around the Egypt border and what you would pay WITH a carnet already?

Kiwi Mike

Quoting myself here are my costs:

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The costs for ferries:
Port Said to Iskenderum:
450$ for the bike
200$ for me
50$ for the cabin (I´ve heard of people asking 150 for the cabin... just get it on the ferry, there is a nice reception there).
200$ for the fixer and customs clearance
500 EGP for... I don't know...
100 extra EGP because the ferry did not leave on wed but sunday, so that was the parking tax (ridiculous....)
Total: 900$ and 600 EGP.

Wadi Halfa to Aswan:
on sudanese side:
ferry ticket: 250 SdP
moto ticket: 206 SdP
Tax, customs, office and fixer fee... 280SdP
Capitain Tips: 40Sdp
Passport Registration (I forgot to do so in Khartoum): 240 SdP
Total: 1016 SdP

on egypcian side:
3500 EgP for Carnet
200$ for fixer, customs, etc..

Total cost for everything together:

1100$ + 3500 EgP + 1016SdP = Aprox 1840$, and that is without adding the hotel + food costs for the 2 weeks I had to wait total on sudan and egypt....
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3500 EgP was for the carnet, the rest are actual costs of fixers/ferry tickets/whatever else. So having a carnet expect costs to be someting like 1400 US$ more or less.

Good luck!

The CDP, IDP, driving licence etc actually do you more harm than good as you're admitting jurisdiction to foreign governments. You already have the common law right to travel, and by applying for these documents, you're actually giving up the common-law rights you already had.

I started discovering this on a lightning 5-week blitz from UK to SA via the Middle-East in 2010 (no bribes, just offers). Now I drive on private plates, never get stopped and actually get waved though traffic stops (in South Africa).

When you register with a government or agency, you grant them power over you. It's all contract and in the fine-print. Usually the document you sign says something like: "I have read the BLAH act and I understand it.". You need to comprehend that the word "understand" actually means "to stand under", or "to submit to".

If you don't sign their paperwork they lack the standing in law to prosecute you, so now it's just down to how you handle their private offer for you to produce paperwork/pay a bribe/etc. It's just a private offer to contract.

All officials operate (apply statutes) on foreigners based on presumption only.

See my related post:
http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/hub...-south-60808#4

PS: Don't be stupid. Try this on the small stuff first. Do your homework.

Well done guys especially Isaac, I am almost ashamed to talk about my propsed trip from the UK to Nigeria at the end of next month, it sounds like a walk in the park for some of you....LOL
Meanwhile, a very informative thread and definitely an answer to the carnet question.
If I may, there are just another couple of questions I have been pondering, some of these countries especially the W. African ones have import restrictions on the age of the vehicles that can be imported, how does this affect us overlanders if say we were to use a 10 year old Vstrom 650 that I am considering.
Also I have heard mixed reports of the type of roads we can expect near the border between Mauritania and Senegal, some say desert tracks with deep sand some say sand covered tarmac....
Best Regards

"Now the funny part" Thank you Mr White for the informative update. My wife and I are having problems getting into Egypt from Israel without a Carnet and you mentioned you were able to buy one from the Auto Club of the Emirates. They will not respond to my emails when I enquire about the possibility of purchasing a Carnet. Customs officials in Taba told us to get on the boat to Nuweiba where they "promise" us we could sort it out. Anyone have any reliable, current information?
In Carnet Limbo
Beth and Irish

Mr White, thanks so much. Carnet was big problem for me, now its past. I will go to the Capetown west side off Africa. Thanks man, again, cheers from Belgrade, Serbia.

Isaac, I think I saw your motorcycle in the center off the Belgrado, Serbia on the front hostel. I waiting half ours and left a letter with my cell number (because I always I want to welcome and help adv bikers , but you did not call. I hope we can meet somewhere, maybe in Spain when I started my African trip.

I cross Taba border last JANUARY-2013,FROM Egypt to Israel with No Carnet just T.I.P(temporary,import,papers from Aswan border)I paid refundable $800usd for this TIP at Aswan border,it was not easy,it took me couple days,you need a lot patiance and smiles,it worked for me.
10 days later I rode up US register Motorbike European Passport to border crossing Taba asking for my $800usd refundable deposit,they also told me to go on boat to Nuweiba,but were is my $,they said again,Nuweiba (border crossing by boat with Jordan)So when I got to Nuweiba(aporx70km one way) they ask me where do I want to go, Israel or Jordan? I said Israel,they said you have to go back to Taba,What about my Refund $800usd for TIP? Taba border crossing have it,I ask them to call Taba In front of me to make sure they have my MONEY,They said"yes we have it,come back"
So when I got there(second time) everthing was nice and smooth, custom manager said "Im sorry here is your refund"
What I learned traveling around continent Africa border crossing you have to be Nice,Polite,consistent,patient.
It worked for me.

Sciii,

when are you leaving on your trip.

We (an Argentinian and myself) are leaving somewhere start of March from Belgium. West coast on to Capetown.

See you on the road?

wr, Bart

Cheers guys!
Happy this thread I've started is not dead and the info is shared as it should be.
All I did was to take a leap of faith as we all do when we embark on such an adventure. I did my homework at first and realized that at least on a bike it should be possible to find a way to cross without CpD. I just got stuck or ripped of in Egypt but still worth every penny.
Beth and Irish; I got my CpD through kamal fixer in Aswan. I tried to contact by my self the Egyptian club by no luck. Apparently the guy that came with my CpD was a club worker in Hurgada. He was wiling to drive to Aswan to deliver the CpD as the fuel is cheap and he was receiving a hefty part of the amount I paid. Why and how was my CpD issued by the emirate club will remain a mystery.
Take care all and keep the adventure alive! (Sry for the late reply but we are still traveling although Africa is deeply engraved in our hearts and hope to get back there sometime in the future)

__________________
Crazy Oyibo - From Romania Into the World.
Part I - Africa Full Circle http://blog.intotheworld.eu

Hey Mrwhite,

I'm planning a similar trip in Africa as yours was. Enter Egypt from Sudan and I wonder if I could by an entry visa at the border or not. Which border crossing did you use? I'm holding a Hungarian and a Canadian passports so I could use whichever. My bike is registered in Hungary. The issue is that if I get my Egyptian visa in Hungary it will expire by the time I get there.

Thanks for reply

Regards

Tibor

You can only enter Egypt from Sudan using the Ferry between Wadi Halfa and Aswan, and you can buy the visa on the same ferry, it costs something like 25 dollars.

Thanks much.

Have a good one.