hi everybody,
it seems that the only option for crossing china relatively inexpensive is to put a group together. I wonder how many people are staying around SE asia at the moment and are interested to cross china in a few months.
this way the group could share the costs for the guide.
our plan is to start from laos either in april or may...
thanks for replying

There are now 5 potential riders in the group, and one more that I have messaged.

Great start!

Howdy, I'm in PP now so send me a PM or email to hook up for that .

__________________
TurboCharger + Francois (our BMW R1200gs) '07
www.riding2up.net, blog.riding2up.net

A quick update:

6 possible riders

feedback from NAVO tour company

Firstly, the tour SD-001 is a fixed time tour, and I'm afraid it would be hard to move this tour forward. However, we can make your group as an individual one, if you commit at least 5 bikes to do same itinerary at the same time. I just make a rough estimate, and the price of 5 bikes will cost just a little more than our 5 vehicles Group Promotion price. And we believe, if all the vehicles are bikes, and the number is more than 5, we need to send a Guide vehicle to be the supporting vehicle.

Secondly, preparation time would be very tight if you decide to entry in Apr. That's why we don't make the promotion group in Apr or May, because the limited time reason. So the earliest date that we can move forward you group is in 6 May 2009. Because we need to avoid the festival time as well as leave enough time to get all government permits.

Thirdly, there are also have the problems about the vehicle deposit in CIQ, however, NAVO could help to guarantee the deposit if there is only one or two vehicle, if there are more vehicles, normally, we need our guests to pay it. However, we are now making effort to talk down the amount of the vehicle deposit. And I will let you know if NAVO can help to guarantee the deposit or not.

So for the above 3 points, could you please give me your plan as soon as possible! We will on holiday from 22 Jan-2 Feb, so it would be better for us to confirm before 22 Jan, then we will have time to deal with the next process if you want to go through China in early May.

Best regards!

Karen

Our new project is coming out and it would be great news to some foreign travelers who want to do the self-driving in China. In the past, some individual travelers (with one vehicle or just motorcycle travel) would avoid self-driving in China because of the high cost.Recently, NAVO work out a useful system to solve these problems, and it also fulfill our words that "help our guest to realize the adventure dream in China."

Through years' effort, NAVO earn a good reputation as an in-country agency in arranging the self-driving tour in China. As there are more and more inquires, we decide to form our own self-driving groups based on our potential guests. We hope this could help most one-vehicle group or motorcycle group lower the budgets and achieve to do the self-driving in China.



Below is our group time table and price:

Route No.

Entry Time

Itinerary

Driving days

Deadline of confirmation

Price for vehicle

Price for the extra passenger and driver


SD-001

4th June

Yunnan（Mohan）- Sichuan – Shanxi – Gansu - Xinjiang（Tourgat）

26 days in China

1st March

30160 RMB/Per vehicle plus one driver
7980 RMB/Per driver
7280 RMB/ Per passenger


SD-002

7th July

Xinjiang（Tourgat）- Gansu- Shanxi - Sichuan- Yunnan（Mohan）

24 days in China

2nd Apr.

32350 RMB/Per vehicle plus one driver
7420 RMB/Per driver
6720 RMB/ Per Passenger


SD-003

25th Aug.

Tibet （Zhangmu）-Yunnan(Mohan)
21 days in China

15th May

29615 RMB/Per vehicle plus one driver
6580 RMB/Per Driver
5880 RMB/Per Passenger


SD-004

10th Sep.

Inner Mogolia （Erenhot）- Shanxi - Shann'xi – Sichuan -Yunnan（Mohan）

21 days in China

1st June

28610 RMB/Per vehicle plus one driver
6580 RMB/Per Driver
5880 RMB/Per Passenger


Price Includes

1) All the Permits needed (National ones, provincial ones, customs ones
etc.)
2) Cost for vehicle (Temporary driving license for vehicle, temporary license plate, and insurance for vehicles.)
3) Cost for drivers
4) Navo's service charge ( the guide and other fees)
5) All the meals, accommodations and transportation cost of the guide

Price Excludes

1) Guests' accommodations and meals
2) Entrance tickets: You may choose the sights or scenic spots you like, and pay it at spot when you visit.
3) The fuel, road toll, traffic accident compensation, repairing cost, spare part and parking.
4) Cost for emergency if the clients enter China in advance or leave China before the end of the tour.
5) Tips for the guide, drinks, and other personal charge


Note: 1. We can't make a individual motorcycle group except we already have a confirm normal vehicle group which can carry the guide.

◆How to prebook and how to get a preferential price


For the itineraries in detail, please email us with point Route No.

And there also have a favorable right to the one who send inquire email to NAVO before 5th Feb 2009. We will cut down 1000RMB directly from the total price, if they pay 50% of the total price one month before deadline.

Ps: We will be on holiday from 22nd Jan to 2nd Feb for our traditional spring festival. In that case, only for the SD-001 group, if the guest can pay the 50% of the total price as the deposit before 15th Feb, we will also give cut down 1000RMB directly from the total price.


◆Refund condition:

Any irresistible reason of the government or NAVO's fault which make the guests' vehicle can't enter China, and then we will full refund the payment.


◆No refund condition:

NAVO will not full refund the payment or the deposit if the tour is canceled or delayed by our guests. Because when we get the payment from you, we will begin to pay all the necessary cost and prepare for the permits application.

I'm sure I saw your post somewhere before... in an email I sent wasn't it?! nice work.

We are in Vientiane now and just got new Chinese Visas. When we asked at the Chinese Embassy about motorcycle travel into China they responded with the following letter written very vaguely and in no certain terms. It didn't even have a letterhead or stamp to say it was from the Embassy, so far all our dealings with Chinese officidum have been pretty useless.

NB. that the words "and bicycle" seem to have been crossed out but I'm not sure because it is a poor photocopy.

"Travelers with their own automobiles, motorcycles and bicycles to China should ask a local travel agency to contact with an international travel agency of China and provide the latter with such information as the name of traveler, travel itinerary (including port of entry, date of entry, travel route and planned activity) and details of their means of transportation with them. Only with the permission from certain organizations of China can the travelers enter China with their automobiles, motorcycles and bicycles.
China welcomes tourists from all over the world. However, there are special regulations for foreign tourists with special tourist programs."

We plan on heading north to Luang Phrabang and then the border with our first attempt at the border crossing into China around the 20th Feb.

I'll let you interpret the paragraph from the Chinese as you wish but what it means is you need to have a Chinese travel agent get you all the paperwork and pay for a guide as indicated by your post above with the quote from NAVO.

__________________
TurboCharger + Francois (our BMW R1200gs) '07
www.riding2up.net, blog.riding2up.net

hi both,
I'm really looking forward to receive your updates on your crossing... still not 100% sure which way to ride from koh chang, will it be west to bkk or north to boten??
cheers

darius

Dear turbocharger
i live in vientiane, will try to cross from here to europe next year, so would be very interested how it went. let us know how and where you crossed.
best salween

Hmm, that works out around $5,000 for 25 days or $200 per day. A LOT of money.

Far cheaper option to buy a bike in China and fly your own bike to the next destination after China and collect it there.

Last year my 32 days riding in China ended up costing me $350-$400 (my loss on the bike after I sold it) and I collected my own bike the day after leaving China, in South Korea.

Garry from Oz.

__________________
Garry from Oz - powered by Burgman