How deep into planning the route to go
 

Im just sort of messing around planning a trip at the moment.
Dont know when id be going. Could be next year or several years down the line. Awkward to say at the moment.

My final destination is Australia. So basicly my route as planned at the minute (roughly) is to tour through europe, Iran, Pakistan, India, possibly Nepal then across to Thailand Laos And Cambodia etc then either on to Australia and if possible island hopping down to Australia.

I want to spend a bit of time in India and Thailand. (The cheaper countries)

As far as the detail of the actual route goes i only know what countries i will be going through and will pick the actual roads and sites i want to see as i go along.

What i mean to ask is does this sound a reasonable or is it better to get every last detail of the road route you plan to take before you leave. What about interesting sites to see. Do you look these up before you go or find out what you want to see when on the road.

Hi,

My best advice is to be spontaneous, because it is that very act that makes a holiday an adventure the same as taking time to see all the things that the people you meet tell you about.

Stay over at someone’s house if they offer it (locals) as that’s where the essence is of that country actually is. If someone offers to break bread with you then accept remembering that Food is Life for all of us.

Sorry to have a Dig at the Long Way Boys again, but they have to stick to their tight schedule and to their preset route, and they are missing everything else that's out there, you could hear Ewan being very bitter in this week’s Episode (No 2).

And lastly take as much time to do the journey as you can it makes things a lot less stressful, it was the feather in Forest Gump that has got me thinking, ‘let the wind take you places where you wouldn’t go otherwise’.

Just my opinion but it's working for me.

Cheers for that.

Ive been doing a bit of reading and ive basicly got a plan in my head but it just seems so simple now. I dont seem to have spent a lot of time making this plan and i thought maybe i wasnt going into enough detail concerning the route.
I thought visas would be a hassle but apparently not. Maybe take a while for say the iranian one but it can be done on the road.
I also thought getting the bike into Thailand would be a hassle but a bit of research has shown me theres several ways. (Also the fact others have/are doing it lol)

So if i decide to go its a case of:
Home
Sell the house, quit job, tie loose ends (not a lot),

Route
I know the general direction and the countries im going through and ill just take things as they come and explore.

Paperwork
passport, IDP, Carnet, Drivers licence, bike logbook, duplicates of stuff, cash. Import docs for Australia

Bike and stuff
exchange bike, prepare and possibly modify depending on bike

Other Stuff
Prepare checklist, Get suitable clothing, tent, tools, spares etc, pack bike, trial run somewhere.

The only other thing i can think of just now is deciding when to leave to try tie in with the weather. First ive got to decide if ill be going next year.

See easy when you cut through all the crud isn't it, and you have done it all yourself made it all simpler, so go get the visas boys and the saying goes 'NO TIME LIKE THE PRESENT'.

Ps I wanna see her face when you tell her you love the bike more then HER. LMAO

Get to know your equipment
 

Having travelled across Canada and down to Texas heading for Argentina, I would say that detailed planning is a waste of time. Just plan the route roughly by country and places you want to see so you can check out the paperwork you need to cross the borders.

Secondly, nearly everything electronic has failed, from my wind up torch to my high end camera, so take equipment you can toss in the bin without worrying about the cost of replacing it locally. Low tech stuff lasts better.

You can test out your equipment by going for weekend camping trips, the weather in UK is mild compared to most places so even a winter weekend will prepare you for a cold nights camping somewhere. Can you light your stove in high winds, is your sleeping bag warm enough, what's it like putting up your tent in the rain? Better to find out before you leave. I have broken 4 tent pole sections so far, luckily Wal-Mart sell them over here.

Last week I camped near Silver City, Arizona; at about 6000ft it was about 80F during the day, but below 40F at night when the cold air flowed down the mountain. I woke up cold at 2am until I put a fleece over my shirt and put my jeans on. (Jeans are not recommended as they take to long to dry.)

That's another thing, how long will it take your clothes to dry when you wash them in a motel room sink, or get soaked in a rainstorm? Yep, I have a full Hein Gerick storm suit, but it just takes too long to get out and get into. It's easier to travel on regardless, in my everyday fabric m/c suit, and dry out later; no doubt I will change my opinion when I reach a tropical rain storm
These stupid day to day domestic things become more important than 'Day 54 - Take Hwy 19 south to Xville' - that stuff you can make up as you go along.

Me? I'm loving it.:thumbup1:

Cheers again for the replies.

Ive hit my first snag though with this particular trip. I plan to be in Australia for 2 years on a WHV. If you do work for 3 months in certain areas you can extend a 1 year WHV for another year. This is what i wanted to do in Australia however using the carnet or even importing the bike i would have to take the bike out in 12 months time.

However one door closes then another opens. One trip I would rather do than overland to Australia is the Americas. So now im possibly looking at doing these then after that just going to Australia without the bike. If im not needing the bike when i return to the UK first the it may also be a good idea to buy and sell a bike over there rather than shipping.

Just fishing around ideas at the minute so im in no rush. I dont want to sell the flat until after spring when i can get the most dosh so ive got plenty of time to work out what im doing.

Consider renting out the flat longterm through a local agent; provides you a regular income and you remain an owner of property.

Cheers for the tip walkabout but i have already considered and i definetely want to sell the flat. I know it seems the best idea to rent out but for my own personal reasons its best to sell.

Secret Sydney campground?
 

I heard from someone that there is a popular campground just outside of Sydney where travellers gather before heading home, a sort of last stop place before the airport. I was told that all sorts of kit is up for sale here from those who just need to off-load it before getting their flight home. My source, can't remember who, said he picked up a beat up van just for the price of running the previous owners to the airport in it. He also said there were bikes for sale at silly prices.

Can anyone confirm this?

Sold my flat, can you imagine getting an email saying the roof is leaking and your tenants have skipped owing 6 months rent, and the agent wants to up his fee?

If i remember correctly i think i may have read this on gapyear .com or something.
If you check out studenty places then there will be notices up for cars and vans for sale that students can use to go touring. Most are old cheap working bangers that will get you from a-b and are generally passed between fellow travellers.

Tropics are typically warm to hot. I usually just ride through a tropical rain and air dry out the outher side. In a monsoon I shelter ... they cause local short term flooding .. not good to ride on a road you cannot see due to teh water covering it.

--------------------- The camping ground near sydney may be near Galstone .. think he posts over on Advrider.com (sp?) ..

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On planing routes .. you want to see the things you like along the way so some planning there is good. But even than not everthing is in the guide books or on the web, go with local advice! Plan on having at least every 7th day off..