Planning: is it really necessary?

[vander]

How much preparation is really necessary for overland travel?

I started planning A LOT, and I really found a lot of fun in it and offcourse doing the trip itself. It was like travel twice.
But then I lost interest in spending my decreasing free time in front of the internet, books, etc so started planning on the short term and bushstrokes of the general idea and found it was more rewarding:

-things and situations present themselves more spontaneus
-solutions and answers to problems are all out there
-I did not create my own ideal trip (the trip simply happens)
-no preconceived ideas comming from other people
-each day brings unexpected beauties and surprises
-interaction with locals is easier when you don't have a tight schedule, which is a common consecuence of planning

Sometimes, bad things can happen, but could they be avoided with "better" planning? (more is not necessarily better)
I don't think that is allways the case.


Having good paper and gps maps, be clear about the paperwork involved, knowing your motorcycle and some basic language knowledges. Thats all the planning I see desirable. That and start early in the morning every day. The sooner you leave, the more realaxed everything happens.

[ta-rider]

Hi,

The only things i deffinitly plan before leving are

1)Were and how can i get the visa i need?
2)Medicin stuff like malaria pills or yellow fever certificate
3)Is my passport valied long enouth?
4)Book airplain tickets
5)Charge my camera

If im interesdet i read some blogs and write the GPS Position of the moast importend tourist atractions etc in my paper map.

Travel save
Adventure Motorbike trip around Southamerica: Chile and Argentina part 1

[spooky]

ohh yes that's the way to do it... and it's the beauty of being on the road... all this upfront gearing up and head-porn preps becomes obsolete if you hit the real world out there day by day...

you know.... what they say.........

The philosopher Didactylos has summed up a alternative hypothesis as
"Things just happen. What the hell"

and yes ta-rider... the few points you came up with is all it's needed
all this expectorations on how and what should happens ruins the journey... leaving no space for any surprise...

[anonymous1]

Originally Posted by vander

Having good paper and gps maps, be clear about the paperwork involved, knowing your motorcycle and some basic language knowledges. Thats all the planning I see desirable. That and start early in the morning every day. The sooner you leave, the more realaxed everything happens.

I agree,

Insurance, registration, bike, tools, laptop, maps, passport, phone, wallet with at least one good credit card, start sending post cards!

"The weather's here, wish you were beautiful!"

[markharf]

I'd add all sorts of preparations....and I don't think I'm prone to over-prepare. For example, looking into security concerns--wouldn't it be handy to know that a certain road in Argentina is famous for its bogus traffic stops and corrupt cops? Wouldn't you like to know about the current situation in Mali, if heading that way? Would you leave home hoping to ride through China, unaware of the need for an expensive guide arranged in advance? How about some research into the particular foibles of the bike you're riding, with time spent fixing these or learning workarounds? And: language study? Cultural research? Looking into seasonal weather patterns, for all the obvious reasons? Budgeting, and arranging access to your funds?

Not many of us are stepping off into the unknown without extensive planning. Merely checking in here periodically--to read threads randomly or engage in arguments about how big a bike to ride and whether Ewan and Charlie represent the end of civilization as we know it--represents a massive investment in planning, whether you name it that or not. It's all of the above, plus the fact that I've been doing it so long, that make it possible for me to wake up in the morning and head out in whatever direction strikes my fancy, pretending I'm doing this "without planning." That's an illusion...or a very narrow definition of the word itself: "planning."

Sez I, anyway.

Mark

[Surfy]

It depends on the timeframe you have.

For a transafrica and 1-2 years travel - just insure your car and start. You have the time to optain the visas on the way, or to sent your passport in your homcountry to optain the visa.

For spending 10 days in the US, visiting some national parks - you should do some planning to get most out of your trip.

Mostly is our time limited - and we have to look how to make most out of our travels.

Surfy

[TravellingStrom]

You need a basic plan, like which direction, you need to know of any pitfalls along the way, read Marks post above. Reading HUBB will provide real time info

Don't plan a day by day itinery as that will just provide 'deadlines' and those you can do without as they can cause mistakes, like short cuts, speeding etc

Nevertheless, you will get some deadlines along the way, visa runs out, new one needs to be sought etc These need to be planned for so you don't take chances that can be dangerous to your health

Have some idea on the basic things you would 'like' to see along the way and decide if seeing them is set in stone, if they, then are your trip needs to be based around these and that involves planning. If they are not, then if it looks like you are going to miss it due to distance, visa run out, then don't cry if you do miss it.

Always allow flexibility for all those travelers you will meet, they will always pass on info about 'must see/do' stuff along the way, usually this is better than Lonely Planet stuff which has been over marketed and full of tourists!

Never forget, you are not a tourist, but an Adventure Traveller

Cheers
TravellingStrom

[maja]

Just in passing as I know this subject gets beaten to death regularly on the HUBB, but if a member of the blue rinse brigade travelling around the Scottish highlands in a Wallace Arnold 80 seater feels that they are having an exciting time, an adventure if the truth be told, are they any different to a young fit person on a dirt bike fighting his or her way through the Darian gap? I think not, but if calling yourself an "Adventure Traveller" rather than a tourist on a moto makes you feel better, well you're the one paying for the petrol so you get to name your type of trip. Personally being an elderly wimp prone now to crying every time I hit dirt I'm quite happy to be a two wheeled tourist. Ride safe.

[Keith1954]

Originally Posted by maja

.. travelling around the Scottish highlands in a Wallace Arnold 80 seater feels that they are having an exciting time, an adventure if the truth be told

I went on an organised Wallace Arnold coach tour back in 1990. Took along my 13-yo son; it was his very first time abroad. An 11-day whistle-stop tour of Western Europe, inc Belgium - Black Forest, Germany - Salzburg & Vienna, Austria - Venice, Italy - North Italian Lakes - Lucerne & Engelburg, Switzerland - Paris, France - Home.

We had the time of our life on that overly pre-planned trip. A real adventure by anyone's standards. Turned-on my boy to world travel. Now at age 36, he takes groups of Kiwi school kids from his current base in Dunedin, South Island NZ, where he's a teacher, on their first 'OE' (Overseas Experience). His next tour will occur this forthcoming April-May. Want to guess the usual itinerary? .. Yep, you got it, Western Europe of course. Link to his next expedition.

Thanks to Wallace Arnold.
.

[RTWbyBIKE.com]

Originally Posted by TravellingStrom

...
Never forget, you are not a tourist, but an Adventure Traveller

Cheers
TravellingStrom

Originally Posted by maja

... Personally being an elderly wimp prone now to crying every time I hit dirt I'm quite happy to be a two wheeled tourist. Ride safe.

ME TOO, I love to be a tourist! We try to avoid adventures whenever we can! Adventures suck! Wherever it is crossing one of these totally corrupt borders (where you just put your tent in front of the the customs house because you dont want to pay the 20c bribe), or when the pannier case is broken again in the middle of nothing, the road stops where you can not turn back and suddenly it starts to rain like hell after 4 weeks no rain at all, X times flat tires in the jungle, somebody cracks in your room in the middle of the night, the boat u r on is about so sink every second but the captain sais: "Hello MR. NO PROBLEM!!!"... this all sucks and I dont need it!

I AM A TOURIST! And the whole world is my ALL-INCLUSIVE-PLAYGROUND! I have nothing to do with any adventures, neither I want to be in one.

cheers

[Wildman]

I do think there's a distinct difference between being a "traveller", adventure or not, and a "tourist". I spent six days travelling on the bike in Morocco and had a fantastic time. My wife flew in to Marrakech and we spent a long weekend as tourists there and couldn't wait to leave. The minute she left to fly home and I was back on the bike, the wonderful Morocco appeared once more.

Now I confess this might simply be the dynamic in Marrakech but as a traveller I felt safe and enjoyed the vast majority of my interactions with local people both in the countryside and cities like Fez. Perceived as a tourist in Marrakech, I felt unsafe and despised most attempts at interaction.