Uk to oz
 

I have been saving for a motorcycle trip for a long time, just wondering if anyone has done uk to oz before. Suggested routes? I plan to leave in march if this makes a difference to the route etc.

Thanks

I would like to get Kazakhstan in and India too

Yet more on http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/
 

Hi,

The are many who have done this before - read there blogs on this site! ("GET INSPIRED" bar at top left)

This site is not just the HUBB... see the blue bar across the top -
click each one and spend an hour or two reading those.. :funmeteryes:

That will give you more than a few ideas...

Kazakhstan and India, difficult and expensive in the one trip. China is in the way and that is a problem for most.

Don't over plan. It is a long distance you will need to be flexible! You'll find things closed, other things are suggested along the way that could be better than your original plan. The most important bit of the plan “Adapt and Enjoy”.

Lots of people have done this.

Start with a site-specific google search:

Type in:
site:horizonsunlimited.com UK to Australia

Try some different search terms.

Read the 'Ride Tales' section of the HUBB, too.

China will be expensive, if you are solo maybe around $5000+ for a few days. In a group maybe a bit cheaper, $3000. Most people avoid it unless they have a particular interest.

Maybe tell us a bit more about yourself and what you like. What bike are you thinking of riding? What scenery do you enjoy? Are you camping everywhere or staying in hotels? Overall budget? That might help the HUBBers offer some advice.

The key thing to decide is the broad brush of your route:
- Option 1 - South through Pakistan and India - you need a carnet which is a bit of a performance, but more importantly can be very expensive.
- Option 2 North - through Russia (and Mongolia if you want to and you'd be crazy not to). No carnet needed - just a bit of visa beaurocracy to negotiate (well described elsewhwere on this site - look for info on Business Visa's).

I (like many others who contributr to this site) have done the Russian route albeit in reverse. The info on my trip which was a year ago is at the blog link below my signature.

Happy planning - and if you start to get something specific questions don't be afraid to ask.

All the best

There are 2 'main' overland routes from Europe to Pakistan (and India): South or north side of Afghanistan. North will have the visa circus of some Central Asian countries, and also require you to get your bike into China, a major PITA, but a relatively short route in China, so that option has been used by some, if not many travellers.

South means having to get visa for Iran, and areas in western Pakistan are somewhat dodgy, but very few seem to have any real safety issues.

Carnet will be required for Pakistan and India (possibly Iran, too), but it's not really the big monster that some make it out to be. Or anyway I would not plan the whole trip around it, it adds to the paperwork, but you typically arrange it before you leave. And if you want to go to Oz, then you will need it anyway.

I'd advice the OP to search this site, there's truckloads of threads about these routes and paperwork.

I am looking for a drz 400 (after selling my er6n), I will be planning on camping for most of the time. Hopefully making it cheaper. I have 7.5k. But already have all the gear I need (apart from bike). So will have 7.5k spending (still saving?)

Get the DRZ400, fit a bigger tank, and have 7.5k spending - you'll have 95% of what you need. The rest will be details.

Good luck

Sounds like a good plan!

Perth to Perth . Uk to oz
 

Hi there.

I'm still doing my uk to oz. currently in Bangkok heading to Phuket tomorrow then onto Sumatra, java and Bali.

See my waffle here

Hey Steven, I think we were parked next to you in Chandigarh a couple months ago;) (ours is a washington DC plated 800gs). Sorry we missed you, we were hanging out with the local bikers.

We joined a group of 10 motos to do the china crossing earlier this year, we all hooked up here. Everyone crossed turkey but then some went Iran-Turkmenistan-Uzbekistan, we did Georgia-Russia-Kaz-Uz (long and arduous but amazing) then Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan...crossing into china then Pakistan via the high passes. Down the KkH and we had to put all 10 bikes on a boat across lake Attabad which submerges 13 miles of the KkH. Into India via Amritsar. IMHO I don't think I would've preferred the southern route up Pak as much, tons more security and more long hard slow riding. Baltistan is simply amazing. The KkH is not all paved but there is lots of variety;)

Now we are in India, just left Meghalaya. I'm finding that India can go really quickly or really slowly (if you love it as we do!)

Visas & carnet are all pricey. Circus is a good description:). Doing the group for china was one of the best parts. It's great to mix up riding with company, and we keep reconnecting which is so fun. I'm sure several groups for 2013 and beyond will form on this forum:)

Sounds like an amazing part of your trip!
Could you give us a brief summary of your expenses for all this? How big was the China part? Did you find all your company here at the HUBB?
I want to an equal trip down to AUS with getting into Georgia in July next year and still not sure about taking north or south route into India.
But it could be already too late getting into the " 'stans" in August?? :freezing:

7.5k are you talking all the time? I guess it's GBP? I'm also looking into this amount, but in €. Not sure how far I'll come...


Ciao ALex

China for us was about $900usd (2up) which also included lodging. Without the group this would've run us $2-3k so a group saves a lot. It's still pricey, only 5 days for us and we had to deal with long useless waits at the DMV, crappy hotels & extra charges. Still it was very interesting. We all met right here, I think the initial thread was Fern's.

Visas for the stans...super expensive. I think we were paying $200-250 per visa but because we were working multiple jobs we used a visa service for most of it. Russia & India were both business visas. The only 2 we got on the road were taj & uz from Istanbul. We had 2 sets of passports and left a set at home processing while we traversed Europe. The timing is tricky...also very important (thank you HU peoples) you must apply for Pakistan from your home country. And they take their time:). If you do all of your own consulate hopping, you should save a lot.

We entered Georgia the beginning of August (had to spend a month in turkey, it's awesome) and did Kazakhstan mid August. It was hot as balls. By the time we got to china the climate had gone all over the place. To avoid snow on the high passes we didn't go too late, ended up in Pakistan in sept. haven't been south in India yet, still riding the out of this world mountains in the north, Nepal, next Bhutan...but the monsoon is well over. The others report 35 & humid in Bangkok:)

hi there
 

Hi guys. Yes sorry i missed you. By the time I got out of bed you had gone. Have you guys got a website or similar?

Cheers
Steven

Er, hasn't been updated since Austria. We are lazy. I'm all over FB tho (Si Kailian)

we're planning on leaving end of April 2013 if all goes to plan. Here's the proposed route..however it may change depending on mood, war, illness or following a monkey attack...

UK - Holland - Germany - Schweiz or Osterreich - Italy - Slovenia - Croatia - Montenegro - Albania - Greece - Turkey - Georgia - Armenia - Iran - Pakistan - India - Nepal - Thailand - Laos/Cambodia/Vietnam (backpack Vietnam) - Malaysia - Singapore (might not take bike in.. need to research this) - Indonesia - East Timor - Darwin

Again giving ourselves a year with plenty of chilling out involved in bits we like, rough milestones.. get to the mountains by October (north Pakistan and north India) and Nepal by November - December-ish.

We got snowed out of Ladakh this year around early/mid October. And the roads do close there. Leaving in April and going via iran should give you good time to make the mountains well before the snows. I'm finding the cutoff times are more west to east. We've been able to enjoy the mountains well into December in this direction.

Perfect,a new thread I can follow.
Starting to research the Ireland to Oz trip,in the very early stages.
I have all the gear,bike is good to go,just need route and visa info,plus best departure times.

hmm. I better get on wiring those heated grips then. It's probably hit and miss with the snow (year to year). I guess mid to end of Sept for mountains in Pak, then October - Dec is prime time for Nepal (more mountains yey). I think it'll work out OK... if it snows we'll just go elsewhere, thanks for the info :D

How many of you will be riding? And what bikes will you be riding do you think?

It's just me and the pillion-wife (well she will be wife in Feb unless one of us bails out :P ) on the Africa Twin and a tent. Tried to get her to learn but she started too late... otherwise would've taken a drz400 with a big tank.More details here (the last post has most up-to-date route idea): http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/hub...a-2013-a-66811

Now thinking of doing this trip in reverse as in Oz to the UK....

Im asking for people's opinion on this?

Im thinking a disadvantage would be that bikes cost alot more over there, but I wouldn't have to ship one back if I drove one over there.

Opinions?

Hi Rfothy

My wife and I are planning the exact same as you. Oz to UK, shipping bikes to Oz first. We're thinking Jan 14 and back in UK by July. Would like to do Iran route but not sure if its even possible to get visas as UK citizens just now. That leaves Chinese KKH but money might be an issue. We're hoping to do the trip for £10,000 after shipping bikes to Oz. Can't believe it's cheaper than buying bikes in Oz but there you go, so that's what I'm doing. About £1000 per bike to ship.

hi dear travelrs
hope you are doing well
there is no problem with iranian visa you can get it i hosted many of bikers from uk in 2012
about iran visa:Iran Visa Application Form & Travel Information | London UK

and pay attention you should get pakistan visa in your homecountry not anywhere else if you want cross pakistan

BTW we have place for staying travelers with safe parking,bed,breakfast,lunch,showing city and so on.if you want contact us when you cross our city.

you can get in touch with me ,my contacs is on my blog

Overlanders,Meeting Mr.Hossein

cheers

Thanks Degsy thats a good help.

Just finished Wollongong to woolwich. Good book about this route. £3 on kindle. Give it a look

just thought I would revive this thread, I have got myself one step further on my plans.. By getting the bike (xt600e).

The reason I am here is to ask how the cost of a carnet Is worked out? Is it the value of the bike? or the countries visited etc?

Also looking for anyone with any advice on proposed dates to leave, the plan at the moment is to head south taking in turkey, Iran. Then heading through india nepal and planning to head through Burma....is this possible?

I think the simple answer to that is still “no”.

Some sort of change may be happening in Burma, but veeeeeeeeryyyy sloooowlyyyy... for example, just lately, a few groups have been able to arrange entry with their bikes from Thailand (at a cost, and not before taking months to negotiate the whole thing with the government/travel agency).

But even that is still pretty far away from being able to cross Burma overland from Thailand to India, or vice versa. And while I´ve never been to eastern parts of India, it is my understanding, that you would also need special permits to even enter the Indian states, that share border with Burma.

Oh I see so it seems like I will have to take in a bit of china to miss this part, or I guess ship the bike and myself over the top of it.

I will have to look into the options of sending the bike over. Just trying to work out how much money I'm going to need before I set off. So need to factor in these things aswell as carnet costs. Which I don't have any clue about...

Yes, riding overland to Southeast Asia from other parts of Asia is a big problem. Probably 9 out of 10 travellers who go that way, don´t even try it, for reasons listed before. It is so annoying, that those two countries (governments) so effectively block the overland-routes, but that´s just the way it is, been that way for decades actually.

For carnet costs, contact the AA in your country (RAC in the UK?)... and you might also drop a mail to German ADAC as well, I´m not sure if they´ll be able to help you out, but wouldn´t hurt to ask.

Brilliant mate. Cheers mate. You have been a great help.

Anyone have any idea of costs to ship a bike over burma? (and myself) Just trying to guess what kind of budget I need for this trip..

KTM to BKK cost
 

I flew my bike from Kathmandu to Bangkok in November 12. Cost for total weight of 340kg was $950.

Just to give some rough idea, we (me&my girlfriend) sent one DL650 by air from Chennai to Bangkok (via Kuala Lumpur, flown by Malaysia Airlines MASKargo), and it cost us some 600 euros total. Our own flight tickets Chennai-Bangkok direct flight on Thai Airways were around 200€ each. So just about 1000€ total to transport one bike and 2 people across the Bay of Bengal. But this was a while ago, in January 2008. To do it now would cost a bit more for the bike, I think. Your own flight tickets you could get cheaper though, if you shop around....

Strange as it might sound, quotes for seafreight out of Chennai to either Bangkok seaport or Port Klang Malaysia were almost the same, just around 600€.... actually I would not send by sea on this route, it has many more uncertain things, that can (and usually do!) go wrong, so you get big delays, and to deal with “hidden costs”, even corruption, so in short, save yourself a headache, and send by air. (Sending out of India, by air, actually caused me a small headache!)

Another question to come, the string of islands leading from kuala lumpar to east timor?? Is it the case of jumping on a local boat with the bike to jump between islands??

There is a lot more here than just the 'Hub'

Have you tried LOOKing at the above blue bar thingys?

'ON THE ROAD' then 'Getting there' then type in India and select Asia .. for the second select Asia alone .. and press search .. gets a number of shipments with there details ... even a large scale map

Shipping the Bike | Horizons Unlimited

Basically yes. But closer you get to Timor, the more complicated and time-consuming it´ll get. Don´t assume their timetables, or anything related to ferries to be like it would be back home! But it´s a relatively used route, definitely do-able, just don´t be in a hurry..

Also how to get your bike across the Strait of Malacca (West Malaysia to Sumatra) is a known problem, the most common and probably easiest way is/was using Cakra Shipping´s ´onion boats´ out of Penang, but I don´t know, if they still operate.

But you reckon it is still possible? Or just ship straight from KL?

The most recent info here indicates that the Cakra onion boat is running once again from Malaysia to Indonesia (and the other way). We plan to give them a go in about 5 weeks from Penang.

Yeah I think it should be possible, plenty of travellers have done it in the past few years. Personally I would NOT skip Indonesia, as I think it was quite simply one of the most fantastic places that I´ve ever been to! But get a 60-day visa, if you can, I was stupid, and just got the 30 days on arrival in Belawan.. you really can´t see a country that big properly in 30 days, especially when there´s a lot of boat trips involved. Extending the visa might be possible, but talking with the expats in Bali, it didn´t seem so simple, or cheap.

If Cakra´s onion boats are still going, that´s good news I think. Indonesian customs can be really erratic, sometimes travellers have had big problems clearing their bikes, even when all papers should be ok. But on that point of entry (Belawan) everything with customs was a breeze. My own experience is from 5 years back, but the reports from those who have used Cakra Shipping, have been mostly positive.

Brilliant help guys, been trying to research if I need another visa for timor as Im not sure if its part of indonesia. Any help?

West Timor - part of Indonesia.

East Timor - separate country.