The diesel 4x4 Panda does about 50mpg (imperial) as does the larger Fiat Sedici



if that helps

Welcome to HU :)

I'd go the bike option and the minimalist approach, less expense, drama and considerably more fun! Finding accommodation or a campsite is half the fun! Here is one of my favourite sites regarding accommodation.

homestay, looking for host families, homestay accommodation

Good luck with it all, Dave.

I used to subscribe to all of these points, in the sense that I thought them to be sacrosanct, absolute "rules".
But, perspectives do change, especially with increasing age, and "absolutes" can also change.
For instance, ferry costs for the UK to mainland Europe are a variable in a pretty competitive market (but that latter does fluctuate); the least I have ever paid to cross the channel, one way from France to Britain in the depths of winter and including a bit of haggling, was £4.50 - I have never managed to match that price for a bike + rider.
Also, a ferry crossing for a 4 wheeled vehicle with up to 9 passengers can be obtained for "peanuts" some times; put 8 of your mates in to that vehicle and the cost/person is suddenly negligible (I'll be doing this very thing in April).

Regarding spares: I have found that nearly all spares prices for 4x4 are far better value than the equivalents for bikes; in this I have been very pleasantly surprised at how cheap bits and pieces are compared with the asking prices for 2 wheel parts of similar role. e.g. shockers.

Also, I don't suppose anyone in a 4 wheel vehicle would consider spending hundreds of $/£/Euro on bespoke luggage complete with special brackets to hold it onto the vehicle. :innocent:

Now, admittedly in my old age, I think the "cage" argument is not fully correct; one could always travel with an open top car, for instance, if you really want to smell the blossom etc rather than the inside of your sweaty helmet lining. :innocent:
Without all the motorcycling dress, especially the helmet, a driver in such a vehicle would look far more like a human than a bike rider (there is loads of discussion in here about arriving in some far-off-place on a bike and how to "greet the locals").
- in my case, a sun roof and wind-down windows work fine. :innocent:

New motorcycles are not particularly cheap nowadays, in the western world; especially so in recent years as western nations move away from 2 wheels, generally onto 4; economies of scale basically. The same thing is happening in India and China and, no doubt, elsewhere in the world.
This trend has been magnified by the use of bikes as leisure vehicles; toys with expensive price tags, in the extreme.

I still agree with most of the points however, but, in summary, there are no absolutes and there is a place and a time for various modes of travel.

Finally, bikes are more fun!!

ps A driver and co-driver can cover a lot of ground with 4 wheels, nominally indefinately - that's not too feasible on a bike (try doing it without pulling over for the change of driver + I have also made a cup of tea in a 4 wheeler for the on-duty driver).

Thanks.
I recently acquired a 17 year old diesel Landcruiser that probably does 1/2 that MPG (I have yet to check it out but it can run on veggie oil apparently), but the depreciation should be cheap. :D

For me, the cage vs. no case thing is probably the biggest single upside for a motorcycle. And come to think of it, it's not just the cage, it's also about the different feeling of riding a machine, versus driving one. A convertible car, ok nice, but doesn't seem popular on a RTW-trip, so maybe there are a few drawbacks.

But good point, that there are no absolute truths in this, just opinions really.

Sorry i'm so late back, hope you will get this.

We have a unimog 1300, which is about as slow and thirsty as an alcoholic sloth.

none the less, we love it, and it suits our travelling style perfectly.

You can see it at Moglander's Travels | The travels of Moglander, and all that sail in her.

Merv.

I don't think there's any one answer that works for everyone. I don't ride my motorcycle nearly as much as I did say 15 years ago; for trips of more than an hour I usually take the car. My shoulders and joints are getting creaky and don't take the punishment like they used to, and I've done enough slogging down the highway in cold wet weather to last me a lifetime.

On the other hand, when the weather is good and the road is curvy, nothing beats the fun of a motorcycle. And I would think for a RTW trip, shipping a motorcycle from continent to continent has to be cheaper and less hassle.

One other comment - the claim that a motorcycle is going to be expensive for parts and maintenance. Mmmm.... depends a LOT on the brand and type of motorcycle. If you strip the splines on a BMW's drive shaft in the middle of the desert, that's going to be pricey. On the other hand, if you look at some of the trip reports of guys riding around the world on the likes of a Honda Cub or a YBR125, they are spending just pennies per mile on maintenance and fuel. Now, mind you, they aren't as fast and can't carry nearly as much gear, but it's a question of what the traveller needs vs wants.