A lot of folks ask me how much it will cost me to drive around the world. I think it’s a pretty interesting question, and one of the first that come to mind when preparing such a trip.
What is sure is that it will cost me way more to go around the world driving instead of taking planes. But here are also savings associated with this choice. By using a car, I’ll be able to stay away of urban centers, and camp, sleep and cook out most of the time.
The truck
To begin with, one should expect to spend $10,000 on a car to have something that would be robust enough so it doesn’t have to be fixed every week. I was lucky enough to get a 1996 Land Cruiser for $6,700. The additional equipment for the car I estimate to an additional $3,500.
$4,000 should also be set aside for maintenance or repair work while on the road, while I hope I will only have to use a fraction of it.
This equipment includes a roof rack, a reinforced front bumper, safety devices so people don’t steal my new home, super-strong suspensions to take rough roads with heavy load, a storage system in the back, modifying the cargo area with bars or sheet of metal so my belongings are safe, a safe bolted to the frame, and last but not least a major upgrade of the electrical systems so I can run several devices for days before running out of juice.
Now people that know me are aware that I’m cheap, meaning what I paid is the barely minimum, and I did all the work on the car myself. Expect to pay at least double if you order pre-made systems, or go to a shop to get things installed.
Bush camping
But to save some money, I first had to invest more. For sleeping out, I chose to go with a roof tent. This is basically a pop up tent that go on the top of your car. It is so much nicer than to sleep on the ground. Unfolding it takes few minutes, and you never have to think about tales featuring scorpions in your shoes or snakes in your sleeping bag you heard from so-called good friends, back in Manhattan breweries. Anyhow, this little joke will cost you a grand.
Other camping equipment includes a fridge that lives in the car, a fuel stove which can run with unleaded gasoline, a small pop up tent to take showers and go to the restroom, water cans, and lanterns. You just added $800 to the bill.
Sailing and flying
Shipping a car is expensive, and I will have to do it at least five times, sometimes for 100 miles, sometimes between two continents. The cost I estimate at around $7,000. When the car is on the boat, most of the time you want to fly, so you are not stuck for weeks in a small cabin instead of taking advantage of the time you are not stuck in an office approximately the same size. Add $2,000.
Bureaucracy
The paperwork, insurance, visas costs can bring you down another $8,000. That, of course, if you find people crazy enough to insure your car, which I didn’t yet. The vaccinations can cost you up to $600, but you can save half of this money by getting these shots in Mexico, which will be my first stop outside of the U.S.
I also have to let a deposit to AAA so they know I will not try to sell the car to some prince abroad. That can easily be $20,000 I will only see when I return. This amount is calculated depending of the value of the car, and the paper called a Carnet de Passages.
Also, maps and guidebooks adds up to hundreds of dollars.
Food, lodging, gas
Food should not be more than $10 a day. Same for lodging, as I project to be sleeping for free, but once in a while, while in a big city, I will need an hotel with safe parking for the truck. I think I overestimated these amounts, and plan on spending less.
I estimated gas to $5,000 for the trip, but this is the most difficult to come up with, since gas on my route will range from 38 cents a gallon in Iran to $3.7 a gallon in Portugal.
The bottom line
The estimated grand total for the trip is $46,000, including the price of the car. But that’s the price to pay to go alone. If I find people crazy enough to go on the road with me, it will bring the tab down.
| ITEM | COST |
| Before Trip | |
| Land Cruiser | $6,700 |
| Roof tent | $1,045 |
| Roof rack | $600 |
| Steering wheel lock | $60 |
| Air compressor (tires) | $55 |
| High-lift jack | $100 |
| Sand ladders, recovery package | $200 |
| Jerrycans | $100 |
| Refrigerator | $500 |
| Batteries, split system | $400 |
| Fuel stove | $75 |
| Foldable toilet | $30 |
| Construction material for boxes | $350 |
| Suspension | $850 |
| Alarm | $220 |
| Shower | $100 |
| Maintenance, repair, small parts | $4,000 |
| Medical kit | $150 |
| Lighting (lanterns) | $100 |
| Insurances and bureaucracy | |
| Visas | $550 |
| Personnal insurance | $550 |
| Vehicle insurance | $2,000 |
| Carnet de passage | $2,500 |
| Vaccination | $400 |
| Maps, guidebooks | $300 |
| Car shipping | |
| From Arg to south Afr | $2,000 |
| From Morocco to spain | $300 |
| From India to Thailand | $1,000 |
| From Indonesia to USA | $2,500 |
| Darien Gap | $1,300 |
| Airfares | |
| From Arg to SA | $700 |
| From India to Thailand | $300 |
| From Indonesia to USA | $1,000 |
| Medellin panama if needed | $200 |
| Lodging (hotels, campgrounds) | $4,000 |
| Food | $4,000 |
| Gas | $6,000 |
| Total | $45,235 |