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Do what you like, the money will follow. Or not.

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.

electrical
An extra battery will power four 12-volts and two 110-volts sockets.

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.

The folded roof tent on the right and gas cans to extend the range of the gas-guzzler Toyota.
The folded roof tent on the right and some gas cans to extend the range of the Toyota.

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.

CarnetDePassage

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

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Route planning: trying to stay out of trouble

The first step in planning a round-the-world trip is to study which country you can cross or not. Somehow, driving west to east may be more difficult now than in the sixties, even if cars are stronger and roads better. Latin America is actually easier now, but the Middle-East is more of a challenge.
It is difficult now to cross Iraq and Afghanistan, and Myanmar (Burma) closed all its land borders to foreigner. China is more economically open now, but they make an overland trip an expensive affair by forcing you to take a government-approved guide in exchange of a considerable amount of money. The road to South-East Asia is sealed.

In Africa, it is very difficult to obtain visas for Chad and Sudan, making the west-to-east road impossible, as crossing the Algeria deserts and even isolated areas in Egypt is a good solution if one wants to experience kidnapping – or worst.

It takes a bit of time for the traveler to settle on an itinerary, which will never be perfect anyway. Situations keep changing, and need to be monitored frequently.

On my current route, there are still few places that could be problematic:

few spots on the road are still hazardous
Few spots on the route are still hazardous

The Darien Gap
A 100 miles long area of swamps and rain forest separating Panama and Colombia. There is no existing road connection, which make it the missing link in the Pan-American Highway. The inhabitants of this mountainous jungle with no marked trails are Indian tribes, guerillas and drug traffickers. There are no police or military in the area, and National Geographic calls it the most dangerous place in the Western Hemisphere.

Solution: Find a boat in Panama to ship the car to Colombia. While the car is on its way, take a small plane over the jungle, and pray to not have to do an emergency landing.

Angola
The problem with Angola is to get the visa. Hopefully I can get it in South Africa, the only place where it is available. Not getting it would force me to ship the car again, or to cross through a larger part of the Democratic Republic of Congo, which is better avoided these days.

Solution: Don’t leave South Africa without visa.

Nigeria
Violent crimes, religious tensions, armed muggings, assaults, burglary, kidnappings, extortions, carjacking, roadblock robberies, and armed break-ins are few of the features the country.

Solution: Go as fast as possible, and try to cross the country in few days.

Iran
Once inside the country, no problem. great country, nice people, few incidents are reported by travelers. I am more worry about arguments between countries that would lead to border closures, and no visa handed to foreigners.

Solution: Hope the situation stay under control and that my government will not get too excited. Get the visa in Paris at the same time I’ll get India and Pakistan visa.

Pakistan
Just imagine how much fun it will be to cross the country with NY license plates. A recent wave of suicide attacks dissuaded the last tourists to visit the country. Swat in the North West Frontier Province, which used be a great attraction for tourists, is in the grip of violence with militants demanding implementation of Islamic laws through the country.

Solution: Go as fast as possible, and try to cross the country in few days. Right now, foreigners driving overland benefit of military escort, which make the travel even more fun as soldiers drive like New York taxi drivers.

Myanmar (Burma)
The government doesn’t allow you to cross the country overland. Officially you can apply for a transit visa, but in reality, it is always denied. Tourists can only stay in few cities and areas.

Solution: Ship the car from Bangladesh to Thailand or Singapore. It is too difficult and costly to go via China.

Moving target: In few weeks, my route changed considerably

The old route
The old route

The new route
The new route