Overlanding around the world, envious yes

[chef]

my advice would be

- work out how much money you have to spend on the trip based on time not earning (and constant bills such as Mortgage, pension etc.)
- buy a map of the world and mark on it all possibilities of where you'd like to go
- choose only those that follow a logical group/block/pattern/line
- look in lonely planets for average costs of a country and distance/times to travel the direction you want
- based on country costs, constant monthly outgoings and approx petrol costs you can work out how long you could spend away and roughly howlong in each country
- set a realistic date and tell everyone you're doing it and when you're leaving, that way you are less likely to back out or delay
- enjoy the trip

[milanbenes]

thanks for the advice Chef,

with a wife and two children I think the across the world trip is some time away yet, but still, the istanbul or morocco trip is possible :-)

What you did must have been amazing

Milan.

[Paddy]

Start with the trans Siberian express that fairly accessible

The train is very slow, but that is fine as most people is drinking vodka and shagging.

[Gibbon]

my advice would be

- work out how much money you have to spend on the trip based on time not earning (and constant bills such as Mortgage, pension etc.)
- buy a map of the world and mark on it all possibilities of where you'd like to go
- choose only those that follow a logical group/block/pattern/line
- look in lonely planets for average costs of a country and distance/times to travel the direction you want
- based on country costs, constant monthly outgoings and approx petrol costs you can work out how long you could spend away and roughly howlong in each country
- set a realistic date and tell everyone you're doing it and when you're leaving, that way you are less likely to back out or delay
- enjoy the trip

Ahhh Lonely Planet, not a patch on Time Out IMHO. However I’m sure it was the reason for a particularly memorable lunch in Rome a few years ago.

It was a cold Friday in January and I was just walking up from the Campo towards San Andrea d’Valle when the heavens opened so I decided to have lunch earlier than planned to get out of the rain. Anyway I went into a little restaurant and asked for a table for one. The owner didn’t look too happy for some reason and just pointed me in the direction of a little table cooped up at the back. I sat down and whilst waiting for service got my LP book out to plan the afternoon’s activities and also look for a different restaurant.

When the owner came back to take my order he caught sight of the book and his attitude changed immediately. He offered me a different better-placed table by the window and started suggesting some choices particularly the clams, as they were fresh that day. So ended up ordering artichokes, spaghetti vongole and saltimbocca with some house white. As I finished the artichoke the place was filling up and in walked a very attractive Italian lady on her own whom the owner somehow managed to place at my table. Well Gibbon was in his heaven! Great food, great company in my favourite city, but unfortunately didn’t get any bayonet practice. I’m convinced he thought I was spotting for LP.

[Dearnla]

If you have kids, do it before they reach secondary school age or wait till they leave home.

Pondlife, there are some great bikers out there. I met these two first in Pakistan and then several years later in Chile.

Lazy bu**ers - couldn't be bothered to hold down a real job, eh?

Now that Ewan & Charley have glamourised the "ride around the world on a BMW GS" everyone's at it. As a biker, I get asked many times if I've ever fancied doing the same. No way, José - I like a nice, warm Hotel and the ability to come home to the BBC, the lovely weather, the state of the economy, errr.....now, where's that map of Africa, Luv??

[Clippy]

thanks for the advice Chef,

with a wife and two children I think the across the world trip is some time away yet, but still, the istanbul or morocco trip is possible :-)

What you did must have been amazing

Milan.

Inspiration.