Driving to Japan

[jasonrobertson86]

Interesting. What is the blog you're following?

[Puggit]

When I read your post, this story about a Canadian family who moved to Russia, setting up bank accounts and them immediately having them frozen came to mind:

https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/conservative-f...

[aeropilot]

GT03ROB said:

Think long & hard about going through Russia.

Indeed.
Even out in eastern Russia, as Vladivostok and those eastern areas have contributed a lot to Pootin's meatgrinder fodder in Ukraine.
Being there is one thing, but being in a remote area with a non-Russian western registered vehicle might not be a great idea any time in the foreseeable future.

You might be OK with a LHD, African registered Land Cruiser though.

[Stick Legs]

Depending on how much you are morally on board with it an approach to the Russian Authorities requesting permission for the trip may yield results.

They would probably be delighted to show a Westerner visiting their country as it shows them to be a functioning member of the global society.

Be prepared to be interviewed & have minders.

This ‘journalist’ got unprecedented access to Russian military units.

https://youtu.be/INmE29ZuLBE?si=ajd2W4cA5r9RKn01

I’d imagine your road trip could be spun as an example of how the people of the West don’t agree with their leaders.

[r3g]

Be aware that if you go through Iran you'll be denied access to some countries in the future, notably the USA. So if that matters to you, you need to avoid Iran. Plenty of travel "vloggers" have found this out the hard way.

[RichFN2]

Quick look at the Russian embassy website seems to suggest UK passport holders on a tourist visa need to fly into Russia, and I wouldn't be surprised if they need to see the return flight details.

Unfortunately I suspect the hardest part will be getting into Russia, not how the locals treat you.

Bald and Bankrupt was arrested and kicked out of Russia despite having the correct visa etc.

[Bill]

r3g said:

Be aware that if you go through Iran you'll be denied access to some countries in the future, notably the USA. So if that matters to you, you need to avoid Iran. Plenty of travel "vloggers" have found this out the hard way.

But it may limit your eligibility for an ESTA.

[Zetec-S]

Puggit said:

When I read your post, this story about a Canadian family who moved to Russia, setting up bank accounts and them immediately having them frozen came to mind:

https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/conservative-f...

What a couple of cretins

[CharlesdeGaulle]

This sounds like a fantastic adventure and the sort of thing I would love to do. All that said, and at risk of coming across as a proper wuss, I wouldn't be planning it now. I certainly wouldn't be entertaining any sort of endeavour through Russia for the foreseeable future. Even if you take the moral argument out of it - and I could not - I think you'd be putting yourself at not-inconsiderable risk.

Find an alternative route or, if you can't, fly out and hire a camper in Japan and make the most of your time there.

[aeropilot]

CharlesdeGaulle said:

Find an alternative route

There isn't one that doesn't involving going through either Russia or China.

[CharlesdeGaulle]

aeropilot said:

CharlesdeGaulle said:

Find an alternative route

There isn't one that doesn't involving going through either Russia or China.

You snipped the 'or if you can't...'

[aeropilot]

CharlesdeGaulle said:

aeropilot said:

CharlesdeGaulle said:

Find an alternative route

There isn't one that doesn't involving going through either Russia or China.

You snipped the 'or if you can't...'

Yes, because reading the OP's reasons for the trip in his posts, you're 'if you can't' bit is irrelevant.

[Snow and Rocks]

GT03ROB said:

If he misses Iran & Turkmenistan, then heads into China/mongolia no problem

The only slight issue with that is that to get from Kazakhstan into mongolia involves driving through part of Russia. The relatively short stretch in Russia to mongolia's Western border is a beautiful drive surrounded by mountains on reasonable tarmac but the mongolian border crossing is slow (4 days for us), is at high altitude so is freezing cold and has no facilities. You can then expect endless bone shaking gravel and rock roads with river crossings once into mongolia.

China is obviously more developed but by all accounts is a massive and expensive PITA to take your own car through.

OP - we drove from Scotland to Ulanbataar in 2012. Obviously some of my info will be out of date but if there's anything specific you want to know feel free to ask.

Route we opted for - UK, France, Germany, Czech R., Germany, Austria, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, Turkey, Iraq, Iran, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Russia, mongolia.

Don't be put off by the actual people anywhere along that route - they were almost without fail, friendly and helpful, sometimes embarrassingly so. I would also do my best to look poor and slightly dishevelled, other travellers we met on shiny BMW bikes and driving unimogs seemed to get a much less friendly welcome. The LDV should help with this at least!

Edited by Snow and Rocks on Thursday 11th April 12:59

[smithyithy]

Just throwing this out there OP, but would a more 'southern' route be possible, something in this ballpark:



Down through Europe however you want, down to Turkey, cross to Egypt (bit close to Israel etc but you head south away from the area), cross into Saudi and across Iran / Pakistan / India via Saudi / UAE / Oman depending what options available..

Can then go India, Nepal, China etc if they're possible.. To me that'd overall probably be safer than Russia and the other 'Stans, and the potential monotony of Kaz / mongolia...

[Bill]

Some of those swims look quite long!

[Snow and Rocks]

smithyithy said:

the potential monotony of Kaz / mongolia...

No practical experience of the viability of your suggested route, Pakistan might be tricky and China is a ballache, I also don't think there's a scheduled crossing from the Middle East to Pakistan/India but mongolia is anything but monotonous.

It's slow, rough, remote, desolate and hard work at times but is genuinely one of if not the most spectacular countries in the world. Huge flocks of Golden Eagles, spectacular views everywhere, absolute freedom to pretty much drive and camp wherever you like. Genuinely incredible.

Edited by Snow and Rocks on Thursday 11th April 13:58

[StupidDecisions]

Solo trip? How is your health?

Even if you get travel insurance for Russia consider if you will be able to pay for any hospital treatment upfront and if you would be happy being treated in a rural Russian hospital.

[Bill]

Also India is very touchy about many of its borders particularly NW and East so I don't think you can get to the Myanmar border even if they'd let you in.

[RichFN2]

smithyithy said:

Just throwing this out there OP, but would a more 'southern' route be possible, something in this ballpark:



Down through Europe however you want, down to Turkey, cross to Egypt (bit close to Israel etc but you head south away from the area), cross into Saudi and across Iran / Pakistan / India via Saudi / UAE / Oman depending what options available..

Can then go India, Nepal, China etc if they're possible.. To me that'd overall probably be safer than Russia and the other 'Stans, and the potential monotony of Kaz / mongolia...

That would involve driving in Cairo India in general Dhaka the traffic is utterly horrendous but would certainly be more 'interesting' than my Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan and mongolia suggestion

[Zetec-S]

Yeah the ongoing civil war in Myanmar is probably a good reason to avoid that part of the world.