Drive from Uk to Malaysia
Discussion
Hi! I'm currently an international student in the UK. When my degree is done, I'm planning to purchase an old Defender and drive it down to Malaysia. Heres a simple chart on my planned route.
England -> France -> Spain -> Portugal -> Morocco -> Algeria -> Tunisia -> Italy -> well, basicall most of the little countries in europe -> Scandinavia -> Eastern Europe -> go down into Egypt by boat and back into Europe by boat as well ->Turkey -> Little countries into Russia - Kazakhstan -> Mongolia - China -> Bhutan -> Tibet Myanmar/Burma-> Thailand - Malaysia
Its a pretty long winded journey and I estimate about 3 months for it, as I would not be passing these countries. I'll be visitng their historical sites, trying out the local food and experiencing local culture.
For this trip, I plan to get an old Defender 110 with some form of bullet proofing as I've heard some of these countries aren't the safest to begin with. Also, the Defender will basically be where I sleep in whenever I can't find a cheap b&b.
Now here comes the tricky bit, I've did some research on my own, but I'm not too sure what I will need for each country. Can I purchase a global insurance? I read that there are companies in England that will certify your vehicle as registered in UK, you as the vehicle owner and stuff, but I'm not too sure what that does. Any help with this trip will be appreciated, especially regarding logistics.
Andrew
England -> France -> Spain -> Portugal -> Morocco -> Algeria -> Tunisia -> Italy -> well, basicall most of the little countries in europe -> Scandinavia -> Eastern Europe -> go down into Egypt by boat and back into Europe by boat as well ->Turkey -> Little countries into Russia - Kazakhstan -> Mongolia - China -> Bhutan -> Tibet Myanmar/Burma-> Thailand - Malaysia
Its a pretty long winded journey and I estimate about 3 months for it, as I would not be passing these countries. I'll be visitng their historical sites, trying out the local food and experiencing local culture.
For this trip, I plan to get an old Defender 110 with some form of bullet proofing as I've heard some of these countries aren't the safest to begin with. Also, the Defender will basically be where I sleep in whenever I can't find a cheap b&b.
Now here comes the tricky bit, I've did some research on my own, but I'm not too sure what I will need for each country. Can I purchase a global insurance? I read that there are companies in England that will certify your vehicle as registered in UK, you as the vehicle owner and stuff, but I'm not too sure what that does. Any help with this trip will be appreciated, especially regarding logistics.
Andrew
atmx1990 said:
Hi! I'm currently an international student in the UK. When my degree is done, I'm planning to purchase an old Defender and drive it down to Malaysia. Heres a simple chart on my planned route.
England -> France -> Spain -> Portugal -> Morocco -> Algeria -> Tunisia -> Italy -> well, basicall most of the little countries in europe -> Scandinavia -> Eastern Europe -> go down into Egypt by boat and back into Europe by boat as well ->Turkey -> Little countries into Russia - Kazakhstan -> Mongolia - China -> Bhutan -> Tibet Myanmar/Burma-> Thailand - Malaysia
Its a pretty long winded journey and I estimate about 3 months for it, as I would not be passing these countries. I'll be visitng their historical sites, trying out the local food and experiencing local culture.
For this trip, I plan to get an old Defender 110 with some form of bullet proofing as I've heard some of these countries aren't the safest to begin with. Also, the Defender will basically be where I sleep in whenever I can't find a cheap b&b.
Now here comes the tricky bit, I've did some research on my own, but I'm not too sure what I will need for each country. Can I purchase a global insurance? I read that there are companies in England that will certify your vehicle as registered in UK, you as the vehicle owner and stuff, but I'm not too sure what that does. Any help with this trip will be appreciated, especially regarding logistics.
Andrew
Brilliant ! Really funny ,made my Sunday morning .England -> France -> Spain -> Portugal -> Morocco -> Algeria -> Tunisia -> Italy -> well, basicall most of the little countries in europe -> Scandinavia -> Eastern Europe -> go down into Egypt by boat and back into Europe by boat as well ->Turkey -> Little countries into Russia - Kazakhstan -> Mongolia - China -> Bhutan -> Tibet Myanmar/Burma-> Thailand - Malaysia
Its a pretty long winded journey and I estimate about 3 months for it, as I would not be passing these countries. I'll be visitng their historical sites, trying out the local food and experiencing local culture.
For this trip, I plan to get an old Defender 110 with some form of bullet proofing as I've heard some of these countries aren't the safest to begin with. Also, the Defender will basically be where I sleep in whenever I can't find a cheap b&b.
Now here comes the tricky bit, I've did some research on my own, but I'm not too sure what I will need for each country. Can I purchase a global insurance? I read that there are companies in England that will certify your vehicle as registered in UK, you as the vehicle owner and stuff, but I'm not too sure what that does. Any help with this trip will be appreciated, especially regarding logistics.
Andrew
Have you looked into getting sponsorship? This is one serious drive that often takes a team of pro's. You won't be able to just hop in your car and drive to the other side of the world. What if you break down?! Do you have a back up truck?! Have you even just been on holiday on foot to some places to appreciate the scale of what you're trying to do?!
This seems extremely ambitious (something that would appear on the BBC as a documentary)!
This seems extremely ambitious (something that would appear on the BBC as a documentary)!
Edited by Anubis on Sunday 21st March 11:19
I think you need you need to speak to someone who's done these kind of trips. There are a few people on here who have done big overland trips (usually sponsored for charity) that can tell you what you can expect.
The route you've described doesn't really make any sense, but if that's where you wanna go, go for it..
The route you've described doesn't really make any sense, but if that's where you wanna go, go for it..
The idea of the trip is to see as many places as possible. Money isn't really a problem as me and a mate are going on a placement year before the trip. We'll probably be able to save about £15,000 for it. Over the next one year, I'll be applying for visas and going for driving courses as well as learning how to maintain the defender. I've been thinking about this trip since I started uni and am getting to work on it now. The initial plan was to go on foot but someone suggested a defender instead and I thought, hey, why not? With a car I can set the whole pace myself. I like to look at it as my reward for completing my degree. 
I have never done travelling by foot but I have travelled quite a bit around the world. Is there some sort of insurance coverage that will cover all the countries I'm visiting? Has anyone driven in Algeria? I would like to know how safe it is to drive in Alegeria, Tunisia and Morocco. Thanks for your help.
Andrew
I have never done travelling by foot but I have travelled quite a bit around the world. Is there some sort of insurance coverage that will cover all the countries I'm visiting? Has anyone driven in Algeria? I would like to know how safe it is to drive in Alegeria, Tunisia and Morocco. Thanks for your help.
Andrew
OK firstly Myanmar aint gonna happen. The land borders in from the western / northern sides do not exist (brits and japs in WW2 were the last people to maintain the routes)
This http://www.amazon.co.uk/First-Overland-London-Singapore-Land-Rover/dp/1904955142 will be able to give you some idea of what some issues are like from 50 years ago when the world was a friendly place.
Finally it IS possible as some neighbours of mine did a Singapore to London overland a few years ago (8 landies / landcruisers etc left, only one, an old ex RAF Lightweight, actually did the whole trip.) It took them a lot more than 3 months to do.
This http://www.amazon.co.uk/First-Overland-London-Singapore-Land-Rover/dp/1904955142 will be able to give you some idea of what some issues are like from 50 years ago when the world was a friendly place.
Finally it IS possible as some neighbours of mine did a Singapore to London overland a few years ago (8 landies / landcruisers etc left, only one, an old ex RAF Lightweight, actually did the whole trip.) It took them a lot more than 3 months to do.
Hi Andrew,
First off, don't let anybody kill your dream, it absolutely can be done...I know, I've done it
You do need to have a major re-think on your route and choice of vehicle though.
As for insurance, there are a couple of companies that offer a global insurance policy but they are ridiculously expensive....and by that I mean would take up most of your 15k budget! You don't need it, just get a good policy from a Uk insurer which includes a European green card for as long as you will be in Europe. Outside of europe you can buy insurance at the border.
The carnet which someone has eluded to earlier but not explained is like a passport for your vehicle. it is essential for travel in most countries outside of Europe. They are issued by the RAC by a very helpful man called Paul Gowan. The cost depends on several factors the largest one being the value of your vehicle and which countries you are going through. You have to pay a deposit for your carnet which varies depending which countries you are visiting and the legislation in those countries....for example the most expensive one on the list is Egypt who require a deposit of 800% of the value of your vehicle! I suggest you miss out Egypt. The next most expensive is Iran at 500%. I went through there, however Paul was able to arrange a carnet insurance for me which reduced the cost hugely and also offered me a discount as I was fundraising for charity.
You also have to consider visa costs and letters of invitation which are required by some countries. 15K sounds a lot but the route you are suggesting (apart from not joining up)would cost you 15k in fuel costs alone in a defender!
If malaysia is your final destination then the toughest part is going to be the Burma/China options. Burma IS possible, there is a company called Oz bus who go through there(perhaps one of there tours would be a better option for you). It is however a nightmare, the first problem you have is that there is only one border crossing between India and Myanmar which is open to foreigners. To enter there you need to cross a sensitive region of India which requires a special permit. The problem here is that the permit can only be issued in person, in Calcutta, shortly before entering the area. There is no guarantee you will be granted the permit so it could be game over right there. If you do make it into Burma then there is a problem with a region of Burma which the military regime will not allow foreigners to enter...and you will have to pass it somehow. The only way around this is to hire a driver to take your car through the region while you fly over and hope they meet you at the alloted place on the other side. There are outbreaks of fighting in Burma and a very good chance that you could be turned back on a road at any time because the military regime do not want you to see how they are abusing the natives!
I decided all of the issues above made Burma too much of a gamble and went the India-Nepal-Tibet-China route. This is hugely problematic too. the chinese authorities will not allow you to travel independently through China, especially Tibet. So you have no option but to hire an official tour guide to sit in your car, make racist comments and leach as much money out of you as possible. We had to pay £5000 for our 2 weeks driving our own car through tibet and China. We had endless problems with the tour company and guide and when we reached Lhasa they refused to let us continue. Our guide, who couldn't drive and had never owned a car, decided our car wasn't suitable for the road that the tour company had arranged for us to travel on. We were stuck in Lhasa for 11 days arguing with them and eventually had to concede to their blackmail. We had to pay another 1000euros to put our car, which was running perfectly, on a truck to the Laos border and we had to fly out of the country then travel up to the laos side of the border to meet the car. So essentially we paid £5800 plus flight costs of £300 for the priviledge of spending 1 week driving our own car in China! On the plus side I made it to Everest base camp!! A large part of the costs they charge are government charges which again are based on the value of your vehicle. Also, as China are not part of the international carnet agreement, you have to pay an extra insurance bond which should be returned to you after you leave the country but is also a vast amount based on the value of your vehicle.
I'll leave it there as that's a hell of a lot to take in. I hope I haven't put you off because despite all the hassles I'd do it again in a shot. I can also guide you towards a more expensive but reliable tour company in China.
Take a look through my website:
www.getchamotorrunning.co.uk
particularly the Uk to Australia section
www.ozrally.org
the facebook oz rally group is well worth a read too as we discussed many of the problems faced on there. Happy to discuss with you further....
Oh and this is the car I took, this was in pakistan:
My only puncture!
and this is me at mount Everest
First off, don't let anybody kill your dream, it absolutely can be done...I know, I've done it
You do need to have a major re-think on your route and choice of vehicle though.
As for insurance, there are a couple of companies that offer a global insurance policy but they are ridiculously expensive....and by that I mean would take up most of your 15k budget! You don't need it, just get a good policy from a Uk insurer which includes a European green card for as long as you will be in Europe. Outside of europe you can buy insurance at the border.
The carnet which someone has eluded to earlier but not explained is like a passport for your vehicle. it is essential for travel in most countries outside of Europe. They are issued by the RAC by a very helpful man called Paul Gowan. The cost depends on several factors the largest one being the value of your vehicle and which countries you are going through. You have to pay a deposit for your carnet which varies depending which countries you are visiting and the legislation in those countries....for example the most expensive one on the list is Egypt who require a deposit of 800% of the value of your vehicle! I suggest you miss out Egypt. The next most expensive is Iran at 500%. I went through there, however Paul was able to arrange a carnet insurance for me which reduced the cost hugely and also offered me a discount as I was fundraising for charity.
You also have to consider visa costs and letters of invitation which are required by some countries. 15K sounds a lot but the route you are suggesting (apart from not joining up)would cost you 15k in fuel costs alone in a defender!
If malaysia is your final destination then the toughest part is going to be the Burma/China options. Burma IS possible, there is a company called Oz bus who go through there(perhaps one of there tours would be a better option for you). It is however a nightmare, the first problem you have is that there is only one border crossing between India and Myanmar which is open to foreigners. To enter there you need to cross a sensitive region of India which requires a special permit. The problem here is that the permit can only be issued in person, in Calcutta, shortly before entering the area. There is no guarantee you will be granted the permit so it could be game over right there. If you do make it into Burma then there is a problem with a region of Burma which the military regime will not allow foreigners to enter...and you will have to pass it somehow. The only way around this is to hire a driver to take your car through the region while you fly over and hope they meet you at the alloted place on the other side. There are outbreaks of fighting in Burma and a very good chance that you could be turned back on a road at any time because the military regime do not want you to see how they are abusing the natives!
I decided all of the issues above made Burma too much of a gamble and went the India-Nepal-Tibet-China route. This is hugely problematic too. the chinese authorities will not allow you to travel independently through China, especially Tibet. So you have no option but to hire an official tour guide to sit in your car, make racist comments and leach as much money out of you as possible. We had to pay £5000 for our 2 weeks driving our own car through tibet and China. We had endless problems with the tour company and guide and when we reached Lhasa they refused to let us continue. Our guide, who couldn't drive and had never owned a car, decided our car wasn't suitable for the road that the tour company had arranged for us to travel on. We were stuck in Lhasa for 11 days arguing with them and eventually had to concede to their blackmail. We had to pay another 1000euros to put our car, which was running perfectly, on a truck to the Laos border and we had to fly out of the country then travel up to the laos side of the border to meet the car. So essentially we paid £5800 plus flight costs of £300 for the priviledge of spending 1 week driving our own car in China! On the plus side I made it to Everest base camp!! A large part of the costs they charge are government charges which again are based on the value of your vehicle. Also, as China are not part of the international carnet agreement, you have to pay an extra insurance bond which should be returned to you after you leave the country but is also a vast amount based on the value of your vehicle.
I'll leave it there as that's a hell of a lot to take in. I hope I haven't put you off because despite all the hassles I'd do it again in a shot. I can also guide you towards a more expensive but reliable tour company in China.
Take a look through my website:
www.getchamotorrunning.co.uk
particularly the Uk to Australia section
www.ozrally.org
the facebook oz rally group is well worth a read too as we discussed many of the problems faced on there. Happy to discuss with you further....
Oh and this is the car I took, this was in pakistan:
My only puncture!
and this is me at mount Everest
Edited by K17LER on Tuesday 23 March 01:04
Edited by K17LER on Tuesday 23 March 11:16
Edited by K17LER on Tuesday 23 March 11:18
chevy-stu said:
Was hoping you'd come and comment on this.. 
I think Andrew needs to come along to one of our Ace nights and bring a big world map!
My route was: UK - France - belgium - Germany - Austria - Solvenia - Croatia - Montenegro - Kosovo - Macedonia - Greece - Turkey - Iran - pakistan - India - Nepal - Tibet/China - Laos - Thailand - Malaysia - Singapore.
At Singapore I shipped the car home and flew into Australia for 2 weeks. I had planned to drive through the Indonesian islands using local ferries and ship the car from East Timor into Australia but because of the delay in China I ran out of time....had to get back for work! So I flew into Oz and drove my cousins Ute while i was over there.
It took me 3 months to get to Singapore and that was quite rushed at times with long driving days. I was in hospital in pakistan for 2 days with severe food poisoning and had altitude sickness at mount Everest....there is huge potential for illness/injury so you must make sure you take a decent first aid kit and get a bit of training. You also have to consider things like sat-phones. I didn't take one, my mobile got a signal in most places. Andy Pag did take one on his bio-truck expedition and was arrested in India as a suspected terrorist just because he had a sat-phone! CB's are also illegal in some countries so these are all things you need to be aware of.
The time of year you are travelling is also relevant because of weather patterns. i left the Uk on 4th July 2009 and got back 15th October 2009. i managed to miss the worst of the monsoons but still had to traverse some pretty major mud and land slides in Nepal and the temperature hit 50 celsius in pakistan while I was there! Fortunately the bug is air-cooled so I didn't have the radiator boiling problems you will in a defender! My choice of vehicle was based on experience from previous rallies I've taken part in. It's simple, easy to get parts for in most parts of the world, air-cooled, good off-road and makes people smile. Don't under-estimate the importance of the last one, it can get you out of a lot of sticky situations and win you friends anywhere! I would have had a completely different experience in a modern expensive vehicle and it would have cost me a lot more!
Oh and previous journey's include, the Plymouth - Banjul challenge; a banger rally for cars bought for under £100. A friend found me a Beetle for £99 which hadn't run for 15 years. I went with another girl, we had no mechanical skills and our first break down was 20 minutes from home. This was the rally that taught me the magic effect of travelling in a car that makes people smile. The kindness and hospitality we received was legendary! To the point of some french guys fitting a new fuel tank for nothing!
Our route there was: UK, France, Spain, Morocco(very toursity in the north and very safe by the way), Western Sahara, Mauritania, Senegal, Gambia. Including 3 days off-roading in the Sahara.
Also did the Mongol rally the same year. In someone elses Nissan Micra. UK, France, Belgium, Germany, Chezch republic, Poland, Ukraine, Russia, kazakhstan, Mongolia.
Have driven through most of Europe too including a couple of trips round Italy, one of them following the classic Mille Miglia race and will be adding Norway, Sweden and Denmark to the list this summer
Thinking of another Sahara Desert trip in the Baja next winter and also want to do a drive round south America at some point in my life or maybe the pan-american highway.
Our route there was: UK, France, Spain, Morocco(very toursity in the north and very safe by the way), Western Sahara, Mauritania, Senegal, Gambia. Including 3 days off-roading in the Sahara.
Also did the Mongol rally the same year. In someone elses Nissan Micra. UK, France, Belgium, Germany, Chezch republic, Poland, Ukraine, Russia, kazakhstan, Mongolia.
Have driven through most of Europe too including a couple of trips round Italy, one of them following the classic Mille Miglia race and will be adding Norway, Sweden and Denmark to the list this summer
Thinking of another Sahara Desert trip in the Baja next winter and also want to do a drive round south America at some point in my life or maybe the pan-american highway.
Edited by K17LER on Tuesday 23 March 12:04
Edited by K17LER on Tuesday 23 March 12:10
My old man organised a rally along these lines. They did London - Sydney in 2005. Have a look at the old route at www.globalrally.org.uk
E36GUY said:
My old man organised a rally along these lines. They did London - Sydney in 2005. Have a look at the old route at www.globalrally.org.uk
Would that be in the red Healey 3000? I used to be in the Healey club with my sprite and now have a Sebring SX (modern healey I left a note on his car at the Goodwood Revival in 2008, with my e-mail address, saying what I was planning and asking if he could offer me some advice. he never got back to me so I found the website and sent him an e-mail.....he never answered. So I did it anyway without any guidance from previous runners!WOW. Thanks so much for the advice. I joined the facebook group. Unfortunately I'm only a second year student. The trip will take place in 1-2 years time. :S The Baja looks like a pretty good car to take on my round trip. Heres a list of the countries I plan on visiting.
England
Netherlands
Belgium
France
Spain
Portugal
Spain
Morocco
Algeria
Tunisia
Italy
Switzerland
Austria
Germany
Denmark
Sweden
Norway
Finland
Russia
Estonia
Latvia
Lithuania
Belarus
Poland
Czech Republic
Slovakia
Hungary
Romania
Bulgaria
Greece
Turkey
Armenia
Georgia
Russia
Kazakhstan
Mongolia
China
Bhutan
Back into China
Vietnam
Laos
Thailand
Malaysia
I'm not too sure about some of the Eastern European countries tho. Any comments on that route? I'm trying to figure out the safest route through the most countries back to malaysia. When the journey ends, I'll be looking to sell the car or just keep it as a reminder of my youth. :P Doing my best to make this happen now. But first off, I'm off calculating how much logistics cost in each country. Not having a british passport sux!
Andrew
P.S: I would love to attend one of the ACE meetings, especially during Easter!
Unfortunately I'm only a second year student. The trip will take place in 1-2 years time. :S The Baja looks like a pretty good car to take on my round trip. Heres a list of the countries I plan on visiting.England
Netherlands
Belgium
France
Spain
Portugal
Spain
Morocco
Algeria
Tunisia
Italy
Switzerland
Austria
Germany
Denmark
Sweden
Norway
Finland
Russia
Estonia
Latvia
Lithuania
Belarus
Poland
Czech Republic
Slovakia
Hungary
Romania
Bulgaria
Greece
Turkey
Armenia
Georgia
Russia
Kazakhstan
Mongolia
China
Bhutan
Back into China
Vietnam
Laos
Thailand
Malaysia
I'm not too sure about some of the Eastern European countries tho. Any comments on that route? I'm trying to figure out the safest route through the most countries back to malaysia. When the journey ends, I'll be looking to sell the car or just keep it as a reminder of my youth. :P Doing my best to make this happen now. But first off, I'm off calculating how much logistics cost in each country. Not having a british passport sux!
Andrew
P.S: I would love to attend one of the ACE meetings, especially during Easter!
I appreciate that you want to take in as many countries as possible but what you're suggesting there would take an absolute minimum of 6 months and thats if you had no problems or hold ups but that would give you no time to stop and smell the roses along the way either. Realistically you need to allow a year. Also going China Bhutan and back into China with the guide and permit situation I explained earlier that section alone would take up your entire 15k budget!
I took 2 years to plan the Oz Rally and you'll need it, there's a lot to sort out including getting your vehicle and prepping it for the trip. I'd suggest you buy your car as soon as possible and use it for a few shorter trips around Europe, Scandinavia and north Africa. that way you can knock them off of your route home and take a more direct route which you can fit in to your 3 month plan. It also gives you a chance to get to know your vehicle and find any problems before the big trip.
I should be at the Ace on monday 12th, not sure yet or I'll be on the Goodwood Breakfast club run on sunday 4th April with the rally car.
I took 2 years to plan the Oz Rally and you'll need it, there's a lot to sort out including getting your vehicle and prepping it for the trip. I'd suggest you buy your car as soon as possible and use it for a few shorter trips around Europe, Scandinavia and north Africa. that way you can knock them off of your route home and take a more direct route which you can fit in to your 3 month plan. It also gives you a chance to get to know your vehicle and find any problems before the big trip.
I should be at the Ace on monday 12th, not sure yet or I'll be on the Goodwood Breakfast club run on sunday 4th April with the rally car.
The only problem is I stll have to attend uni. :S Yeah, I just did a rough calculations on the route and it would take me nearly a year, if I stop off most countries for a week. I'll need to revise the route and drop the expensive places. I might just plot a direct route people usually take but stop over at countries nearby for a visit. This is gonna be my reward for completing uni. Planning this trip helps keep me sane from uni work lol.
Planning this trip helps keep me sane from uni work lol.Gassing Station | Events & Meetings | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff