Trip Resources

The most time consuming part of any trip is the planning. Evenings spent pouring over maps, research into what vehicle to take. It all takes time, but it is great fun and if approached well should not be too daunting.

Here is the basic information you will need to plan your overland trip.

It is a very good idea to make photocopies of all the documents listed. Hard copies kept on a USB stick, and on an e-mail server will serve as an additional back up.

VEHICLE DOCUMENTS;

Vehicle Registration Document; V5 for UK vehicles, otherwise know as a Carte Gris, you must have the original with you.

Insurance; This will be dependant on your vehicles origin. Usually purchased at the border. Some European companies cover certain North African countries.

Carnet; A Carnet de Passage en Douanes is an internationally recognised Customs document entitling the holder to TEMPORARILY import a vehicle duty-free into countries, which normally require a deposit against import charges for such vehicles (generally countries outside Europe). A carnet is required for travel in:

• Africa
• Australia/New Zealand
• Far East
• Middle East
• Recommended in South America

This should be obtained from the motoring club in your country of residence. In the UK they are issued by the RAC.

PERSONAL DOCUMENTS;

Passport; A48 page version is recommended and must be valid for at least 6 months.

Drivers Licence; Your original Licence and an International Drivers Permit will be required. Colour copies are a good idea to have available for some situations.

Visa Requirements; Visa’s could add a considerable cost to a proposed trip. They must be planned correctly and applied for at the required stage of the journey. It is worth contacting Embassy’s personally to ascertain the current situation rather than relying on other people’s experiences. Situations regularly change regarding entry to some country’s, especially in Africa. Creating your own schedule with the various requirements is a good plan.

Vaccinations; What vaccinations you require will depend on your route, but some countries will require Vaccination Certificates, especially for Yellow Fever. Have a look at some of the Travel Health websites on our links page.

Personal Medical Info; A list of personal medical information translated into appropriate languages will be of benefit should an accident occur.

Insurance; There are many companies offering travel insurance, have a look in our Directory. But make sure they cover you for your intended activities and locations.

 

VEHICLE PREPARATION;

There are so many different options that we are not going to list them directly here. In order to help you research the vehicle that fulfils your needs you can look at the vehicles listed in the ‘My Wheels’ section and the vehicles used in the ‘Trip Reports’ section.

There are some excellent books covering vehicle choice and these can be seen on our reading list.

To purchase and prepare your ‘wheels’ you can use the marketplace and directory to source everything that you may need to complete your Overland Journey.