I'm going to skirt the world's great oceans and seas, pedal mountain ranges and cross deserts; explore corners of half the world — and the other half if I have time. I'm going to spend years on a bicycle, sleeping in a tent, living on next to nothing.
Think I'm bluffing? Eighteen months of travel, over 20,000 km of hitchhiking and at least 38 countries say otherwise. This is not a joke. The decision is made, and the adventure is just around the corner.
For the first time in eighteen months I actually have a rough idea of where I'm going, some general objectives and targets — though I'm keeping the flexibility that has defined my travels and led to the most spontaneous and wonderful experiences.
Solo, with someone, or in a group?
There'll be two of us for this trip: my girlfriend and me. We've been travelling together for over nine months and have a pretty clear idea of what we're getting ourselves into.
Although we'll be surrounded at all times by the people we meet and everyone reading along, the plan is to travel without joining other groups of travellers — keeping things open so we can really connect with local people.
Where am I going on a bicycle?
I'm set on covering all 5 continents, visiting as many countries as possible along the way and spending real time in each. The blue lines on the map indicate places we'll definitely visit; the red lines show different possibilities.
The first stage: from Europe to India
The exact starting point isn't fixed, but it'll be somewhere in Europe. From wherever I get on the bike, I'll start pedalling along the Atlantic coast and the Mediterranean.
After crossing the Black Sea and entering Asia, options will vary depending on circumstances — we'll visit whatever Middle Eastern countries have open borders and make our way steadily towards India.
Iran is a country I'm particularly keen to visit, though given the instability in the region there's a chance we might have to go through Russia and across most of the former Soviet states instead.
Once in India, we're hoping to spend a good number of months exploring the country, enjoying the food and meeting people — following the coastline, travelling to neighbouring countries as attractive as Sri Lanka and Nepal, and perhaps doing some volunteer work if we find a project that really speaks to us.
Time to make decisions
That's the clear part. After that, the options open up. Everything will depend mainly on how our finances are holding up and whether crossing between continents by ship is feasible, or whether the complications push us towards the occasional flight across an ocean.
To try to sketch out the route, here are four possible itineraries covering just a few key waypoints:
- India – Southeast Asia – Oceania – China – Russia – Europe – Africa – Americas
- India – Southeast Asia – Oceania – China – Russia – Europe – Americas – Africa
- India – China – Southeast Asia – Oceania – Americas – Africa
- India – Southeast Asia – Oceania – China – Japan? – Americas – Africa
The American stage: from Alaska to Tierra del Fuego
Or Tierra del Fuego to Alaska. No preference either way, but what's certain is that we're crossing the Americas end to end.
We'd likely cross the United States via the West Coast, and in South America we'd try to cover both coastlines and as many countries as possible.
The African stage: into the unknown
Africa is the one stage we have absolutely no fixed route for. I genuinely have no idea whether we'll cross via the Mediterranean coast, the Atlantic coast — it'll all become clearer when the time comes.
I understand it's possible to find boats crossing the Atlantic via the Canary Islands — where, incidentally, I haven't been yet — but nothing more specific has been decided.
Dates and duration?
No fixed start date and no rough timeline either. We'll set off as soon as possible — certainly this year — and we'll travel for years. Who knows, maybe for the rest of our lives?
How are we going to do all this?
We're travelling as light as possible. Sleeping in our tent, cooking our own food from local markets, filtering our own water, and surviving on whatever we can earn on the road.
The biggest upfront cost is the kit needed to start this adventure. After that, I'm aiming to keep expenses down to around €150 a month. A bit more when you factor in technical problems that might come up, plus flights across oceans if we have no other option.
What are we taking?
- A pair of sturdy, durable bikes — capable of carrying weight and handling reasonably well both on road and off.
- Waterproof panniers to carry everything else.
- Clothing and footwear appropriate for all conditions and climates. The less the better.
- Camping kit: a lightweight but tough four-season tent — we'll be sleeping in it most nights; camping mats and sleeping bags.
- A stove that works with different fuels, and a water filter.
- A camera to document our adventures and a laptop to write about them.
- Various other accessories and tools.
What's our budget for this bicycle adventure?
Our calculations put the total at €6,000–7,000 between both bikes, spare parts, camping gear and other initial costs.
We currently have around €3,000, so we're halfway there. Over the next few months we'll be working in Europe and looking for sponsors to get to the full amount as soon as possible.
Come around the world with us!
If you run a cycling or outdoor gear shop, work for a technical clothing brand, or know anyone who might be interested in sponsoring us, we're open to any proposals you'd like to send our way.
Equally, we're happy to write about our adventures for any media outlet that's interested.
And if any of you want to give us a hand with no strings attached, there's always the option of requesting a postcard.