The Toyota Landcruiser Owners Club

[Jimbo4x4]

Hi all, as some may know my ambition is to drive around the globe... the way things are going I should be able to get things in motion for a start in 3 years time. I'm currently still head scratching over a feasable route, I know I want to do Mongolia and far S.E Asia, but there's an incomprehensibly huge barrier blocking the two....

After scouring the web I have found a site that says Chinese overland border crossings can be "fun". I'm not sure whether their sarcasm is lost on me

Basically I'm just looking for some advice. I'd like to enter from Mongolia, see the great wall then make a beeline for Tibet, and exit into Nepal. Does anyone know the driving restrictions for a UK car and licence? Any recommendations of places to see/stay/things to do? How an@l are the officials?

Many thanks for any help
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With great power comes great responsibility. That's why I have a 2.4!

[Google]

[Gavlad]

Have you ever watched 'Long Way Round'    
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Gav
'98 90 - family truck, 275x75 BFG AT's, homebrew aloominium roofrack
'94 HDJ80 - homebrew rear bumper fitted (but not quite ready to recover off!!!), +4 IronMan & 35 MTs ON!!! - front bumper still in the offing...

[ignat]

Jimbo,

You might already know about it, but if not, be sure to check out Horizons Unlimited

LOADS of overlanding information.   Especially the

Route Planning section and the Northern Asia section will answer a few questions.

Its mainly geared towards bikers, but there is a 4x4 section as well     The route planning and area sections apply to everyone really
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'97 Colorado 3.0 TD LWB
LML125 Scooter

[uk_vette]

Hello Jimbo,

In 6 months in China, I have seen just 1 UK registered vehicle.
I think the total count of foreign vehicles is maybe 2 or 3.
I don't know where the other 2 were from, but not Chinese, and not UK.
I would like to say it was a 'cruiser, but is was cough, cough, one of them cough, cough, green, cough cough oval, things.
Loads of extras, the bull bar was wrapped diagonally, side to side,  with what looked like 2 inch old hemp rope,
Roof tent, snorkel, didn't look very road worthy, reasonably battered, so it fitted in well he, he, he, he,
Just passing while we were traveling in the opposite direction, so only a shortest of glances.

'vette

[Jimbo4x4]

Thanks for the input guys.

Ignat, I'll take a look at that site now, sounds like it'll be much like Travellers Point, which I have been using to glean info from.

Gav, I have the DVD mate, and long way down, and by any means you might say I'm a bit Charley Boorman obsessed!

'vette, 3 foriegn cars in 6 months isn't exactly reassuring! could be why I haven't found anyone else who's gone overland through China! How have you found it with regards to attitudes to foriegners?
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With great power comes great responsibility. That's why I have a 2.4!

[uk_vette]

[Jimbo4x4]

Thanks 'vette that's really helpful. It's a place I don't know much about hence the topic. I'll probably fit it into my route as mentioned above Thanks again.
_________________



With great power comes great responsibility. That's why I have a 2.4!

[uk_vette]

[lucky]

You may find some useful information here

http://www.tibettravelplanner.com/travel_permit.htm

I think generally travel in Tibet is more difficult than just through China although may be getting easier. Also depends how you reach Tibet (from what direction). You will need additional permits above Chinese Visa, you will need a Tibet Travel Permit, a Military permit for more remote areas and a Tibet Permit. Most of these you may find diffuclt to get without booking a tour. A way to do it may be to arrange with a travel company to provide a "Driver" who would be your passenger throughout your stay and a general Fixer. I think if you look at Long way round this is pretty much how Charlie and Ewan would have had to do it in Mongolia and Kazakhstan and Tibet probably works in a similar way. A call to the Chinese embassy in London http://www.chinese-embassy.org.uk/eng/ may well help that aspect of it.

I'd love to do the route that they did in Long Way Round - although at the right time of year as I don't think a Cruiser could manage some of those rivers in the east of Russia when they are at full flow. Maybe one of these days if I win the Lottery.
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1999 Land Cruiser Amazon VX Active 4.2TD Auto
Gloucestershire 4x4 Response
Landcruiser-rocks

[nomad]

hi jimbo i've just come across your posting.in china you'll find that one of the requirment for driving through china with a vehicle is that you need a guide who joins you when you enter the country and stays with you 24/7 through the whole drive till you exit at other side.very expensive and not enjoyable all i imagine.
   as for mongolia and the rest of the stans(kazak,uzbec,etc.).they are very easy,you dont even need a carnet,visa are easy to get in london (turkminstan being the hardest,mongolia the easiet
   
        i hope this helps you,i drove to mongolia in 2007 in a 1988 nissan sunny that when i put it up for sale the most i was offered was 50 pounds.the only mods i did was put new shocks (4 for £60,£ 27 clutch,4x3ply 13in van tyres pumped up to 40psi.got to u.b. the capital of mongolia in 27 days with couple of little breakages. getting the exhaust welded in kazakstan and front offside shock giving up in mongolia. the garage modified a 2ndhand hyundai item and stuck it in.
    mongolia was the hardest,with no roads, just dirt track wondering off in so many confusing directions not a signpost any where.

[Jimbo4x4]

Thanks nomad, that's really helpful. I suppose if we're planning to camp it might be a bit awkward with a guide, will have to give it some thought.

Looks like we're going to have to split the trip into a few smaller ones now though as my girlfriends just been given a promotion at work and we think it'll be best not to burn any bridges for some time to come. She's allowed to take 3 weeks holiday at a time, enough to do a decent trip anywhere if we ship the car out first. Driving the world in one continuous loop will always be an ambition, might just have to wait a bit longer before making it happen now..
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With great power comes great responsibility. That's why I have a 2.4!

[uk_vette]

I am working on getting a Chinese driving licence.
I have an address I can use, so I am half way there.
I will be allowed a translator, so effectivly, the translator is doing the test for me.
Then when the translator passes the theorey, I can go and do a practical.
Its all left hand drive here, just like Europe and teh States.

The driving test is in Chinese, much the same as uk.
The questions is 100 on a computer touch screen.
No hazard perception yet though.
You need 90 minimum to pass.
Then, just like UK, you can start to apply for lessons.
Oh, and yes, they have the 'de-merit' points here also on your licence for violations.
Speeding etc, and the top is again 12 points just like UK.
How strange is that !!!!

'vette