News-
02/05/2009
How the hell is it May? I can't believe I haven't written anything here in 31st Jan. In that time not much as happened, slight change of plan the Mongolia trip is going to be held back until I have more money to pay for a 4x4 and lots of camping equipment plus I'd want to take 3-4 months to do it which would probably mean waiting for ages to get that time off anyway.
But the trip I sort of worked out in Roadtrip 2009 page is going to happen this year, somewhere between July and October and also I want to drive to Dubai which is 4,050 miles or so which will be cool but obtaining a visa for Saudi Arabia is pretty hard as they don't really want tourism, but I think I can get a transit visa since I'm visiting an address in the UAE.
Also going to try and get some more time behind the camera and update my photography page as and when I manage to snap something nice!
If you've got an ideas or comments on a trip please get in touch by emailing me.
31/01/2009
I've realised over the last few days that driving into Africa isn't a good idea at the moment, it would seem that there are some political tensions between Mauritiana and Senegal and it would seem that the road around Senegal through Mali is not safe any more, well for the time being anyway. Also it would seem Burkina Faso isn't safe for foreigners as the Ivory Coast which is just next door isn't a particulary safe place either. Also right hand drive cars aren't don't sell well at all either in other than Burkina Faso. So in light of all this I've decided that Africa would best to be left for another time, perhaps on a bigger budget. I'm thinking 3 Nissan Patrols with armed guards should keep us safe, I did manage to find out that a couple of guys managed to get from UK to Botswana in 16 days once which I thought was cool.
But anyway, I still want to do an epic roadtrip but Africa is a no-no. But in similar fashion to my Arctic Adventure of finding out how far North I could drive, I've decided to discover how far East I can drive in an old Mercedes diesel wagon, I've always wanted to drive to Mongolia so I wonder if a crappy old £300 Mercedes will make it to Mongolia AND back?
Well there is only one way to find out. Take one idiot, one Mercedes W124 E300D (yes that's the one where they forget to fit a turbo thus producing less power than a hairdriver) and it's a slushmatic gearbox and proceed to drive East for a long way. I presume it will do 120kph eventually. I plan to leave in either June or July. Right then, best I get an idea of the route I'll take and get started on the visa application form for Mongolia and several other countries. If the old Benz breaks down I'll have to fly back!
29/01/2009
Well the plan has changed some what, the roadtrip currently entitled "untitled 2009" will be postponed until later 2009 perhaps around October.
However there will be a trip in July. From here in the UK to Burkina Faso in West Africa. The idea is to purchase an old banger here and drive it out there on fumes and then sell it on and fly home. It works out at about 6,000 miles through the Sahara in some interesting conditions.
I'll put up more details soon!
22/01/2009
2009 roadtrip plan is pretty much done.
Got the route sorted just need to make any final adjustments and then work out which hotels are best for the cities I haven't done yet. I'm pretty sure the best time for the trip is July and probably the best day is the first Friday in July. But have a look of my plan for 2009 HERE and if you have any ideas or tips please tell me HERE.
23/11/2008
Thought an update was due, although there is not much to report. I'm working on a couple of options for next years main trip. I'll make an update again once I've finalised the options. The only thing I've really decided on is the car, I really want another Mercedes W140 S500. But finding one next year at the right time may be difficult. Also the other problem at the moment is when the trip will happen. Given the current economic climate it's getting more and more difficult to put the money aside to pay for these trips. Time will tell I guess.
10/08/2008
I've decided that next year there will be 2 roadtrips. One in the later part of the year around October/November time. This trip will follow a similar route to my Arctic Adventure 2007 but this trip will include Russia rather than Finland. Earlier in the year I intend to do another trip perhaps in June. I may drive to Turkey, pretty much the same route as Run To The Sun 2008 but this time actually plan it better and take my logbook. See my future trips section on the left for more details on both of these trips.
18/06/2008
Roadtrip 2009? Good question. Ideas are being thown about trying to figure out where to go. It has been decided that it has to be somewhere far away and far fetched. Places like Petra, Jordan have been mentioned. If you have any ideas or would like to be involved please email me.
18/05/2008
Run to the sun 2008 = FAIL
Find out why I didn't make it to Athens here.
15/04/2008
I have finished writing a draft version of the route, obviously nothing is set in stone but I would appreciate it if you could read it and email me your feedback to here. Read my route plan here.
12/04/2008
I have got the new roadtrip car!
Well I don't get it until next weekend but I've got it coming in part ex next weekend against a Boxster. It's a 1998 Mercedes E320 Elegance that has covered only 53,000 miles with only 2 owners from new so it's very low mileage. Should be a nice car to cruise down to Athens in. See run to the sun for more information!
10/03/2008:
I have made this website to document the totally random trips I have done and indeed trips that I will be doing in the future.
I have started to do a write up on my trip in Feb'07 where I drove to the most Northernly point in Europe which is at the very top of Norway several hundred miles North of the Arctic circle at a place called Nordkapp. I did this trip in my Jeep Grand Cherokee and experience temperatures as low as minus 40*c during the day and night temps even lower. The Arctic climate in winter is a completely alien enviroment.
Once I have done that I will begin writing about the roadtrip in the Volvo S80 T6 that took place in July'07 where we drove through Germany in Czech, then onto Poland, down to Hungary, and into Romania, and back via Croatia.
I will also do write ups of memorable Nurburgring trips, a day in Koln, driving to Prague and back for no reason, visiting the Alps in Nov'06 and seeing parts of Slovakia that I'm sure no one ever sees.
Also I will complete a write up of the latest trips being planned including this years first trip which I hope to do in April, I will try and detail the trip to Mongolia I hope to do at some point in my life.
