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How Much Does Cycling Around the World
Cost?
The Third Most Important Factor While Traveling?
By Dennis Snader
The word budget makes me cringe. What does this boring,
stuffy subject have to do with the ultimate freedom of circumnavigating
the globe by bicycle? I envision relying on my resourcefulness to
cope with whatever is around the corner. An intrepid traveler does
not need a budget! Right? The idealist in me hears this while the
realist hears, "Make sure you are wearing a clean pair of underwear.
You never know when you will be in an accident." Do I need therapy?
Cycling is a very intimate and naked form of travel.
This is what I love about it. True resourcefulness is a wonderful
commodity but it does not buy airline tickets, hotels rooms or a
warm meal. This all takes money. So, I accessed some very helpful
websites
(see below) and used my own touring experience in an attempt
find an answer to how much money is enough money.
So, how much does a bicycle trip around the world
cost? I discovered there is no definite answer. Some riders consider
a hotel room a necessity while others view free camping, or guerilla
camping, as an accomplishment. Also, each rider crosses through
different countries for different duration's of time. Crossing a
border can mean a huge change in the cost of living and can leave
one subject to currency fluctuations. There is no way to anticipate
all these variables but I can share with you the estimated cost
of my trip.
In an attempt to save money, I plan to both camp and
cook the majority of the time; also, Scott and myself have decided
to share some of our gear. We purchased our equipment based on value
and simple technology; state-of-the-art equipment is great but our
first concern was durability and the availability of spare parts.
In my budget, I also included extra money for unanticipated emergencies.
And, this is my trip of a lifetime, I've budgeted some money to
splurge. I do not want a lack of funds to prevent me from taking
a side trip into the Amazon Rain Forest or sampling fine local cuisine.
Also, my budget only includes the major items. I assume that small
items such as plastic bags, duct tape and toiletries can be easily
obtained from my home.
The biggest challenge was to calculate the cost of
living while traveling through different regions of the world. In
the budget below, I divided my trip into three regions. (I do feel
the need to share my definition of the terms listed below. Hopefully
it will help explain my budget a little more thoroughly.) As you
can see, where I chose to tour made a huge difference in the cost.
The Third World is a wonderful bargain.
This was my first attempt at a formal budget and I
admit to finding the estimated total cost of my trip a pleasant
surprise. Sure it is a large sum of money, but bear in mind this
is based on a 30-month trip. The average cost is less than $970
a month. My current cost of living is substantially higher. In other
words, I can see the world for a lot less than it costs to stay
home -- I am actually saving money while I experience an amazing
adventure! Well, maybe not, but consider that a two-week cruise
costs as much as a three-month bicycle tour. Okay, I know, I should
go into sales.
Dennis
Click here
for an updated budget
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