Ever wondered how much it would cost to cycle the world? I had exactly the same thought as I set about planning my own world cycle trip. The table below indicates the total cost that I paid to get to the start line of my round the world cycle. The first 9 items indicate the final price that I paid for each category. I will update the other costs as I incur them.
For a full breakdown of the costs associated with each category please click on the item name to open a separate page and then scroll down to the relevant information:
Item | Cost |
---|---|
Bike | £1089 |
Bike accessories | £141 |
Racks, panniers and Dry Bags | £528 |
Camping Equipment | £624 |
Cooking Equipment | £184 |
Electricals | £460 |
Cycle Wear | £287 |
Clothing | £152 |
Vaccinations | £152 |
Visas | £265 |
Insurance | £250 |
Total Cost | £3980 |
When I set about planning this trip the figures that I had in my head were that the bike set up would cost around £1500, and all of the kit and camping equipment that I had to buy would add an extra £2000 to bring the total cost to around the £3500 mark. I had then budgeted a further £1500 to account for the additional price of the vaccinations, medical insurance, visas and flights. This puts the figure that I thought it would cost me to get to the start line of this cycle trip at around £5000.
The actual total cost when I have added in the final flights will be just over £6000. This is higher than the ball park figure that I had estimated, but as I had not cut any corners on the specification of the bike or equipment, and even added a few ‘luxury’ items, then I am happy with this price.
When I set off from HCMC on the 4th of July 2016, I will update the actual costs to the flights, visas and accommodation as I incur them. Once I have completed my cycle I hope to have a truer picture of the total cost that is associated with a 12 month world cycle tour adventure; my estimate is that the whole trip will cost around £8000.
I think that the final thing that needs to be considered when looking at the costings though is that this is not just the price of a single round the world cycle; all of the equipment was purchased from new and I expect the majority of it to be still in full workable condition for a fair few cycling trips after this one. So effectively, the core price for the bike and equipment of £3500 gives me the necessary set up for fully self sufficient cycling tours over the next 5 years or so without, hopefully, the need to incur any further major expenses. I think in these terms that the price paid is perfectly reasonable.