Overland Expedition Planning Part 2

Phase 2: High Level Planning

Phase 2 of our planning process often begins a year or more before each overland expedition and involves the following steps:

Communication – We determine how we are going to communicate in different languages during our trip. If we are going to be spending a lot of time in one country, we start learning the language as soon as possible. One of our favorite resources is The Paul Noble Method by Paul Noble that we have been using to learn Spanish and French.  When we are traveling, we also use Apple Translate with AirPods to communicate in different languages. However, it’s always better to be able to hold basic conversations and pronounce translated phrases ourselves.

Connectivity: We determine how we are going to maintain internet connectivity and make phone calls during our trip. We use Starlink for internet access in our vehicle. We also purchase eSIMs in each country that we plan to spend a significant amount of time in. It can be difficult to purchase eSIMs in some countries. For example, in France, providers typically require proof of address. 

Cooking: We determine how we are going to cook in our overland vehicle. We do this during Phase 2 of our planning process because it influences vehicle selection and options. Induction stoves are efficient but consume power, while gas stoves require refilling propane bottles and can be harder to repair.

Family: We decide how often we are going to visit family during our trip and have open conversations with them about our plans. This is especially important when elderly parents are involved.

Financial Planning: We develop a budget for our trip, gathering input from other overlanders who have completed similar trips and using ChatGPT. It’s always challenging to develop an accurate budget. As a result, we almost always adjust our budget during the first few months of our trip.

Health: We determine how we are going to stay in shape during our trip. We use biking, hiking, and even walking to maintain our aerobic fitness and develop a strength-training plan. During our trip through Europe, for example, our goal is to go to the gym once or twice a week and supplement that with bodyweight strength training.

Healthcare Insurance: We determine what kind of healthcare coverage we will have during our expedition and how we will handle both routine and emergency health issues. Most US-based healthcare insurance plans do not cover care outside the U.S. Most global healthcare insurance plans also aren’t that comprehensive. As a result, we generally try to buy a catastrophic healthcare insurance plan in the US and then pay out-of-pocket for healthcare, including preventative care, during our trip. Since catastrophic healthcare insurance plans typically have high deductibles, we often don’t end up spending more on out-of-pocket healthcare costs than we would have spent on healthcare up to our deductible in the US. We also determine how we are going to get prescriptions refilled during our trip. For example, during our trip through Europe, northern Africa, and western Asia, we used online doctor services, such as Mediquo in Spain, to get our prescriptions renewed.

Home: We determine what we are going to do with our home (if we have one) and our personal possessions while we are away.

Immigration: We determine whether we need a visa or visas for our trip and research how long we can stay in each country. We also research the tax implications of becoming a resident or obtaining a long-term visa if we choose to go down one of these routes.

Pets: Since we have Oz, we research the import requirements for the countries we are planning to explore. We found there is no single comprehensive resource for this, and Facebook groups often provide incomplete or inconsistent information. As a result, our best results came from speaking directly with people who have gone through the process recently. This is a complex process, so be prepared for one that requires persistence and can be frustrating.

Shipping (of Our Gear): We determine how we are going to get our gear to the start of our trip if we’re not driving to it.

Vehicle: We determine the kind of vehicle we are going to use for our expedition, where we are going to buy it, how we are going to insure it, and how we are going to get it to the start of our expedition. If we are planning on shipping our vehicle to the start of our trip, we consider the likelihood of theft during shipping and the fact that insurance for vehicle contents during shipping is often prohibitively expensive. We also determine whether we can handle the emotional and financial implications of an accident or break-in. If we don’t have comprehensive insurance (as was the case during our Panamerican trip), we make sure we could walk away from the vehicle if it gets totaled without it having a major negative impact on the rest of our lives.