Travel insurance with: Navigator Travel Insurance Services Ltd
The policy is an individual single trip longstay GOLD one, which covers all types of motorbike riding. For a chap of my years (45) and a period of 18 weeks, the cost was 285 pounds. The medical coverage is particularly good. Let´s hope I don´t have to test the service quality!
Bike insurance will be purchsed at borders - or in advance online while on the road. I'll try and remember to post details here.
Argentina - 37.00 for 1 month (may be less, I´ll check). Arranged via Dakar Motos with: ATM, Florida 833 2o Piso, Edificio Thompson (C1005AAQ), Buenos Aires. Tel: 0810-3456-286. www.oaseatm.com.ar
Health
Yellow fever certificate obtained, and jab done, at a cost of £50 at a UK travel health clinic. The certificate includes details of all my other jabs (see below), and I'll be taking a couple of copies of the document along with me.
Other jabs: tetanus (free at GP), typhoid (free at GP), hepatitus A (free at GP), rabies (€37 in total for three shots at a state travel clinic in Spain). I'll be taking Doxycycline anti-malerials from Peru to the US border.
I've included detailed information on my travel first aid / medical kit under 'The Gear'.
Documentation
Original Vehicle Registration document (V5), plus a couple of colour photocopies, one of which laminated (which I'll use at borders and checkpoints, unless asked for the original).
Passport, with more than six months validity beyond the end of the trip, plus some copies.
UK drivers licence and counterpart, plus colour copies, plus one copy cut and laminated for use on the road (looks pretty good).
International Driving Permit (valid for one year, from Post Office), plus some copies.
Travel insurance document, and policy summary (inc contact numbers - which are also pre-programmed into my phone, and on a laminated ´key contact´ cards in my wallet and document folder).
GoSIM user guide, inc international codes / numbers etc.
Colour passport photos - around a dozen.
ESTA - USA travel authorisation (not needed, but carrying a copy anyway).
Flight ticket to BA (won't get far without that).
I'm flying to Buenos Aires from Barcelona using Alitalia (via Rome). Considerably cheaper than any fights I could find from the UK. Cost £479.70 single.
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Bike shipping
James Cargo handled the transport of the bike to Buenos Aires by air from London Heathrow. I thought about sea transport, but BA port fees are quite high (so there is not too much of a saving that way), plus I didn't want to be hanging around in BA waiting for the bike to arrive. In the end the bike took a week longer than planned to arrive, in part due to flight delays and in part due to that clashing with public holidays in BA. You have more flexibility to ship a longer trip (a couple of guys from Auz had been waiting for thier bikes for 3 weeks), but with only 4 months and many miles ahead, flying was still the safer option (the 1 week delay I experienced was not usual). Cost inc insurance was £1,771.14.
Costs clearing the bike in BA should be around $300, but there is $50 per day storage charges if you can´t collect straight away (such as clashes with weekends and holidays). We´ll see what the total is in a couple of days.
I plan to use Girag to fly the bike from Bogata to Panama, and I´ve has some useful quotes for return sea shipping from Canada, which will be firmed up while I´m on the road.
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Visas
None needed in advance.
Carnet
Not necessary in South, Central or North America. You can use one, you just don´t have to.
