Planning a trip involves more than just picking a route and packing snacks.

Before you hit the road, make sure your adventure doesn’t stall at the first border. From baffling border insurance and weird laws with heavy fines, to paperwork pitfalls and drug dos and don’ts, a bit of preparation can save a lot of stress.

You don’t know what you don’t know — and when crossing borders, that can cost you dearly. Sometimes, even common items like everyday over-the-counter painkillers, which seem innocuous at home, can lead to hefty fines or even jail time abroad. Read this guide and you will be able to enjoy an adventure filled with freedom and fun, rather than fines!

A HUGE thank you to those who attended my two talks at this year’s National 4×4 & Camper Festival. The first, entitled Big Builds for Big Adventures was a no holds barred account of how we built our truck, The Beast. You can read more about that, including a few videos, in the Expedition Truck section of my blog, or in my multi-award-winning book, Building The Beast: How (Not) To Build An Overland Camper.

The second talk, Never Mind the Baltics — Let’s Talk Full-Time Travel (& Dogs!) was a guide to expedition planning. I overran my time slot and asked my audience if they wanted me to carry on. They said, “Yes” – so I did until the cleaners kicked me out. We then repaired back to the truck for a private session, since a few of the attendees still wanted to know more! I also received an invite tp speak at an adventure club in London, so watch this space.

Since the audience found the information so useful, I thought I would post it here for posterity, and so that anyone who was unable to make the show or my talk can learn from the experience we’ve gained from our nine years on the road full-time, during which we’ve visited almost every country in Europe!

Continue reading “The Ultimate Road Trip Planning Guide for Campers, Motorhomes & Trucks”