What is the main difference between the 2 London to Sydney trips ?

The 26 week London to Sydney Explorer expedition goes via the Central Asian 'Stan' countries, not via Iran, Pakistan, India and Nepal. This expedition travels at a medium pace and is ideally suited for people who have an interest in those particular areas or who are unlikely to obtain visas for Iran.

The 28 week London to Sydney Odyssey expedition is a more leisurely paced trip that goes in-depth into all the countries visited en-route. The journey includes Iran, Pakistan, India, Tibet, China and all of South East Asia including Vietnam and Indonesia… plus many more!

• USA and Israeli passport holders were unable to obtain visas for Iran in 2008 and 2009. We have taken Americans through Iran before so the situation may change in the future but we have never had an Israeli granted entry into Iran before. Everyone always has the option of flying across Iran and/or Pakistan if they dont feel comfortable.

Will we miss out on places or countries if we run into any delays?

The 26 week Explorer expedition (starting in June 09) will be the first exploratory expedition via this route so while you can expect delays and route changes if necessary, we won't be missing out on anything important if it is avoidable. The trip will simply be extended if we run into any serious delays. The other trips scheduled will be the same – nothing will be missed unless it is an unforeseen circumstance out of our control.

On the 28 week Odyssey Expedition the itinerary is reasonably flexible and it's not 'if' we run into any delays, it's 'when'! Our entry into Tibet is the one real time frame we have to meet at all costs, the rest we can play around with if need be. Your route will constantly be changing as you come across new and different situations and you will may have to miss certain small things and likewise, add in other small things, but unless there was a major delay or unforeseen occurrence, we will stick to the 'proposed itinerary' as much as possible. We will not miss any countries out simply because of time constraints, if need be the trip will run overtime which is why you should never book or confirm your return flight until the end.

What ages do you take on your Expeditions? Do you have age restrictions?

We have no age restrictions on the 26 week Explorer or 28 week Odyssey expeditions as these are always mixed and the more diverse on a long trip the better, one thing we have learned is that experience is invaluable and when we all have to work together on an expedition of this magnitude then we welcome everyone's input. The main concern is that you are able to muck in and pull your own weight. Although you don't need to be a fitness freak or anything, you do need to be fit and able to participate fully in all aspects of the expedition. You can expect a lot of getting stuck and digging out on both these expeditions so you have to be able to pull your weight physically in all aspects when required.

Do I need to be very fit or have previous experience?

No. You need to be medically and physically fit and able enough to participate fully but you in no way do you need to be super fit, just enough to pull your own weight and not have to rely on anyone else to do your share. The trip can be quite physically demanding at times, but as long as you are reasonably fit and healthy and you are willing to muck in, it won't be a problem! And you need no previous experience at all in either overlanding or camping – you'll soon pick it!

How many people do you take on your expeditions?

We have 24, 28, 36 and 40 seater purpose built vehicles but ultimately it depends on the amount of bookings on your expedition as to what vehicle we use. Ultimately we can't take more than 40 people and we don't run any expedition with under 20 people.

What nationalities do you take? And what type of people join up?

All nationalities are welcome on our expeditions. Previous expeditions have mainly consisted of British, Australians, New Zealanders, Americans, Europeans and Scandinavians but we have also had South Africans, South Koreans, Japanese, Russians, Canadians, South Americans plus various others. Some of our passengers have traveled extensively in the past and others have never left home before. Most people usually tend to come on their own with the exception of a few couples who travel together. Everyone is usually pretty laid back.

What type of vehicles do you use on your expeditions?

We use purpose built expedition vehicles on all of our expeditions, complete with recovery equipment, spares, kitchen, long range fuel and water tanks, luggage lockers, etc. A standard bus simply wouldn't be able to tackle some of the roads we travel on. Our current vehicles include Scania and Mercedes 4x4, 6x6, 6x4 and 8x4. Due to Vietnamese and Indonesian bureaucracy we have to use local transport in these countries. Due to strict Australian road regulations we use custom-built coaches while traveling down-under!

Should I book and confirm any flights now?

No! All our trips have the potential to run overtime if need be, so you should either leave booking your return flight until near the end of your expedition or get dates that are flexible and you can change easily.

Do I need insurance?

Yes! In order to travel with us legally you must have valid travel insurance which covers health and repatriation and it must cover the entire period of the expedition. We recommend Campbell Irvine Insurance Company (www.campbellirvine.com Ph. 020 7937 6981). They are not the cheapest but they are one of the best and specialize in overland travel. Whoever you choose please read the small print carefully and make sure you are fully covered for medical and repatriation. We recommend your insurance start date to be from the date you pay the full balance for your tour as then you should be covered in case you have to cancel your booking with us for any reason prior to departure.

How do I organize all of the visas? Do we need any before we go?

Most visas are organized en-route and a few need to be organized prior to departure. You will be given all of this information in your booking package at the time of booking and we will help you with all the details. The main thing is that you are ready to start with an empty (or almost empty) valid passport with at least 20 free pages.

What vaccinations do I need?

There are certain vaccinations you will need to get before you leave and some of these need to be administered over a period of 3 months, so you need to start looking into it in good time. You will be given a list of recommended vaccinations in your booking package and we then advise you discuss this with your doctor or travel clinic.

Should I take any type of water filtering product?

Yes, these days you can buy water bottles that have a good built-in water filtering system and we would recommend you bringing one along. The water on the vehicles is treated (when it needs to be) but your own water filtering system will still help a lot.

How much spending money should I bring?

We recommend GBP £70 to £100 a week for day to day spending (not including optional extras, flights and visas) but it really depends on what type of person you are. This budget is recommended if you are happy to eat side of the road local meals and take the accommodation provided.

Why should I go with UKTOOZ OVERLAND?

Since 2006 we have been running London to Sydney overland expeditions. This experience means we are familiar with the bureaucracy en-route and we know how to get into the difficult countries like Tibet and China. Also, our time frames are completely realistic and do-able and we actually go to all the countries we say we are going to go to. We will not charge you any extra for running over time and once you have paid your deposit you will not be affected by any price increase. Our vehicles are all purpose built for expeditions of this magnitude.