Overland travel involves crossing the earth by foot, car, train, or bus, excluding air and boat trips. It was one of the first ways continents were explored and is now marketed as a way to connect with foreign lands and cultures. Overlanding seeks to connect vacationers with the land and the act of traveling more than being a tourist. Commercial tour operators offer overland travel packages with predetermined routes, but collective travel is the most common way to participate. Overlanding is not considered luxury travel, and participants usually help with meal preparation, vehicle cleaning, and camping setup.
Overland travel is basically any type of travel that crosses the earth, connecting two or more points by foot, car, train, or bus. Air and boat trips are usually excluded. Overland travel was one of the first ways continents were explored by early settlers and adventurers. In modern times, overland travel is usually meant to mimic these early explorations: the travel is usually rustic and primitive, and often lasts several months or more. They are often marketed as a way to truly connect with foreign lands and cultures.
An overland trip is generally considered a vacation or an extended vacation, even though this was not originally the case. Before modern travel luxuries like jet planes and paved highways, most travel was overland travel, if only out of necessity. Some of the world’s first explorers and settlers learned about other cultures and terrains by experiencing them firsthand, usually on foot or on horseback.
Today, overlanding is a style of travel that seeks to connect vacationers with the land and the act of traveling more than the art of being a tourist. The trip can be planned or informal, depending largely on the participants. Some of the most basic overland travel occurs when like-minded travelers meet, at airports or other travel hubs, and decide to team up for an overland adventure. They usually share responsibilities equally, including cooking, car repair, and incidental expenses, and often decide the route as they go.
A number of commercial tour operators try to recreate the spontaneity and rawness of this type of travel by arranging and selling overland travel packages. Most of these trips maintain the core value of simplicity, but pair it with a little more predictability for travelers who may need to balance adventure with other life obligations. Tours usually traverse predetermined overland travel routes with fixed start and end cities, dates, and times.
Most overland trips are designed to last at least a few weeks and often last for months or more. Some of the most popular land routes cross the continent of Africa or cross Asia from tropical southeast countries via Siberia. Trekking the Appalachian Trail in eastern North America is also a popular overland trip.
Some groups will arrange charter trips for groups, but collective travel is the most common way to participate in overlanding. Strangers are usually matched together in rugged sport vehicles or assigned to hiking and trekking groups. Road use is common, but highways are generally avoided in favor of more rustic routes. Sometimes travelers stay in motels and hostels, but camping is usually the accommodation of choice.
Even on commercial trips, participants are usually asked to help with meal preparation, vehicle cleaning, and camping setup. Overlanding is not considered luxury travel, and people don’t usually sign up for this type of travel to be cared for or serviced. The point is usually the adventure. Going on overland trips with a group adds a certain predictability while still satisfying travelers’ desire for rustic exploration.
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