• Your budget will depend on which countries you are visiting, with developing countries being obviously cheaper than developed countries.

Two years ago I cycled around the world and found that £20 per day in countries such as Australia and New Zealand was perfectly adequate and that about £7 per day in Asia was more than enough.

There were periods on the road when I spent very little, such as in the outback of Australia, which meant that I could save money to use when I felt like spoiling myself.

It is worth bearing in mind that there will be times when you feel like taking a break from the cycling and doing something else, such as an organised tour to a place that is not easy to reach, or an activity such as trekking or diving. So, it is worth having a contingency fund to enable you to do this.

Also, in developing countries there are times when you feel like spoiling yourself, perhaps by staying at an upmarket hotel or resort. It is worth having a bit of cash in reserve for the odd spot of self-indulgence.
Tim Cox

• In 1980, I was away for 12 months cycling overland to India. Although prices have gone up since then, it should still be incredibly cheap if you spend time in Asia rather than Europe.

Once past Istanbul I rarely paid for accommodation at all because people were so hospitable. If you stay away from big cities except where absolutely necessary, then you'll have a great and relatively inexpensive time - and you'll meet some wonderful people along the way. Language barriers will melt away if you spend long enough crossing each country to learn the basic vocabulary to get by on a daily basis.
Pete Bailey