International Travel

[MichelleYetman]

Hello!
Would anybody know if there’s any restrictions for worldwide skoolie travel?
Such as, do some countries not allow a bus to enter because of structural restrictions...and only accept vans?
(My plan is long term travel - into the central and south Americas, onto ferries into Hawaii...all around)
Thank you!

 

[Franco-SKO]

I live in Argentina and I can assure you you’ll have no problems. You will need to take into account the ~4k that’s going to cost you to ship the bus from Panama to Colombia as there’s no route there.

You’ll also need to plan your electric system as the US and Canada are the only countries that use 120v, the rest of America uses 220v.

Hope that helps !

 

[Iceni John]

You need to research whether an American-made vehicle can be serviced or repaired where you want to travel. Mexico has plenty of US-name trucks, but all the long-distance buses there have European running gear. South of MX you'll find mostly European trucks and buses: Mercedes, Iveco, MAN, Scania, Volvo, etc. Why not buy a Mercedes Sprinter van instead of a skoolie? You can probably get it fixed in most places around the world. There are very few countries that have no Mercedes vehicles!

John

 

[HamSkoolie]

I live in Argentina and I can assure you you’ll have no problems. You will need to take into account the ~4k that’s going to cost you to ship the bus from Panama to Colombia as there’s no route there.

You’ll also need to plan your electric system as the US and Canada are the only countries that use 120v, the rest of America uses 220v.

Hope that helps !

Yup, about 70 miles and it costs big bucks to get past that barrier. For which there are apparently no plans for putting in a road. 100 years ago that made some bit of sense as it provided a bit of a natural barrier to disease that would have time to gestate while on a sail or steam ship. But with today's airline system, it just seems a bit "last century".


That 70 miles dashed our idea of making the trip to Tierra Del Fuego as we're not going to invest 4K (and the time) each way to ferry across that gap.

 

[Zork-SKO]

I live in Argentina and I can assure you you’ll have no problems. You will need to take into account the ~4k that’s going to cost you to ship the bus from Panama to Colombia as there’s no route there.

You’ll also need to plan your electric system as the US and Canada are the only countries that use 120v, the rest of America uses 220v.

Hope that helps !

Not quite. Cuba, Jamaica, Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico and most of the islands on down the line of Antilles operate on 110v. Even the British Virgin Islands runs on 110v. Canada is also 120v on single phase. The list goes on and on.

https://www.generatorsource.com/Voltages_and_Hz_by_Country.aspx

 

[Zork-SKO]

You need to research whether an American-made vehicle can be serviced or repaired where you want to travel. Mexico has plenty of US-name trucks, but all the long-distance buses there have European running gear. South of MX you'll find mostly European trucks and buses: Mercedes, Iveco, MAN, Scania, Volvo, etc. Why not buy a Mercedes Sprinter van instead of a skoolie? You can probably get it fixed in most places around the world. There are very few countries that have no Mercedes vehicles!

John

Navistar has a large network of dealers in Latin America and is the number one manufacturer of diesel engines in Brazil. Other companies also have similar presences. The service manual for many of the school buses is also available in Spanish. About the only real challenge is parts, but only if you're really out in the boonies. Just means you get to practice "mañana."

 

[frxmoney]

I've looked into this a bit since I was planning something similar. From what I've found, some countries are picky about the size and type of vehicles allowed in. Buses can sometimes be a hassle due to road and environmental regulations, especially in places like Central and South America. For Hawaii, you'll need to dig into their specific rules on vehicle importation—it's pretty strict. My advice would be to check with local authorities in each country you're planning to visit and maybe hit up some expat forums for the latest info.

 

[boythere]

I'm also planning to explore Spain and would love some input from those who've been there. Is there any restrictions for skoolie as well? I'm thinking of visiting major cities like Barcelona, Madrid, Seville, and Granada. I've found some local guides through https://gowithguide.com/spain has anyone used their services before? Their guides have great reviews, but would love to hear some first-hand experiences. Also, I'm considering finding a travel buddy to share this adventure with. Where do you usually look for travel companions? I'm open to meeting people along the way or connecting beforehand to plan together.

 

[Cheezewhiz]

You’ll also need to plan your electric system as the US and Canada are the only countries that use 120v, the rest of America uses 220v.

This at least has an easy answer:

ROCKSTONE POWER Step Up/Down Voltage Converter 1000W-5000W 110V/220V Transformer | eBay

Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for ROCKSTONE POWER Step Up/Down Voltage Converter 1000W-5000W 110V/220V Transformer at the best online prices at eBay! Free shipping for many products!

www.ebay.com

 

[ewo1]

I realize times hae changed but... in the '80's my dad used to export (drive) busses to Honduras for resale. I can for sure tell you this, there are hundreds if not thousands of retired school busses in Central America, Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, Belize, El Salvador, Costa Rica & Nicaragua.

What I can tell you is the actual important regulations vary from country to country but that applies to actual imports, units that will be nationalized in that country.

As a tourist you should have no problems with entering the country but if you plan on leaving the bus in that country "forever" best do your homework first. They can possibly hold your passport for import duties to that unit. In the past I know when this situation did occur, a simple sale/transfer held at the border or at a shipping entry port, you could work around this issue and the import duty requirement will fall on the next guy who tries to enter the country with the bus, leaving you free to go home.

There are many roads that the bus will not fit but if you stick with the pan American highway.. you'll be fine.


Can't speak for South America.

 

[ewo1]

This at least has an easy answer:

ROCKSTONE POWER Step Up/Down Voltage Converter 1000W-5000W 110V/220V Transformer | eBay

Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for ROCKSTONE POWER Step Up/Down Voltage Converter 1000W-5000W 110V/220V Transformer at the best online prices at eBay! Free shipping for many products!

www.ebay.com

Mexico, Guatemala & Honduras I know for sure they use 120v, 60 hz , single phase power . The poorer countries run the basic minimum wiring on the poles, because they are poor countries !

 

[Cheezewhiz]

I am highly interested in anyone who's taken their skoolie beyond the americas.

Europe, Asia, Africa, hell Antarctica would be worth reading.

Anyone have experience, or a lead on someone who does?