Sahara Expedition 2025

Why can't we use any car that we like?
Allowing any car to take part in the expedition is certainly easier for the teams in that they might have one lying about, or there is one locally for sale. However, trying to provide spares for a host of different vehicles is nigh on impossible unless we had a large truck in tow to carry everything. The alternative would be to expect each team to carry a range of spares themselves such as alternators, water pumps, suspension components and engine sumps etc, but this is also not practical due to the weight of parts, let alone the cost involved.

It is much easier therefore that each team drives the same type of vehicle and the Max Adventure support crew carry the spares that we think will be needed.

Can I use someone else’s car on the expedition?
Yes you can. As long as you have a copy of the original Vehicle Registration document, we can make up a ‘Letter of Authority to Drive’ which you can show to Customs officials and Police Officers when overseas.

Why can we only take a maximum of 3 drivers in a Focus hatchback and 4 in an estate version?
Keeping the weight of your vehicle down is key to successfully negotiating the Sahara Desert. Adding an additional driver not only adds their personal weight, but that of their clothing & equipment, plus extra water, food and tents. Not only this, but the room inside is quite limited and it just wouldn’t be a comfortable experience for them.

To ensure that you have an enjoyable experience, we would recommend the following team numbers…

Can I undertake the expedition alone?
Unfortunately not. If we have problems, there may be some long days on the road and we have found it is too much driving for just one person. It is much better to have at least one other person to share time behind the wheel to ensure your own safety and that of the team and other road users.

Where will we be sleeping?
Accommodation will primarily be at campsites, but in many overnight stops there will be the option to upgrade to a hostel (auberge) or hotel room. This will be on a first come first serve basis, but to avoid having uncomfortable night’s sleep, it is best to bring a good quality sleeping bag and mat.

Your first night’s accommodation as part of your entry fee is at a campsite in Tarifa, southern Spain, not far from Gibraltar, whilst the last night will be in a hotel in Morocco.

Are there any rest days on the rally?
There are no planned rest days, but as this is a vehicle expedition we must retain a flexible approach to the itinerary. If we encounter mechanical problems during our first venture into the Sahara, we have the option to stay in the town of Zagora to affect repairs.

Where is the best place to find a used Ford Focus Mk1 or Mk2?
In order of preference, we would suggest the following online resources to find a suitable Ford Focus in terms of the numbers available to choose from and the most reasonable prices…

Don’t forget your local papers and used car dealerships as well.

How many teams will be on the expedition?
For this event, we are capping the number of entries at 18 teams. This equates to approximately 40 people as teams tend to opt for 2 or 3 drivers per car.

What skills do the support crew have on the expedition?

Assuming that 10 or more teams sign up the expedition, we will also have 2 additional support crew in a second 4x4 support vehicle.

What is the ratio of support crew to teams taking part?
We aim for 1 support vehicle and 2 support crew for every 6 teams taking part in the expedition.

Do we drive in a convoy or travel independently?
Trying to get 2-wheel drive family hatchbacks along the original Dakar Rally route through the Sahara Desert is not the thing you'd probably want to try alone, so we'll be sticking together and travelling in convoy. It will certainly be a team effort to get through!

Each team though will be provided with a copy of the route that they can use to navigate from on their smartphone. In order to do this it simply involves downloading a free App onto your phone called Maps.me. As modern smartphones are GPS enabled (using satellites), this means you won’t be using up any of your mobile data and will provide accurate route and location information even when you are far from a mobile phone signal.

On the tarmac sections, this will allow teams to travel a bit more spread out, with the support crew following up the rear to recover anyone who has problems. If teams wish to stay close to the support vehicles though, that will be fine.

Why are the ferries to and from the UK not included in the entry fee?
We considered including them in the entry fee, but there were 4 main reasons why this wouldn’t work:

In addition to the entry fee, what other costs are there?

If we wanted to save money and drive through France on the toll free roads, which way would we go?
The following website lists the best way to get through France toll free and without adding too much time compared to using the toll motorways:
https://about-france.com/tourism/no-tolls-routes.htm

Is the expedition being sponsored?
We are currently in talks with DFDS Ferries for all teams to receive free ferry passage from the UK to France (Newhaven to Dieppe). For those teams though that don't wish to take the long drive through France, they can opt for the Plymouth to Santander ferry, which would depart 24 hours later.