FAQ
Saharun Office Last update: November 16, 2010 4:07:00 PM CET

- How can I enter the rally?
- What are the categories and what does the entry fee include?
- Over and above the entry fee, what other expenses should I assume at the rally (for 2 people)
- What is the cost of the return trip?
- Is it mandatory to utilize the ferry recommended by the organisers on the way there?
- What currency should I take to the rally?
- What documents are required to participate in the rally?
- What documents are required for the vehicles?
- What administrative tasks await the participants until the Start?
- What maps, navigation and communications equipment is required over the course of the rally?
- What are the recommended and possible vehicles for the rally?
- May I also go with a two-wheel drive vehicle?
- How do I prepare my vehicle for the trip, what mandatory equipment must I acquire?
- What road conditions may be expected?
- What do we have to know about driving in sand?
- What challenges can you encounter in the race category?
- Where do we spend nights?
- What medical and mechanic support can I expect?
- Who can I count on if I get in trouble?
- What should I do if someone on my team is injured or gets sick?
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 		 What to do after the rally?


 
- How can I enter the rally?
    By completing the registration-form the team captain can register. Thereafter the captain can access the administrative interface. This is where the vehicle and team member data can be accessed, where financial transactions and deadlines can be tracked. The entry is deemed valid following the payment of the entry fee; we shall send notice when it is credited.
 
- What are the categories and what does the entry fee include?
    A detailed description is available under the Categories menu item..
 
- Over and above the entry fee, what other expenses should I assume at the rally (for 2 people)
   

The following list does not contain the cost of outfittin the car (undercarriage protection, drivetrain, engine tuning, etc.), the entry fee and the personal equipment (GPS, tent, camping gear, etc.) and it also does not include a sum for vehicle repairs. The listed prices correspond to a basic set of essentials which may change depending on individual requirements and the amount of fuel consumed.


FINANCIAL CRISIS FRIENDLY RALLY! Or what we don't have to spend money for:
- Visa: 0 Euros, in Tunisia the completion of a registration form is required to enter the country for EU citizens, prior administration is not required. For Australian and South African citizens a visa is required, in connection with this issue racers from those countries may request information at the local embassy.
- Vaccination: 0 Euros, in Tunisia a mandatory vaccination is not required for entry, but if someone is anxious, there are some recommended ones that can be administered.
- Vehicle insurance: 0 Euros, in Tunisia the European Mandatory Vehicle Liability Insurance applies; this is a precondition of making the start as well.
   
Costs:
- Passenger Insurance: appr. 50 Euros (appr. Eur 2/person/day + outside EU surcharge)
- Fuel: appr. 750 Euros (assuming fuel consumption of 12 litres and distance of 5000 kms)
- Motorway fee: Austria: EUR 7.9/10 days, EUR 22.9/2 months
Slovenia: EUR 15/week
Italy: tollgate system, appr. 5-6 Euros/100 km
Using the shortest route appr. EUR 70
- Ferry: Two person accommodations + vehicle: EUR 250-300/crossings
- Lodging: Can sleep in the car but if there is a sufficient desire to bathe, appr. EUR 500
- Meals: max. EUR 300, if you do not drink Dom Perignon alongside the caviar and lobster, but if you bring a lot of canned food, you might just have to buy some bread
- Bribes: max. EUR 50, in small denominations
- Total: EUR 1970/2 people, this is appr. EUR 1000/person in case of two people, but if there are four of you it’s only appr. EUR 750 per person, but if you rough it like some nomadic Tuaregs this may be even more favourable.


The return trip is cheaper: Fuel is essentially only required for the European leg, as the rally ends not far from the ferry and in two days one can drive home.
- What is the cost of the return trip?
   
- Fuel: appr. EUR 210 (assuming fuel consumption of 12 litres)
- Motorway fee: Austria: EUR 7.9/10 days, EUR 22.9/2 months
Slovenia: EUR 15/week
Italy: tollgate system, appr. EUR 5-6/100 km
Using the shortest route appr. EUR 70
- Ferry: Two people with cabin accommodations + vehicle: EUR 250-300/crossing
- Meals for 2 days: Appr. EUR 60
- Total: Appr. EUR 600, as in EUR 300/person assuming two people, but if there are four of you, that’s only EUR 150 per person, but it may be even more favourable if you rough it like nomadic Tuaregs

 
- Is it mandatory to utilize the ferry recommended by the organisers on the way there?
    It is in the Adventure category and in the complete route race category. One of the reasons for this is that foreseeably the field will receive a group discount and due the permit procedure the rally must arrive in Tunisia in an organised manner. The field stayin together has an impact on the announcement of results prior to boarding the ferry, the start in Tunisia, and many other factors.

The return trip is optional, but when ordering the ferry ticket the ferry company will make an offer for the return trip with a group discount.
 
- What currency should I take to the 2011 rally?
    It's worth bringing Euros and exchange it on-site. The official currency in Tunisia is the Tunisian Dinar. The rate of exchange as of July, 2010 is EUR 1 = TND 1.86, meaning that approximately 1 TND = HUF 152.
 
- What documents are required to participate in the rally?
    The passengers must have a passport that is valid for at least 6 months after the return journey is concluded, the driver must have a valid driver's license, the vehicle must have a valid registration and mandatory international insurance.
 
- What documents are required for the vehicles?
    In the event that the vehicle is personal property, it must have a valid registration and a certification of international mandatory motor vehicle liability insurance coverage. If the vehicle is owned by another natural person or legal entity, an authorisation in three languages is required to cross the border and to use the vehicle internationally (Hungarian/English/French). This document may be accessed at the teams' administrative interface.
 
- What administrative tasks await the participants until the Start?
    On the team's administrative interface the vehicle and team member data must be entered by the given deadline. Each entrant must print out a registration form which must be signed and sent to the Saharun Office. Additionally there will be a deadline to make ferry reservations and obtain mandatory accident insurance. Each participant must personally see to required visa and other travel documents to each rally relevant country (Tunisia does not require a visa for European Union citizens!).
 
- What maps, navigation and communications equipment is required over the course of the rally?
    An essential precondition of navigating at the rally is a GPS. We recommend Garmin GPS equipment to participants, as we can ensure the download of the challenge coordinates located along the route to this type of GPS, thus not so much time must be spent each day to download the points. In the interest of safety each team shall also receive a paper map at the end of the administrative period. The acquisition of a satellite phone is strongly recommended, as your mobile phone will certainly not have reception in the Sahara. Tunisia actually has significant mobile phone coverage; inquire at your mobile service provider about roaming opportunities. During the trip intra-team communications are assisted by CB radio, also good for asking for help. Naturally discussing the solution of the challenges on CB radio is prohibited, such action results in being banned from the rally.
 
- What are the recommended and possible vehicles for the rally?
   

Any vehicle may participate as long as it has a valid registration and mandatory insurance valid in Europe. In the case of cars, however, due to the terrain conditions, four wheel drive is specifically recommended; if someone enjoys a challenge, of course, they may use a two wheel drive in the desert, anyone can come with anything.

It is important to properly prepare the car as wear and tear is accelerated under desert conditions. In the case of used vehicles the replacement/refurbishment of the following parts are recommended:

  • brakes
  • clutch
  • generator
  • shocks and struts

Attention! The organisers reserve the right to limit the type of vehicles in the case of certain stages!
A factor which may result in such limitation:

  • an insufficiently prepared vehicle in decidedly bad condition
  • a vehicle possessing inappropriate terrain characteristics
  • an overburdened, overpacked vehicle
  • a vehicle which has become an accident threat
- May I also go with a two-wheel drive vehicle?
    Yes, naturally, but along the route there may be stages where we only permit four wheel drive vehicles. In this case you can approach the evening's destination on the two wheel drive alternative route.
 
- How do I prepare my vehicle for the trip, what mandatory equipment must I acquire?
    Our simplest response to this question is to thoroughly read the rules and regulations, all jokes aside, and obtain the accessories that are marked mandatory. We did not ask for them because we were in a bad mood getting out of bed, you might actually need them over the course of the rally and if you do not have them, they will cause a lot more anxiety than you would think.
Over the course of preparation focus on more than just finances. If you want to purchase a towing cable we specifically do not recommend that you go to your nearest hypermarket and buy the towing cable good up to 3.5 tons.
 
- What road conditions may be expected?
    You can expect asphalt, stone and dirt roads of various quality, and naturally there will be so much sand that in 2011 the target of the family vacation can only be a rocky beach.
 
- What do we have to know about driving in sand?
    If you have not had a chance to drive in sand yet, head for the Kiskunság region, specifically the Kis Kunsági Rally, the last stop on this year's Hungarian Challenge.
As domestically there aren't any giant dunes, it's worth reading up on the topic. If you feel uncertain, you can apply for a driving technique course or practice at our trial runs!
 
- What challenges can you encounter in the race category?
    Skill based, searching without coordinates, stamping, geocaching, navigation, average speed maintenance tasks and other special stages await participants. The challenges - other than the ones without coordinates - each have a given coordinate and some kind of a question or assignment is associated with nearly each location.
 
- Where do we spend nights?
    At the end of the daily stages the rally will get to a hotel, camping ground or in between 3 dunes; this is where the organisers will stay, the results will be evaluated and the start of the next day will take place there. In the event it is possible for you, we recommend that you take lodgings there as well; the community experience is the best the rally can give at the evening's camp. We already marked a few places, this is how you can reserve lodgings. Naturally the lodgings are not mandatory. We indicate in advance: it is not a certainty that each night there will be an opportunity to bathe!
 
- What medical and mechanic support can I expect?
    An experience medical ambulance service will be present at the rally, providing 24 hour emergency medical watch over the course of the entire race. In the case of an accident they handle transportation and professional transfer to a hospital. If justified, they shall request transportation home exclusively charged to the patient or his/her insurance company. This is why it is important for participants to possess the requisite insurance. The on-call medical watch is located at the evening central lodgings.

ATTENTION!!! The medical service provided for participants does not mean immediate emergency assistance! It means service strictly along and in the direct vicinity of the recommended route. No arrival and response time is designated! In the event of multiple accidents, with regard to severity and distance, the service shall prioritise and act at its discretion!
 
- Who can I count on if I get in trouble?
    First and foremost you can rely on yourself, but you can trust the teams in your vicinity and in the case of personal injury you can rely on the treatment of the medical team as well.
 
- What should I do if someone on my team is injured or gets sick?
    In Europe, call 112, outside of Europe notify the medical team and the organisers. You can figure out the solution most appropriate for the situation together.
 
- What to do after the rally?
    The homeward journey and the transporation of the vehicle is something to be solved individually, meaning that after getting to the finish what comes after is entirely optional. A couple of ideas: after a few days of rest, you can head home with your own vehicle or you can hand over the car to a replacement team and fly home. In the alternative, if you having a great time, stay there, the next run in the Sahara will be coming right up!