Chantil & Travis Gill (@viajarMoto) were always avid outdoors people and travelers. The Gills raised their two children aboard a sailboat, and they traveled around much of the US in this way. Once their kids had flown the (crow’s) nest, they purchased their first motorcycles, a pair of used BMW G650GSs, and loaded them up to move to Germany for a job opportunity. While in Europe, they realized that they simply did not have enough vacation time to properly see all of the European countries, so they retired in order to travel full-time. Over the last four years, they have been to nearly every European country and a bit of North Africa while riding the backcountry roads and the offroad routes of the Trans Euro Trail and Adventure Country Tracks.
Travis and Chantil will share the stories of their travels (to date) during their session, “The Art of Slow Travel: 3.5 Years Overlanding in Europe & North Africa”. They will also give attendees a candid view of what budgeting for long-term overland travel in Europe looks like with “How Much Does Full-time Travel for 3.5 Years Cost.”
You can learn more about Travis and Chantil on their website, www.viajarMOTO.com, and through Travis’ contributions as a writer and photographer for UPSHIFT magazine. But for now, please continue reading for our interview with this dynamic duo:
Overland Expo: Tell us about your bikes:
Chantil & Travis: A pair of used BMW G650GS (single-cylinder) dual-sport motorcycles.
Overland Expo: What is your all-time favorite campsite?
Chantil & Travis: Norway comes to mind – so many wonderful places to camp in that beautiful country.
Overland Expo: What’s your go-to overlanding meal?
Chantil & Travis: We’re pretty simple. Tuna fish and crackers seem to be our normal lunch routine. In the evening, we’ll mix it up with a hot pasta or rice meal.
Overland Expo: What is your best silver-lining story:
Chantil & Travis: While in Italy, Travis dropped his motorcycle off a steep 8-foot embankment while trying to turn around on a narrow single-track section. Fortunately, it was within sight of a road, and an Italian guy noticed us and offered to help. We couldn’t speak Italian, and he couldn’t speak English. He called a few of his friends, and before long, there were three strong Italian men who were all ready to help. Unfortunately, we still couldn’t communicate very well. Within another few minutes, a lady was jogging by and sensed that she could help. It turns out that she had lived in the United States for a short time and was fluent in English! She translated while we made preparations to use a pulley system to winch my motorcycle back onto the pavement. It was a long and hard process, but in the end, there was no damage to the bike, we made some wonderful friends, and we had an amazing story to tell. Things almost always work out – they really do.
READ MORE: All Things Moto at Overland Expo West 2024
Overland Expo: What is an area of overland travel that you think you have nailed? And what is an area of overland travel that you feel you could use some improvement in?
Chantil & Travis: We feel we are a solid team – together, we can overcome pretty much anything. It may be stressful at times, causing us to lose patience with each other, but in the end, we always come through. We can maintain and fix our own motorcycles – except for engine work. We both enjoy traveling and seeing the same things – nature, camping, remote trails, cities, monuments, museums, and learning about the regions we travel to. We are also good at photography, tracking expenses, and updating our GPS routes regularly.
On the other hand, Travis would like to be able to pack lighter and be able to do engine valve checks and adjustments on his own. Chantil would like to improve her off-road skills to include steep descents and sand – her nemesis is deep sand.
Overland Expo: What does your “division” of labor look like while traveling?
Chantil & Travis: Travis does most of the route planning and GPS navigation. He also rides in the front most of the time. Chantil handles the cooking and shopping. They work together on the finances and maintenance of the two motorcycles. Social media, photography, and writing articles are Travis’ forte. He also does most of the editing for our YouTube travel channel.
Overland Expo: Thanks for chatting with us! We can’t wait to catch up with you at Overland Expo!
