A new bus adventure will take passengers on a 12 thousand km journey from Istanbul to London. The 56-day journey, which will pass through 22 countries in total, is organized by Adventures Overland.
This journey, which will break the world’s longest bus route record of 6,200 km, held by the Ormeno company in Peru, may attract those who like to travel slowly.
What is Adventures Overland?
Adventures Overland is a tour company based in India.
The owners of the company, Sanjay Madan and Tushar Agarwal, have been taking travelers on road adventures since 2012, starting from the idea of the “Hippie Road”, which stretched from Europe to Asia via Istanbul from the 1950s to the 1970s and was very popular with young people at that time.
It is stated that the Hippie Way travels take days, weeks or even months. The most frequented place of travelers is; Istanbul.
Their traditional “Road to London” trip is a nationwide travel tour with a different starting point annually. They are now applying this concept to a new bus route.
The “Bus to London”, originally designed for 2020 but delayed due to the Covid-19 pandemic, will start in August 2023.
In 2019, Road to London participants started their journey from India and continued through Southeast Asia to China, the Middle East and Europe.
In total, the 16 thousand km car journey took 50 days and crossed eight time zones.
Where will the 56-day bus journey take you?
The bus, which will depart from Istanbul in Turkiye, will transport its passengers to Western Europe, passing through the Balkans, Eastern Europe, the Baltic countries and Scandinavia.
It will cover capitals in eastern and central Europe, including Sofia in Bulgaria, Belgrade in Serbia, Zagreb in Croatia, Ljubljana in Slovenia, Budapest in Hungary, Bratislava in Slovakia, Prague in the Czech Republic, Warsaw in Poland, and will visit Auschwitz.
From here we will sail north to Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia.
Next, we will cross the Gulf of Finland to ‘Santa’s village’ and Nordkapp, Europe’s northernmost point accessible by land.
Travelers heading south from Norway will take the Atlantic Ocean route, stopping at Tromso, Bergen and Oslo, and have the chance to see the northern lights along the way.
A one-week journey will be made through Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium and France, with a stop in Stockholm, Sweden, and Copenhagen, Denmark.
The journey will end in London, the capital of England.
So what will the bus be like?
For some, the 56-day bus journey may seem like an epic adventure, but for others, it can evoke ‘an ordeal’.
The company promises adjustable seats with ample legroom to put passengers’ minds at ease, two on one side on one side and one on the other for a wider aisle, and individual entertainment systems with AUX and USB ports.
Seats will also feature collapsible trays and USB phone chargers, and include an emergency toilet.
Passengers will be allowed to bring two full-size suitcases on the bus. After their daily travels, there will be a day break for rest.
Distances traveled every other day will range from 95 to 675 km, with an average distance of 440 km per day of travel.
During the 28 days on the road, passengers will cover a distance of 12,265 km.
How much does it cost and what is included?
The Bus to London will depart from Istanbul on 7 August and will end in London on 1 October 2023.
The trip will cost €22,420 per person.
This fee includes all transportation, visas and hotel accommodation. It also covers all breakfasts, 30 lunches and 30 dinners.
Each destination will have local English-speaking guides, as well as sightseeing and walking tours along the way.
Flights to start and end points are not included.
Source: Euronews / Prepared by Irem Yildiz