You might be sick of us banging on about the ever-expanding worldwide train travel possibilities of late (Berlin sleeper train! London to Lisbon?!).
Rest assured, that won’t be ending anytime soon. But, we will take a brief pause to tell you about another type of travel that doesn’t require jetting into the skies: coaches. And this is a good’un.
A new adventure—dubbed the world’s longest coach journey—could take you all the way from Istanbul to London via 22 different countries en route. Think of the different sights you can take in along the way in a journey that will last 56 days — about the amount of time that it’ll take for your boss to figure out you aren’t at your desk and have gone over your annual leave limit (maybe).
Thanks to Adventures Overland, an Indian tour company, the coach route between Istanbul and London will commence from August this year. ‘Bus To London’ starts its engine at the Turkish city before driving through Greece and making the first stopoff at the Bulgarian capital city of Sofia.
Other destinations on the 12,000km trip include Budapest, Krakow, Copenhagen, and many more.
Of course, 56 days travelling by coach means a certain level of comfort is required — this isn’t a case of a one night ride to your hotel; your back will be crying out for some guarantees. Seats are reclining and adjustable and open up space for loegroom, and every seat gets AUX and USB ports, and fold-down tray to eat on. Luggage room also won’t be an issue, with space for two large suitcases per person.
According to CN Traveller, the overall price for this adventure equates to roughly two million Indian rupees (just under £20,000). While it’s certainly not travelling on a budget, this price does get you two meals each day, overnight stays in each country, and a roster of activities included in the package.