Bangkok To London, Overland

[bkkmadness]

Has anybody done it or know anybody thats done it?

I was just searching about for some information on train travel and it come up, and struck me as a nice way to visit a load of countries I have not been too when I visit home.

[kreon]

Has anybody done it or know anybody thats done it?

  I was just searching about for some information on train travel and it come up, and struck me as a nice way to visit a load of countries I have not been too when I visit home.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

met a couple of guys in cambodia who went overland by motorbike, they were on a 2-year trip, going through cambodia, vietnam and then china

they said they had a fantastic trip and afterchina were coming back to thailand to live

i guess you would have to do a combination of bus and train travel, depending on which route you take

[Khutan]

The overland was also one of my dreams. I know 2 people who have done it.

The difficulty you will face is getting through the Middle-East.

The only way I can think of is long distance trains. I think there is a version of The Orient Express that goes to Beijing, from there I think from memory you can get on the Trans-Siberian.

Good Luck, interested to hear what you are thinking of doing.

[buadhai]

I went overland from London to Kathmandu in the 70's. Had to fly to Rangoon and then on to Bangkok. We drove through Iran and Afghanistan then, I'm not sure you can do that now.

[bkkmadness]

I think the route now is Bangkok, Cambodia, Vietnam, up to China, Beijing to Moscow, then Moscow through Europe to London.

It's not going to happen anytime soon, maybe a years time, but I like to have some little dream trips to get me through these bangkok days!

Sounds more exciting than a long flight, one minute Thailand next minute the UK.

[The Gentleman Scamp]

I think Ewan McGregor and his best mate did something very similar but on motorbikes and have released a book about it.

I had a friend who wanted to buy a tuk tuk and go back to London on it which would be great if he ever did it, which knowing him as I do - he probably will.

[Backpack_thailand]

Done it about 7 years ago. Went from BKK into Cambodia, into Vietnam and carried on into China. A slight detour had be visiting Hong Kong to meet a mate and then we went by train to Shanghai (wicked!) and then onto Beijing.

Trans Siberian from some remote place north of Mongolia all the way to Moscow. From there buses/trains/hitch-hiking all the way to Paris then home to London.

Best three months of my travelling life.

However, I would love to go right through the Middle East overland following the old Silk Road, as I've always felt that the Trans Siberian, as good as it was, was a bit of "cheat".

Don't fancy Iraq/Iran at he moment though!

[uhuh]

Has anybody done it or know anybody thats done it?

  I was just searching about for some information on train travel and it come up, and struck me as a nice way to visit a load of countries I have not been too when I visit home.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

easy

You cannot legally go overland through Burma, the rest of Asia is mostly open. Bypassing Burma means you must go to China.

Thailand > Laos > China is a very popular route these days.

Thailand > Cambo > Vietnam > China as described above is the older route.

From China to Europe, you have 3 routes: Transsiberian railway from Beijing to Moscow (very popular), Karakorum Highway from Xinjiang to Pakistan and then on to Iran and Turkey, or the new railway from Xinjiang to Kasakhstan from where you can travel to Russia

I know many people who did the Transsib and a few who did Kasakhstan - Xinjiang, I travelled the Karakorum route myself

BTW does sea travel count as "overland"? There used to be boats from Malaysia (Penang) to Madras (=Chennai), and most of the times overland travel from India to Pakistan is possible. I never met anybody who travelled this route, though (it would be Thailand > Malaysia > India > Pakistan > Iran > Turkey > Europe)

Edited May 28, 2005 by uhuh

[Bangkokbutcher]

Has anybody got any best guesstimates at the cost of doing one of these overland trips??

[monsieurhappy]

Great Idea! I have thought about this lots of times, but I don't have the courage to do it alone. I have the time, so would be interested in joining a group effort if anyone could put this together. Like to know more about duration of journey and costs?

[uhuh]

Has anybody got any best guesstimates at the cost of doing one of these overland trips??

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

you can do it on a shoestring, like 5-10 USD per day, but the trip will take about 2 months

some prices:

train all the way through Turkey: reckon about 20 USD

bus all the way through Iran: reckon about 20 USD

transsiberian Beijing-Moscow-Berlin: if you are a foreigner, cannot speak Chinese, show up in Beijing and are not prepared to wait a month or two for your ticket, reckon with 500+ USD. Otherwise it can be done for about 100 USD, but this is not easy.

train travel in China: cheapest class is very cheap, but very uncomfortable (no seat and no standing room for 15 - 25 hours, days to get a ticket). The most expensive tickets costs hundreds of USD. Bus travel in China is even cheaper than train.

If you travel through Kasakhstan, reckon about 100-200 USD for visa fees for every border crossing in central Asia.

Edited May 29, 2005 by uhuh

[The Dan Sai Kid]

I knew a Brazilian guy - worked in Samutprakan - who cycled from Portugal to Vietnam - he said the himalayas were the best and vietnam was the worst - so start from Thailand and save on a needless cycle through Vietnam.

[daleyboy]

There is a firm in the U.k that specialises in overland trips like the one you were describing.I cant rmember their bloody name right now but they are based in Salisbury. Just remembered they are called Exodus here is there web address

My Webpage

They do tours all over the world check them out they are very good, i was offered a job with them but then i got married and it wasnt really pratical to be away from home for months and months at a time.

Let me know how you get on though.

[Thaicoon]

I know a guy that went to Syngapore, overland through Thailand, he went from London to St Petersburg in Russia then got a ticket on the trans siberia railway to China, from China i think he did the same to Veitnam, then on buses through Cambodia, got to Bangkok and caught the train straight down to Syngapore, i think it cost him quite a bit as he was telling me the ticket on the trans siberia was quite expensive, not sure which train he used in Thailand, as the equivelent of the old oreint express go's to Syngapore from Bangkok, that is expensive.