Will you pay Rs 20 lakh for a 56-day 12,000 km bus trip from Istanbul to London?

Do you fancy a trip to London on a bus from Istanbul? An Indian expedition company called Adventures Overland is about to launch 'the world's longest bus journey' from Istanbul to London, known as the 'Bus to London', in August 2023.

Back in August 2020, Adventures Overland had planned on starting a bus from Delhi to London; however, because of geographical and political challenges in Myanmar, China, and then the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war (and the countries being closed off to tourists), the company had to ditch that plan. Now, the travel operators have come up with a new route and decided to start the Bus to London from Turkey.

Now, if you are someone who enjoys long bus rides, then the Bus to London might be an ideal travel option for you. 

However, if you are someone who has motion sickness or prefers short hours of travel, then you should look at alternate ways of travelling.

The journey on the Bus to London from Istanbul, Turkey, will kick off on August 7 this year. The bus will complete its 56-day journey on October 1, after covering 12,000 km and 22 countries in between. The passengers won't need to sleep on the bus; the travel operators say they have planned on hotels and resorts for the same.

Take a look at the highlights of the Bus to London:

• When: August 7 to October 1, 2023.
• Cost of the journey: Rs 20 lakh or USD 25,000 (per person) on twin sharing
• From: The bus will depart from Istanbul, Turkey.
• For how long: The journey is 56 days long and will cover 12,000 kilometres. 
• How many countries: The bus ride will cover 22 countries.
• How many people can go on the bus? The ride is available for up to 30 passengers.
• Tourists on board will get to travel through the Balkans, Eastern Europe, the Baltic, Scandinavia and Western Europe and then reach their final destination – London.

Route Map from Istanbul to London

Countries that this bus journey will cover

1. Turkey
2. Greece
3. Bulgaria
4. Serbia
5. Croatia
6. Slovenia
7. Austria
8. Slovakia
9. Czech Republic
10. Poland
11. Lithuania
12. Latvia
13. Estonia
14. Finland
15. Norway
16. Sweden
17. Denmark
18. Germany
19. The Netherlands
20. Belgium
21. France 
22. UK

Highlights

• The trip will cover cities in the Balkans: Sofia, Belgrade, Zagreb and Ljubljana
• Eastern Europe: Bratislava, Prague and Warsaw
• The package also includes nights on a ferry to destinations in Finland.

Will you pay Rs 20 lakh for this road trip? Or would you prefer flights to these destinations?