Delhi to Paris by road

[sugam]

Hi all
I might sound insane at the sound of it. But please read on-
Well, just 2 days back, I saw a Land Rover in Chandigarh with a Johannesburg (South Africa) registration number. It was occupied by foreigners who seemed to be on a road trip.
There was no mark of registration given by the local registration authority.

This revived my earlier dream which I had dumped. I was planning a road trip from Delhi to Paris the way Hyundai had done to promote their i10.

The difference is that Hyundai drove from Delhi to Chennai and airlifted their fleet from Chennai to Istanbul (Turkey). They then crossed over to Europe over the Bosphorus bridge which connects Asia (Turkey) to Europe (Ortakoy).

I was wondering if we could instead pass through Pakistan (Entering at Lahore and exiting at Gwadhar) and further to Iran.
Crossing over Iran would land us in Turkey. The total Delhi to Paris route would be about 8000 Kms each side.

Most of the people I talked to said I could board an Air France and get to Paris in a few hours. But I don't want to see only Paris. I want to enjoy each and every city that lies in the way.

Now I need someone who understands the concept and helps me out by telling me that how can I arrange for road permits and other formalities.

Another concern for me and my family is that passing through Pakistan and Iran might not be really safe as they have an image of being hostile countries.

So, guys, what do you all suggest????

[CorsaLove]

I'm not sure if this is possible (or is it?) But i will most certainly keep a tab on your thread for updates from a lot of BHPians here.

Good luck with your planning.

PS: You might want to give details on how YOU think it is possible and what you have thought about the route, car to drive (yours) and deatils of the trip that you might probably want to share to get better insights.

Just my 2 cents.

[ramkya1]

Sugam and CorsaLove,

HVK has a detailed plan we discussed. We were seriously exploring a drive from India to Paris, onward to Norway, reach lands end there and be back all by road. Sounds insane, but if we get 40 days off and some company it's possible to take another look at the feasibility.

The problem is Pakistan and the route thro. Afghanistan, well air-lifting it Turkay and driving on seems like a safer option.

Keep on planning, something will come out, at least possibilities will become clearer.

Happy Exploring,

--Ramky
---------

[sugam]

Oh I didn't know that someone was already planning on this.
Even I am very serious about this.
Please discuss everything here or of there is a thread already running on this, please do give the link here.
About airlifting, I don't know how much is it going to cost. But I believe sea cargo would be cheaper to turkey.
Was watching the Turkish customs department. They seem to have provisions for tourists who come with their cars.

another major concern here is that some countries of the European Union are Left Hand Drives. Would they allow our cars on their roads?

[mjothi]

Interesting one.

I think it should be feasible but involves many levels of permission I guess. If properly planned and prior authorisation (whatever needed) is done, will be of less hassle.

[hvkumar]

I started planning a Europe overland drive 8 years ago - and made a mile-by-mile driving plan - 32,000 kms, 3 months, and how many countries - Pakistan, Iran, Turkey, Greece, Italy, Switzerland, France, Belgium, Netherlands, Germany, Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Austria, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria and Turkey.

Unfortunately, I have had to kill the plan since Pakistan does not permit Indian motorists to drive to or through Pakistan. This policy has not changed, and I still keep making enquiries from time to time.

However, non-Indians regularly do this drive. There are regular bus services (Dragoman) between London/ Cairo and India/ Nepal. Foreigners come by car, min-truck and bike to India through this route. Lonely Planet even has a book for Driving Overland from Istanbul to India.

Needless to say, such a trip poses lots of challenges - such as obtaining Garnet de Passage for vehicles to drive across various country customs barriers.

There are some major unsafe, lawless stretches, especially in North West Pakistan (Quetta region), and also some areas in south Iran.

[gd1418]

And your vehicle should be conforming to their emission standards as well...

[hvkumar]

I am attaching 2 files, which give details of my drive plan to Europe - was drafted 8 years ago.

[Fillmore]

I don't mean to be spoilsport but, I wonder if its worth the risk driving through Pakistan, Iran , Afghanistan etc..

Instead just fly into Europe , rent a car there and drive all over Europe.

This way you bypass all the legal hassles + perils of driving through the risky borders.
The Adventure will still be there and you can enjoy the scenic routes without putting the safety of you and your family in jeopardy.

Plus with a rental car, in case of any breakdowns you need to just call up the rental company and they will send roadside assistance / service it for you.

[hvkumar]

Originally Posted by Fillmore

I don't mean to be spoilsport but, I wonder if its worth the risk driving through Pakistan, Iran , Afghanistan etc..

Instead just fly into Europe , rent a car there and drive all over Europe.

This way you bypass all the legal hassles + perils of driving through the risky borders.
The Adventure will still be there and you can enjoy the scenic routes without putting the safety of you and your family in jeopardy.

Plus with a rental car, in case of any breakdowns you need to just call up the rental company and they will send roadside assistance / service it for you.

They asked Edmund Hillary, why do you want to climb Mt Everest? To which he replied, because it is there.

Have road, will drive.
Driving overland to Europe is not for just reaching and seeing Europe, but to experience the various countries en route.
And its is a tremendous achievement.
I have been all over Europe by train, don't think I have anything much left over.
All the countries en route are fantastic, when I planned my trip, I just could not work out how to cover them all!
Safety is not a serious issue. No war zones.
I made sure that I skirted the war zones of the Slav republics - Croatias and Serbias - and also avoided Albania which is supposed to have law and order problems. So, to avoid that, I planned to take an overnight ferry from Greece to Italy (Ignoumephista to Brindisi) and also return via the East Euro republics like Hungary, Romania and Bulgaria to reach Turkey.

At the time when I planned my drive, I owned a Matiz and happily, Daewoo sold the Matiz in ALL the countries.

[sugam]

Thank you soo much for sharing all the information sir.
Well, unfortunate as we may call it, the fact that Pakistan and Iran are risky territories for us Indians, should not deter us from undertaking the trip.
How is the idea of sending our cars to Istanbul by ship?

[hvkumar]

Sending by ship to Istanbul may not be as easy as it sounds since you may not have linkages. Maybe you should examine if you can send to Dubai (easier) and work out a route that way.

[paras211]

charles sobraj had done a similar drive with the cops on his tail ,dont remember a lot had read a book 6-7 yrs back .

[wanderernomad]

It is feasible. An alternate route could be through China onto the Russian Lands and then cut across the Urals. Route is scenic and not much of hassles. China has been known to allow foreign vehicles through its lands provided you take on a state guide for the time you are in their territory. In case team-bhp plans a drive I want myself to be counted in to any such effort.

[humyum]

Had planned this ever since i was a kid and within the next 5 to 7 years am making this happen, either from India to UK or UK to India and back where ever i am at that time.