[avsrihari]

Just out of curiosity, I made an enquiry and they did send their quote. They have 4 options to join the bus journey.

Leg 1 : Imphal, India to Bangkok. - 11 nights - 350000/person
Leg 2 : Chengudu, China to Kashgar, China - 15 nights - 425000/person
Leg 3 : Biskek to Moscow - 21 nights - 495000/person
Leg 4 : Moscow - London - 15 nights - 425000/person

Honestly, I don't see myself spending everyday on the bus without time to explore the cities. Also, traveling for 70 days with strangers is not my thing. They're trying to replicate the Luxury Cruise ships where privacy is ensured in the large open spaces or your cabins. I don't see that happening in a bus.

[spoth001]

Originally Posted by haisaikat

For the record there existed a similar bus route from Kolkata to London back in the 50s for almost 20 years. Round way fare was approximate 145 pounds back in those days for a single head.

This is so cool and historic. If you look at the route, you would cruise along pakistan I believe ? But the current one surely employs a longer route. There are pros and cons.

[ruzbehxyz]

Originally Posted by dicor

This does not include fuel and return fare + vehicle air transportation charges from UK to India. Add a couple of lakhs more for that please.

Fuel would be in lakhs as well. Return fare for two upto 1 lakh and vehicle transportation + insurance is anyone's guess.
These are whopping charges.

[Shanky_1002]

This is one bus I wouldn't mind missing! Though this seems like a great idea with once in a lifetime kinda adventure but it maybe far from reality. Travelling in a bus for 70 days and this long a distance is not my cup of tea, add to that eye watering fare of 30L (15L/pax) for two of us plus if any additional non inclusive charges fuel/ return airfare/ insurance/ misc, I would rather get a full fledged 4x4 say Fortuner/Endeavor for that kinda money and do over-landing in that. There have been many individuals who have done road trips from India to London on their own along with their families, it sure might be quite a task getting the itinerary planned, all the visa/permits done and taking risk of getting in unforeseen circumstances on foreign soil but it's still doable and worth the effort. I did a short Euro trip last year, landed in Amsterdam, rented a Renault Clio from Avis and toured Netherlands, Belgium, France, Swiss and Germany. Road trip in your own/self drive car is any day much pleasurable and convenient, customize your trip as per your budget, going at your own pace, spending as much time one likes in a place, visiting the un-explored scenic beauty places. We stayed in Airbnb's through out and mostly cooked ready to eat meals. It was epic fun and not that expensive either, only high expense being the airfare.

[McLaren Rulez]

A couple of years ago, I was lucky enough to do an overland trip starting in Singapore and ending in Munich. The original goal was to get to London without any flying but I ran out of time and had to fly the last leg. Having done that, I am certain that buying a ticket on this bus is not at all worth it.

1) The price, as many have recognized, is stupidly high. My total cost including daily expenses, travel, hotels and visas came well under INR 5L. Yes, these guys might put you up in nicer places but for those who actually do a trip like this, would you really want a five-star Hilton room or a yurt by a lake in the middle of nowhere in Kyrgyzstan?

2) When covering vast distances in China, Central Asia and Russia, you want to be on a train. There's literally no reason to use a bus to travel long distances in these regions. There is a whole lot of nothing between any two points with civilization. The vastness of these countries is hard to comprehend until you travel overland through them. Only in Europe does a bus become sensible again due to shorter distances between places worth stopping at and high rail ticket prices.

3) 70 days is way too little. I planned more days than this for my trip and even though it covered less distance than the proposed route of this bus, I still ran out of time. And all that was despite high speed rail in China and using overnight trains through Russia and Central Asia which saved me a huge amount of time. If I were to do a similar trip again, I'd budget twice as much time in every single place. The world is mesmerizing and you should give yourself time to take it all in. The organizers of this bus trip are going to rush you through most places in order to stay on schedule.

4) Anyone who wants to do such a trip should plan it themselves. You want to personalize a rare event like this to your tastes, your budget and your interests. You want to meet the locals and hitch a ride or share a meal or have a drink with them. You will screw up too and get lost, eat weird stuff that makes you sick, have trouble with border agents who have never seen an Indian passport and suspect you're doing something illegal and so on. Even the planning is fun - I had to get an invitation from a total stranger (thanks Reddit!) in Russia to apply for a visa. That's all part of the experience. Off-the-shelf products like these will not even come close to being as memorable.

TL;DR it's a nope from me!

[Starfire]

My thought is, imagine what a tough job the driver of the bus is going to have and what he possibly might be getting paid for it.

Anyway, here are some of the pictures and info of the amenities you will get on the bus for those who are interested to know:

More about it here https://bustolondon.in/

[landcruiser123]

Curious question: Will the bus have a steering on the right or left side of the vehicle? :P

[ruzbehxyz]

Originally Posted by landcruiser123

Curious question: Will the bus have a steering on the right or left side of the vehicle? :P

That's not a problem. It can be anyside as long as the driver is experienced. I did a Europe bus trip which starts in London and ends in London. Since UK is right hand drive, the bus was right hand drive. All over Europe its left hand drive, however the driver had no issues.

[k_kumar]

Originally Posted by haisaikat

...For the record there existed a similar bus route from Kolkata to London back in the 50s for almost 20 years...

Our very forum has a recent thread on this topic . Here is the link - https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/comme...bus-route.html (The world's longest bus route).

[cpabhijit]

Originally Posted by Jeroen

it says 20,000 km in 70 days. That is well over 300 km a day on average, every day. On a bus.

Seriously. On a bus?! It is the most inconvenient mode of transport ever invented. Phew. It says 25 days of sight seeing, so I guess it would be a mix of day and night travel. But then, on a bus? No way.

[trkauditya]

Seventy days on board a bus is something I can't even think of doing. Whatever they may offer and however luxurious the bus is, its a bus at the end of the day and it travels on the road.

A peek at the itinerary reveals that they plan to be on road for 9 hours, as per google maps, on some days. For example, they want to travel from Kale to Bagan in Myanmar in a single day. The actual run will cross 12 hours on some days if we account for food, immigration, traffic and others.

There are far better options to explore the world with 20L in hand.

[Arbind Ray]

Originally Posted by Mynameis

Just came across this article by TOI.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/t...as77701943.cms

...I can't say much on expense, comfort levels, etc, since I haven't travelled abroad for holidays. Those who have been through vacations abroad can provide insight as to how much sense does this bus service make.

But one thing is for sure, this does seem interesting

drmohitg and Jerome's observations do resonate. During the Lockdown, main apprehension of going out for an hour's drive legitimately, had been lack of public toilet facilities since hotels, restaurants and pubs were shut here in London. The thought of numerous strangers sharing limited facilities can also prove challenging not to mention frail tempers after initial novelty wears off. Perhaps enthusiasts who share common ground beyond overlanding could bear the arduous journey hours. Dilwale Dulhania Le Jajenge would be too far a stretch for the imagination. Perhaps a different themed tour for those who can treat the fares indicated as pocket change (armed security personnel included?) may have the gumption to go the distance though I'm struggling to see how.

As some others on these message boards have experienced, I too have driven 6-7 hours a day on smooth American roads for a month, stopping at hotels ranging from 350 dollars a night down to as low as a hundred. After a while, I looked forward to getting behind the wheel of a fantastic vehicle I had hired which was pleasant to drive. I couldn't imagine sitting idle for hours on end in a passenger seat for days. No idea how my wife not only endured it...and me so am rather surprised she's (still) looking forward to a Canadian road trip in the not too distant future! I've been watching Traveling Desi exploits with his RV accompanied by his mom on YouTube and find the challenges encountered quite unnerving.

The thought of crossing international borders for a month to include less than favourable road conditions is beyond me so kudos to those willing and able to brave long distance journeys on a bus.

[#ABTorquey]

Originally Posted by McLaren Rulez

A couple of years ago, I was lucky enough to do an overland trip starting in Singapore and ending in Munich.

Oh Boy! That is one Great travelogue option. Haven't seen any travelogues here. It would be great if you could find some time and post it on the forum. I am sure there will be a lot to learn from such an experience.

[Anwesh]

Originally Posted by haisaikat

For the record there existed a similar bus route from Kolkata to London back in the 50s for almost 20 years. Round way fare was approximate 145 pounds back in those days for a single head.

In fact, that bus started off as a Sydney to London journey. The very same bus was located somewhere in the UK, in derelict condition. It was restored and driven back to Australia, where it was once part of the public transport.fleet. Search for Albert the double decker bus for more information.
http://highroadforoz.blogspot.com/?m=1

Regards,