Ok, so. I have something to tell you all. I’m so excited and also so nervous to actually be writing this down, because it makes it properly, 100% official – there’s no going back.
In about two week’s time, I’m flying to Bali. I’m spending a few days there, and then I’m turning around and travelling back to London. Without flying.
Oh, and I’ll be travelling completely on my own.
Yes, I’ve lost the plot. But I’m literally so excited for this and I really hope that you will all be excited with me!
Bali to London Overland – The Route
There are a few different routes to take from Bali to London overland. When I decided I wanted to do this, I researched the three main ones, which are:
- Through South East Asia and China, then into Russia, taking the Trans Siberian and into Scandinavia and Western Europe.
- Through western South East Asia, into India from Myanmar, and through Pakistan, Iran and Turkey before entering Europe either through the Balkans or Eastern Europe (Bulgaria, Romania and Hungary) before entering Western Europe.
- Through South East Asia and into China, before heading Westwards through either China, or through Mongolia and Russia before entering Central Asia, then across the Caucasus region before entering Turkey and into Europe through the Balkans or Eastern European countries.
I’m opting for route #3. I’ll be travelling through Indonesia, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, China, Mongolia, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan (again), Azerbaijan, Georgia, Turkey, Bulgaria, Romania, Hungary, the Czech Republic, Austria, Germany, Switzerland, France and finally, I’ll be returning to bonny England.
Why Are You Travelling from Bali to London Without Flying?
I’ve told a few people about this madcap plan of mine now, and the number one question I’ve got is – so why are you doing this? good question – why am I putting myself through thousands of hours on trains and buses, when planes are easy and generally affordable?
Short answer – I love trains. I also love buses, although I did get a bit sick of them after travelling all over Laos for a month. But I can make do with them. I also love the whole concept of overlanding – seeing how and when cultures change absolutely fascinates me.
And I want to see the world on a deeper level than from a plane window. I want to experience train travel in Uzbekistan, find out how to book a bus through Azerbaijan, and discover local cultures in Bulgaria by taking local transport.
We all know that travel (and life) is more about the journey than the destination, and that’s what this trip is all about – seeing some amazing places, but also enjoying the ride!
Planning For A Trip Across The World
There isn’t really that much that I’m doing to plan – I’m leaving a lot down to wherever the wind takes me once I’m there. My ‘to do list’ before I go out has looked like this:
- Sort out some visas
- Book flights to Bali
- Book accommodation for the first few nights in Bali
- Make sure I have all the necessary kit
- Buy travel insurance
And that’s pretty much it. I’m planning on writing a book, so I am doing some background reading into each country as well. When I’m out there, I’ll plan my actual itineraries for each country and area.
How I’m Documenting This Road and Rail Trip from Bali to London
First things first, I’ll be writing some posts on here – but they will mainly be posts tailored towards people who want to do similar journeys, with helpful hints I pick up on the way, itineraries that have worked for me, etc.
I’ll be documenting all of my travels on my brand spanking new YouTube channel. I’ve just uploaded the first video, check it out:
It’s still in its early stages, so likes, views and subscribers would mean the world. Click here to go through to the channel!
As I mentioned, I’m also going to be writing a book! This, again, is a whole new world for me so I’m going to be learning how to write and publish a successful travelogue over the next few months.
I’ll also be posting reguarly on Instagram and documenting behind the scenes on my stories.
This is probably the most exciting time of my life and I’m absolutely buzzing to share it with everyone!
Let me know if you have any questions – I might end up filming a Q&A video about this trip.
Peace & Love, Claire
OMG this is amazing!! You should totally follow @itchybootstravel on IG she did something similar by motorbike solo and read ‘Full Tilt’ by Dervla Murphy (if you haven’t already), she rode her bycicle(!) from Ireland to India in 1963. This sounds like an incredible adventure, good luck!
What an amazing adventure! Look forward to hearing and reading about it. Particularly interested in hearing about your time in Central Asia. Have only been to Kyrgyzstan, but fell utterly in love with it.
Hi Claire,
initially for environmental reasons I try to do as much travel as I can overland and I actually was just looking up how to get to London (my daughter lives there) from Bali (and I live here) overland and your blog popped up. I am being a bit lazy here but was wondering what you found out about your second option in your research. I want to avoid China as much as possible. I live in Ubud and you would be more than welcome to stay with me if you get here before March. I do run a guest house here too which is where I will be staying for a month before I get my house back…long story but any way…my contact is [email protected] and our guest house is http://www.balifirefly.com so you know where you can find me if you so want to! I would really love to catch up with you when you arrive and I am more than happy to give you some tips and put you in touch with good people!
Hi Penny, thanks a lot for the offer to stay! I’ll let you know if I end up in Bali again 🙂 To avoid China, the only way would be through Thailand/ Myanmar/ India/ Pakistan/ Iran/ Turkey – it’s difficult to travel around Iran if you’re a UK resident and I’m not sure about the borders in Myanmar. It’s definitely trickier, but you could probably make it work!
Claire,
Very interested in how you are getting on with your journey.
I did it in 1980 and loved every mile of it.
Have to say, your very brave to be doing it solo.
Allan
Thanks Allan! I’ve finished now – finished in September 2019! It went really well, I have lots of YouTube videos about it and aa book coming out hopefully in 2021/22!