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Message:	[quote author=bjd board=tips thread=3266 post=65530 time=1266912973]onlyMark -- I'm out of date -- I have only seen pictures of the mountain roads in the north of Iran, but they were probably taken a long time ago. Have you read Rory MacLean's [i]Magic Bus[/i] about the London-India trips of the 1960s/70s?[/quote] Expand
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Topic Summary

Posted by deyana on Feb 22, 2010, 8:59pm

I've been wondering about this for some time now. So I'm just going to put it out there, to see what everyone's ideas and thoughts are on this.

We touched on this subject on another thread some days ago. Do you think a road trip from the UK (or France even) would be a difficult undertaking? How would you prepare? What kind of time would it take? What would you need to bring with you? Would all the visas need to be in place before you start or can they be applied for just before you enter each country that requires one? And what about the cost? And how about the actual route? How best to avoid certain countries all together, countries like Afghanistan and Iraq for instance.

Here's a map, just as a guideline:

[image]

Would you ever consider doing this kind of journey?

Posted by kerouac2 on Feb 22, 2010, 9:24pm

I think that I would steer clear of the Afghanistan and the Pakistan part at the present. Better to go up to Tashkent from Iran and then check the viability of going down to Rawalpindi to get to India -- or if it is better to pass through China.

Askar might have some ideas about this if he sees it.

Posted by deyana on Feb 22, 2010, 10:05pm

Yes, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iraq would have to be avoided for sure.

I'll send Askar a PM, with a link to this thread, I'd appreciate his input.

Posted by spindrift on Feb 22, 2010, 10:29pm

A Nepali gf of mine once asked me to do this trip with her. It never happened of course. At the time we were looking for a competent strong man to be our driver/fixer. My friend's father had done this journey (UK to Nepal) several times and thought nothing of it. This was in the 1950s I suppose.

I'd still like to do it. It would cost a lot. I don't know how one would manage to obtain all the different visas. I guess that would be a nightmare. We'd definitely have to give Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan a miss and go north instead. Do you think 4 months would be sufficient time to get to India?

Posted by kerouac2 on Feb 22, 2010, 10:35pm

Good old Seat 61 suggests a train route from London to India. That might be a more reasonable way to go.

Posted by spindrift on Feb 22, 2010, 10:38pm

Yes, lovely....Paul Theroux and (probably) Bill Bryson did it this way...but I want to go by car.

Posted by kerouac2 on Feb 22, 2010, 10:41pm

But I do love the idea of a dining car in some of the trains, or places where the train would stop for hours and they would set up a table on the platform for us and ply us with local specialities, the slow clatter of the rails on starry nights across rocky deserts with campfires in the distance and the silhouette of camels braying.

Posted by spindrift on Feb 22, 2010, 10:45pm

Oh yes, we could dress for dinner; I could wear my diamonds; be served tantalising food and the best wines....no space for dancing I suppose.... the best linen on the beds, a carriage into town to see the sights...no end of bliss.

Posted by deyana on Feb 22, 2010, 10:46pm

That's sounds wonderful, K. A train would take so much of the stress of travelling away.

Spinny, four months? I think that should be enough time.

Posted by spindrift on Feb 22, 2010, 10:49pm

The idea would be to stop at places we like. I wouldn't want to rush. It would be a trip of a lifetime.

Posted by deyana on Feb 22, 2010, 10:51pm

Feb 22, 2010, 10:45pm, spindrift wrote:

Sounds perfect

Kind of like the Orient Express, but one that goes much further. And rthe waiters would all have to be tall, dark and handsome

Posted by spindrift on Feb 22, 2010, 10:52pm

We can take the Orient Express from London to Istanbul!

Posted by deyana on Feb 22, 2010, 10:52pm

I like the idea of not rushing. Ideally it would be good to stop many times, to get a real feel of a place, meet and get to know the locals, before moving on. It could lead to some unusual experiences.

Posted by spindrift on Feb 22, 2010, 10:54pm

It certainly would lead to interesting experiences.....

Posted by deyana on Feb 22, 2010, 10:55pm

I think we should plan it, Spinny. For real. Even if it's a few years down the road...

Posted by spindrift on Feb 22, 2010, 10:56pm

We still need to find that strong man/fixer - and he must have a sense of humour 8-)

Posted by hwinpp on Feb 23, 2010, 2:06am

Good trip.

Pakistan can be crossed. You get military escorts between Zahedan in Iran and from the border up to Quetta in Pakistan. People are still doing it.

If you have a reliable car no need to worry much. The roads are all asphalt now and Turkish, Iranian or Pakistani workshops are all along the route.

Posted by onlymark on Feb 23, 2010, 5:05am

If I just may mention that I've done this journey, from London to Nepal and vice versa and from Cairo to Nepal and vice versa more times than I can remember. I'd estimate more than a dozen at least.

Posted by onlymark on Feb 23, 2010, 5:43am

To give a little taster perhaps staying at this place for a few days may be relaxing? -
http://www.banasura.com/

And you would definitely need to experience the India/Pakistan border closing ceremony at Wagah.
Note the briefest of handshakes just before the gates close -

Posted by hwinpp on Feb 23, 2010, 6:34am

I never made it up to Nepal. Ferried the car from Madras to Port Klang in Malaysia both times.

Did you manage to go through Afghanistan, Mark?

Posted by bjd on Feb 23, 2010, 7:54am

Feb 22, 2010, 10:52pm, deyana wrote:

You'll need more than 4 months in that case.

And starting in England with a left-hand drive car is probably not a good idea, since most of the places you would be going through drive on the right.

Posted by hwinpp on Feb 23, 2010, 8:03am

But they would end up in a country with the same system, bjd

Posted by bjd on Feb 23, 2010, 8:05am

I thought of that, but can you imagine driving through narrow twisting roads, like in Iran, with the steering wheel on the wrong side?

Posted by hwinpp on Feb 23, 2010, 8:10am

True... but they've got time

My concern would be the visa for Iran. I think now certain foreigners only get a 7- day transit visa while others don't. Not sure who gets what though.

Posted by onlymark on Feb 23, 2010, 8:11am

hwinpp - never got to Afghanistan. It was too volatile.
The route went from Kerman, Bam, Zahedan in Iran, across the border into Pakistan and through then to Quetta.

bjd - I always did it in a left hand drive and had fewer problems than expected.
I'm also curious as to the mention of the roads in Iran. I didn't encounter small twisty roads and found that they were very good in condition and the main routes were large and easy to navigate.
But as you say, more than 4 months would be best. I used to do London - Kathmandu in 13 weeks.

Posted by onlymark on Feb 23, 2010, 8:13am

Feb 23, 2010, 8:10am, hwinpp wrote:

My concern would be the visa for Iran. I think now certain foreigners only get a 7- day transit visa while others don't. Not sure who gets what though.

This transit visa was easy enough at the time to get it extended in Tehran, Shiraz and Esfahan.

Posted by bjd on Feb 23, 2010, 8:16am

onlyMark -- I'm out of date -- I have only seen pictures of the mountain roads in the north of Iran, but they were probably taken a long time ago.

Have you read Rory MacLean's Magic Bus about the London-India trips of the 1960s/70s?

Posted by kerouac2 on Feb 23, 2010, 8:30am

They tried to revive the Magic Bus a few years ago (with the appropriate new modifications of the itinerary), and I remember that they were booked solid for the first two or three trips, but I think something must have happened on one of the first trips that made them realize that the revival was premature.

Posted by onlymark on Feb 23, 2010, 9:20am

I've not read that, no.

Posted by spindrift on Feb 23, 2010, 9:36am

Mark - I love that clip of the Closing Ceremony at Wagah....it'd be worth going there just to see that!

You are obviously 'our man'.....


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