The 25 greatest journeys: road trips, train rides and overland adventures
Some of my favourite travel memories aren't places at all, they're the bits in between. A road, a railway or a truck across a continent, where getting there is the whole point.
These are the 25 greatest journeys: the ones I've done first, then the ones still on my list.
8 of 25 ticked off
- Overlanding Africa ✓
- Overlanding South America ✓
- The Death Road by bike ✓
- Antarctica by expedition ship ✓
- The Salar de Uyuni by 4x4 ✓
- A US road trip ✓
- The Great Ocean Road ✓
- Flat out on the Autobahn ✓
- Route 66
- The Atlantic Road
- The Transfăgărășan Highway
- The Pamir Highway
- The Hai Van Pass by motorbike
- Vietnam by moped
- The Glacier Express
- The Rocky Mountaineer
- The Ghan
- The Trans-Siberian Railway
- An Indian overnight train
- The Orient Express
- The slow boat down the Mekong
- The Yangtze and the Three Gorges
- Overlanding the Silk Road
- The Mongol Rally
- The Rickshaw Run
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1 Overlanding Africa
West and East Africa✓ Been: 2018-19
Across Africa by truck, camping along the way. It's how I crossed the continent, west and east.
- The distance
- Months on the road, crossing dozens of borders
- When to go
- Trips run all year; the dry season is easiest.
- How to do it
- Join an overland company's truck for a leg, or the whole thing.
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Photo: This photo was taken by Roman Bonnefoy ( Romanceor [parlons-en]). Feel free to u, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons 2 Overlanding South America
South America✓ Been: 2015-16
Crossing borders by road between the Andes, the Amazon and Patagonia shows you how the continent fits together.
- The distance
- From the Caribbean coast to Patagonia
- When to go
- Plan around the Andes and Patagonia, which are best from November to March.
- How to do it
- Join an overland truck or travel by long-distance bus.
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Photo: Alicia Nijdam from Cordoba, Argentina, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons 3 The Death Road by bike
La Paz to Coroico, Bolivia✓ Been: December 2015
Once called the world's most dangerous road, and now one of the most famous downhill bike rides in the world.
- The distance
- About 3,500 metres downhill
- When to go
- May to October, the dry season.
- How to do it
- Book a guided ride from La Paz; the company supplies the bike and kit.
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4 Antarctica by expedition ship
Antarctic Peninsula✓ Been: December 2024
The only way most people reach the seventh continent, and the crossing is part of the adventure.
- The distance
- Two days across the Drake Passage each way
- When to go
- November to March, the Antarctic summer.
- How to do it
- Book an expedition cruise from Ushuaia.
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Photo: Diego Delso, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons 5 The Salar de Uyuni by 4x4
Bolivia✓ Been: December 2015
Days of driving across salt, high-altitude lagoons and desert, sleeping in remote lodges.
- The distance
- The world's largest salt flat
- When to go
- December to April for the mirror effect; May to November for the hexagons.
- How to do it
- Book a multi-day jeep tour from Uyuni or Tupiza.
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Photo: King of Hearts, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons 6 A US road trip
USA✓ Been: August 2014
Deserts, mountains, cities and small towns, with nothing but open road between them.
- The distance
- As far as you like
- When to go
- Spring and autumn, away from the summer heat and crowds.
- How to do it
- Hire a car and plan around the national parks.
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Photo: Dietmar Rabich, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons 7 The Great Ocean Road
Victoria, Australia✓ Been: March 2008
One of the world's great coastal drives, past the Twelve Apostles rock stacks.
- The distance
- About 240 km
- When to go
- December to March, the Australian summer.
- How to do it
- Hire a car in Melbourne and take at least two days.
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Photo: Isiwal, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons 8 Flat out on the Autobahn
Germany✓ Been: 2008
There aren't many public roads left in the world where you can legally drive as fast as the car will go.
- The distance
- Some stretches with no general speed limit
- When to go
- Any time, on a quiet day.
- How to do it
- Hire something quick and pick a derestricted stretch.
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Photo: Dietmar Rabich, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons 9 Route 66
Chicago to Santa Monica, USAOn my list
Why it's on my list: The most famous road trip in America, all diners, motels and small towns.
- The distance
- About 2,400 miles
- When to go
- May, June and September.
- How to do it
- Hire a car in Chicago and allow two weeks or more.
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Photo: DXR, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons 10 The Atlantic Road
Møre og Romsdal, NorwayOn my list
Why it's on my list: A short road hopping between islands on curved bridges, with the open ocean right beside you.
- The distance
- 8 km and 8 bridges
- When to go
- June to August for daylight; autumn for the storms.
- How to do it
- Drive from Kristiansund or Molde.
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Photo: Pudelek, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons 11 The Transfăgărășan Highway
Făgăraș Mountains, RomaniaOn my list
Why it's on my list: Hairpin after hairpin over the Carpathians, one of the most famous mountain roads in Europe.
- The distance
- About 90 km
- When to go
- July to October, when the high section is open.
- How to do it
- Hire a car in Sibiu or Brașov.
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Photo: Мухаммадсолех Оев, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons 12 The Pamir Highway
TajikistanOn my list
Why it's on my list: The Roof of the World: high passes, remote villages and Afghanistan just across the river.
- The distance
- About 1,200 km
- When to go
- June to September.
- How to do it
- Hire a 4x4 and driver in Dushanbe, Khorog or Osh.
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Photo: Steffen Schmitz, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons 13 The Hai Van Pass by motorbike
Da Nang to Hue, VietnamOn my list
Why it's on my list: A twisting coast road above the South China Sea, and the best bit of a trip through Vietnam.
- The distance
- About 20 km over the pass
- When to go
- February to May.
- How to do it
- Hire a bike, or a rider, in Hoi An or Da Nang.
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Photo: Jakub Hałun, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons 14 Vietnam by moped
VietnamOn my list
Why it's on my list: The classic way to travel a country slowly, stopping wherever you like.
- The distance
- The length of the country
- When to go
- Spring, when the weather is decent from north to south.
- How to do it
- Buy or hire a bike in Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh City.
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Photo: Kabelleger / David Gubler, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons 15 The Glacier Express
Zermatt to St Moritz, SwitzerlandOn my list
Why it's on my list: One of the most famous train rides in the world, under a glass roof through the Alps.
- The distance
- About 8 hours, 291 bridges and 91 tunnels
- When to go
- All year; winter for snow.
- How to do it
- Book a seat with Glacier Express; it sells out in summer.
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Photo: Andrew Bowden from London, United Kingdon, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons 16 The Rocky Mountaineer
Vancouver to Banff or Jasper, CanadaOn my list
Why it's on my list: The Rockies through a glass dome, with a night in a hotel so you don't miss any of the views.
- The distance
- Two days, in daylight only
- When to go
- April to October, when it runs.
- How to do it
- Book with Rocky Mountaineer, usually as a package with hotels.
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Photo: Bahnfrend, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons 17 The Ghan
Darwin to Adelaide, AustraliaOn my list
Why it's on my list: Straight through the red centre of Australia, a way to see the outback without driving it.
- The distance
- About 3,000 km over three days
- When to go
- May to August, the cooler months in the outback.
- How to do it
- Book with Journey Beyond, the train's operator.
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Photo: Petar Milošević, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons 18 The Trans-Siberian Railway
Moscow to Vladivostok or BeijingOn my list
Why it's on my list: The longest railway journey on Earth, a week or more across Russia.
- The distance
- About 9,300 km to Vladivostok
- When to go
- May to September.
- How to do it
- Check the current travel advice before planning anything.
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Photo: Vikramaditya V. V., CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons 19 An Indian overnight train
IndiaOn my list
Why it's on my list: The best way to travel long distances in India, and an experience in itself.
- The distance
- Overnight, in a sleeper berth
- When to go
- October to March, the cooler months.
- How to do it
- Book through Indian Railways or an agent, well ahead.
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Photo: Velvet, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons 20 The Orient Express
London or Paris to VeniceOn my list
Why it's on my list: The most famous luxury train in the world, restored to its 1920s best.
- The distance
- One night on board
- When to go
- March to November, when it runs.
- How to do it
- Book with Belmond, the train's operator.
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Photo: Basile Morin, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons 21 The slow boat down the Mekong
Huay Xai to Luang Prabang, LaosOn my list
Why it's on my list: Two days drifting past jungle and riverside villages into one of the best towns in Laos.
- The distance
- Two days on the river
- When to go
- November to April, the dry season.
- How to do it
- Buy a ticket in Huay Xai or through your guesthouse.
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Photo: Source file: Le Grand Portage Derivative work: Rehman, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons 22 The Yangtze and the Three Gorges
Chongqing to Yichang, ChinaOn my list
Why it's on my list: Some of the most dramatic river scenery in the world, past the largest dam on Earth.
- The distance
- Three or four days by boat
- When to go
- April to May and September to October.
- How to do it
- Book a cruise from Chongqing.
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Photo: Bernard Gagnon, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons 23 Overlanding the Silk Road
Istanbul to Beijing, across Central AsiaOn my list
Why it's on my list: The old trading route between Europe and China, through some of the least-visited countries on Earth.
- The distance
- Thousands of km and many borders
- When to go
- April to October.
- How to do it
- Join an overland company or plan it overland by train, bus and shared taxi.
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Photo: GerritR, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons 24 The Mongol Rally
London to UlaanbaatarOn my list
Why it's on my list: The original mad road trip: no back-up, no set route and a car that shouldn't make it.
- The distance
- About 10,000 miles
- When to go
- It runs in summer.
- How to do it
- Enter through the organisers and buy a cheap, small car.
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Photo: Clément Bardot, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons 25 The Rickshaw Run
Across IndiaOn my list
Why it's on my list: Thousands of kilometres across India in a three-wheeler, with no support and no route.
- The distance
- About 3,000 km in a tuk-tuk
- When to go
- It runs several times a year.
- How to do it
- Enter through the organisers; they give you the rickshaw.
Pick a route, slow down and enjoy the ride. And if you've done one I haven't, tell me how it went.
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