It’s a coach trip – but not as we know it.
An epic new ‘luxury’ bus trip will take passengers from the Turkish city of Istanbul to London this summer for a fee of £20,000 ($25,000) per person.
The voyage, which will take a grand total of 56 days, will wind through 22 countries and five different time zones, stopping off along the way in the Balkans, Eastern Europe, the Baltic countries and Scandinavia.
All in all, it’ll cover a whopping 12,000km (7,456 miles).
The price of the trip, which can accommodate up to 30 passengers, includes hotel stays, breakfast, snacks and water on board the bus, local cuisine and an English-speaking guide in each country that travellers pass through.
An epic new ‘luxury’ bus trip will take passengers from the Turkish city of Istanbul to London this summer
The voyage, which will take a grand total of 56 days, will pass through 22 countries and five different time zones
Said to be ‘designed for comfortable long-distance travel’, the bus has reclining seats with ‘ample’ legroom, charging ports and USB ports and a cup holder on every seat. There’s an ’emergency’ bathroom on board and enough room for each passenger to carry two suitcases.
Described as a ‘life-transforming bus journey’, the trip – called ‘Bus to London’ – will first take travellers through Bulgaria and Serbia, before meandering towards Croatia, Slovenia, Austria and Slovakia.
Next, the bus will drive towards the Eastern European cities of Prague – where passengers can visit 9th-century Prague Castle – Warsaw and Krakow. At this stage of the trip, passengers will have the opportunity to visit the concentration camp in Auschwitz, Poland, if they wish.
Said to be ‘designed for comfortable long-distance travel’, the bus has reclining seats with ‘ample’ legroom
The tour is run by the Indian expedition company Adventures Overland, founded in 2012
Above is the bathroom that’s on board the bus. The entire trip will cover a whopping 12,000km (7,456 miles)
Continuing north, the bus will wind through Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia before crossing the Gulf of Finland by ferry. Here, passengers can visit the Santa Clause Village in Rovaniemi, the capital of Lapland, and keep their eyes peeled for the Northern Lights.
Moving on to Norway, they will witness the ‘magical beauty’ of Norway’s fjords, go on a cruise in a wooden boat and visit Nord Kapp, the northernmost point of Europe that’s accessible by road.
They’ll also travel along Norway’s famous Atlantic Ocean Road en route to the cities of Tromso, Bergen, Oslo, Stockholm and Copenhagen.
The next stops will be in Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium and France before passengers complete the final leg of the journey into the UK via a ferry from Calais.
The service is run by the Indian expedition company Adventures Overland, founded in 2012. It’s not the first lengthy bus route launched by the tour company – in 2020, it made headlines with a 70-day route from London to India.
From Istanbul (above), the bus will take travellers through Bulgaria and Serbia, before meandering towards Croatia, Slovenia, Austria and Slovakia
Commenting on the new Istanbul to London trip, Tushar Agarwal, Co-Founder, Adventures Overland says: ‘Every single route in each country has been vetted to ensure that the journey is seamless so participants on “Bus to London” can get on board with the knowledge and confidence that they are in safe hands. Providing a niche and classy experience in a secure environment is our top priority.
‘We take charge of documentation, paperwork, visas and permits to ensure that the entire focus of participants is on experiencing the journey. We ensure an experienced English-speaking local guide is travelling with the group at all hours to ensure personal safety, smooth communication and travel. The bus on this epic journey is being customised to add all the necessities, comforts and luxuries which will ensure that participants travel in the lap of luxury.’
Prospective passengers can apply for a space on the trip, which is slated to depart from Istanbul on August 7, at www.bustolondon.in.