Hot answers tagged overland
11
This is a well-trod trail on the backpacker circuit, and Seat 61 has the full scoop, but here's the outline:
Train from Delhi to the end of the line at Gorakhpur, overnight, US$10-50 depending on class of sleeper
Bus to border at Sunauli, one and half hours, ~$2
Cross border on foot
Bus to Kathmandu, 9-12 hours (overnight buses available), ~$6
So it's ...
10
The historic principality of Jammu and Kashmir is split between the Pakistani Azad Kashmir ('free Kashmir') and the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir. India and Pakistan have fought wars over the control of Kashmir and you can absolutely not cross the line of control which serves as the de facto border.
Not only that, but as a foreigner you are are not even ...
9
Unfortunately for someone trying to travel between Istanbul and Mecca, the Ottoman-era Baghdad and Hejaz (Damascus-Mecca) railways are no longer in operation.
Even assuming you are Muslim and can legally visit the city of Mecca, an overland trip between Istanbul and Saudi Arabia is not practical at this time due to the civil war in Syria and instability in ...
9
There are some direct buses from Buenos Aires to Santiago de Chile. For example, CATA Internacional runs a daily bus, on weekdays only (Mon-Fri), which leaves at 17:00 from BA (Retiro) and arrives next day at approximately 12:30 (= duration ~19.5 hours). The price is 750 $AR / ~150 USD (semicama) or 820 $AR (cama ejecutivo).
Besides the Argentine ...
8
There's really only one choice: the Karakorum Highway.
Regular buses travel between last Pakistani town on the highway, Sust, and Kashgar. The only caveat is that the highway is subject to closure during the cold season, so it is best to arrange for travel before November. Sust is not a particularly nice place, so if possible try and get tickets before ...
8
Buses
According the general conditions of eurolines (more or less the only paneuropean bus company bicycles are not allowed:
5.5 A maximum of 2 pieces of luggage (suitcases, bags, and packages 70x80x20 cm with a total maximum of 30 kilos) per passenger will be
accepted for carriage. Children and Infants are allowed to carry 1
piece of luggage. ...
8
Halifax – New York by train via Montreal
32 hours and 5 minutes, all the way by train. This is likely the most comfortable option, in particular if you book accommodation on the train. It's probably the more expensive alternative.
Day 1
Via Rail operate the Ocean from Halifax to Montreal, departing 12:30 on Tuesday, Friday, Sunday, arriving at Montreal ...
7
First, it will not be "straight and easy": the Middle East is full of unstable countries, underdeveloped infrastructure, political and diplomatical issues between neighbor countries and bureaucracy. But it can be interesting to travel these routes and discover less-traveled places and meet locals nevertheless.
From Europe to the Middle East
The first part ...
7
I don't really consider this a short trip, not compared to the flight. The only real ground transport option in South America is the bus (coach). There are some domestic trains around the big cities on the eastern coast, but for most rides you have to take a bus.
I took a bus from Salta in Northern Argentina to Asunción and that took about 24 hours ...
7
Accprding to this map below, you can drive from Beijing to Tuva, passing through Ulanbaataar, Bulgan and Naryn. There does not seem to be a very well established access from the west such as from Urumuqi however.
The place where I found the map has some more general information on traveling through Mongolia. I found also a much more detailed map.
6
I have never done such a trip, but you should have a look at train lines.
I think the Transsiberian has a route linking Moscow to Beijing.
Then, to progress further west, it depends on which European country you wish to reach. The Moscow-Berlin-Paris train leaves several times a week and takes 38 hours, including one night on board.
A good website I ...
6
The northern most road would be the Dalton Highway which ends in DeadHorse and extends to Prudhoe Bay.
The northernmost road in Canada is Dempster Highway, which ends a couple of degrees of latitude south of the Dalton in Inuvik, so that would be the northernmost you can get on existing roads.
It is also possible that you might be able to travel on Ice ...
6
I live in Alaska and have been wanting to do this exact segment of a trip as well for the same reasons. I have friends who have decades of experience working for the oil companies on the Slope and Prudhoe Bay. The journey by any sort of 4x4 vehicle is impossible for two reasons:
The area is part of the oil fields and is secured. Company security will ...
6
Unfortunately, according to Wikitravel's entry:
With the exception of an annual summer barge service, Barrow is a
fly-in-only city. The airport, Wiley-Post Will Rogers Memorial
Airport, is located directly south of the city.
So looks like the ship you mention in summer is the only non-air way of getting in. Unless you go extreme 4WD, like the Top ...
6
There are a few private shuttle services serving the Eastern Sierras listed here that might be able to get you to Mammoth Lakes from Reno. They may be pretty expensive. The Eastern Sierras are sparsely populated and there is not much in the way of public transportation.
Note that flying to RNO in many cases would require a connection at a hub anyway, and ...
6
Since you consider Myanmar difficult, the best route would be:
Malaysia, Thailand, Laos, China. There, avoiding Tibet and Qinghai completely, going through Yunnan, Chengdu, Xi'an, Lanzhou, Urumuqi, Kashgar and from there into Pakistan. The interesting part here is that you basically travel along the silk road, which is very interesting. I did that 2 years ...
5
I am local resident of Hunza living in Berlin. I think the best way is to get a local contact/guide who can travel with you from Quetta to Hunza.
I would prefer to hire a local to and take public transport to travel. Once you are in Gilgit, you can travel all alone anywhere, any time to Hunza. It is safe!
5
There seems to be another way that would require you to hitch-hike for a part of the trip (but you cross the border by yourself).
Halifax, NS - St John, NB - bus ride
Going with Maritime bus, it takes a bit more than 7h, with one morning and one afternoon bus (leaving at 7am and 12pm).
St John, NB - St Stephens, NB - hitch-hiking
Here is the tricky ...
4
There are boats between Battambang and Siem Reap, they leave in the morning (around 7am) and take most of the day. You spend several hours on a small river where you can see tons of animals and birds, later you cross Tonle Sap Lake, the last part to Siem Riep is by jeep. It takes a while but its a great ride.
The fruit shakes in Battambang are ...
4
Currently, the most safe region is Hunza and towards China.
Take a NACTO bus from Gilgit city. I don't think there any any issues related to security in the region.
Afghanistan and Kashmir are not on the way to China :)
The people there live above 2000m altitude, no terrorist can breath in these regions :).
To enjoy and know more be with a local.
4
From Quetta, you can take a train which travels to Punjab province. From there, you will almost certainly need to pass through Islamabad/Rawalpindi, which is the transit point to the Northern Areas and Azad Kashmir.
The most dangerous parts of the country are northern Baluchistan, the North West Frontier Province and Sindh, but you will skip the worst by ...
4
According to Busbud there are three companies that offer routes from Asuncion to Santiago. NSA, Pullman Del Sur (can recommend), and Brujula.
What I'd suggest instead is if you have time, stopping in Foz de Iguazu (for the Iguazu Falls), and in either Buenos Aires if you're detouring, or Mendoza, just before the mountains. I highly recommend Mendoza - ...
4
Your options are legion. It's more a matter of how challenging you want to make it to yourself and how much time you want to spend.
Assuming you refer to western Europe as your starting point, your easiest route would be:
Western Europe - south east Europe - Turkey - Iran - Pakistan (though southern Pakistan can be unsafe).
If you want to go through ...
4
Iran is the safest way in Middle East when you want to avoid Iraq, Syria and Israel.
As I said in my answer to Quickest way from London to Dubai without flying?, there is a direct train from Istanbul to Tehran. From there, you can go to Bandar Busher by bus, then take a ferry to Dammam. Finally, you can take a bus to go to Mecca.
4
There are several bus companies that will take you. The easiest solution, once in Buenos Aires, is to head to Retiro bus station. Go up to the second floor, and to the section for 'west bound' buses.
There will be several companies. El Rapido, Andesmar, Cata, Tur Bus, and many more - it's an extremely popular route.
As Jonik mentioned, the Plataforma ...
4
It will be difficult. It is not even possible to drive with a Hong Kong license plates in China. There, you need to get a Guangdong transit License plate, which you do not want to pay for. For Hong Kong vehicles for example the prices are astronomical (currently around 100K USD).
So in the end it depends on the provinces you want to cross. Each province is ...
3
The quickest route between Chennai and Amritsar would be to take a train to Delhi - which, depending on the train, would take 1-3 days to reach Delhi, and from Delhi onwards to Amritsar by bus or train. Train tickets are priced according to travel class, class of train, and distance so the costs vary, but you can expect to pay Rs 200-600 for most 'sleeper ...
3
It is straightforward to get car insurance if you get to the US or Canada on a work or student visa. Things are more tricky if you want to get car insurance as a tourist. Here, you'll be looking for "temporary auto insurance".
There are insurance sites that specifically mention insurance for foreigners, so I would assume that they may insure you, and there ...
3
Considering recent border conflicts I would suggest you check travel advice from your government on this issue. My guess is that it would be best to leave it for a year or two. South Sudan is a new nation in the process of building up its government offices. For one border stations might not be properly set up. I guess getting a VISA on the border might be ...
3
Gorilla Tracking is an exhausting activity and one should be physically fit to enjoy gorilla trekking. Skilled guides will accompany groups but no porters are available to carry personal belongings and the minimum age is fifteen years. Anyone with signs of communicable disease like cough or runny nose will not be allowed to trek.
While ownership of a ...
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