Travelling Overland From Europe to India

machadinha · Oct 19th, 2007, 08:34

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jasmin

Which part would that be? And which form of transport does it apply to?

Buses, as far as I know, but I suppose it may vary, see Colin's links. Any travel agent worth their salt should be able to advise you. I've met (bus) tour groups in Egypt headed for India, I think they originated in the UK or Netherlands or thereabouts. Wouldn't be my thing either (where we were these guys were like touch down late afternoon, set up camp, and leave again early morning, but I assume they get longer breaks at other spots. In any case I prefer seeking out my own company and going at my own pace), but since you asked, it's an option, and will presumably save you some hassles (and introduce others, no doubt, not least in the social field).

Come to think of it they were also doing it in just a couple of weeks which didn't add to the appeal to me. I have a number of friends working as travel guides btw, let's just say it doesn't serve to inspire me to follow their lead. But good for them, and I understand why people would opt for it. People I know well do a lot of walking, to them doing it by tour just means all the logistics are arranged, the rest of the time they spend walking by themselves. Again, enquire with a decent travel agent if this is what you're after, there's a wide range of options in the field, if probably more limited on this particular subject.

camelgirl · Oct 19th, 2007, 09:04

It's definitely nice that people still want to go overland to India.

What's funny to me is that when I did it by bus, we met quite a few other bus companies, some more posh. The people on the posh buses looked very clean and tidy and were certainly older and had nicer more comfortable buses. I thought that when I got older I would like to do it that way!

Now I'm older and I just fly to India.

BTW, it wasn't camping, like Dragoman. It was an old bus and we stopped every night and stayed in cheapie places along the way.

Also, many of the countries one crosses hate us (USA) right now and I wouldn't want the visa hassles! Frankly, I just can't travel light enough and don't want to deal with sleeping bags and all that stuff. But I'm happy I did it once and I'll never forget it.

kalbarri · Oct 19th, 2007, 12:40

as a single woman, i travelled, by public transport, this route from europe and iran was my favorite (excluding india)i was looked after by the men and went to homes to do portrait sketches for money ( my only means of survival at that time) ate home cooked meals and was able to meet the women in their power base, and the children.
O'conner mentioned positive attributes of the iranis. i am happy to hear that is still the case.
the afghanis were the wildest but i still had no major problems there, where i also did portraits. how unfortunate that there is such a bad scene there (for them) and for the traveller.
amazing countries! highly recommended journey that makes a lot of the propaganda seem very dubious.

Piyush · Oct 19th, 2007, 23:39

excellent

Lou Wilson · Oct 21st, 2007, 00:46

I know this is totally irrevalent to todays prices but I just wanted to give travellers an idea of what it cost to travel back in the day. I travelled from Montreal to England Through Europe to Turkey to Syria to Lebanon back into Syria up to Iran into Afghanistan at Herat through to Kabul down the Khyber Pass into Pakistan to Delhi up to Manali down to Goa up to Kathmandu back to Delhi back through same route to England to NY city back to Montreal. This all too place from September of 1970 to April of 1971 - 8 months Total cost $800. Much of the money was spent on things bought shipped back to sell in Canada.

Mode of Transport
Montreal to NY City Hitchhiked
NY to London - Icelantic Airways
Istanbul to Tehran Iran VW Bus
Tehran to Delhi Bus Public transit
Delhi to Manali to Goa Train and bus
Goa to Delhi Train
Delhi to Kathmandu Plane
Kathmandu to Lucknow Bus
Lucknow to Delhi Train
Delhi to London England - Safari Overland Tour bus
England to NY City Freddie Laker Air
NY City to Montreal

I cannot remember the the cost of each leg but at that time you could travel from Istanbul to Delhi on public transit for 28 USD
Not including lodging. Lodging was relatively inexpensive in places like Afhganistan where as a group of 6 we got a room in Kabul for 60 US cents thats 10 cents each. It came with nothing but a worn carpet and the opportunity to purchase a Kilo of Hashish for $12
The cost of the overland bus from Delhi to London was 95 USD - it took 33 days and the flight from London to NY City was $93. We flew out 6 hours after arriving in London.
It cost me about $200 total to travel from Delhi to Montreal

The most expensive hotel room in Bombay was 11 rupees - $1 USD
A meal was about 2-3 rupees.
The boat from Bombay to Goa on the deck for 23 hours cost 25 rupees $2.25
There was only one place where you could get icecream (without going to the tourist hotels) in Delhi.
Manali had no infrastructure for travellers just a few hiker rooming houses.
A plne student fare from Delhi to Patna and another plane to Kathmandu cost 23 USD
etc etc
Exchange rate was 8 ruppes per $ in the Indian banks
10 rupees at Indian black market money changers
12 rupees in Kabul at the money changers market

Just some tibits from the bad old days

kalbarri · Oct 21st, 2007, 15:12

even a traveller could live on a dollar a day back then. $150 dollars lasted me 5 months in india and i once rented a small wooden house, by the sea, for $2.50 for a month.
shall i say it??? yes! " those were the days...."

ashokm · Oct 25th, 2007, 17:00

I really would love to drive from Dublin to Cochin! This has been coming up in discussions a lot lately, but never really looked into the logistics of it - most of Europe should be okay, but arranging the Visa for rest of the countries, with an Indian passport, surviving Pakistan, and the India border itself.. hmmm, may be, some day...!

freenote · Oct 25th, 2007, 18:51

Just to add to the tales of the cost of travelling in the 60/70s . on one occasion i left London with £20 in my pocket,hitched to Dover, ferry across to Belgium and hitched down to Istanbul ,Turkey . To my surprise the boat down to Haifa Israel left the same day i had arrived in Istanbul .I had expected at least a 2 week wait ! 4 Days later i was standing on the dock in Haifa with a £5 note still in my pocket . The complete journey time was 10 days !!!!!!!!!!

fajitanumerouno · Oct 25th, 2007, 19:55

I love threads of this nature and though I have never really done it I would love to and love hearing the stories.
I have always pondered the possibility of travelling overland from NYC to Paris by car. I did read some bikes about people travelling from somewhere in the Soviet Union near Japan over to Moscow but anyone heard of the other route?

kalbarri · Oct 25th, 2007, 20:25

Quote:

Originally Posted by ashokm

I really would love to drive from Dublin to Cochin! This has been coming up in discussions a lot lately, but never really looked into the logistics of it - most of Europe should be okay, but arranging the Visa for rest of the countries, with an Indian passport, surviving Pakistan, and the India border itself.. hmmm, may be, some day...!

yes, if you are indian you may be accused of having travelled to pakistan to train at terrorist camps

machadinha · Oct 25th, 2007, 20:30

Quote:

Originally Posted by fajitanumerouno

I have always pondered the possibility of travelling overland from NYC to Paris by car.

That would be Paris, Texas, I presume?

amyl · Oct 25th, 2007, 21:19

Quote:

I have always pondered the possibility of travelling overland from NYC to Paris by car.

If you are thinking of the 'Paris' in Europe and not some town named Paris in North America....O Boy!! That's hell lot of distance!!!!

I see a possibility of shipping your car from the western tip of Alaska(is it?) to the eastern tip of Putin's land(is it) but then you have to cross the whole of the gigantic land of Putin....I am agape by the sheer idea of this plan. But I must admit...given time and money and let alone I wud definitely give it a try.

About overland traveling just recently an idea struck to hitchhike from one tip of a country to the other. Of course I can cycle but hitchhiking for free wud add some adventure to it. (of course saving monkey wud not be the intention but I wud simply try not to buy any ticket from anywhere... just some kind tip to the one who gives me a lift). Been thinking of this idea... I just have to chose a country and hit the roads with my thumbs ready to ask for lifts by the roadsides. Wow!

As a starter, Trans-Sumatra-Trans-Java and over to Bali is what came to my mind. (will have to swim/kayak the watery gaps between the islands I guess

)

amyl · Oct 25th, 2007, 21:21

O yeah! Macha... I futilely tried to recall the exact location of 'Paris' in USA. So, it's in Texas!

EDIT:

Quote:

as a single woman, i travelled, by public transport, this route from europe

All praises! Amazing!

BTW this thread will spawn lots of plans to be executed sooner or later by some IMers, I am telling ya!

kmalik · Oct 25th, 2007, 22:15

Quote:

Originally Posted by amyl

O yeah! Macha... I futilely tried to recall the exact location of 'Paris' in USA. So, it's in Texas!

You need to see Wim Wenders' (I guess not so) famous film: Paris, Texas...

kalbarri · Oct 25th, 2007, 22:23

travel today is so frustrating in having to have tickets to leave a country. it was so nice in the 70s to just rock up at borders and get entry visas there, all the way from england to nepal!

Oct 19th, 2007, 09:04	#32
camelgirl 10 year Visa okee dokee Join Date: May 2005 Location: Swannanoa NC usa Posts: 2,037	It's definitely nice that people still want to go overland to India. What's funny to me is that when I did it by bus, we met quite a few other bus companies, some more posh. The people on the posh buses looked very clean and tidy and were certainly older and had nicer more comfortable buses. I thought that when I got older I would like to do it that way! Now I'm older and I just fly to India. BTW, it wasn't camping, like Dragoman. It was an old bus and we stopped every night and stayed in cheapie places along the way. Also, many of the countries one crosses hate us (USA) right now and I wouldn't want the visa hassles! Frankly, I just can't travel light enough and don't want to deal with sleeping bags and all that stuff. But I'm happy I did it once and I'll never forget it. __________________ My selected India photos http://www.indiamike.com/photopost/s...r/7030/cat/500

Oct 19th, 2007, 12:40	#33
kalbarri kalbarri Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: WESTERN australia Posts: 605	woman solo.. as a single woman, i travelled, by public transport, this route from europe and iran was my favorite (excluding india)i was looked after by the men and went to homes to do portrait sketches for money ( my only means of survival at that time) ate home cooked meals and was able to meet the women in their power base, and the children. O'conner mentioned positive attributes of the iranis. i am happy to hear that is still the case. the afghanis were the wildest but i still had no major problems there, where i also did portraits. how unfortunate that there is such a bad scene there (for them) and for the traveller. amazing countries! highly recommended journey that makes a lot of the propaganda seem very dubious.

Oct 21st, 2007, 00:46	#35
Lou Wilson http://picasaweb.google.com/LouWalterWilson Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Philadelphia. PA USA Posts: 137	Cost of travel overland hippie trail 1970 - 1971 I know this is totally irrevalent to todays prices but I just wanted to give travellers an idea of what it cost to travel back in the day. I travelled from Montreal to England Through Europe to Turkey to Syria to Lebanon back into Syria up to Iran into Afghanistan at Herat through to Kabul down the Khyber Pass into Pakistan to Delhi up to Manali down to Goa up to Kathmandu back to Delhi back through same route to England to NY city back to Montreal. This all too place from September of 1970 to April of 1971 - 8 months Total cost $800. Much of the money was spent on things bought shipped back to sell in Canada. Mode of Transport Montreal to NY City Hitchhiked NY to London - Icelantic Airways Istanbul to Tehran Iran VW Bus Tehran to Delhi Bus Public transit Delhi to Manali to Goa Train and bus Goa to Delhi Train Delhi to Kathmandu Plane Kathmandu to Lucknow Bus Lucknow to Delhi Train Delhi to London England - Safari Overland Tour bus England to NY City Freddie Laker Air NY City to Montreal I cannot remember the the cost of each leg but at that time you could travel from Istanbul to Delhi on public transit for 28 USD Not including lodging. Lodging was relatively inexpensive in places like Afhganistan where as a group of 6 we got a room in Kabul for 60 US cents thats 10 cents each. It came with nothing but a worn carpet and the opportunity to purchase a Kilo of Hashish for $12 The cost of the overland bus from Delhi to London was 95 USD - it took 33 days and the flight from London to NY City was $93. We flew out 6 hours after arriving in London. It cost me about $200 total to travel from Delhi to Montreal The most expensive hotel room in Bombay was 11 rupees - $1 USD A meal was about 2-3 rupees. The boat from Bombay to Goa on the deck for 23 hours cost 25 rupees $2.25 There was only one place where you could get icecream (without going to the tourist hotels) in Delhi. Manali had no infrastructure for travellers just a few hiker rooming houses. A plne student fare from Delhi to Patna and another plane to Kathmandu cost 23 USD etc etc Exchange rate was 8 ruppes per $ in the Indian banks 10 rupees at Indian black market money changers 12 rupees in Kabul at the money changers market Just some tibits from the bad old days

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Oct 19th, 2007, 23:39	#34
Piyush Maha Guru Member Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: New Delhi Posts: 648	excellent

Oct 21st, 2007, 15:12	#36
kalbarri kalbarri Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: WESTERN australia Posts: 605	even a traveller could live on a dollar a day back then. $150 dollars lasted me 5 months in india and i once rented a small wooden house, by the sea, for $2.50 for a month. shall i say it??? yes! " those were the days...."

Oct 25th, 2007, 17:00	#37
ashokm Member Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Ireland Posts: 54	I really would love to drive from Dublin to Cochin! This has been coming up in discussions a lot lately, but never really looked into the logistics of it - most of Europe should be okay, but arranging the Visa for rest of the countries, with an Indian passport, surviving Pakistan, and the India border itself.. hmmm, may be, some day...!

Oct 25th, 2007, 18:51	#38
freenote senior member refused Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: cornwall UK Posts: 1,956	Just to add to the tales of the cost of travelling in the 60/70s . on one occasion i left London with £20 in my pocket,hitched to Dover, ferry across to Belgium and hitched down to Istanbul ,Turkey . To my surprise the boat down to Haifa Israel left the same day i had arrived in Istanbul .I had expected at least a 2 week wait ! 4 Days later i was standing on the dock in Haifa with a £5 note still in my pocket . The complete journey time was 10 days !!!!!!!!!!

Oct 25th, 2007, 19:55	#39
fajitanumerouno Member Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: near Philly, PA Posts: 58	I love threads of this nature and though I have never really done it I would love to and love hearing the stories. I have always pondered the possibility of travelling overland from NYC to Paris by car. I did read some bikes about people travelling from somewhere in the Soviet Union near Japan over to Moscow but anyone heard of the other route?

Oct 25th, 2007, 22:23	#45
kalbarri kalbarri Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: WESTERN australia Posts: 605	travel today is so frustrating in having to have tickets to leave a country. it was so nice in the 70s to just rock up at borders and get entry visas there, all the way from england to nepal!