64 days23 countries18,000 kmRs 13 lakh approx cost
Kaushik Ray and Dr Debanjali Ray
How the idea was born
“My wife and I went on a eight-month long road trip in 2018 and it was an adventure of a lifetime. Everyone we knew advised us against it. We ended up blowing through our savings but the adrenaline rush of visiting so many countries was unparalleled,” said Kaushik. This eventually made way for a bigger group of travel enthusiasts coming together for this Hooghly-Thames trip.
Russia-northern Finland border where the couple had visited earlier by road
What to expect on such a trip
Having been on long cross-country trips before, Kaushik says that it’s natural to have apprehensions but getting the opportunity to interact with so many different kinds of people makes the humanity aspect stand out. “When you cross borders, even the smell of the land changes, along with food, languages and so much more – the diversity is what makes the journey worth it,” shared the adventure junkie.
Countries to be covered
India, Nepal, China, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Iran, Armenia, Georgia, Turkey, Greece, Bulgaria, Serbia, Hungary, Czechia, Poland, Slovakia, Germany, Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Austria, France, UK
The trip is to be flagged off at Eden Gardens in Kolkata
The passion for travel increases when shared with others. Once we complete the trip, our cars will be shipped from the UK, & we’ll be flying back to our homes in India –Kaushik Ray
‘Road trips need fit body & mind’
- Be confident about driving
- Build endurance to overcome any hurdles with a cool mind
- Don’t lose patience in any situation because crossing country borders can sometimes take upto eight hours
- Be prepared for any language barriers and familiarise yourself with apps that can help
On October 25, the travellers are scheduled to reach London
Tips to plan long adventurous road trips
- Be calculative and plan a schedule to get visa approvals early on to ensure you enter and exit a country in that specific window of time
- Make a detailed list of things to pack — appropriate clothing for different climates, medications, first-aid kit, and other essentials
- Make sure to do research and get necessary insurances in each country like health and car to minimise risks
- Prep electronics like chargers, data plans and maps. Make sure to have offline maps handy too, get satellite navigation systems to make the journey easy
Being a doctor, I worry about health on the trip. It’s very important to be courageous and have a hunger to explore while learning to trust the process
– Dr Debanjali Ray
Cancer survivor among those on the trip
“I don’t have any apprehensions. I love such trips as I’m passionate about travel and driving. I’m a cancer survivor and I want to make the most of my life,”said 59-year-old Rumno Mukherjee who will be joining the trip from Bangalore. Dr Rahul Banerjee, a CA by profession who is also going on the trip, said, “I’ve travelled to 31 nations and 72 destinations. Driving is a passion of mine and the thought of having so many new experiences is what makes this trip so adrenaline-inducing.”