The 'World's Longest' Bus Journey Will Visit 22 Countries in 2 Months

The "Bus to London" adventure is set to depart from Istanbul on August 7, 2023.

If the idea of two months at sea makes your skin crawl, maybe two months on the road will pique your interest.

Adventures Overland, an Indian expedition company, just launched what is said to become the world's longest bus journey, which will take exactly 56 days to complete from its departure date in August. Dubbed Bus to London and departing from Istanbul, Turkey, the travel bus will ultimately find its way to the UK, reaching its iconic capital.

While the destination sure sounds appealing, it is truly the journey which counts. Along the route, passengers will experience 22 countries, traveling through and visiting the Balkan cities of Sofia, Belgrade, Zagreb, and Ljubljana as well as the eastern European cities of Vienna, Bratislava, Prague, and Warsaw.

The bus will also make its way through the Baltic countries of Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia, and it will then cross the Gulf of Finland and reach Scandinavia. There, passengers will marvel at the scenic beauty of Finland and Norway's breathtaking fjords, and they will get the chance (weather permitting) to witness the real northern lights and visit the Santa Village.

Before ending the journey in London, the bus will take a quick detour through western Europe. By hopping on EV Ferries, Bus to London will travel through the cities of Tromso, Bergen, Oslo, Stockholm, and Copenhagen, and it will then travel via Germany, Netherlands, Belgium, and France. A good 12,000 kilometers and several countries later, the journey will end in the UK capital.

This ambitious itinerary marks Adventure Overland's long-haul bus trip return after a three-year hiatus mandated by the pandemic. Originally, the company offered an annual Road to London route, which transported passengers through a variety of countries, including Myanmar, China, and Russia. Due to some of these destinations being closed to international travelers, though, Adventure Overland had to reassess its routes, and came up with the alternative offer of Bus to London.

Pricing starts at $24,300 per person, and it includes breakfast, 30 lunches and dinners, and hotel stays. Once aboard, passengers can sit comfortably inside what is being advertised as a special "luxury bus," featuring amenities such as ample leg room, AUX and USB ports, trays, and cup holders. Additionally, two full-size pieces of luggage are included per guest.

Once you're booked, you won't have to worry about anything else besides enjoying the journey.

"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," Tushar Agarwal, co-founder of Adventure Overland, said in a statement. "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."

The Bus to London journey is set to begin on August 7 departing from Istanbul, and it will arrive in London on October 1 according to the schedule. For more information and to reserve your spot on the 30-person bus, you can visit this website.

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Serena Tara is a Staff Writer on the News team at Thrillist. Follow her on Twitter and Instagram.