Our Post-Covid Cycling Route across the world
The difficulty of traveling after Covid is not to be underestimated. When we wanted to embark on our cycling trip across the world all the way back home to Singapore, we were crushed to learn that so many places might not be open and many border crossing in Central Asia would be much more complicated than before. But when there’s a will, there’s a way!
So in this article, we will cover our planned route, the difficulties we will face, our current solution
The journey from London to Singapore could be simplified into 3 sections.
Cycling from London to Istanbul
Cycling from Istanbul to South East Asia
South East Asia to Singapore
Cycling from London to Istanbul
For this portion of the journey, it is relatively simple and flexible. There are multiple ways to cross from the United Kingdom into Western Europe. The route that we chose was via the ferry from Harwich to the Hook of holland. By travelling up north, we could visit Gracia’s Alma Mater, and not detour back South for the ferry/train to France (the more popular option). Strangely enough, the cost of the 8 hour ferry was roughly the same price as the 1.5 hour ferry to France. Also, ironically, taking a ferry with a bike was cheaper than taking the ferry as a passenger!
Once we are in Western Europe, there are many ways to cross through Europe. Europe is rather cycle friendly, and you are free to choose your route depending on what you see. However, for us, we knew we wanted to choose the “easiest route” (aka less hills). Therefore, we chose to try to follow the Eurovelo 6 route as much as possible. The Eurovelo 6 is one of the most popular cycling routes in the world. The Eurovelo 6 is known for its scenic beauty, and flat roads because it follows the river. We will attempt to follow the Eurovelo 6 (refer to the image below) to Belgrade, before jumping on the Eurovelo 13 to Western Bulgaria & Greece, crossing into Istanbul.
Cycling from Istanbul to South East Asia
This is the difficult section as there are not many or any cycling routes to follow. Many people follow the old silk road, but here we list the main issues that people face.
Here are the typical problems/solutions that people face:
Problem 1: Crossing Iran. Many westerners have trouble crossing iran due to diplomatic issues. There is also political instability in the region, making many travellers wary. However, from what we hear, Iran has an unrivalled level of hospitality, and the people there are actually very friendly!
Solution: Many bicycle tourist travel North from Turkey into Georgia/Armenia/Azerbaijan before taking a ferry/flight over the Caspian Sea.
Our Solution: Make the best use of our Singaporean Passport and cross Iran visa free🙂
Problem 2: For those who can cross Iran via bike, many try to go north into Turkmenistan (more on this crazy country for a different article), and cross into East Asia via the Pamir Highway, through the “stans”, and into China. The Pamir Highway is supposedly one of the most beautiful places in the world to cycle. While it can be hilly, we hear it is absolutely worth it! However, getting a Chinese visa is near impossible for many people now (ever since corona).
Solution: Get a Chinese Visa, or take a flight over China to South East Asia.
Our Solution: Pray that China opens up its borders again by the time we reach. Following which, we will make the best use of our Singaporean Passport and cross into China visa free 🙂
Problem 3: The other alternative to going south through Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, where you can experience a myriad of cultures. However, we heard the traffic is horrendous in the region. So we are currently not planning on taking this route. However, this is our backup solution if China does not open its borders.
Problem 4: We hear that currently the India-Myanmar land border is closed. Currently we aren’t too sure on the details, but things may change as we travel across the world.
Cycling from South East Asia to Singapore
In a similar fashion to Europe, we aren’t exactly too concerned with a route. As long as you have a compass and continue heading south, you will definitely find our home land 🙂
One thing great about South East Asia (SEA), is that guest houses, hostels, and food is really really cheap. Additionally, the weather is warm year round!
But that’s a quick summary of what our current route is, and what are the typical challenges many face! If you do have any questions, just shoot us an email, or drop a comment!
