Famous Journeys

Introduction

There are many forms of travelling. You can take a city break, relax for a week on a nice beach, spend a month in a country visiting several places or even do an extensive round the world trip. During all these travels, you are bound to visit specific sights, places, buildings and other landmarks. Still, sometimes and for some people the travelling itself is more important than arriving or to visit specific places. It's all about travelling and although you are definitely going to see and do what others will as well, the main reason is to travel between point a and point b and just see what happens. The travelling becomes an addiction, feeling restless while staying in one place to long. There are dozens of journeys in the world and you can create your own one without any problem. Still, these journeys tend to take quite a while and cover quite a large distance. The journeys described below are just an example and there are many varieties on these routes. There are also dozens of possible things to do and see along the way which you are totally free to do or just to skip and move on further. They are just meant to get people started, searching for the numerous possibilities that are out there.
For more information about road trips, visit the Famous Roads article.

Africa

Cairo to Cape Town

Blue Nile Falls, Bahir Dar

© Ivory

Asia

Banana Pancake Trail

No real trail, but a tongue-in-cheek reference to routes that connect places in South East Asia visited by young Westerners. The nickname derives from the typical backpackers' hangouts that serve banana pancakes for breakfast. A popular connection of these routes is Bangkok to Singapore overland or the circuit Thailand–Laos–Vietnam - Cambodia - Thailand.

Hippie Trail

While thousands of travellers have taken the Hippie Trail route in historic times, the modern incarnation of the trail came into being in the late 1960s when thousands of young Europeans boarded their VW buses and drove them down to India via Turkey, Iran, Afghanistan and Pakistan. Many of todays backpackers' hangouts and hostels along this trail trace their origins or their claim to fame back to this time, most notable the Lale Pudding Shop in Istanbul, between the Hagia Sophia and the Blue Mosque. The exact route changed overtime as security issues became worse or better and visa rules changed, but the flow of overland travellers from Istanbul to India never really stopped. Fixtures that stayed were the Sultanahmet area in Istanbul, Goreme in Cappadocia, Isfahan, Shiraz, Yazd and Bam in Iran and as important milestone the crossing from Iran into Pakistan at Zahedan.

Silk Road

The name Silk Road alone is magic. For thousands of years it has made people dream of exotic countries and great riches that could be made and lost along this road. While there has never been just one silk road but more a network of trade routes, many people mean the Northern Route through Central Asia first described by Herodot in 430 BC when they talk about the Silk Road. Notable cities along the Silk road still in existence today are Xi'an, Turpan, Hotan, Kashgar, Peshawar, Kabul, Bamyan, Herat, Urümqi, Samarkand, Bukhara, Yazd, Tehran, Konya, Bursa, Istanbul.

Trans-Siberian Railway

UB-Irk-Train022

© mvicol

Central America

Maya Route

TIkal, main plaza

© ericurly

Although you might follow a specific route you have in mind, basically the former Maya Empire is formed by the current countries of El Salvador, Guatemala, Belize, parts of Honduras and the Mexican states of Yucatan, Quintana Roo, Chiapas, Campeche and Tabasco. Therefore, you do not have to visit all countries where you can find Maya Ruins, you can even choose to stick to just one country, for example Mexico or Guatemala.
Still, a suggested route leads from the Mexican part where you can visit for example Chichen Itza and Palenque or Calakmul, towards the eastern coast of the country where you can also relax and enjoy some fine beaches. From here the route goes southwards into Belize and west to Guatemala where you will find the famous Tikal ruins. Further south in Guatemala there are other things to explore as well, including Antigua. Just across the border in the east of the country you will find Copan, the famous ruins in Honduras. After visiting ruins, ancient cities and some fine natural wonders, you can finish your trip in a more relaxing way at Roatan, off the north coast of Honduras.
Although El Salvador is less known, you might find yourself totally alone when visiting ruins or other sites. The choice is yours!

Europe

Gibraltar to North Cape

Nordkap

© leopard

Way of St. James / Camino de Santiago

Santiago Cathedral

© Rish_n_Ben

All roads to lead to Rome is one saying, another could be that all paths lead to Santiago de Compostela. At least it looks that way if you take a look at how many different ways there are to walk to the Cathedral in Santiago. From almost any European country there is a Pilgrims route to Santiago de Compostela.

The most common routes get together in the north of Spain near Puenta de Reina, and go to Santiago de Compostela, via Burgos, and Léon. A less busy 'camino' goes along the coast, and is often considered to be more beautiful, because of the landscape. For some people however Santiago is not the end of the walk, their goal is the original end. Even in the years before Christ, a lot of people went on a pilgrimage. They went to Finesterre, to what was then considered to be, the end of the world.

The Blue Waves of the Danube

Partially following the classic route of the famous Orient Express trains from Paris to Istanbul, the Danube Cycling Trail is easily the most popular cycling trail in Europe. Starting in the Black Forest area in Southern Germany the Danube is the most European of all rivers, touching Germany, Austria, Slovakia, Hungary, Croatia, Serbia, Romania and Bulgaria.

reflection on the danube 2

© em78

Middle East

Istanbul to Cairo

Palmyra

© Utrecht

From Damascus, most people travel south to Amman and on to Petra and the deserts of Wadi Rum, before taking a break at the wonderful underwater world of the Red Sea near Aqaba.

From Aqaba, boats go to the Sinai peninsula from where you can go either directly east to visit Cairo and the Pyramids or sea something more of Egypt and take a Nile cruise towards Luxor.

Red Tape
One big issue in organising this trip is getting a visa to Syria, especially when you also want to visit Israel. Syrian officials (and immigration officials from some other muslim countries around the world) will deny entry to anybody with an Israeli stamp in their passports, even if they have a valid visa. It is for this reason that this journey is usually done Istanbul to Cairo and not the other way around - going Istanbul to Cairo allows you to make a detour to Jerusalem after you have visited Syria.

North America

Route 66

Historic Route 66 Motel, Seligman, Arizona

© Utrecht

Route 66 is probably the most imaginative route there is in the United States. Route 66 was established in 1926 and officially removed from the US Highway System in 1985, but keeps being popular among people wanting to travel as much of the original route by car or motorcycle. Route 66 basically was not just one simple road between Chicago and Los Angeles. Instead, constant changes over the years meant that routes and total length constantly changed. But during the years, Route 66 at least was recognisable as a road that you could actually follow all the way towards the west coast of the USA.
Nowadays, it is much more difficult to travel this route. Parts of the road are now designated a National Scenic Byway or are named Historic Route 66, and are perfect for those who want to combine a more modern roadtrip to the USA with some historical background by following as many parts of the original Route 66.
The traditional start of Route 66 is near downtown Chicago by the train station. It is possible to eat at a restaurant that claims to be the first (or last) restaurant on the road depending on which way you're going. One of the longest and most popular stretches travels between Kingman and Seligman in Arizona, making a loop northwards from Interstate 40 and passing several smaller villages. Great vintage signs, some diners and motels can still be found on this stretch of historic Route 66.

The Wilder Trail

The Wilder Trail is one way to truly experience the Midwestern USA. Its travels to several of the homesteads that the famous frontier children's writer Laura Ingalls Wilder lived in, or more correctly suffered in. Its starts in Pepin, Wisconsin and meanders through Independence, Kansas to Walnut Grove, Minnesota to De Smet, South Dakota. There are other Wilder sights scattered throughout the midwest including Missouri.

Oceania

Explorer Highway

Coober Pedy welcomes you!

© Utrecht

South America

Amazon River

Night spotting in the Amazon

© Utrecht