UK to India an BACK again.
 

Hi all, I'm planning a trip to India and tour around inside and come back to UK.
There's a minefield of info that I've been researching and a lot of the info is conflicting.
It looks like I have two route options:
Europe-Turkey-Iran-Pakistan-India
Europe-Azerbaijan-The Stan's-China-India.

I understand that both have their problems and both are stunning rides, I'm leaning towards the latter, as my wife will be pillion and I don't fancy having to have a guide all the way across Iran, plus she's scared of media coverage of late of both Iran and Pakistan.

This won't happen until 2026 so I'm getting research done early.
Before I get into carnets, visas etc. What route would people suggest/be viable at the moment?

Both as viable as the other at the moment. Both for a Brit are expensive. Don't discount Iran, one the friendliest countries you could ever visit

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Thanks David, expensive as in the cost of visas/guides etc?
Reason I ask, we're not impecunious but was thinking maybe to have a plan B ready but if that means expensive visas I don't get to use, then maybe not.
The thing that would interest me for sure is to find out who I couldn't get a visa for whilst not in my home country, UK. That way the rest I could do at the borders.

Azerbaijan land borders are still closed for entry as far as I know, so you would have to go something like Georgia - Russia - Kazakhstan. Rusian visas were always more difficult for Brits than most other Europeans and that's unlikely to have improved.

Pakistan was really the highlight of the overland trail in my opinion, bak in the day. Nowadays you're guided through all the most exciting bits by the police and can't stop. But you can still freely travel up in the mountains, which have the best scenery. Iran is fasinating and absolutely worth visiting.

I appreciate this takes away some of the romanticism of riding there and back again, but does it make more sense, both financial and stress wise, to fly to India and hire there.

Break the trip up into stages, bypassing the stress.

For the money it’s going to cost in shipping the bike etc, you could fly to Jakarta, hire a bike and ride Indonesia, fly across to Malaysia and ride there, visit Singapore, ride Thailand, fly to India, ride India and head home.

Then do the route as far as you can politically?

Just a thought.

You could ride route 1 to India and the route 2 back home again. At least I would have done so if I were you….

That's a severe comprimise... what you describe is not an overland trip but just a few riding holidays strung together. Plus a fraction of the variety of landscapes, culture and history.

I'd make the effort to do as suggested - one route out and another back. It will be a hassle in preparation but will be far more rewarding. If you can get even a Russian transit visa, and arrange a tour through Iran, there will be no need for any shipping.

North of Tashkurgan in China guides needed, Don't know if they still demand getting a Chinese driving licence though as well. We travel up to Tashkurgan from Pakistan frequently and that section is super easy to do (from a logistics and riding perspective)

As a Brit in Iran, also guides needed, and it will take a you while to get through Iran as it it such a large place and so much to see.

As others have said, the Northerly route also has some other challenges, but that is also quite usual for this type of travel.

If you do head into Pakistan, let me know, I am usually there for between to 4 months a year during summer running motorcycle tours.

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