Europe

Leg 1 — UK to Georgia

This is where the journey starts.

We’ve got roughly two months to cross Europe, the Balkans, Turkey and eventually reach Georgia. The idea is inspired by the spirit of the Mongol Rally: buy a cheap, small-engine car, keep it simple, and see how far we can take it.

No luxury setup. No expensive overland truck. Just small cars, a good team, plenty of flexibility, and a route we shape as we go.

Georgia is the furthest point we plan to drive before vehicle shipping starts becoming too expensive and complicated. From there, we leave the cars behind and continue the journey by flying into Kazakhstan.

Because we’ll be travelling in January and February, winter will shape a lot of this leg. Some mountain routes may be better admired from below, but that gives us more time for local life, food, culture, small towns, unexpected stops and all the things you never find in a package itinerary.

There are already a few places high on the list.

I definitely want to swim in Antalya in the middle of winter. Around 20°C sounds like a British summer anyway. Cappadocia is another must, especially seeing the hot-air balloons. Albania is important to me too because I’ve never been there.

But this is only the rough skeleton.

The best part is that we have time to shape it together. If somebody comes with an idea that sounds amazing, we add it. If the road changes, we change with it. If we discover somewhere better on the way, we stay longer.

This first leg is not about racing from the UK to Georgia.

It is about building the team, learning how we travel together, testing the cars, finding the unexpected places and turning a rough route into something unforgettable.

The plan will change. That’s part of the plan.