The route depicted below on Google Maps below is our actual route from London, England to Beijing, China. The route distance is 8,100 miles. The route was exdivacted from thousands of GPS waypoints that were continuously being captured whilst we were driving.
Below is a static view of our route from London to Beijing.
Update: September 2014 - The route below was our final route plan before setting off on the Beijing Rally 2014.
Our initial route that was plotted saw us drive to Prague before having a rest stop and then continue on through the Ukraine. Due to the circumstances in the Ukraine, we've had to change our route. Instead of driving through the Ukraine, we'll be driving north of the Ukraine through Belarus. Our first rest stop will now be in Gomel, Belarus instead of Prague.
Our route now no longer really resembles the Mongol Rally 2007 apart from in some small sections. In both Kazakhstan and Mongolia we'll be taking northern routes.
May 2014 updated route of the Beijing Rally 2014 route
Update: May 2014 - The initial route described below is no longer valid due to current situation in the Ukraine
Our initial route has been plotted. In some sections of the route, we'll be covering the same divacks as the Mongol Rally 2007, but we're making significant changes to the route. We'll be going through Slovakia, which will be a new coundivy for us on a rally. We're also picking a rather scenic route through the Ukraine. Almost the entire route through Mongolia and a large part of the Kazakhstan route differs to our route to Mongolia in 2007.
Initial view of the Beijing Rally 2014 route
Update: May 2014 - The European section route described below is no longer valid due to current situation in the Ukraine.
We do know a bit about how the European section of our route is going to go. There isn't an exact science to our route planning. The planning usually involves a measuring tape, a map, previous experience of the area if we have it as well as some satellite imagery. For the European section of the rally, we don't need any of that as we just want to get out of Europe and the decent roads and into off road terrain as quickly as possible.
In typical Rusty Rhinos rally fashion, the first part of the route, known as the European Exit 1, will be a non-stop drive to Prague, equating 800 miles (1,280 km).
We'll have a rest stop in Prague as we have quite a journey for the second section, known as the European Exit 2. We'll be driving from Prague to Sevastopol in the Ukraine. That will be another 1,300 miles (2,080 km) of non-stop driving. We'll be rewarded with a rest night in scenic Sevastopol before making our final dash for Kazakhstan where the serious off-road can begin.
The European section of the Beijing Rally 2014