Travel guide
Around the World in Eighty Days: route guide
Eighty days is the wager, not a target: on scheduled flights the classic London–Suez–India–Singapore–Hong Kong–Japan–US–London loop fits in about 30 days, so 80 days is for overland and sea legs. Do it if you want the slow route; fly it if you just want the stops.
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- Plan calculated
- Worked out by Voykit from its own data (times, distances, budgets). A calculation, not a measurement.
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Key facts
- Route shape
- London → Suez/Egypt → India → Singapore → Hong Kong → Shanghai/Yokohama → San Francisco → New York → London
- Flying the loopcheck
- About 30 days at a comfortable pace; 80 days only if you add overland and sea legs
- Overland-only versioncheck
- Possible but slow: trans-Siberian or trans-Asian rail, ferries and buses; months, not 80 days
- Best window
- October–April for South and Southeast Asia; avoid the May–September monsoon and Japanese typhoon season
- Visa loadcheck
- Egypt, India, China and the US each need advance paperwork for most Western passports
- Book ahead
- Trans-Pacific and trans-Atlantic legs are the expensive, capacity-tight ones
- Cost bandcheck
- 2026 estimate: US$6,000–12,000 per person flying economy, more with rail and ferries
The route
Verne's 1872 loop ran London to Suez, across Egypt by rail, down the Red Sea to Bombay, across India to Calcutta, on to Singapore, Hong Kong and Yokohama, then across the Pacific to San Francisco, overland to New York and back to London. The order still works because it follows the prevailing winds and the old steamer and rail lines.
Today you can fly the same sequence in a month, or rebuild it with trains and ferries. The overland version is the interesting one: rail across India, buses and boats through Southeast Asia, a ferry or two in Japan, and a trans-Pacific crossing that has no passenger ship on the classic route, so you fly that leg or take a repositioning cruise.
| Leg | From → to | Distance | Flying time | Slow option |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | London → Cairo/Suez | 3,500 km | 5 h | Rail via Paris, Istanbul |
| 2 | Cairo → Mumbai | 4,300 km | 5.5 h | Red Sea ferry + bus |
| 3 | Mumbai → Kolkata | 1,650 km | 2.5 h | Indian Railways, 1–2 days |
| 4 | Kolkata → Singapore | 2,900 km | 4 h | Fly; no practical sea link |
| 5 | Singapore → Hong Kong | 2,600 km | 4 h | Fly or long overland via Thailand |
| 6 | Hong Kong → Yokohama | 2,900 km | 4 h | Fly; ferries are seasonal |
| 7 | Yokohama → San Francisco | 8,300 km | 10 h | Repositioning cruise, weeks |
| 8 | San Francisco → New York | 4,100 km | 5.5 h | Amtrak California Zephyr, 3 days |
| 9 | New York → London | 5,600 km | 7 h | Queen Mary 2, 7 nights |
Distances are great-circle approximations; times are non-stop flight times (check).
When to go
The loop crosses both hemispheres, so no single month is perfect. October to April suits Egypt, India and Southeast Asia: dry, cooler and outside the worst heat. That window also dodges the South Asian monsoon and the Southeast Asian rainy season.
Japan and the North Pacific are the constraint. Typhoon season runs roughly May to October, and the trans-Pacific crossing is rougher in winter. Late spring and autumn are the calmest for the Japan–US leg. If you fly the Pacific, the season matters less; if you take a ship, plan around it.
The US overland leg is fine year-round, but the California Zephyr and the Rockies can be disrupted by winter storms. Build a spare day into any rail leg.
Where to stay
Stay near the transport, not the sights. On a loop this long you change cities often, and a hotel within walking distance of the station or the airport train saves hours. In Cairo, central Cairo near the Nile or Heliopolis near the airport; in Mumbai, Colaba or Bandra near the rail terminals; in Singapore, around Bugis or Chinatown for the MRT; in Hong Kong, Kowloon or Central; in Tokyo, near a JR Yamanote line station.
Book the first two nights of each stop before you leave home and leave the rest flexible. Long-haul fares and trans-Pacific seats are the bookings that punish late changes; city hotels rarely do.
Preparation
Check visas first: Egypt, India, China and the US all require advance applications for most Western passports, and some need proof of onward travel. Vaccination and health advice varies by country; check your national travel health service before you book.
Pack for three climates and one bag. Laundry is cheap across the route, so carry less. Keep a paper copy of every booking and a second card, and register your trip with your embassy if your country offers it.
For the overland version, book Indian Railways and Amtrak early and accept that some legs will be flights. The classic route has no scheduled passenger ship across the Pacific on the old line, so that crossing is a cruise or a flight.
Questions people ask
How long does Around the World in Eighty Days take?
Eighty days is the fictional wager. Flying the classic loop at a comfortable pace takes about 30 days; 80 days is realistic only if you add overland and sea legs, and a fully overland version takes months.
When is the best time to do Around the World in Eighty Days?
October to April suits Egypt, India and Southeast Asia. For Japan and the trans-Pacific leg, aim for late spring or autumn to avoid typhoon season and rough winter crossings.
Where should I stay along Around the World in Eighty Days?
Near the transport: central Cairo or Heliopolis, Colaba or Bandra in Mumbai, Bugis or Chinatown in Singapore, Kowloon or Central in Hong Kong, and a JR Yamanote station in Tokyo.
Can you do the route without flying?
Mostly, but not in 80 days. Rail and ferries cover Europe, India, Southeast Asia and the US; the trans-Pacific leg has no scheduled passenger ship on the classic route, so it is a cruise or a flight.
How much does the route cost?
2026 estimate: US$6,000–12,000 per person flying economy, depending on how many long-haul legs you book and how much rail and ferry travel you add. The trans-Pacific and trans-Atlantic legs are the biggest costs.
Do I need visas?
Egypt, India, China and the US each require advance applications for most Western passports, and some ask for proof of onward travel. Check each country's official immigration site before booking.
Deep dive
Every source; changeable facts are marked check
Sources
- secondaryWikisource – Around the World in Eighty Days (English translation)
- secondaryProject Gutenberg – Around the World in Eighty Days
- officialAmtrak – California Zephyr
- officialIndian Railways – IRCTC
- officialCunard – Queen Mary 2 transatlantic crossings
- secondaryWikivoyage: Around the World in Eighty Days, revision 5308440 (CC BY-SA 4.0)