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I really want to go to the country of Georgia but don't have enough money to fly there. I had a genius idea and decided that I could hire a boat and get across the English channel to France, and then walk from France to Georgia. If I walk for 12 hours a day, at a kilometer (approximately 1/2 mile) every 15 minutes, then I will get to Georgia in 84 days. (I worked it out!)

So I have two questions:

  • Am I even allowed to waltz my way from France to Georgia?

  • Are there any maps? Are there any maps to give me a route to Georgia?

I understand that you may think I'm just asking a silly question, but seriously, I want to know if I could walk to Georgia one day. I would need to make sure I have at least 1/3 of a year spare to do it though.

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    In general, you can walk across the border from one country to another, local laws permitting. You may need a visa in some cases, but that would be determined by your route and international treaties. But there's land all the way between France and Georgia. Sounds like a cool idea. For a faster trip, consider a bike.
    – Lii
    Commented May 31, 2017 at 19:10
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    The idea is great, but certainly not because it is cheap. Even if you camp every day, I am sure food alone will be more expensive than a cheap flight. Also this question might be too broad. There is the feasibility of your walking regime, country "visiting laws" and maps (which will vary from country to country again). Maybe it's worth splitting this up.
    – imsodin
    Commented May 31, 2017 at 20:58
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    Goran Kropp biked from Sweden to Everest, then climbed Everest without supplemental oxygen or Sherpa support, then biked back. So you are in good company in your quest.
    – ab2
    Commented May 31, 2017 at 21:48
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    Patrick Leigh Fermour did this more or less in the 1930's and wrote some great books about it...
    – Jon Custer
    Commented May 31, 2017 at 23:34
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    I really like the idea! Just wanted to mention that 48km on several days in a row seems a bit ambitious to me. However, that strongly depends on your walking experience and overall fitness as well as external factors like luggage, weather, route etc. So you might need more than 3 months
    – Arsak
    Commented Jun 2, 2017 at 10:41

2 Answers 2

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Since you're asking how to get from the UK to somewhere, I'll assume you're an UK citizen. Below you'll find a picture that shows your visa requirements.

enter image description here

You have two options: coming from above (crossing to Russia) and coming from below (crossing the whole Turkey). I'm pretty sure you'll pick the second choice, since Ukraine is at war and you'd need a rather expensive Russian visa if you chose the first one. Then, even if you choose to cross non-EU countries like Montenegro and Serbia, you'd only need to show your passport at a verification post, located in some specific cities (you necessarily have everything checked if you go by train of bus). It is very easy to cross without passing through a post, but I would never advise that. That's a crime and you can get easily caught when leaving the country.

Going from below you'd have to necessarily pass through Turkey (cross it, actually). Here's a list of land borders in Turkey. You'd have to necessarily pass through one of them and have your passport stamped. As you saw in the visa requirements, you have the right to ask for an eVISA to Turkey, and I advise you to apply before you start your trip. You probably won't have any problems getting it, but remember: you can't stay in Turkey for longer than 3 months.

Then you're in Georgia. No visas required. Enjoy!

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    In the current state of affairs in Russia and Turkey, I would advice to take a ferry over the black sea. A friend of mine is cycling from Switzerland to Kirgistan and intends to follow the Danube, then cross to Georgia by ship for safety reasons.
    – imsodin
    Commented Jun 1, 2017 at 8:30
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    I strongly support the premise above. Although Turkey is definitely not in the mud as Ukraine and that you wouldn't pass through the open war regions in the south, the situation there is bad enough to justify avoiding the place altogether
    – QuantumBrick
    Commented Jun 1, 2017 at 9:42
  • And another point not broached about the Russia-route: Russia and Georgia were in open conflict not too long ago. So entering Georgia from there could be problematic as well.
    – imsodin
    Commented Jun 1, 2017 at 9:44
  • Would it be a good idea to get buses/trains to speed up the journey? They're cheaper than planes @QuantumBrick
    – Featherball
    Commented Jun 2, 2017 at 11:25
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    Of course Brexit will change this (whenever that happens). There is a fair chance visa free access will be limited to UK citizens (and vice versa)
    – user2766
    Commented Jun 2, 2017 at 15:16
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For the sake of completeness I would like to add that flying might actually be the cheapest option for you.

While it sounds like an amazing adventure, walking takes a lot of time, and you still need to eat, at least sometimes you might want to sleep indoors, you might need to take a bus or a ferry every now and then. If I would have very little money, I would choose to hitch-hike, but I guess it is not for everyone.

Busses and trains could be cheaper for moderate distances, especially if there is a direct connection. But Georgia is not exactly close, and probably not that well connected to the UK. So you would need to change a few busses and trains on your way, which on its own could again be a great adventure, especially if you would stay longer in places. But maybe that's not what you are after.

Another option, which you haven't mentioned, would be using car sharing websites, such as blablacar. Some rides offered there are for pretty long distances. Could be worth checking it out if you absolutely want to go overland.

However it is hard to find any other means of public transport that would be as cheap as some of the flights offered. I have seen flights to Georgia for 30-50 Euros from places like Bukarest (Romania) or Vilnius (Lithuania). In case you do not have direct cheap flights from the UK, maybe you would be able to get to Lithuania, Romania or some other country with good connections cheap enough?

But yes, walk! Have an adventure of the lifetime! Only you really don't need to hire a boat, there already are ferries and a tunnel with a train.

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