UK to AUS without painful flights

[ATM]

Hello

I have a family thing in Australia in April. I'd like to attend but the thought of 24 hours on planes - twice - is making me feel sick. I went once before in 2010. Flew via Singapore. I stayed in Australia for around 4 months. The flight out wasn't pleasant and then again the flight home god awful. This time I don't plan to spend so long there maybe a couple of weeks.

So I'd like some options please if anyone has any. I'm assuming I can break the trip up into legs or hops. I can stomach 5 or 6 hours on a plane without feeling suicidal. Or I could maybe add some by water or by road legs in between. I don't want to embark on a round the world trip for 6 months but I'm happy to burn some time using slower transport which doesn't force you to sit in the same seat for several hours on end. I know there is business or first class but spending an extra packet to have a bed instead of a chair feels like it is lacking in imagination.

So I know I could just look at a map and drawer some lines but I'm hoping someone here might have some ideas to consider. I can't be the only one who doesn't like flying.

Thanks

ATM

[RichFN2]

Crikey what a challenge this would be! If it was me I would look at a map and work out where you either have to fly for logistical reasons or flying or where flying avoids an area that would be an absolute nightmare on land.

You can get the Eurostar to Paris, and then the high speed train to Milan. Get a ferry to Croatia and then train to Serbia, head south and then into Bulgaria, there you can get a train or bus into Istanbul.

If it was me I would then suck up a flight to Bangkok (9 hours)

You can then travel over land into Malaysia and Singapore easily. At this stage I would then fly direct to Australia but you could always fly to Bali to bewwk up the journey.

[seefarr]

I'm with you on the 24 flight thing being horrendous. At the end of 12 hours I'm incredibly stir crazy and getting straight back on another flight is horrendous.

When we fly back to Aus we always stop in Singapore for 12-24 hours and that makes a massive difference. Get out and away from people, and then the shower and change of underwear at that stage is worth £1000s. We go out and grab some ridiculously delicious food and some pricey beers and the world seems a whole lot better. Another shower and then sleep lying down on something that's not moving. The next leg is done before you know it! We're stopping there on Saturday on the way to Thailand too.

While you're in Singapore airport, grab some Melatonin tablets for your overnight flight home - they work like a mild sleeping pill but we don't wake up feeling like utter cack like other pills do to us.

Sadly, we normally end up in Australia and it's full of my family.

[Seventyseven7]

Where in Australia are you going?

You can fly direct these days, Heathrow to Perth, 16 hours on Quantas. Spend a bit more and fly PE or Business.

[Bill]

RichFN2 said:

You can then travel over land into Malaysia and Singapore easily. At this stage I would then fly direct to Australia but you could always fly to Bali to bewwk up the journey.

That's 24 hours on a coach though, which is worse IMO.

[LRDefender]

RichFN2 said:

Crikey what a challenge this would be! If it was me I would look at a map and work out where you either have to fly for logistical reasons or flying or where flying avoids an area that would be an absolute nightmare on land.

You can get the Eurostar to Paris, and then the high speed train to Milan. Get a ferry to Croatia and then train to Serbia, head south and then into Bulgaria, there you can get a train or bus into Istanbul.

If it was me I would then suck up a flight to Bangkok (9 hours)

You can then travel over land into Malaysia and Singapore easily. At this stage I would then fly direct to Australia but you could always fly to Bali to bewwk up the journey.

Good suggests ^^^^ I was going to say something similar.

Train to Istanbul (lots of stops of your choice), fly Istanbul to Dubai, fly Dubai to Kerala or Goa, fly India to Singapore - staying any where between 3 & 7 nights in each destination. Tweak each destination to suit your tastes.

You don't mention where in Oz you're headed so the last leg is difficult to comment but maybe a stopover in north Oz or Indonesia depending on your appetite for adventure. Boat from Singapore to Indonesia if possible?

I can remember travel agents used to multi flight round the world packages, I'm sure they must still be available.

[Bill]

Trailfinders used to be good for multi stop trips.

[ATM]

My family are mostly in the Melbourne area.

No one seems to consider going the other way through USA or South America? Maybe hire a car for getting across USA. Can you do a boat from America / South America to Sydney?

I'm not sayin no to flying. I'm saying I can stomach say 4 or 5 hours thats easy. Maybe a bit more if i have to. Then have a sleep in an actual bed and move around etc. You know break it up. I don't want to have 6 days flying 4 hours per day as that's probably torture also. Or 4 days with 6 hours per day, no thanks.

Boats seem quite civilised. You can walk around, visit restaurants or canteens, socialise and stuff. I'm not saying specifically a cruise ship but maybe that's an option. It is just a floating hotel which moves. If it's 3 weeks by boat then maybe that's not ideal but a week wouldn't be awful would it?

[MBBlat]

Good guide to long distance train travel, may be useful https://www.seat61.com/

The main problem at the moment is most of the surface routes to Australia mean travelling through Russia, probably best avoided.

[Bill]

ATM said:

No one seems to consider going the other way through USA or South America? Maybe hire a car for getting across USA. Can you do a boat from America / South America to Sydney?

I did think of that, but the Pacific is a) huge and B) very empty! Cruise to NY and car or train across works though. But then 14 hour flight from San Fran to Brisbane.

[LRDefender]

ATM said:

My family are mostly in the Melbourne area.

No one seems to consider going the other way through USA or South America? Maybe hire a car for getting across USA. Can you do a boat from America / South America to Sydney?

I'm not sayin no to flying. I'm saying I can stomach say 4 or 5 hours thats easy. Maybe a bit more if i have to. Then have a sleep in an actual bed and move around etc. You know break it up. I don't want to have 6 days flying 4 hours per day as that's probably torture also. Or 4 days with 6 hours per day, no thanks.

Boats seem quite civilised. You can walk around, visit restaurants or canteens, socialise and stuff. I'm not saying specifically a cruise ship but maybe that's an option. It is just a floating hotel which moves. If it's 3 weeks by boat then maybe that's not ideal but a week wouldn't be awful would it?

A quick Google suggests London to NY is a 7 hour 30 minute flight so you've kind ruled it out.

Edited to add - Unless you travelled to the U.S.A by ship of course.

Edited by LRDefender on Saturday 6th January 12:39

[Seventyseven7]

ATM said:

My family are mostly in the Melbourne area.

No one seems to consider going the other way through USA or South America? Maybe hire a car for getting across USA. Can you do a boat from America / South America to Sydney?

I'm not sayin no to flying. I'm saying I can stomach say 4 or 5 hours thats easy. Maybe a bit more if i have to. Then have a sleep in an actual bed and move around etc. You know break it up. I don't want to have 6 days flying 4 hours per day as that's probably torture also. Or 4 days with 6 hours per day, no thanks.

Boats seem quite civilised. You can walk around, visit restaurants or canteens, socialise and stuff. I'm not saying specifically a cruise ship but maybe that's an option. It is just a floating hotel which moves. If it's 3 weeks by boat then maybe that's not ideal but a week wouldn't be awful would it?

Do you fly business? Nothing easier than sitting at the bar, upstairs on an A380.

[ATM]

Seventyseven7 said:

Do you fly business? Nothing easier than sitting at the bar, upstairs on an A380.

No always cattle class

[Bill]

ATM said:

No always cattle class

What's the actual issue? Fear, claustrophobia, discomfort??

[Seventyseven7]

ATM said:

Seventyseven7 said:

Do you fly business? Nothing easier than sitting at the bar, upstairs on an A380.

No always cattle class

Probably be better budget wise to upgrade to business, rather than do multiple stops and extra hotels etc. Agree doing that flight in economy is horrendous, but huge difference flying it in business.

[Austin_Metro]

ATM said:

No always cattle class

Although your search for an alternative is more interesting, my suspicion is that a decent business class flight would make this acceptable. And likely cheaper than the overland odyssey.

Going back from business to economy might be more difficult. I’d go with this (business) and a few nights in Singapore - Singapore airlines used to do good ‘packages’.

[Mr Squarekins]

Seventyseven7 said:

Do you fly business? Nothing easier than sitting at the bar, upstairs on an A380.

This. 100%. Makes the trip enjoyable even. An Old Fashioned and a nice slice of cake in the bar. Time literally flies.

[ATM]

Bill said:

ATM said:

No always cattle class

What's the actual issue? Fear, claustrophobia, discomfort??

Discomfort only

I travel by plane reasonably regularly. So Europe over 10 times last year and Florida once.

I'm 6 foot 2 and don't like sitting in the same forced position for extended periods. I start getting aches and pains and just grumpy.

I was getting reasonably frustrated on the Florida trip. It seems the person in front of me always wants to have their seat reclined fully back into my lap.

[Mr Pointy]

Bill said:

ATM said:

No one seems to consider going the other way through USA or South America? Maybe hire a car for getting across USA. Can you do a boat from America / South America to Sydney?

I did think of that, but the Pacific is a) huge and B) very empty! Cruise to NY and car or train across works though. But then 14 hour flight from San Fran to Brisbane.

Jetlag is worse going that way, but if you're taking a week or so maybe that's less of an effect.

[ATM]

Mr Pointy said:

Bill said:

ATM said:

No one seems to consider going the other way through USA or South America? Maybe hire a car for getting across USA. Can you do a boat from America / South America to Sydney?

I did think of that, but the Pacific is a) huge and B) very empty! Cruise to NY and car or train across works though. But then 14 hour flight from San Fran to Brisbane.

Jetlag is worse going that way, but if you're taking a week or so maybe that's less of an effect.

I know some people in Oklahoma. Also in Cayman Islands but never been there.