Generally speaking, our route is very simple. But we are simple folk, and not always the brightest, which is why we like what the The Mongol Rally Organizers have asked us to do: follow a colored line. If you look at the picture above, we've decided to follow the wiggly one, as we really wanted to avoid as many of the scary stans as possible when planning the trip, and the red line takes us through the safest of the stans (relatively speaking of course.

That said, I used to be crap at coloring within the lines, still am to be honest, so maybe this is going to be a challenge. The basic itinerary we have outlined goes as follows:

1) London to Prague

2) Prague to Moscow

3) Moscow to Samara (near Kazach border)

4) Samara to Tashkent

5) Tashkent to Samarkand

6) Samarkand to Tsaganannuur

7) Tsagannuur to Ulaan Batatar

Sounds pretty easy doesn't it? In our travel planning, we are putting in 5 extra days for our getting lost along the way.

In case you're curious, here's the more poetic version, as presented to us by the organizers of this little magic:

(cribbed from www.mongolrally.co.uk)

This is what you might call asuggested route.

Leg 1 (Checkpoint High Tea) London to Prague

We polish of our drinks at the launch party, leap into the cars and head for Dover. Once we hit the mainland we drive as fast as possible to escape the flat parts of Germany to get to Prague hopefully at around 4pm, just in time for afternoon tea. There will be a big old knees up as from here on out the adventure begins.

Leg 2 (The Trinity) Prague to Moscow,

Checkpoint Borsch - (Moscow), through the Baltic States and on to the Russian capital for a subtle blend of vodka, cabbage and Soviet style.

Leg 3 (Checkpoint Seljuk) Somewhere to Samarkand

From the three Trinity checkpoints teams push further east, some through Mountains of Iran, others across the Caspian Sea and Turkmen desert, some over the Kazakh steppe and others through the forests of Russia. The possibilities for adventure are nearly endless. Once the teams emerge from the roaring heat of various deserts we all reconvene in Samarkand on the ancient silk route, where a much needed beverage or three will be found.

Leg 4 (Checkpoint Tsagaannuur) Samarkand to Tsagaannuur

Winding north through the beautiful Mountains of Kyrgyzstan and into Kazakhstan for a dash north to the Russian border. Then on into the Altai region, described as the most beautiful part of Russia before entering Mongolia at it's western tip.

Leg 5 (Checkpoint Chinghis) Tsagaannuur to Ulaan Baatar

Now for what can only be described as the most amazing driving in the world. And you thought ripping across the desert was fun! There are a loads of routes across Mongolia, all of them incredible and very very little of it will have any sort of road surface. Your maps will be practically uselss, roads move all the time, every where has the same name, there are no sign posts, rodent holes replace pot holes, the fun just goes on. Imagine drining off road across a deserted green valley with wild aromatic grasses scenting the air as you go, what could be better?

Once/if you get to the finish, which will be in the Ulaan Baatar area, all that will remain will be to sit back in the comfort of your ger and enjoy a well-earned drink as the sun sets over the mountains.