From London to Mongolia - What's the best route?
With nearly 10,000 miles to cover and just four weeks to do it in, Jake and Dave's rusty old Volkswagen Polo has got some serious driving to do. 
The adventure that will see them drive almost a third of the way around the globe, all in a highly unsuitable car that cost just £100, will begin in London's Hyde Park. Negotiating the capital's infamous traffic they'll then head down to Dover and hop on a ferry for the twenty mile cruise to France. From France into Belgium, past Brussels, into Germany and onto the Czech capital of Prague, they'll cover as much distance as they can whilst the roads are still straight and pothole-free. Next comes Slovakia and Hungary and over the border into Romania. 
This is where things start to get difficult as the old VW Polo crawls up the windy roads that meander through Dracula's homeland of the Transylvanian mountains. If Jake and Dave manage to avoid the infamous vampire's fangs they'll cross into Moldova, hopefully avoiding the unstable breakaway state of Transnistria, before chugging on down into the Ukraine. The seaside resort of Odessa, along with reputedly the biggest nudist beach in the world, should then provide a welcome break as the car cools down and the boys top up their tans.
Following the coastal road around the north of the Black Sea, they'll next head on east towards Russia, where no doubt English cigarettes and a fistful of US dollars will speed their progress across the border.
After Russia comes Borat's homeland of Kazakhstan and this is where the roads really take a turn for the worse with potholes, no tarmac and suicidal drivers becoming the order of the day. Over the top of the Caspian Sea, the brave adventurers will head off south towards Uzbekistan, crossing into the Islamic state and using the ancient Silk Road as they dodge the antiquated landmines that provide a potentially deadly reminder of old wars gone by. Passing not too far from Afghanistan, they'll then enter Kyrgyzstan. This little known mountainous country is said to be one of the most beautiful in all of Asia and is supposed to be like stepping back 500 years into a whole new world. After Kyrgyzstan the boys and their Polo, which by now will be a little worse for wear, will head north as they keep out of Chinese territory, going back into Kazakhstan and then up into Siberian Russia.
The final leg of the journey is the one that Jake and Dave are really looking forward to and will see them swoop down into Mongolia. A land of deserts, mountains, lakes, nomadic tribes and people of legendary friendliness; the extreme environment will really test them to the limit but could possibly be the most rewarding part of the trip.
The capital city of Ulaanbaatar will act as the finishing line and no doubt a bowl of sheep testicles and a glass of yak's milk will end the adventure in style. Whether Jake and Dave will make it that far is anyone's guess, but keep updated on their trip and see how they're getting on here with Hoot Car Insurance, the young driver car insurance experts.
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