Long before the era of budget airlines, a group of adventurous travelers embarked on what is arguably the greatest road trip in history. In 1957, Albert Conway launched the first regular bus service connecting London to Calcutta (now Kolkata).
For a ticket price of roughly £100 (about $145 at the time), passengers endured an epic 10,000-mile journey that took nearly a month to complete. The route traversed through Western Europe, crossed into the Middle East via Turkey, wound through Iran and Afghanistan, and continued across Pakistan before reaching its final destination in India.
While primarily a commercial venture to sell vintage double-decker buses in India, the service became a legendary test of endurance for hippies and intrepid explorers during the 1960s. Operations eventually ceased in the mid-70s due to geopolitical conflicts, particularly the Iranian Revolution, and the rise of commercial air travel. Today, it remains a fascinating snapshot of a bygone era of overland exploration.
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