With spring here and summer quickly approaching, road trips will be on many people’s minds. Travelling through Europe by car is one of the best ways to see everything without being rushed. So what’s better than embarking on a 5,000-mile trip to see some of the best the continent has to offer? Currently, though, due to the war in Ukraine, it is not advised to use certain parts of the road.
Nonetheless, those looking for the ultimate driving adventure across Europe and beyond will find it in European route E40. The road stretches nearly 5,000 miles and passes through 10 different countries. The E40 is the longest road in Europe and officially measures 4,971 miles (8,000 kilometres). It begins in Calais, France, and ends in Ridder, Kazakhstan, near the borders with Russia and China.
The full journey would take around 54 days to complete as it weaves through France, Belgium, Germany, Poland, Ukraine, Russia, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, and Kyrgyzstan.
The impressive route is a network of highways, motorways, and national roads linked together across each country.
It takes in a huge variety of landscapes, from big mountain passes to major cities and wide-open plains.
The E40 is part of the international road network set out by the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) and is also recognised by the European Union.
It provides an important east-west connection across the continent, offering a longer but more expansive alternative to other routes between France and Central Asia.
Its path through Ukraine, from the Polish border near Krakovets to the Russian border near Izvaryne, was once a popular segment, but due to the ongoing conflict and safety concerns, travellers are urged to avoid that section of the route.
There was also once a plan to build an E40 Waterway, a shipping canal designed to connect the Baltic and Black Seas and promote trade between Poland, Belarus and Ukraine.
But the idea faced strong opposition due to environmental concerns, potential damage to biodiversity, and fears of disturbing radioactive material still present in the region due to the Chornobyl disaster.
As a result, the idea never came to fruition.
