Race Across the World Sicily to Istanbul (Series 6, episodes 1 & 2): How to Travel It by Train

If you’ve been watching Race Across the World Series 6 and thinking “I’d love to do that… just without the stress and panic”, you’re not alone. The program has inspired many people to broaden their horizons and travel to new places that they’ve seen on the show.

This season, the show starts much closer to home in Italy, Sicily to be precise. We decided to take a closer look at the places they visit and show how some of their adventures can be recreated.

The first two episodes covering Sicily, southern Italy, Greece and Istanbul translate extremely well into rail holidays with ferry and road elements. With a bit of planning (we know a few expert Travel Designers who can help!) and far fewer wrong turns, you can follow a similar route at your own pace.

Episode 1 route: Sicily to Greece via Southern Italy

The opening leg of the series is all about getting off Sicily, crossing southern Italy, and reaching the Adriatic coast. It’s a brilliant mix of landscapes and luckily, very doable by rail.

Race route:

Palermo → southern Italy → Bari/Brindisi → ferry → Greece

Sicily: Palermo, the race start point

The race kicked off in Sicilian capital, Palermo, full of energy, history, and just the right amount of chaos. It’s a brilliant introduction to Sicily if you choose to include the series 6 start point in your own holiday itinerary.

• Sicily is well connected by rail with 8 lines covering all 9 regions of the island
• You can take the train ferry across the Strait of Messina to mainland Italy
• The last place in Europe where the train itself rolls onto the ferry, it’s a unique experience

Holiday match:

Sicily and the Amalfi Coast by Rail. 

Sicily and Malta by Rail and Sea 

• The spectacular Amalfi coast is on the route to Sicily
• Try Malta instead of Greece if you want a departure from the TV show – another fabulous rail and sea itinerary

Taormina, Sicily, and Mount Etna

Through southern Italy: Naples, Sorrento & beyond

As the teams made their way north, they passed through some of Italy’s most iconic southern regions and cities. If you’re not racing and on a tiny budget, they are well worth stopping and exploring, with plenty of culinary highlights

• Naples – lively, historic, slightly chaotic and the home of pizza
• Sorrento – coastal views and a slower pace and lots of Limoncello to enjoy
• Easy regional and high speed connections via Italy’s extensive rail network

Holiday match: 

Italian Lakes and the Amalfi Coast.

Florence and Sorrento by Rail

• Pass Mount Vesuvius on the way to Sorrento, or take a detour on the Circumvesuviana that skirts the volcano with fabulous views

Sorrento

Hidden gem Alberobello: Puglia

This is one of those unexpected highlights that makes you want to start planning a trip there and then. The Puglia region is a hidden gem and the program showed its historic trulli houses and narrow streets in great detail. Alberobello is where one team got stuck on the show, something that won’t happen on a holiday tracing the route!

• Famous for its trulli houses (those cone-roofed white buildings)
• A UNESCO World Heritage Site with over 1,500 trulli
• Stay in a trulli hotel

Holiday match:

Disover Puglia 

• Includes Alberobello and Bari together with Lecce and other stops en route
• Easy to reach by train but off the well-beaten tourist track

Alberobello, Trulli houses

Bari: the gateway to Greece

By this point in the race, it’s all about reaching the coast and Bari becomes a key decision point for the contestants! Bari is the maritime capital of Puglia, and it’s worth spending a lot more time here than the racers did.

• A major Adriatic ferry port with a charming old town on a peninsula between two harbours
• Well connected by rail across southern Italy and beyond
• The launch point for ferry crossings into Greece and Montenegro

Holiday match:

Discover Puglia

Crossing to Greece – following the race route 

This is where the journey really starts to feel like an adventure for the race teams, leaving Italy behind and heading across the sea to Greece. Overnight travel is always an experience. Unlike the racers on a shoestring budget, there are comfortable, private cabins on the 16/17 hour crossing. The first leg ended with the teams taking a boat over to Fiskardo on the northern corner of Kefalonia.

Race route:

• Bari → ferry → Patras / Igoumenitsa → Fiskardo

Holiday match:

London to Athens via Italy

• An overnight ferry across the Adriatic, complete with a private cabin
• The itinerary can be extended to give more time in each stop for exploring

Bari

Episode 2 route: Mainland Greece to Istanbul

Once in Greece, the Race Across the World route becomes a bit more strategic. The teams have to decide whether to go via Athens or take a more direct – and riskier – inland route. As seen in the show, there are less rail options but comfortable transfers by road are available instead of the buses used by the racers.

Race route:

• Kefalonia → mainland Greece → northern Greece or Athens → Istanbul

Athens: Greece’s rail and transport hub

If you’re travelling this route yourself, Athens is the natural place to regroup; it’s well connected and makes onward travel by rail, road, air or sea much easier. Athens itself needs no introduction – it’s full of historic ancient sites, reminders of one of the greatest civilisations on earth. There is plenty to see should you want to stay a while.

• Athens is Greece’s main rail hub with connections north into central Greece
• A major ferry port connects to the Greek islands
• An ideal base for exploring further inland

Holiday match:

London to Athens via Italy

Athens

Through Greece to Istanbul

The teams took different approaches to this leg of the race, with some opting to island hop and others taking the overland route through northern Greece. Although bus was the favoured option here, Greece has  high speed line from Athens to Thessaloniki. Others went via the islands to Turkey, via Izmir and along the beautiful Turkish coastline.

If you’re travelling this route yourself, Istanbul is the natural end point; a city that quite literally bridges Europe and Asia, and a fitting finale. Arriving here feels like a real achievement, just as it did for the teams. Istanbul is rich in history, culture and atmosphere, with layers of civilisation visible at every turn. There’s more than enough to reward a longer stay.

• Istanbul sits at the crossroads of European and Asian rail and road networks
• A major transport hub with international rail, bus and flight connections
• An ideal base for exploring both sides of the Bosphorus

Race routes:

• Thessaloniki → northern Greece → Turkish border → Istanbul
• Athens → Agean islands → Turkish coast → Istanbul

Holiday match: 

London toIstanbul: Epic Journey

Final destination: Istanbul, where East meets West

Istanbul is where Episode 2 concludes, and it’s a destination that more than lives up to the journey. Straddling two continents, it is a melting pot of different cultures, magnificent architecture, food and people – a striking contrast to the quieter stops along the way – providing a memorable finish to this leg of the race.

• A unique city spanning Europe and Asia, with the Bosphorus Bridge connecting the continents
• Iconic landmarks including the Hagia Sophia and Blue Mosque
• Well connected, with central stations and onward travel options throughout Turkey

Holiday match: 

London to Istanbul: Epic Journey

• Istanbul is the start point for connections across Turkey to capital Ankara, central Konya or the southern coast

Recreate the Race Across the World route

If you stitched these locations together, you’d end up with a genuinely brilliant European rail and sea holiday itinerary that mixes cities, coastlines, lesser-known locations and unique travel experiences. Whilst we don’t have the entire race itinerary on our website, several of our pre-planned holidays cover parts of it, or we can tailor make a holiday that traces some of the route, with extra stops and time for you to really enjoy it.

How a route might look:

• London → Paris → Swiss Alps
• Milan → Rome → Naples
• Continue south to Sicily, crossing the Strait of Messina on the unique train ferry
• Explore Palermo, the race starting point
• Travel back to mainland Italy → Puglia – Alberobello & Bari
• Ferry across the Adriatic to Greece
• Athens → Thessaloniki → Istanbul

This is a truly epic journey, and not for the faint hearted! We can tailor-make the whole thing – if you have the time – but our suggestion is to take your preferred destinations in the show and combine them with holiday favourites or off-the-beaten-track experiences to create your own version.

Let us help plan your Race Across the World adventure

Whilst all the countries involved – Italy, Greece and Turkey – are familiar holiday destinations, the show takes us to places that aren’t as well known – hidden gems – creating that sense of adventure and wonder that regular viewers know well. Itineraries are easy to adapt, depending on your preferred pace and budget, with excellent rail infrastructure in Italy and easy ferry connections around Greece and Turkey.

Tailor Made Rail can help every step of the way. Visit the show’s filming locations, like Palmero, Alberobello, Athens and Istanbul with time to explore and with every detail taken care of – connection times, handpicked 4 or 5 star hotel accommodation, transfers and excursions. Choose to travel first class and opt for upgraded cabins on ferries, private transfers and extra excursions.

Unlike the contestants, you can stop, look around, and enjoy your holiday. No racing required!

Ready to start planning your journey?

Get in touch with the Tailor Made Rail team.