Original subtitles

Reaching the other side of the world

has never been easier.

However, by flying over,

are we forgetting how to travel through?

Singapore...

The furthest point from the u.K. By road and rail,

normally a 12-hour plane journey.

But could you get there for just the price of the airfare

without taking a single flight? What am I doing?

Holy moley, that's gonna be tough.

Five pairs of ordinary brits

are about to attempt just that...

Darron: Most people would go from "a" to "b" on a plane,

but then they'd miss all this.

In an extraordinary race. Come on. Come on.

At ground level, they'll cover

over 12,000 miles. Oh, man!

- Look at that! - That's amazing.

[ Singsong voice ] Everybody wants to get to Azerbaijan.

[ Laughs ]

Who will finish first, as they leave behind

the trappings of modern-day life...

It's 34 hours on one bus.[ Baby crying ]

without their bank cards...

We're gonna run out of money at some point.

And their smartphones?

I don't want to argue about it. Time's ticking on.

It will test them physically...

Felix: This is where you find out about yourself.

- Sleep. - Sleep where?

You can't finish the race if you're dead.

And emotionally.

Shameema: It's almost like I'm questioning my purpose.

What is it that I want?

[ Sniffles ] It's just a bit much.

I'm at breaking point.

How will they triumph?

Tactics...

Alex: A new strategy blend in with the locals.

Resourcefulness...

This is nice. It's actually lovely.

Risk taking...

Darron: Seriously running out of food, proper water.

Or charm?

- Can you take us to Greece? - [ Laughing ]

For you, I want to help you.

The reward is great...

It's about recapturing the little bit of me, this.

As the first team to Singapore

will claim the prize of £20,000...

Ahh!

In a race across the world.

Shift your butt, come on.

50 days, blood, sweat, tears.

Captions by vitac... www.Vitac.Com

captions paid for by discovery communications

the race begins in greenwich,

the meridian line separating east from west.

The old naval college is the former home of the royal Navy

and epicentre of British exploration.

- I can't wait. - No. No.

I'm just so excited. We'll get started now.

First to arrive, best pals since school,

sue and Clare.

Clare has been my best friend since we were 11 years old.

I can't wait.

The most exciting thing I think we've ever done...

When we were 21, we did an interrail trip together

around Europe. Good morning.

- Good morning. - Good morning.

We didn't have phones, we didn't have the Internet,

we had limited money.

[ Indistinct ]

- Mm. - Thank you.

Yes, we want to win, but I think we also both

want to enjoy the experience of the journey.

Do you know where we are? Well, we're at greenwich.

The next team aiming to find the fastest route to Singapore

without catching a plane...

Father and son darron and Alex from Bradford.

I think I'm gonna be quite hopeless at the start

because I'm used to my phone.

Like, if I'm lost, I go on Google maps.

But I'm gonna win 'cause I've got my dad.

He knows how to travel.

You got used to your backpack yet?

A bit.

Darron: I've slept in tents on top of mountains,

in the wilderness, at the side of an active volcano.

I want something I've never experienced.

Before the start of the race, the teams have agreed

to be stripped of all mobile devices,

credit cards, and cash.

Good morning. Good morning.

Good morning. Do you have any mobile phones

or wallets with you? Yeah, I do.

Right, if you could hand that over

to my colleague for me, please.

Thank you.

What each team is provided with is a world map,

a travel guide with local job ads,

and two money belts.

Thank you.

Third up...

Friends for over 30 years

Natalie and shameema.

You forget how pretty London is.

I know.

I would say Natalie's and i's experience of travel

is very different.

Natalie: My first expedition, I went to Vietnam,

Cambodia, Thailand, Burma,

India, Sri Lanka,

Madagascar, Kenya,

Uganda, Tanzania.

Shameema: Setting off into the unknown

is something that I don't usually do.

You know, I've never even owned a backpack before.

This trip has come at a great time for me.

I've been married for 19 years, but we've decided

that it's the right time for us to separate,

and my two daughters

are growing into strong, independent women.

So it's almost like someone's saying,

"you've got permission to not be responsible for something,"

and that feels quite nice.

Producer: First thoughts when I say "race across the world."

Oh... [ Laughs ]

- Good morning. - Morning.

For the team's safety,

the only piece of technology permitted is a GPS device...

- Thank you. - Thank you very much

that will track their progress to the finish line.

Singapore...

The furthest point you can travel to from the u.K.

By road and rail...

A journey of over 12,000 miles.

But rather than a 12-hour direct flight,

it'll take an estimated 50 days.

♪♪

Also joining the race... Husband and wife and owners

of a small retail chain,

jinda and bindu from Nottingham.

Jinda: We've been together since we were children

and, after three decades,

you're gonna know somebody very, very well.

We've been through ups, downs. We've been broke together.

We've been through crises together.

Our marriage has seen everything that a marriage can see

and come out the other side.

[ Indistinct ] Yeah.

It's made us so tough,

and it's made us so determined.

Those skills, when you put them in this type of situation,

it really boosts you along.

We need turbulence and stress around us to perform.

There's gonna be plenty of that on the way.

[ Both laugh ]

Center of time,

center of London. - I am so ready.

And completing the line-up...

Best friends and business partners, Josh and Felix.

Josh: We've traveled a lot together over the last five or six years.

We've had some incredible adventures...

Kind of a bit like hergé's "tintin."

Felix: Whether it's grizzly bears in the Oregon mountains

or visit the Montenegrin alps,

we know that anything this challenge can throw at us

we'll probably be able to surmount.

This is going to be the most rich and amazing experience.

We want to climb the hills and swim in the lakes.

We want to eat it.

♪♪

En route to Singapore,

the teams must pass through five checkpoints.

Only when they reach one will they learn

where the next will be.

Your first checkpoint will be delphi.

Delphi. Where's delphi?

France? Really?

Greece. The oracle. The oracle.

I've got some sophocles in my bag,

so we're sorted.[ Both laugh ]

Ooh. Money.

Just over £1,300 per person

gives them a budget of roughly £25 each a day.

You have £1,329.

The cost of a direct flight to Singapore.

So it's got to cover all expenses on the race,

including food, water, travel, and accommodation.

They'll have to work to earn extra cash

and travel smart if they're to make it to Singapore.

We don't want to run out of money.

We can always work.

I'd rather be budgeting and be careful.

We'll make it work. We know how to live on a budget.

We'll make that work. We'll make it work, yeah.

I'm not worried.

The race begins at 14:00 hours.

- Hey, guys. - Hi.

Do you need help? No, [indistinct].

The intrepid adventurers assemble at the start line...

- We meet at last. - Yeah!

Setting eyes on their competition

for the very first time.

- Hello. - Hi.

Clare: Our paths will, I suppose, cross.

We'll be a little bit ahead of you, unfortunately.

[ Laughter ]

All that stands between the finish line

and the £20,000 prize is two continents,

21 countries, four seas,

and each other.

[ Natalie screams ]

♪♪

[ Clock chimes ]

♪♪

Oh, for god's sake.

We've got to be at least jogging.

We're in a race, remember. So?

I can't run with this pack on, not yet.

I'm not talking running. I'm talking jogging.

Suck it up and jog. We don't need to jog.

We'll just, like, walk really fast.

Should we look on the map?

No, not now. We can get going.

It's not gonna move, is it?

Without smartphones to help plan the route

to the first checkpoint...

I'll find somebody to ask where delphi is, yeah?

They need to be sure where it is.

I was wondering if you could help me.

No money. I don't need it.No. No, no change.

I don't need money. [ Laughs ]

Delphi, Greece? Yep.

Almost 1,900 miles from London

and the team's first checkpoint...

The ancient town of delphi.

When the Greek god Zeus sought to find the center of the world,

he released two eagles...

One to the east and another to the west...

And delphi was the point at which they met.

It seems that the most direct route is just this straight line here.

Through Germany, Croatia, Albania...

There are two sensible routes to delphi.

The first could take the teams through Western Europe

from France to Italy,

crossing the adriatic to Greece.

Transport is fast and reliable but can be expensive.

I don't think that's gonna be necessarily the quickest way to do it.

The coastal route won't be the quickest.

Or they could navigate central Europe to the Balkans,

where traveling can be cheaper,

but transport less reliable.

Let's get across to Germany first.

But first, they need to get out of the u.K.

I was thinking, get a train that'll get us out of London

and then try and see if we can hitchhike.

We might be able to find someone who's taking the ferry over.

Do you know, like, from dartford,

which is the next town in the direction towards Dover?

Man: Well, the next big town's Gravesend.

We'll get to Victoria coach station...

Yeah... see what coaches are due,

see where they go,

and we'll adapt and adjust accordingly.

Yeah, we'll just see what happens.

Yeah, I mean, for all I know, there might be

one due to Paris.

Jinda: Could you call a local taxi firm?

Hi, there. I'm in cutty sark at the moment,

and I need to get to Dover.

What is the best price that you could do?

I know it's far.

£105. Okay.

Jinda: It's not cheap to get out of London,

but I just want to move forward.

There's a little dock here,

where they have boats that go back to Waterloo.

I think we can get a train to ashford international.

From there, see if we can negotiate a ticket

on the eurostar.

Josh and Felix are on a mission

to cross the channel today at any price.

Felix: We'd like to go to Dover or folkestone.

We'd basically like to know the prices.

Josh: It's 70 quid. It's quite a lot of dosh.

Felix: The appeal of this, even though it's more money than we want to spend,

we can be there in two hours.

I would like to sit down and look at our budget because...

I don't think we've got time to plan our money

properly in the next 15 minutes.

Let's just get on the... Train.

We're the perfect partnership.

Already we're choosing the luxury option,

which is maybe a mistake. I think we're fine.

Josh: Working together and being friends,

we're charging forward for the same goal

and although along the way we might disagree,

it's never personal.

So long as we don't spend any more money today.

We might make France this evening.

♪ Well, I'm on my way

♪ I don't know where I'm goin'

also aiming for Dover, but on the cheap...

Just flag anyone down.

Natalie and shameema have taken a short train ride

to Gravesend and are now on the a2.

You're not going to Dover, are you?

No.

Are you gonna Dover, by any chance?

You're going to sleep.

♪ Well, I'm on my way...

50 miles down the road,

two teams are already in Dover.

So, buddy, how much is that, please?

Jinda and bindu have opted for speed and comfort...

You'll get it. Don't worry.

But at a price,

blowing nearly 4% of their entire budget.

♪ Seein' me and Julio down by the schoolyard ♪

[Indistinct] This is cheap.

I just don't think this is gonna be cheap.

Two tickets, please.

- Foot passengers. - Foot passengers.

Ay-ay-ay.

If we spend money at this rate,

we'd be through our money in two weeks.

Goodbye, angleterre.

[ Grunts ]

Oh, my god.

We've been joined by our competitors.

They're keeping their cards very close to their chests.

I don't want to go near them 'cause they just keep talking.

As the first two teams leave British shores...

Sue: I think we've got to head into Paris... freshen up.

We might have a drink.

Sue and Clare also have their sights set on France...

Ashford international.

By taking the fastest route...

The eurostar from ashford in Kent.

Arrivals, that is.

So, when's departures?

Maybe that is the next train.

But that's coming in. That's arrivals.

Oh, is it? Okay.

We're trying to find out where to buy tickets

for the eurostar.[ Gasps ] oh, hello!

Is it the other side? Oh, sorry, I've just recognized

who you are, Mr. Merton. You can get tickets over there,

if you go down there to those [Indistinct].

- We're on a trip to Singapore. - Can I shake your hand because

I think you are brilliant? - Oh, are you?

The eurostar looks closed at the moment.

Arrivals, it says 17:34.

I can't see anything on departures.

Can you? No.

Have you checked your timetables at all?

- No. - No.

Any idea that forward planning might be a good idea in this?

I think our organization skills will come into it.

Careful organization

with a bit of speed and know-how.

That'll take you to the other side of ashford station

where there's a ticket desk there,

- fantastic. - That's lovely.

Thank you very much for your help.

Cheers. Really nice to meet you.

- Bye. - Bye.

Can you believe that?

I think that's the one... The left.

And I think the right one is with a passport.

That's locked.

I'm not liking the look of that thing there,

where there are no trains...

Listed on the board.

That's not good.

Ashford depart...

Unfortunately, the last eurostar today from ashford

left over two hours ago.

Ridiculous.

Well... Right...

Let's just go back on a train.

I would've never thought that.

With two teams halfway across the channel

and two teams trying to reach Dover,

there's one duo yet to leave London...

Father and son darron and Alex.

Darron: How much would it be for two tickets to dusseldorf?

- £43.98. - £43 for two?

Oh, that's not bad. That's worth it.

£20-something. let's do it. Let's do it.

Yeah, we'll do that.

Nearly bought tickets to go to Paris,

but for a couple pound more,

we could get to dusseldorf.

We'll travel overnight.

Set off 8:00 this evening.

Get there at 7:00 in the morning.

So cheap tickets, save on accommodation.

First 12 hours, we're in Germany.

Dusseldorf tomorrow.

Budapest, Serbia, Macedonia...

It's probably not the most well-traveled of routes

definitely not... Into Greece,

but I think arguably, it's one of the most interesting ones.

Alex: Our strategy is, like, always on the move.

If we're gonna be sleeping,

hopefully be traveling while we're sleeping.

- I'm feeling tired. - [ Chuckles ]

Suck it up, Alex.

20-year-old Alex's parents separated when he was 4.

He now lives with his mum.

Got you some oreos.

Alex has got a pretty cushy life...

No responsibility.

Does what he wants when he wants

whenever.

I've already started packing a few stuff.

Some cooling mist.

Two pairs of versace aftershave.

You want to be smelling nice wherever you go

and, like, you're meeting new people.

Oh, that's not a pleasant smell.

First casualty of adventure is hygiene.

As darron and Alex bed down

for their 12-hour journey to Germany...

Still stuck on the a2...

Natalie and shameema.

Alright, come on, then. Shall we walk?

Natalie: We've been on an adventure

since we were 9 years old.

There's no doubt about her having my back.

She was there when my mum died.

Shameema was there when I got hit by a car.

She wasn't there, but I think she rang all the hospitals,

trying to find which ward I was in.

Shameema: If I'm feeling weak, she knows how to pick me up.

She knows that I can't do this without her.

We're trying to get to Singapore.

We are now getting anxious because we're like,

"oh, my god, it's getting dark!"

So we have a core belief of what a good person

should be like in this world.

First stop is we're trying to get to Dover.

And on this trip I'm hoping to rely on the kindness

and the goodwill of strangers.

We could buy you a ticket to Dover

from Rochester, if you like.

Really? Yeah, why not?

Can I... can I... can I... [ Chuckling ]

They're gonna want to do things for us

because we are kind people. [ Chuckling ]

- Thank you so much. Thank you. - Bye!

The girls head from Rochester to Dover.

We hit the last passenger foot ferry out of england

by literally seconds.Yeah.

Shameema: I never give up.

We're getting off u.K. Soil today.

Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, stop.

Sorry. what are you doing?

We're getting on the ferry. No, you're not.

Not until tomorrow morning at 8:30.

Is that the last passenger ferry?

That's the first foot passenger boat, yeah.

Having run out of options to leave the u.K. Today,

Natalie and shameema head off to find a bed for the night.

Having reached Dover themselves, sue and Clare

are also unaware the only ferries at this time

are not taking foot passengers.

There's a 10:00 one.

Okay. Yeah, let's go.

Yeah, so you should be able to get them for tonight.

Do you want to get that one now and get across?

- Yeah, yeah, I do. - And where are we gonna stay?

In calais? - We might not stay in calais.

We might find somebody on the ferry

that can give us a lift to wherever they're going.

And we've got an hour and a half to find that person.

Why are we in such a rush tonight?

'Cause I want to get on the way. We haven't come very far.

What are places like here in Dover?

Are there some nice places to stay?

Yeah, there's plenty of b&Bs and stuff like that.

Yeah.

It's gonna be really expensive.

Well, what...

Where else are we gonna stay tonight

late finding somewhere? I don't know. Depends.

£49 for double room with en suite.

Is it possible to reserve it?

Okay. Awesome.

Thank you. Alright, bye.

Thank you so much.

26 miles away, the ferry has docked in France.

- Bonjour. - We made it

to country number one.

But with no trains or buses leaving calais tonight,

it's straight to the nearest budget hotel.

Jinda: We're leaving very early in the morning,

so if you can maybe give us a room

just to stay in a few hours,

get some rest. - Just us two.

- Guys. - Ciao.

Always one step ahead. - [ Chuckles ]

Would you guys mind

'cause I was just in the middle of a conversation

I didn't want to share, so would you guys mind waiting outside?

I'm sorry.

Shall we just go somewhere else?

They're not to be underestimated, those two.

They've really got... They've really got some moves.

Can you... can you...

Okay, okay.

Other people...

Yeah? Okay. Because we came first.

We came and found you.

Yeah. Thank you.

- Right. - 59.

59 Euros? Spent £100 today,

so we're three times over budget.

Settling down for the night...

My son Steven?

- Yeah. - Hello?

Jinda receives an emergency call

on the producer's phone.

Is it bad?

Jinda: My mum's in hospital and...

She's taken a slight turn for the worse.

'Cause my mum was really keen for me to do this

and my dad was as well, everyone's just saying, "look,

just, you know, carry on doing what you're doing."

There's a huge family, everybody's rallying around,

and sort of me being there

isn't gonna make a huge difference right now.

I know. She was fine. [ Sniffles ]

She's been poorly for about three months,

so, you know, I could...

I could possibly finish all this,

and still she could be in the same kind of situation.

So we're just weighing everything up,

and it just feels like I should carry on,

and that's what everyone's telling me to do.

♪♪

After a restless night, jinda and bindu are up early...

What time is it? 5:15.

To catch the 6:17 train to lille

and then a coach to aachen in Germany.

But last night's call from home

is playing heavily on jinda's mind.

Jinda: I feel helpless in this situation with my mum.

I'm so many miles away.

I feel like one of the people who would be most proud

if we won this would be her.

So I feel like I want...

I don't want to just go home and say,

"oh, well, I've come home to see you,"

and sit by her bedside for a couple of hours

and then get back into my routine.

I want to go home having achieved something.

♪♪

Darron and Alex's overnight coach trip has paid off.

They've leapfrogged the other teams to arrive

in dusseldorf 215 miles closer to delphi

than their nearest rivals.

It wasn't the most comfortable coach.

Alex is still a bit cranky because he didn't sleep well.

It's only day two and I'm already stinking.

There's still a long way to go.

Nice and refreshing.

Alex, have a go.

- No, no. - I'll hold your glasses and cap.

No, I'm alright, thank you.

Alex and I used to be really close.

Alex lived with me till he were about 16

and he moved to his mother's,

and without a shadow of a doubt, we have drifted apart,

and we've drifted apart pretty severely.

It does wake you up.

It's full of moss. I'm alright.

Nothing's gonna hurt you.

I'm alright.

He's getting to the age where I think

if we don't reconnect now,

it's gonna be harder and harder the older he gets.

I can't remember where we are.

Is it dumbledorf?

- Dusseldorf. - Dusseldorf. That's it.

- Dumbledorf. - [ Laughs ]

Oh, I'll have to remember that!

Harry Potter. [ Laughs ]That's what I were thinking!

300 miles away...

- Look at that! - Yeah.

The white cliffs of Dover.

Sue and Clare...

We've left British soil!

And Natalie and shameema are on their way to France.

Now it feels like it's real.

There's no going back for the next seven, eight weeks

until we get to Singapore.

Josh and Felix may already be across the channel...

We get the, like, train to lille...

And the coach from there.Yeah.

Just if you had the Internet, we could just check that, you know.

But are having trouble getting out of calais.

The current frustration is working out how to book

an online-only bus company without getting online.

Josh: Pardon, monsieur.

UN telephone?

Google?

What is it called, easybus? Oui.

I can't explain. It's probably easier

to find someone else we can talk to about it.

Can we...?

Your phone... may we use it?

Pour le Internet? No, don't worry, don't worry.

No, no, no, no. No worries.

Merci beaucoup.

Merci, merci. De rien.

Without the credit or debit card,

how can we make a reservation?

Woman: If you have only cash, that's the problem.

You need to find someone that can buy with the credit card

and you give him the money.

If you have 44 Euros... Yes.

Maybe I can help you.

- Oh, yeah. - Because it is...

My good day and...[ Laughter ]

- Thank you. - Thank you.

You are [indistinct].

So if you want to take my credit card,

I can book it for you. Oh!

Josh: The way we travel normally,

it's not unusual for us to find ourselves

talking to random strangers and finding out information.

Felix: I think it's quite liberating. It is better than the Internet.

It's always the best way of doing it,

but it doesn't mean it's easier.

While Josh and Felix head to lille...

sue and Clare have already arrived.

Pardon. Parlez vous anglais?

UN petit peu? Petit peu?

At the northern tip of France,

it's a blend of north European and French culture,

and a good leaping-off point to most European destinations.

See, I did say in France that people didn't speak English.

[ Laughs ]

The girls board a bus to Paris,

looking to head south and push on into Italy.

I'm just very frustrated that...

How many hours is it since we left?

I just don't think we need to be thinking

about that too much, sue.

Can I just speak? I know you can.

Thank you. Okay. So 24...

About 30 hours after we've left,

we're in lille,

when the journey from the...

From London to Paris takes 2 1/2 hours.

So I'm just shocked

at how long it's taken us to get here.

But this has been one mistake that we made

by not being able to get on the eurostar,

not knowing that we couldn't get on at that station.

13 Euros for both of us.

- To get to where? - Lyon.

Also in lille, Natalie and shameema

are hustling for tickets.

- That's alright. - If you want to buy it for us,

we're happy to take gifts, if you're rich!

[ Laughs ]

I don't understand.[ Laughter ]

How's it going, guys? How's it going?

Oh, my god! No way!

[ Laughter ]

- Oh, my god! - When did you get to France?

- Yesterday. - Oh, right.

We only got here this morning. - Yeah, I thought so.

I don't think it actually benefited us any

'cause we rushed, we bought expensive transport.

We stayed in a hostel we didn't really want to stay in.

We spent so much money, you would not believe.

Really? Yeah.

Where did you guys stay last might?

We stayed at the travelodge for free.

- Nice. - How did you manage that?

- Well, we're hustlers. - Blagging skills, yeah, yeah.

Where are you going? Paris?

No, no. I can't tell you that.

Natalie will kill me. Maybe we should go

where they're going. No.

No, we got a good plan, actually.

I'd better go before I speak too much.

- See you later. - Take care.

Bye. [ Chuckles ]

We've managed to get here in the same time,

doing probably a lot harder route

and saved a lot more money, so...

That's given me a boost.

Absolutely neck and neck

and they definitely spent less money than us

'cause they said they didn't spend money

on the hotel yesterday, so...

Perhaps we're not exploiting...

Getting stuff for free?...Getting stuff for free.

We're too willing to pay for things.

While Josh and Felix are en route to Munich...

Jinda and bindu are already in Germany.

150 miles farther east,

in the cathedral town of aachen,

resting place of the medieval emperor charlemagne.

My sock has been off my ankle, bugging me all day long.

Before thy can settle in, though...

[ Cellphone rings ]

jinda receives a second call from home

on the producer's phone.

Hi, baby, you okay?

Yeah, yeah.

Really?

What?

Oh, god...

- [Indistinct] Okay? - Yeah.

[ Clears throat ]

[ Voice breaking ] I'll come back.

I'm coming. Alright?

We're gonna head back, okay?

Alright. Thanks. Alright, I'll let you go.

Alright. See you when we get back.

Yeah, I love you. See you soon.

Bye. Bye.

Bye, mum, bye.

Jinda: I would've loved to be able to get to the end.

I think we would've met a lot more people along the way

and hopefully we'll get to do something like this

again one day. One day, yeah.

But right now, I just want to...

I just want to hold my mum's hand

and let her know that I'm there.

♪♪

Jinda and bindu's departure

means that a reserve team have been called upon.

Does anybody know where delphi is?

[ Laughs ]

Retired p.E. Teachers Tony and Elaine,

who have been married for over 40 years.

I can't believe it. We're here

and we're doing it. And it's about to start,

about to kick off.

We're about to cross the world. Yeah, yeah.

Five hours ago, they dropped everything to join the race,

starting from London with the same budget as the other teams,

and are now making a final phone call

to take over the Baton from jinda and bindu.

Jinda: How are you guys doing?

We've got caught a little bit cold on it all,

but we're just so very sorry to hear

that you've had to withdraw so early on.

Basically, you're representing us now.

Yes, we are.

We were in aachen. Yes, in Germany.

And we were gonna get a lift to Cologne.

And then...

On to Milan.Milan.

And then that should get you on to delphi in Greece.

♪♪

While Tony and Elaine fast-track their way to Milan,

having left Paris, sue and Clare

are heading in the same direction.

Sue: So we've been into Switzerland...

For about five minutes.

Clare: I was just thinking how amazing it was

to actually come all this way,

you know, Paris to Milan, for 45 Euros.

Natalie and shameema have disembarked in Lyon.

Let's go and sit on the other side.

We're in Starbucks, brushing our teeth.

Oh, that feels so much better.

Sticking to their strategy of nonstop coach travel

has got darron and Alex halfway to delphi,

arriving in Budapest.

[ Groaning ]

Alex: Tired after a long journey?

400 miles behind them,

Josh and Felix are in the capital of Bavaria.

♪♪

With almost 12,000 miles of the race still to run,

they have spent close to 1/8th of their total budget already.

We've got to look at our classified ads...

All the teams have been provided

with a directory of local job opportunities,

and Europe is an early chance to pick up a good wage.

Felix: We have brilliantly got work, so no travel.

Some people would consider it, if they wanted to win this leg,

a shot in the foot. But we'll spend

our hard-earned wad on a getting on the fastest

train out of here tomorrow. A little speed boost.

They've secured some manual labor at stables

just outside Munich,

helping out the owner, Oliver, who's broken his arm.

Let's start.

Bring up the gravel.

- 25 tons. - 25 tons.

- And afterwards, you roll it. - Yeah.

Felix: We've shoveled poo, rolled gravel,

and had the satisfaction of being able to work

for 250 Euros.

It makes a difference to getting back

to where we were to start off with.

We stop for no-one.

They're friendly, they're helpful, they're...

Yeah... the best guests we have.

Travel the world, they said!

See new places, they said! - [ Laughs ]

The opportunity to race across the world

has come at a good time for these best friends...

Go on. Get your anger out.

Who have spent the past four years

building a creative hub together in Tottenham, London.

We have theater Sunday to Thursday

and then we have big music events and parties

on the weekends.

Josh: In four months' time, unfortunately,

none of this will be here. It'll be knocked down

and turned into a block of luxury flats.

We've got two months to decide what our future is,

so this is the perfect opportunity to find out.

Got it? Yeah.

Josh: We do something like this for a day,

we spend all of our energy, and we'll lie down tonight

and our minds will be buzzing with, like, what we could do

when we get back to London or how we could bring something

that we've learned here back to our lives and improve them,

and now there's a lot more riding on it.

We're older, we've got girlfriends to think about.

We'll have a new plan by this time tomorrow, mate.

Don't you worry.

On the banks of the river danube,

the Hungarian capital... Budapest.

Created in 1873 by the merger of three cities...

Pest, buda, and obuda...

Here, darron and Alex are also hoping

to earn their first extra money.

Excuse me, do you have a phone we can borrow

to make a call, please? We need to ring this number.

Hello? English?

Alex has spotted an ad

that could continue to keep their accommodation costs

to a minimum by offering bed and board...

We've seen your advert for the paprika harvesting.

Right. No worries.

Alright, thank you, Anita. Speak to you later. Bye.

But it's not the bed and board Alex is used to.

They said that we can sleep outside,

but we don't have tents.

Could we sleep on the factory floor?

She said it was dirty and that,

so we're in a big pickle here.

Darron: We're in this competition to win it,

but one of the challenges will be for me to step back

and go, "no, Alex, you need to step up."

And I need to encourage him and let him step up.

What do you want to do? I don't know.

I don't want to sleep outside.

You make a decision.

No. We make the decision.

You say you don't want to do that.

What do you want to do? I don't have a clue.

Do not have one single clue.

Am I allowed to bang his head against the wall on camera?

Dissing ideas but not coming up with a solution...

Anybody can do that. It's easy.

Him growing, him becoming a more rounded individual

and still winning, it's gonna be...

It's gonna be a tough balance at times.

Just feeling a bit... I don't know.

Bit homesick, I suppose.

Don't know.

Could just do with some advice from my mum, I reckon.

My mum just helps me get stronger,

and she's always got the right advice to tell me.

I've made an executive decision.

We're going to stay here tonight.

Try and get a cheap hotel.

I think you will feel massively better.

Sue and Clare have arrived in Milan,

considered one of the fashion capitals of the world.

It's good to have covered some miles now.

I feel like we've actually got somewhere

because yesterday...

Just, it felt like we were taking

one step forward, two steps back.

But there's no stopping to admire the fashionistas.

♪♪

Platform 14. Okay.

Trains.

They're aiming for venice

and, from there, to catch a ferry to Greece.

We haven't really found out any information about any boats,

but I think...

It might be easier to find that out in venice.

Lagging 270 miles behind them...

Natalie and shameema are in Lyon.

A sugary smell in the air.

Sweet smell of patisserie.

It's the gastronomic capital of France,

and they're looking to pick up some paid work

in the city's famous bouchons...

Family-run brasseries.

Morning, so we are trying to get a job for the day.

Do you ladies know anyone that might need any help,

like, to do anything?

- Good luck! - Thank you.

Thank you. - Bye-bye.

People don't like people walking in, asking for jobs.

Yeah. I think I've got that sense of that.

Excuse me. Do you know somebody

that could give us a job for the day?

I don't know. I call my friend.

He has a restaurant.

Okay. Cool.

Relying on the kindness of strangers.

- It's okay. - Oh.

- Have you got a job? - Got a job for you.

- Can I hug you? - Okay.

[ Laughter ]Thank you!

Once again, the girls' strategy pays off...

Hi, I'm Natalie.

As they secure a shift for 10 Euros each an hour.

Let's work it, baby.

Natalie: Should I put some lipstick on?

You're serving, so you better do.

[ Both laugh ]Alright!

You want coffee?

- Oui. - Café?

Two, please, s'il vous plait.

- Put it in. - [ Gasping ]

Elaine: I mean, the car hire... What do you reckon?

I think, while we're in places where we can get there

on public transport, that's got to be cheaper.

By reaching Milan, race newcomers Tony and Elaine

have completed the initial travel plan

they inherited from jinda and bindu.

Customer service. There you are, Tony.

Now they're on their own and looking to find

a train to Bari, on the heel of the boot of Italy.

95 a person to Bari.

That's like 200 Euros. Yeah.

And we're going for the overnight one.

How much more expensive for the sleeping for one person?

- 70 euro more. - 70 euro more.

Do we want to sleep in a bed?

No. We'll sleep in the seat.

I'm from Yorkshire. We're tight.

Anyway, we've not got enough Euros, to be honest.

We've got next to nothing to spend, right,

and just, you know, being a yorkshireman

with short arms and deep pockets...

Right up our streets.

- What can we get for five Euros? - Cheapest pizza?

- Cheapest pizza is 8. - No, that's too much.

Cheapest one's 9 euro.

Pizza, water, and a coffee, all for 7 Euros.

Happy days.

You like to do a pizza?

- Oh, yeah. - What's your name?

- Antonio. - Antonio!

Oh, yes. Oh, yeah.

- All my clothes for you. - Fantastic.

Elaine: We worked as teachers for 40 years,

so we can communicate and hopefully this communication

will transcend any language barriers we come across.

Hey!

Tony: I think age will be in our favor.

We don't need a lot of sleep.

We don't eat a lot.

Wow.

One, two, three, hyah!

It's a long race.

It's more of a marathon than a sprint.

[ Laughing ]Madame, here we go.

Elaine: If we are the oldest contestants,

then it would prove what we think, deep down...

That old people can do it.

I've made you... dinner!

First time in 40 years.

Oh, god, it's amazing.

140 miles further into Italy...

Sue and Clare arrive in the floating city of venice.

But rather than explore its 170 canals

and 417 Bridges,

they have their sights set on getting a ferry

across the adriatic

and as near to delphi as they can.

Clare: As cheaply as possible and fairly quickly.

- For today? - Yes.

Woman: From venice, they are twice

or three times a week.

Nothing today? There is tomorrow.

What time? At 2:00.

Sue: Does it say how long that journey is?

Uh... It should be 36 hours.

36 hours? 36?

With the ferry to petraeus not departing for 20 hours,

the girls can see the sights after all.

I've never been to venice.

You wouldn't give us a one-minute ride for free?

- You get one ride. - Whoo!

[ Laughs ]

Oh, this is the life, isn't it?

As Clare spends half her year in Spain,

this is the most time they've spent together

since their interrailing days over 30 years ago.

Clare: So this is the partner in crime all those years ago

and we were unlikely friends

because sue was a little bit square.

It's those early days that really count...

The youth clubs and the boys.

All of those silly things that you do together

have made our friendship.

So we went to paros, and that was a lovely young man.

Still remember his name... Well, who wouldn't?

Konstantinos panos.

He probably fancied me.

Can you take us to Greece?

Oh, do you know what? I think he was police.

Was he? Yeah.

The race will be tough.

There will be tough times. I know.

But I think it's strong enough to survive anything, really...

Our friendship.

Oh...

I'm so glad that we've had the time

to just come here.

In Budapest...

What's the cheapest twin room available to us?

- 60. - 60 Euros for the night.

Darron: It's the most expensive eastern European country I've been in.

Darron and Alex have been struggling for three hours

to find a place to sleep...

I honestly don't think we're gonna find a room tonight.

And are facing the prospect of a night on the streets.

We'll sort something out.

It's getting cold now.

No room available.

Okay. Thank you.

- I'm sorry. - That's okay.

We'll sort something out.

I just feel like...

Do you want to try a coach first?

[ Sniffles ] I don't care.

I want to sit.

[ Sniffles ]

We've got to do... Sitting here's

not gonna achieve anything.

Having a bit of a breather, that's fine.

I'm at breaking point.

No, you'll be fine, Alex.

Just...

It's a small hiccup, that's all it is.

I absolutely hate Budapest, and I never want to come back.

It's been the worst day of my life.

♪♪

Meanwhile, 400 miles due west...

- Wow. - This is amazing.

Oh, this looks fantastic.

The smorgasbord is out. Are you hungry?

Josh and Felix are sitting pretty.

A hard day's work has not only earned them

a stash of cash... - It's nice to have you here.

Yes. It's been lovely staying. It's nice to be here. Thank you.

But also a free bed for the night.

Whoo! Oh, my god. [ Laughs ]

Oh... You know what?

It's cozier than the couch.

Yeah. I would rather be here.

I would much rather be here. This is...

I'd genuinely rather be here. This is lovely.

♪♪

After a five-hour hunt and shelling out £68,

darron and Alex finally find shelter for the night.

Oh, I'm buzzing!

I'm absolutely buzzing.

Darron: You got a bed.

I'm just so happy right now.

Act like you've never had a bed before.

It feels like it.

It's been, what, three days?

Yeah, but it feels like it's been a month.

Darron: When people get upset, especially Alex,

I can't quite understand it.

Maybe that's based on my lack of empathy.

I don't know.

But I need to try to...

Show a little more compassion

and understanding for Alex

and what he's going through,

which is not gonna be easy for me.

It's those what push through

which are gonna be the ones what survive and win.

It's gonna be fun.

Yeah.

♪♪

Having spent time working in Munich, Josh and Felix

are still 1,100 miles from the delphi checkpoint.

Josh: Seven hours on a high-speed train,

this is like the mental challenge

of getting from transport to transport,

or sitting on transport and not going mad.

To speed things up, they plan to travel 30 hours nonstop

on the fastest transport.

Felix: We're on a train to Budapest.

It cost 120 Euros for both of us,

which is twice as expensive as the night train version,

which we could've got tonight. We used the money

that we earned on the farm for this train.

Settling in for the next seven hours.

Jet train.

Speed boost. Speed past everybody.

As Josh and Felix fast-track it to Budapest...

Certainly been given a colorful paint job.

Just leaving, darron and Alex.

Absolutely buzzing. On our way to Serbia

and we've gone for the risk.

We don't know where we go from Serbia!

They've decided to take the path less traveled,

heading through the Balkans.

Definitely feels coming off the beaten track.

The line we're going on is almost like some...

Forgotten part of the world.

We're just praying and hoping

that we can get straight to Greece tonight.

We don't want to be stuck in Serbia,

go straight to delphi from here.

Hopefully, there's gonna be a connection.

♪♪

Ticket office.

Alex: Hello.

We're looking for a train to Greece asap, really.

No trains?

No... No train whatsoever?

Oh, this ain't good.

Darron: So what exactly did she say?

She said that, after the 30th of September,

it don't go to Greece.

Let's try to think of the best way to do this.

Darron: There is potential for us to be stuck here

with no way out. I know.

With darron and Alex in danger of getting stuck

600 miles from delphi...

I tell you what, this is gonna be a totally different ferry

to anything we've been on before

because it is just full of truckers.

Closing in, Tony and Elaine,

and Natalie and shameema.

That is our ferry.

Both teams have motored down from Milan to ports

in southern Italy,

and Natalie and shameema

are on the faster crossing.

We're going to Greece, baby!

But Tony and Elaine have a plan to save time and money

when they get to the other side.

Tony: We're hoping one of the truck drivers

will give us a free lift from patras up to delphi.

We're trying to get to this place, delphi.

Do you know... Do you know where this is?

Delphi? No?

No? No chance?

Can you go to delphi?

Yeah? No delphi.

Athens. Athens.

Oh, here we go.[ Laughs ]

Yeah, yeah.

Even if we don't get a lift, I'm happy!

Grazie.

We will fly to delphi.

[ Laughter ]

We'll get there, sue. We'll get there.

Also heading across the adriatic sea...

Sue and Clare, halfway through their 36-hour voyage.

Clare: We could've done it quite a lot quicker,

actually, I suppose.

But how boring is it, you know,

just sitting on a bus?

It's about a journey.

It's about recapturing a little bit of me, this,

with my best friend, sue.

The trip that we did before... I've got a few photos here.

You with your dungarees.

I thought they were wonderful.

Oh, well, of course... Oh, go on, then.

I know you like saying it, Clare.

Say the name. Konstantinos panos.

I think it was only 'cause we had matching shorts

that he liked me.

I feel a little bit of, you know, the young Clare,

the free Clare.

I feel like crying.

It's, like, really emotional for me, really.

♪♪

After several hours stuck in Belgrade,

darron and Alex took the first available bus south

and have landed in Skopje, Macedonia.

What's your opinion, Alex? I think we should get a taxi

and just go.

Not willing to risk another delay,

they commit to their biggest spend so far.

We need to go to Greece.

For 120 Euros?

120. Right.

Is it possible to swing by the Alexander the great statue?

Yes, okay, no problem.

En route, darron insists on a quick detour.

If it wasn't for him, you may have had a different name.

Darron: Alex was genuinely named

after Alexander the great and his achievement.

Darron: Alexander conquered a large part of the known world

at the time in his 20s...

Done Greece, persia, commanded it all.

If you think, you can't even make your own bed,

look what he did at that age. - [ Laughs ]

He enjoys this sort of stuff and I'm not normally keen

on this sort of stuff, but maybe,

after spending time together and bonding,

we are seeing similarities which we didn't know.

As father and son share a historical moment together,

Josh and Felix have edged ahead of them

after enduring a marathon 450-mile bus ride.

They've now crossed the Macedonian border into Greece

and are looking for a shortcut to the checkpoint.

- We've hit a problem. - Really?

We're trying to get to delphi.

Our original plan was to go to Athens and get the bus back.

Do you know if there is any other way to get to delphi

without having to go to Athens, essentially?

So I think, if you go to Athens, you make kind of a big detour.

Athens is 100 miles south of delphi.

Sticking to their current plan

will take them three hours out of their way.

- Okay. - Yeah?

[ Laughs ]

[ Laughter ]

You're our hero.[ Laughing ] I know.

[ Applause ]

That's amazing.

You couldn't do that on the Internet.

[ Josh and Felix ohhh ]

Back in their taxi, darron and Alex

are hot on their heels.

We're in Greece. Very, very close.

I can smell the competitors close by.

The sooner a team reaches the checkpoint,

the sooner they can leave on the next leg of the journey...

I think there's a very strong possibility

we're gonna be in delphi tonight.

So every second counts.

Goodbye. thanks, man.

So, yeah. [ Laughs ]

Good luck, guys. Thank you so much.

Excuse me, sir. Are you gonna delphi?

Delphi? - No, I don't think this is it.

Did our friend phone you?

Delphi?

I know. Yeah.

Can we buy a map so that we could hike there?

I mean, it's 60 kilometers, it's gonna can take two days.

Thessaloniki, 150 miles from the checkpoint.

Alex: First time we've seen delphi.

- No, we want to buy tickets. - What's your name?

Alex. Alexander.

Alexander. the great?

- Ish, yes. - Yeah.

- 38 each. - 76 euro.

Have a ticket. We're going to delphi.

Buzzing, absolutely buzzing!

- Delphi? - No.

Felix: [ Exhaling groan ]

Maybe we should hitchhike. Come on.

It's not it. No?

- I don't know. - [ Indistinct ]

It's indicating... Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

That's it![ Bus honks ]

- Yes! - Yes!

Hi.

Thank you for being our savior.

Felix: Our ability to follow a hunch and take risks

is one of our strengths.

Ingenuity, local knowledge... Lateral thinking.

Lateral thinking and dedication

to, like, our quest has really come to the fore.

- Here! - Oh, this is it...

Making their last connection, darron and Alex...

Thank you.

I'm saying our place is either second or third,

but obviously you'd like to be first.

I don't think we're last.

Whilst two of the teams are still at sea.

Sue: We've got no idea where the other teams are...

- No. - And I hope we're not

coming in last.

We're still talking to each other.

We're not fighting. We're still talking

to each other. That's not bad after a week, is it?

Sue and Clare and Tony and Elaine...

What's that like as a pillow?

Won't reach the checkpoint tonight.

Luxury.

[ Vocalizing ] ♪ we're in Greece

but Natalie and shameema have hit dry land...

Natalie: Buses seem impossible.

And despite no public transport

leaving at this hour...

What about if we hired a car?

They're not giving up just yet.

- Hello. - Hello, how are you?

Is there any car for hire today?

We need to get to delphi. How much is your rates?

140.

140?!

I know those negotiation tactics.

No, no, no, no. [ Laughs ]

No driver?

Do you want us to buy you a coffee or tea?

Great, so do you want to buy us a tea or coffee?

[ Laughter ]

Darron and Alex arrive in delphi.

Their GPS tracker tells them

the exact location of the checkpoint...

Hotel Amalia delphi.

A mile away, on the other side of town.

Right, let's ask people.

Go. No, no, no. East. Run. This way.

Darron: Excuse me, can tell me where hotel Amalia is?

Round here?

Okay. Alex!

Alex!

Come on.

Headless chicken.

Ahh!

[ Stammering ] I found a driver.

You found a driver?!

Oh. [ Hisses ] Got a shiver.

Yeah.

He's not killing people.

[ Laughs ] I know! I know.

[ Laughter ]

We're going to delphi!

[ Laughing ]

Alex: Bit faster.

Here.

♪♪

Dad, it's here!

After six days... It's here.

Oh, fantastic.

And 1,900 miles,

their first checkpoint.

- Hello. - Hello, welcome to Amalia.

- Thank you. - We'd like to check in, please.

Where did we finish?

Each team must sign in

to find out its position in the race.

Second. Oh, damn. [ Exhales sharply ]

- Hello! Hey! - Hello!

- Congratulations. - How's it going?

Thought we'd give you a chance on the first leg.

[ Laughter ]

- Thank you. - Thank you very much.

You're welcome.[ Horn honks ]

Thank you!

[ Giggling ]

We did say you are our biggest competitors

in the thing. Oh, I see, Alex!

- We said it's between us four. - The game is afoot.

Alex: You've won the first leg,

but we'll win the important one at the end.

Ohh, fighting talk.

Last one to Singapore buys the beers.

Yeah.

[ Breathlessly ] We're here! Oh, my gosh.

[ Panting ] Oh, my god.

[ Laughing ]

Hello!

While Natalie and shameema take third place...

[ Squeals ]

two teams still have some way to go.

It's just one decision, one trip,

that could change everything.

So I expect it to get far more intense, far tougher...

And far more exciting.

All is still to play for...

The storm is coming.

Fast, fast, fast.

Over the remaining 10,000 miles.

It's a lot further than we think.

To Singapore.

- Well, we're... - Looks like we're staying here.

[ Laughing ]

It's a crazy, wacky, woopy place.

This... just got real. Shut up.

Next time... Good to meet you.

The teams leave delphi...

The next checkpoint is Baku.Okay.

For Azerbaijan.

"The team that reaches there in fifth place will be eliminated."

The sword of doom hanging over our heads now.

Now I'm gonna start playing dirty.

Are you? It's Baku...

No euro. No euro.

- Pound. - Oh, it's problem.

Or bust.

That's it, that's it! Come on!

I want to carry on. I'm not ready to finish yet.

♪♪