The ultimate European road trip
No matter how many years go by, we are still fascinated by the story of Jules Verne about the bravado that led Phileas Fogg to go around the world in 80 days.
Such was the significance of that journey of literary fiction that someone has even wondered how much time this English gentleman would need to complete his feat again, counting, of course, with the means that we have today. In fact, more than 140 years after that novel was published, there are those who try to imitate Mr Fogg trying to cover great distances in the shortest possible time.
How many European cities would you be able to visit in just two weeks of travel? This was the challenge that data scientist Randy Olson set for himself.
Without bets involved, and leaving aside the idea of using the hot air balloon used by the protagonist of that legendary work by Verne, this intrepid researcher wondered how he could manage to travel the Old Continent in the best possible way. His goal: to find the optimal route, the definitive European road trip.
Paris, a mandatory stop
After devising an algorithm to find Wally, Olson was given a new goal: to use the same tool to plot the most efficient route across the United States, from coast to coast. In a much less glamorous mode of transport than the one used by Phileas Fogg, but much more accessible. Randy thought of devouring the roads of North America with his car.
His intention was to find the shortest route among all the destinations he intended to visit, so that intrepid drivers would have to go back as little as possible. With this premise, the algorithm was able to trace a route of 22,046 kilometers that allows visiting all the states of the country and a total of 50 different locations.
A road trip through the USA
To complete that journey, Randy Olson calculated that it would take between 2 and 3 months . Although without traffic the calculated route could be completed in 224 hours (just over 9 days), the time behind the wheel should alternate with visits to the places that were established on the map. That not everything is going to be driving on this journey through American lands...
After completing that challenge, Olson decided to continue tracing routes to travel to other parts of the world in the same way. It was then that he thought it would be a good idea to plan a road trip through Europe. When designing the American route, this data scientist started from two fundamental premises: He had to pass through all the states of the country and visit urban enclaves and natural landscapes. In the Old Continent, however, he was not so clear about the destinations through which the route should pass.
At the wheel, a good way to travel
To do this, as Randy Olson himself tells on his blog, he used an article with the 50 places in Europe that everyone should visit at some point in their life . It was by chance that, in addition, these destinations allowed him to respect one of the premises that he maintained in the trip through the United States, since among these destinations there were enclaves to visit inside the cities and others immersed in nature. Nevertheless, Olson had to rule out some of the locations because access by car was impossible.
With all the material available, it was time to get down to work. Thus, Randy entered the coordinates in the tool, which with the help of Google Maps drew a route of 26,211 kilometers to visit a total of 45 places. From Gozo (in Malta) to Dubrovnik (in Croatia), passing through big capitals like Brussels, London, Paris or Barcelona. All this in a planned time of 336 hours at the wheel, that is, 14 days.
The definitive European 'road trip'
But we don't have to stick to Randy Olson's plan. In fact, this data scientist has released the code for this project, accompanied by some instructions so that every intrepid adventurer with a passion for driving can trace their own routes for these or other regions of the planet.
So, if you feel the call of adventure, you love to do kilometers and since you were a child you have wanted to emulate Phileas Fogg, the moment of truth has arrived. Think of a region of the world that you would like to visit, point out the most attractive enclaves, and let science decide the way. All you have to do is fill the car's tank and hit the road.
*Article originally published on October 27, 2015 and updated on August 7, 2018
A road trip through beautiful natural landscapes