Route Research — SLW Travel team
Can bysloth find me a route from anywhere to anywhere without flying?
No. It can find surface routes for a significant proportion of long-haul journeys, particularly across Eurasia and Southeast Asia. But there are routes where no surface option exists — islands, transoceanic crossings, corridors where the land connection is politically closed. For those, the planner will tell you rather than invent a route.
How does it decide what modes to include?
Trains, long-distance coaches, ferries, and shared taxis. It draws on rail operator timetables, Seat61 route notes, Caravanistan border information, and FCDO advisories, assigning a confidence rating to each leg.
What does a low-confidence leg mean?
The information is sparse or may be out of date. Verify before committing: check Seat61, search recent subreddit posts, contact the operator or border post directly.
Can I customise the route?
Yes — intermediate stops, preferred modes, travel pace. It will tell you when it’s working with thin information.
What’s the carbon saving compared to flying?
A return flight London–Bangkok produces approximately 2.5 tonnes CO₂ equivalent per passenger, including radiative forcing (myclimate.org). The overland equivalent produces 0.1–0.3 tonnes depending on route and national grid mixes (BEIS carbon conversion factors, 2023). The overland route takes weeks, not hours. The carbon case is real but it’s not a simple swap.
Does bysloth book tickets?
No. It plans routes and links to booking resources. Booking is done directly with operators or through Seat61’s recommended agents.
Sources: myclimate.org, BEIS UK Government carbon conversion factors, seat61.com, caravanistan.com