My Travel CV: Ewan McGregor and Charley Boorman talk life on the road
Two mates. Two vintage motorbikes. Seventeen countries in two months. This is what awaits the pair in the latest installment of their epic travel series Long Way Home.
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After nearly four decades of friendship, Long Way Home is the latest instalment in Ewan McGregor and Charley Boorman’s epic travel series.
This time, they saddle up once again, trading electric bikes for vintage classics and far-flung continents for something a little closer to home. The result? A joyride through Europe packed with fjords, breakdowns, barbecue dinners, and some highly questionable meals. Talking to John Hannan, the duo reflect on friendship, Finnish saunas, and the one item they’ll never leave home without.
The trip that felt like coming home (sort of)...
EM We’ve done such extreme A to B journeys before – London to New York, the top of Scotland to the tip of South Africa, and South America up to LA. This time, we wanted to stay closer to home, explore a bit of Europe we’d overlooked. We always looked at this part of the map and thought, we don’t really know it. So off we went. There was some planning, but a lot of what you see is just what we came across along the way.
CB People always think of Africa or Asia for adventure, but your own backyard can surprise you. Norway just blew me away – those fjords, those mountain passes. It’s proper heart-stopping stuff.
The most unforgettable meal (and not in a good way)...
EM Oh, easy. A Scotch egg made with a seagull’s egg, wrapped in seal meat. That was enough on its own, but then they served a seal liver pâté as well. I forgot what it was and found myself spreading it on a cracker. I’ve never tasted anything like it. Truly revolting.
CB I enjoyed watching Ewan’s face as it dawned on him what he’d just eaten. One for the books.
A friendship 38 years in the making (and still intact)...
CB We met on a film set nearly four decades ago. Our first chat was about bikes. Last week, he rang to talk about bikes. Literally nothing’s changed. When you travel together for three months, you’re going to have off days. But we know each other so well now, we can tell when the other needs space or a hand packing the bike.
EM The toughest moment we’ve had? Probably when we decided to get separate tents on Long Way Round. Grown men don’t need to share a tent in Kazakhstan. That decision saved us.
The magic of motorcycle travel is…
CB When you’re riding side by side, you’re having totally separate experiences. One of us will say, “Did you see that waterfall?” The other will have missed it but seen something else entirely. At the end of the day, you share your own version of that same road.
EM There’s something meditative about it too. You spend a lot of time in your own head. Travelling overland puts you outside your comfort zone and right into contact with people and places you’d never otherwise encounter. That’s why we keep doing it.
CB My dad was a film director. We lived like gypsies growing up – six months here, a year there. That nomadic instinct stuck with me. This show lets us chase that feeling again.
The weirdest thing we encountered…
EM Racing snowmobiles. On water. They don’t float – only speed keeps them on the surface. If you slow down, you sink. And somehow, it’s huge. Real local heroes, fan clubs, the lot.
The camping dinner that hit the spot…
CB After a long, freezing day, we found this spot near a roaring waterfall and barbecued steaks, leeks and corn. It was one of those meals that just hits different.
EM Charley cooked it. Perfectly burnt leeks. Very gourmet.
The one place we’ll go back to…
CB The Isle of Møn in Denmark. Absolutely beautiful. Since COVID, a lot of people have started moving back to the countryside. That part of Denmark is just magical.
The one place that made us feel lost – in a good way…
CB Finland. There’s a lake there with over a thousand islands. Each one has these little huts with saunas and barbecues. It’s proper summer magic. You can easily disappear there.
A neighbourly surprise…
CB My bike broke down late in the trip and a guy in a van came to help. Turned out he knew my next-door neighbour back home. We were thousands of miles away, and still bumped into someone who knew where I lived.
The best bit of road in Australia? No question
CB Hobart to Strahan. Around 230km of the twistiest, most stunning tarmac you’ll ever ride. Gets more winding the closer you get to Strahan. Hands down, one of my favourite roads on earth.
What’s one travel habit you’ve finally figured out?
EM Don’t pack too much. There’s not much room and you’ll never need half of it.
One thing you always pack, no matter what?
EM A silk sleeping bag liner. Ideal for dodgy hotel mattresses or pillowcases.
What’s always in your bag – but never gets used?
CB I keep meaning to take a photo of what I actually use, but I always forget.
What’s your go-to camping shortcut?
CB A bowl-in-the-bag meal and a splash of hot sauce. Gets the job done.
Most humble essential?
CB British baby wipes. Seriously underrated.
Best bit of travel wisdom earned the hard way?
CB On our first trip, we packed like shops didn’t exist. We’ve since learned. Sort of.
Catch the ride of a lifetime with Long Way Home now available to stream on Apple TV+.
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Originally published as My Travel CV: Ewan McGregor and Charley Boorman talk life on the road
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