Best circular road

[Misty]

Hi everybody! I have a question about itineraries that I feel must have been answered somewhere already, but I have not been able to find the answer in either the travel guide or on the forum. (If I have missed it I will be happy to delete this topic.)

I am in Italy, and would like to do a Central Asia roadtrip (after corona) using my own car-meaning I will need to get the same car back to the departure point. I figure I will take the road trought Turkey, Iran, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgystan and end up in Kazakhstan-but then what? I would need to turn around and get back to Europe.
What would be the best itinerary to go back? I am looking for something as fast, cheap and simple as possible, and do not need to take the scenic route.
I will not be taking the road trought China and Pakistan due to the price, and because of Afghanistan being dangerous and having already spent the Turkmenistan transit visa on the way there, I will not be able to go back trought the Stans.
Google maps says the fastest route back to Europe would be driving trought Kazakhstan, Russia and Ukraine. But I also see that some people take the ferry from Aktau over the Caspian sea to Baku, and then another ferry to cross the Black sea.
What would you recommend? Surely many people have taken a circular roadtrip like this, so is there an established route that people most often take?
I will be travelling with a dog if that makes any difference.

Thank you a bunch!

[steven]

Hi Misty.

well, if you want to go fast, then Kazakhstan - Russia - Ukraine is definitely the quickest way. Boats are expensive and unreliable.

Alternatively, you could go from Russia down to the Caucasus and back through Georgia and Turkey, but it's slower (more mountains, more borders and checkpoints, more kilometers).

Russian visa rules are changing, so maybe it will be easy to get an e-visa by the time you get there, but if it isn't possible: the cheapest visa is a transit visa, if you plan on racing through anyway.

[Misty]

Thank you Steven, I appreciate your reply!

Yes, I figured I would take the scenic route on the way there and then just breeze trought on the way back, but I would be willing to alter my plans if a better option becomes available. Speaking of which, do you happen to know if it is possible to cross from Tajikistan to Pakistan via China on some sort of cheaper transit visa? I wasn't going to go trought China because a guide is just not in my budget, but I an see that the distance between Tajikistan and Pakistan is guite short and so I wander if it is possible to do very quickly, with some sort of a transit visa and without a guide. (I understand the boarders are currently closed due to covid, but I will be taking the trip a year from now, so I am more asking about general possibilities. I will of course check again before going).

[bwv812]

There is no getting around the guide requirement, as many posts here can attest.

[steven]

Good to see you again, bwv812!