World Race 2011

Ride or Drive from Beijing to Paris As Part of World Race 2011 Staged by MIR Corporation

This 'round-the-world' adventure rally may be right up there with being a civilian on a space shuttle. MIR Corporation http://www.mircorp.com/, a US-based specialist in active and cultural travel to Russia, Central Asia and Eastern Europe, is offering John Q Public a chance to ride or drive from Beijing to Paris as part of World Race 2011 – New York to Paris. http://www.world-race.net/.

"This is a modern re-creation of the epic and grueling 1908 New York to Paris Race," explains Douglas Grimes, MIR Founder and President. "Not since then has such a monumental overland journey been attempted."

Participants can sign up a team consisting of driver and navigator for the entire journey from New York to Paris, or enter just the U.S. portion or just the international leg from Beijing to Paris separately. An individual can participate as a passenger in one of a few spots available in a support vehicle.

If driving the Beijing to Paris segment, participants would ship and then meet their cars in Beijing with time to visit the classic sites of Beijing while the cars are clearing customs. Comfortable hotel rooms wait ahead across China, Kazakhstan, Russia and Europe, with race support vehicles following along. From Beijing all the way to Paris, the World Race 2011 Tour Operator MIR Corporation takes care of the details.

Following is a snapshot of the Beijing to Paris tour:

Days 1-20: China

The longest driving day is only 350 miles, with extra time built in to appreciate the sights of Xi'an, home of the Terra Cotta Warriors; Lanzhou and Dunhuang along the ancient Silk Road; and Urumqi, where nomads of Mongolian, Kazakh and Uighur extraction have roamed for thousands of years.

Days 21-27: Kazakhstan

Land-locked Kazakhstan is the world's ninth largest country. Stops include Almaty, the country's largest and most cosmopolitan city; Lake Balkhash, one of the largest lakes in Asia; and the capital-by-decree, Astana, surrounded by the windy steppe of north central Kazakhstan.

Days 28-38: Russia

Russia is accessed at the western end of Siberia where the roads are more frequented than along the country's midsection. Stops include Ekaterinburg in the Ural Mountains where the last czar met his end; Izhevsk, capital of the Republic of Udmurtia; Kazan, a beautiful Tatar city on the Volga River; and Nizhny Novgorod, Maxim Gorky's hometown. In Moscow, capital of all Russia, visit Red Square and the mighty Kremlin.

Days 39-49: Europe

This is a Grand Tour through Lithuania, Poland, Germany, Czech Republic, Switzerland and finally France. Most of these driving days are short, giving time to admire the landscapes beyond the motorways, as well as the art, architecture and ambience of Old Europe. The finish line is in Paris with a farewell dinner celebration.

The land tour cost for a driver and navigator is $26,695 per person twin/double (single supplement $4,350). To travel as a passenger in a support vehicle for a leg of the journey, per person rates start at $5,895. The Beijing to Paris leg departs the U.S. on June 3 and concludes in Paris on July 23.

MIR Corporation, www.mircorp.com is a tour operator celebrating 25 years of logistical experience in the region. Contact MIR or visit http://www.world-race.net for the details.

About MIR Corporation

MIR Corporation, whose name means "peace" and "world" in Russian, has been specialized in Russia (and neighboring countries) since 1986. Offering scheduled and custom journeys to Russia, along the Trans-Siberian and across the Silk Route, MIR's Seattle-based experts design imaginative trips that take travelers far from the familiar and work closely with local affiliates in Western Russia, Siberia, Ukraine and Uzbekistan to carry them out. MIR has twice been named one of National Geographic Adventure's "Best Adventure Travel Companies on Earth," and is a preferred operator for museum, alumni and special interest organizations across the country.