travel chaos
Race Across the World viewers stunned by brutal rule change as series returns
This series will see the teams battle it out from Japan to Indonesia
RACE Across the World is back but the challenge has been made even harder.
The fourth series sees five teams make their way from Japan to Indonesia without using air travel and on a strict budget.
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However, show bosses have introduced a 'savage' new rule - which left the contestants scratching their heads.
In the opening minutes of the first episode, the teams were told they weren't allowed to travel by Japan's famous and very helpful Shinkansen bullet trains.
"Banning the bullet train is savage," one viewer wrote on X.
"They should have let them take the bullet train if they want, they’d have literally used half their budget up," another said.
"Oh man extra rules in Japan…no Bullet Trains," wrote a third.
But some fans thought the move was a great idea, with one calling it 'genius'.
"Banning them from using Bullet Trains is a bit genius," they said.
"Obsessed with the producers banning bullet trains," echoed a second.
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"lol that Shinkansen is out of bounds for this Japan length because otherwise this episode would have been wrapped in ten minutes," said another.
The five teams started in Sapporo, the capital city of Hokkaido, the most northerly of the four main islands of Japan.
On a tight budget, they have to make it to Lombok, in Indonesia.
They also have no phones or internet access, or access to their bank cards.
The youngest competitors are trainee pilot Owen and football referee Alfie from St Albans who are both 20.
Owen and Alfie butted heads in the first episode after struggling to see eye-to-eye over their travel strategies.
Alfie landed the two of them in hot water after losing their map on the first day.
The oldest teammates are Stephen, 61, and Viv, 65, from Rutland.
During a trip to a wasabi farm, Viv admitted that her husband was "an acquired taste".
She said that he was "very loud" and would often be "accidentally offensive" in conversations.
The retired couple said that they wanted one last adventure before they "dribble into old age".
There is also two mother and daughter duos on the show this year, including Isabel, a trainee clinical scientist and her mum Eugenie, a teacher.
Eugenie said that she was really getting to know her daughter, and was proud of her when they reached the first check point first.
The second is Sharon, 52, who works as a cleaner and her daughter Brydie, 25, a snowboarding instructor, both from Kent.
Brydie opened up about her dyslexia and said that it's actually fuelled her communication skills with other people.
There is a brother and sister team made up of Betty, 25, and James, 21.
Read more on the Irish Sun
Whilst Betty enjoys soaking up culture whilst she's abroad, James is more partial to sinking pints with pals in party hot spots.
Previous series of the well-loved travel show saw teams battle their way from London to Singapore and Mexico City to Argentina.
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