A man is travelling from France to Los Angeles without flying - and even caught a ride on a functioning cargo ship.

Enzo Terranova, 24, set off from Marseille in April with a goal to travel around the world in an eco-friendly way and without getting on a single plane.

Enzo's journey has so far included hitchhiking through Europe, using the Trans-Siberian Railway and camping in the Gobi Desert.

Enzo knew he'd need to travel by boat but had no way to do it until the CEO of a major French shipping company heard his story and decided to help.

Now in Saigon, Vietnam, Enzo is waiting to hop onto his second cargo ship which will take him to Halifax, Canada, from where he will hitchhike to Los Angeles.

Enzo, an avid traveller from Fos-sur-Mer, France, said: "This journey has been about rediscovering the world at a human pace."

"I wanted to avoid flying, primarily for environmental reasons, but also to embrace the beauty of slowness."

"That's why I didn't go straight across the North Atlantic from France to the states, because I wanted to make the journey last."

"It's also deeply personal as it has become a way to prove to myself that I can overcome any challenge."

Enzo's journey has seen him hitchhike through European countries before hopping on the Trans-Siberian Railway from Moscow to Irkutsk, north of Mongolia.

Enzo said: "Every step has been an emotional rollercoaster."

"I've crossed Europe hitchhiking, going through Germany, Poland and Belarus before grabbing the Trans-Siberian Railway from Moscow."

"I then arrived in Irkutsk which is right above Mongolia, so I travelled south and camped in the Gobi Desert."

"I'll never forget surviving a sandstorm in the Gobi Desert, where I could barely see or breathe."

Enzo then travelled further south through China, primarily on overnight 'standing trains' and in Shanghai he realised he would need to travel by boat to America.

After a French journalist published a piece on Enzo's journey, he received a WhatsApp message from Rodolphe Saadé's office, CEO of French shipping company CMA CGM, saying he'd lend the traveller a hand.

Enzo boarded the CMA CGM cargo ship from Nagoya, Japan, to Saigon, Vietnam, on November 4 and became the only passenger to travel on these ships in 2024.

Enzo said: "Four months into the trip I made it to Shanghai, China, which is where I realised I would need a boat to really move forward."

"I started knocking on the doors of the maritime giants like Maersk, CMA CGM and Costco Shipping."

"One by one, those doors closed."

"Every company told me it was no longer possible, that post-Covid security measures had put an end to such voyages."

"Then, while I was in a Muay Thai boxing camp in Thailand, I was contacted by a journalist from the local French newspaper La Provence who wanted to write an article about my adventure."

"The day after the article was published the director of the CEO's office at CMA CGM, Rodolphe Saadé, sent me a WhatsApp."

From that point on, everything fell into place for Enzo as he would be granted permission to be the first passenger on a cargo ship since 2020.

The journey was made even more magical by the experiences he had on the ship, including a blow-up swimming pool with a view.

Enzo said: "A few days into men being on the ship, some of the crew set up an inflatable pool at the back of the vessel."

"They invited me over and I spent time hanging out with the Indonesian and Burmese guys who had blown it up."

"What blew my mind was that just the day before, this spot was occupied by towering containers."

"Seeing a pool suddenly appear in its place was surreal."

"It was a moment of pure joy in the middle of the vast ocean."

The cargo ship brought Enzo to Saigon where he currently waits for another cargo ship to travel to Halifax, Canada.

Once in Canada, he plans to hitchhike 3,728 miles (6,000 km) to Los Angeles.

Enzo said: "My journey is far from over but I already feel transformed."