The action starts in Sacramento in 1867. The Cascabels are a French family of circus artists who spent several years touring the United States and plan to return home. Their savings get stolen so the family cannot afford the ship ticket. Instead, Caesar Cascabel decides to travel overland, via Alaska and Bering Straits, through Siberia and Central Russia with their horse-drawn carriage, the Belle-Roulotte (the Fair Rambler). They don't expect dangers to happen. On their way, they rescue at the Alaskan border, with the help of native girl Kayette, a Russian political fugitive, count Narkine, whom they bring along so that he can see again his father in Russia. Count Narkine adopts Kayette as his daughter. In Sitka, the group witnesses the transfer of Alaska to the United States. On their way from Port Clarence the travellers unfortunately end up on a floating iceberg that drifts to the Lyakhovsky Islands in Arctic Ocean. There they are captured by the natives. Other troubles, including political ones, occur but Cascabels manage to get through Ural to Perm and then, easily, to France.