Eastern Europe - Two months - Cheap as possible - Advice please folks....

[*Touring Ted*]

Hey all..

I think I'm going to escape this summer to Eastern Europe on my Tiger 955i or maybe in my Kangoo Diesel Van.

I've got about 8 weeks and I'll be on a £1500 budget. I'd like to see as much of eastern Europe/Black sea region as possible.

Maybe doing some Help Exchange: free volunteer work exchange abroad Australia New Zealand Canada Europe if I can be bothered.

I hate rushing...
I like meeting people, partying, seeing the culture etc.
Wild camping is great.
Company is great.

Throw some ideas at me to brainstorm...

Thanks in advance.

Ted

[mark manley]

If you have a small bike knocking around in your garage why not take that rather than the Triumph? I have recently bought a Honda XR125, the later one with the CG engine to ride to work on and it does over 100mpg and an now thinking of travelling on it, could this be the solution you are looking for?

[*Touring Ted*]

Well, I sold my fleet of bikes to finance my Summer Yukon Canoe adventure so down to just the Tiger...

It's a great bike and ready to roll... I do rather fancy having some horsepower on a trip as my last big trips were 40bhp singles..

[JustMe]

Hi Ted, sounds like Romania, Ukraine, Bulgaria and Turkey are your destinations of choice. Only stealing is cheaper. It´s easy to have a good time in Romania and the Ukraine with your planned budget/time. Gas is most certainly the biggest item on your spending list. Haven´t been to Bulgaria yet but it´s no doubt as exciting as the other three are.
Cheers
Chris

[Treffen]

Originally Posted by *Touring Ted*

Hey all..

I think I'm going to escape this summer to Eastern Europe on my Tiger 955i or maybe in my Kangoo Diesel Van.

I've got about 8 weeks and I'll be on a £1500 budget. I'd like to see as much of eastern Europe/Black sea region as possible.

Maybe doing some Help Exchange: free volunteer work exchange abroad Australia New Zealand Canada Europe if I can be bothered.

I hate rushing...
I like meeting people, partying, seeing the culture etc.
Wild camping is great.
Company is great.

Throw some ideas at me to brainstorm...

Thanks in advance.

Ted

Just a little surprised to see someone on here asking for ideas on where to go. I guess that bike travel is about following your own interests and avoiding sticking to the steps of others. We've seen the tourists following the usual trail. We are all tourists at some time, but less so on a bike.

That's what I and friends do, and incidentally, everyone who wrote about their travels did. Researched, planned, then travelled independently.

I'm not speaking against the OP,who may feel safer by asking and that's OK, just speaking about my view of travel. I could give you special info on Bulgaria and Romania but really I think you'd have more fun if you plan your own trip.

My tip for the OP is to read around the internet, go to the library and look at some books. Find your interests and follow them . You'll feel better for doing your own thing.

Don't follow leaders - watch your parking meters

[chris]

Originally Posted by Treffen

Just a little surprised to see someone on here asking for ideas on where to go. I guess that bike travel is about following your own interests and avoiding sticking to the steps of others. We've seen the tourists following the usual trail. We are all tourists at some time, but less so on a bike.

That's what I and friends do, and incidentally, everyone who wrote about their travels did. Researched, planned, then travelled independently.

I'm not speaking against the OP,who may feel safer by asking and that's OK, just speaking about my view of travel. I could give you special info on Bulgaria and Romania but really I think you'd have more fun if you plan your own trip.

My tip for the OP is to read around the internet, go to the library and look at some books. Find your interests and follow them . You'll feel better for doing your own thing.

Don't follow leaders - watch your parking meters

This is a bike travel website! This is what people do here. Telling someone to go and search the internet is a little disingenuous imvho, but each to their own. Why not share some of your (allegedly) special info? It might make you appear credible.

Originally Posted by *Touring Ted*

Hey all..

I think I'm going to escape this summer to Eastern Europe on my Tiger 955i or maybe in my Kangoo Diesel Van.

I've got about 8 weeks and I'll be on a £1500 budget. I'd like to see as much of eastern Europe/Black sea region as possible.

Maybe doing some Help Exchange: free volunteer work exchange abroad Australia New Zealand Canada Europe if I can be bothered.

I hate rushing...
I like meeting people, partying, seeing the culture etc.
Wild camping is great.
Company is great.

Throw some ideas at me to brainstorm...

Thanks in advance.

Ted

Hi Ted
As far as doing things on a budget go, the following might be of use.

Don't go to Turkey. Great people, sights, culture, history, riding etc, but petrol at nearly 2 euros (£1.80) a litre and generally with prices equivalent to W Europe will destroy your limited budget.

Romania: Everybody wild camps. Avoid main roads. Nice people

Bulgaria: Fuel is cheap at about £1/litre. Beer and roadside food cheap too. Nice scenery outside the cities. Make sure you visit Moto Camp Bulgaria | MotoSapiense

Poland v pleasant too. Good value.

All the best,

[g6snl]

Originally Posted by Treffen

Just a little surprised to see someone on here asking for ideas on where to go. I guess that bike travel is about following your own interests and avoiding sticking to the steps of others. We've seen the tourists following the usual trail. We are all tourists at some time, but less so on a bike.

That's what I and friends do, and incidentally, everyone who wrote about their travels did. Researched, planned, then travelled independently.

I'm not speaking against the OP,who may feel safer by asking and that's OK, just speaking about my view of travel. I could give you special info on Bulgaria and Romania but really I think you'd have more fun if you plan your own trip.

My tip for the OP is to read around the internet, go to the library and look at some books. Find your interests and follow them . You'll feel better for doing your own thing.

Don't follow leaders - watch your parking meters

I think you may be missing the point ? Sites like this are aimed helping others and receiving help when needed, along with many ather things. If I find out I missed something good by 1 mile after a 4K trip it really bugs me.!

[*Touring Ted*]

Originally Posted by Treffen

Just a little surprised to see someone on here asking for ideas on where to go. I guess that bike travel is about following your own interests and avoiding sticking to the steps of others. We've seen the tourists following the usual trail. We are all tourists at some time, but less so on a bike.

That's what I and friends do, and incidentally, everyone who wrote about their travels did. Researched, planned, then travelled independently.

I'm not speaking against the OP,who may feel safer by asking and that's OK, just speaking about my view of travel. I could give you special info on Bulgaria and Romania but really I think you'd have more fun if you plan your own trip.

My tip for the OP is to read around the internet, go to the library and look at some books. Find your interests and follow them . You'll feel better for doing your own thing.

Don't follow leaders - watch your parking meters

Hi Treffen.. Thanks for the reply.

I've done quite a lot of travelling. Especially by bike. All over the world. It's not that I need the safety net of following tourist trails. Quite the opposite in fact.

I don't see the difference with researching on the HUBB and your method of researching books down the library. Apart from the fact that information here is FAR more specific, up to date and written by like minded folk.

Surely by reading books you're just following the advice of the authors and taking inspiration from other peoples ideas. I too read books, study maps and just take a gamble on random places.


I'm not (nor does anyone else here really) ask for guided step by step routes.

I'm asking for cool places to visit, hot spots, hidden gems, bike friendly hostels, people to ride with etc. Also things to avoid like bent cops, closed borders etc. The kind of information that only the hubb can provide.

I've only got two months and limited funds. Riding round a boring region or a violent expensive city hoping to find something good to is not the best use of my time.... Or money.

The BEST places I've ever visited are the places that fellow travelers have scribbled on my maps or people here have messaged me. And it works both ways. It's a sharing community.

Sure, there is a lot to be said about just following the breeze or throwing a dart at the map. You can find a lot of cool stuff by accident and I've done a huge amount of that in places you can't even imagine. You can also miss a hell of a lot too. I've been through whole countries and had people asking me at the border " What did you think of those ancient ruins in the hidden waterfall on that abandoned beach" etc.

To what I reply "Oh f**k, I had no idea they were even there"

[Treffen]

Originally Posted by *Touring Ted*

Hi Treffen.. Thanks for the reply.

I've done quite a lot of travelling. Especially by bike. All over the world. It's not that I need the safety net of following tourist trails. Quite the opposite in fact.

I don't see the difference with researching on the HUBB and your method of researching books down the library. Apart from the fact that information here is FAR more specific, up to date and written by like minded folk.

And if that's your thing, that's fine. I was really thinking about selfstarting travel, and hoping you would be into that

Surely by reading books you're just following the advice of the authors and taking inspiration from other peoples ideas. I too read books, study maps and just take a gamble on random places.

Depends on the books actually. If you read stories then you're right. I'm talking about factual info.


I'm not (nor does anyone else here really) ask for guided step by step routes.

I'm asking for cool places to visit, hot spots, hidden gems, bike friendly hostels, people to ride with etc. Also things to avoid like bent cops, closed borders etc. The kind of information that only the hubb can provide.

I've only got two months and limited funds. Riding round a boring region or a violent expensive city hoping to find something good to is not the best use of my time.... Or money.

A lack of money (which I know too well) can be a help if you think originally.Gets you out of the rut.

The BEST places I've ever visited are the places that fellow travelers have scribbled on my maps or people here have messaged me. And it works both ways. It's a sharing community.

Thats good, then there's no problem.You are following your travel style here and I'm certain it'll be great.

Sure, there is a lot to be said about just following the breeze or throwing a dart at the map. You can find a lot of cool stuff by accident and I've done a huge amount of that in places you can't even imagine.
Really?

You can also miss a hell of a lot too. I've been through whole countries and had people asking me at the border " What did you think of those ancient ruins in the hidden waterfall on that abandoned beach" etc.

An evening with , maps and a history of the country would sort this. It isn't a hidden waterfall etc if you can find it on the internet!

I don't recommend pot luck/following the breeze which is only good for those with money. I was suggesting you avoid pot luck by doing your own thing. I'm not insisting in the least -I only say you might like travel better if you use your own ideas.

To what I reply "Oh f**k, I had no idea they were even there"

Enjoy Eastern Europe

[Endurodude]

On the way to far Eastern Europe (if that makes sense?!), the Czech Republic and Poland are both great AND cheap! I found the Czech Republic to be great for biking, especially the south which (to me) seemed less "European" than the north. My first step into the country was Cesky Krumlov, which was interesting after Austria!

Southern Poland might be more interesting in terms do topography. Living in East Anglia northern Poland was, at times, a little too much like the Fens! Also, I found Poland to be more 'European' than the Czech Republic; great for them, perhaps, but I wanted something a little different. Maybe I just didn't look hard enough . . . . . Gdansk was great, though! 3 course meal for £15!!!

Enjoy the wandering . . . .

[cyber-zebb]

Hi Ted there is still a link on the bottom of my website with pics from our 2009 eastern block trip ,, its the same as everywhere you've travel mate rough camp, food out of the super market, Lidl seams quite big over there, center of Poland has a nice lake area, if you go south there is a campsite at Auschwitz i have some gps co` for that , Lithuania is beautifully , Ukraine , wild (Crimea is very cool) Romania great scenery Bulgaria hot and dusty has good roads and is great fun

regards zebb

[*Touring Ted*]

Originally Posted by cyber-zebb

Hi Ted there is still a link on the bottom of my website with pics from our 2009 eastern block trip ,, its the same as everywhere you've travel mate rough camp, food out of the super market, Lidl seams quite big over there, center of Poland has a nice lake area, if you go south there is a campsite at Auschwitz i have some gps co` for that , Lithuania is beautifully , Ukraine , wild (Crimea is very cool) Romania great scenery Bulgaria hot and dusty has good roads and is great fun

regards zebb

What's your website fella ?

[Toyark]

Ted it's. motoloco.eu
Take the diesel if you can sleep in it.
Way more comfort ! and if you rig a hot shower system it's hard to beat!

[*Touring Ted*]

Well,,, I do have my 1.5 Kangoo DCI.

I get about 60 mpg and I could sleep in it. Might be fun eh. Another string to the bow perhaps.

[oldbmw]

Originally Posted by *Touring Ted*

Hey all..

I think I'm going to escape this summer to Eastern Europe on my Tiger 955i or maybe in my Kangoo Diesel Van.

I've got about 8 weeks and I'll be on a £1500 budget. I'd like to see as much of eastern Europe/Black sea region as possible.

Maybe doing some Help Exchange: free volunteer work exchange abroad Australia New Zealand Canada Europe if I can be bothered.

I hate rushing...
I like meeting people, partying, seeing the culture etc.
Wild camping is great.
Company is great.

Throw some ideas at me to brainstorm...

Thanks in advance.

Ted

The day I spent at the "Flytrap" in Poland alone made a great impression on me. think I may even visit it again one day.
In Turkey Ephesis is a lovely place to spend a day absorbing the ambiance. Pammukale is also interesting.
A van will have many advantages over a bike. I have done a bit of travelling through europe in my 1989 Fiat Tipo, Use the boot as a kitchen. back seat is storage. Has 400 mile range without even using a spare can ( usually keep these directly on the floor behind front seats).

regards