Uk to Romania Fast route

[Xander]

Hey all,
We have two weeks off and were thinking about going to Romania (from birmingham UK). But we are thinking that the 2200k from rotterdam to bucharest will chew up most of the time (~four days each way), or will mean a couple of very long days in the sadle (~still 2.5 days). So has one done this? How is it? Advice? Also Has any one done the putting the bike on an over night train? Can you do this? Cost? From where to where?
Cheers
Xander.

[Matt Cartney]

Do it in 2.5 days and you deserve a medal! I reckon the four days is more realistic. Especially when you hit Hungary the roads get a LOT slower and slower again when you reach Romania itself.
Personally I didn't like Romania and wouldn't ride four hours to get there but I probably just had an unusually crap time of it. There will be plenty of folk on here who've been there and loved it, no doubt.

Stiil, I hope you have fun.

Matt

[martync]

Unless your second name is saunders this is not a 2 day trip. A car taking shifts for driving took 3 days to turkey which is further.
especially in the first few days of the trip where riding for long periods kills you.

plan for 3 days as far as Prauge, this is motorway & toll roads too

[Xander]

We knew it would be a hard ride but i have done 1300k in a day before and got back in the saddle the next day, but this was in Australia and really did not want to do it again. I also regularly do 600k (350 miles) in a day. BUT this is all solo and not considering a pillions comfort. Sp it looks like if we only have two weeks with 8 days there and back ... it means 6 days in Romania.. Sounds like a bad idea.. what about the over night train thing? anyone even heard about this?

[Craig David]

I'm departing on a very similar trip soon.

DB Autozug - Find & book

Click on "Open Interactice Graphic" it shows they connect to Rijeka in Croatia.

You can get on a train with your bike at one of the Germany stations just over the border from Netherlands / Belgium and in 24 hours you're in Croatia - a short-ish ride from Romania.

I considered it but would rather stop in Eindhoven, Prague and Bratislava, getting to Romania on the fourth day.

[Stephano]

Originally Posted by Xander

So has one done this? How is it? Advice?

Xander
I once did 1100 km from Timisoara in Romania to Nuremberg in a day on a return leg. What did I see of Hungary & Austria? Nothing. Even worse, I now realise I drove right past that Austrian village from which British tourists steal the road signs without even stopping for a photo opportunity.

I would think the train is a better option or a closer destination.
Stephan

[Caminando]

Hi Xander

Once you leave the German autobahns things start to slow down. Romanian roads are poor, and if you're going fast you might not spot the raised railway lines which cross roads at an angle. Very dodgy! Also sometimes there are huge holes in the road (one I saw could have taken the whole bike). Trouble is, they are only marked if someone stuffs a tree branch in the hole. So be careful at night - better not travel in the countryside then.

Even if you could do it in the time, you might end up quite stressed and not enjoying it.

[talbengal]

Just come back from this trip.
look at it here:
May 2007 Hungary and Romania trip (transylvania)

[carnaffan]

taking the train around here-Hungary-Balkans-Romania-well they are nice and cheap and one can watch the scenerey DRIFT past as the train chugs along at about 40-60 KpH....it's actually faster on a push bike. good luck though