I'm looking to head over to this region in July and would love some tips for where to go and where not to go. I'm probably only going to spend a month total travelling, with 10 days planned to get from the UK to the Russian border and back. I'd love to have more time to travel further east and on to Mogolia but I don't think that'd be possible Also, given I'll be on a Suzuki Bandit, I need to stay on some half decent roads!

Also, it may a touch obscure, but if anyone knows of any old military sites and Cold War relics around that region please could you point me in the direction.

Thanks

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expro.smugmug.com

if you want to maximise your time in russia you can do the europe bit in 2 moderately hard days, or less. there is now a motorway from just inside the Polish Border all the way to Warsaw which dramatically improves driving time to south or east Poland. I have to go to belarus this week, not for holiday, so have to cross europe ASAP. I reckon I can do Warsaw in less than 14 hours from Calais (950miles) by fast car, I reckon your bandit will be a lot quicker!!. watch out for speed cameras though. I have a road angel 6000 which you can buy an extra card for which has all european speed cameras on it. The crossing into Ukraine may 2005 from Poland only took me about 2 hours, geting out again was a different matter, allow a whole day.

Even the main roads are of poor quality. not because of being dirt tracks or potholes (although there are plenty of those) but because of very bad ruts in the tarmac and appalling corrugations because the surface has been badly laid. The speed limits are also low (about 40mph in Ukraine if memory serves me correctly) and the policing is vigorous, although 'fines' are negotiable and can be paid on the spot. keep 5 or ten euros handy in a seperate pocket to the rest of your money. I regarded it as a toll for going quickly but managed to get off a lot more often than I paid (about 20euros in all). locals may warn you of upcoming speed traps by flashing their lights, but don't rely on it.

All this is as of may 2005, the last time I was there

It would be worth your while posting on the russia section.

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1990 Landcruiser H60. Full rebuild completed 2014

Thanks for the advice, although tedious motorway miles on a motorbike can be strangely exhausting, especially on the Bandit! I reckon I could do the trip in 3 dull days going via Germany and Poland, for some reason I'd never thought of heading through Poland, it's chopped a couple of hundred miles off my original route, thanks!

I've heard that if you get your documents translated into Russian by the RAC it aids border crossing no end, is that true?

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expro.smugmug.com