So after initial excitement with the optimistic responses, I read up more on it and (at least for the current moment) it seems that while it's all possible - covid will screw things up yet again...

It seems land borders are closed to almost everyone...
https://waytorussia.net/russia/how-t...ronavirus.html
https://www.iatatravelcentre.com/world.php

Pretty hard to plan things in such uncertain time. Guess I'll make it down to Turkey and from there will see how things look. Would still love to drive through Russia, but if not possible, I found a ferry that goes from Georgia to Ukraine that could take me and the bike, so that could be something fun to do too... UA is just not quite as interesting to me as Russia...

Riding through Ukraine kind of sucks; in my experience the roads are worse and the cops more corrupt.

But if that is the ferry into Odessa, I recommend spending a couple of days there, it is a lively place...

Yes, I can vouch for that. I have entered western Ukraine by motorcycle 3 times in the past 10 years, each time to do family history research (My wife's grandmother was born there - I was visiting cemeteries and churches to find records).

The roads are dangerous - even the major highways. You will be zipping along at 100 km/h and then come across an unmarked pothole big enough to have a phone booth & a tow truck at the bottom of it. Riding at night is unthinkable because of these unmarked hazards.

The cops are corrupt. They will set up a radar trap and pull you over and shake you down for cash even if you are not speeding - the moment they see a motorcycle that is not a local one, they figure they have found an ATM. I was shaken down by cops 3 times, twice on one visit and once on another.

Border crossing formalities are a massive PITA. Plan on at least 4 hours at the border crossing, both entering and leaving.

Simply put - Ukraine is not a country I would want to go back to, nor is it a country that I would recommend to others. Romania, just below Ukraine, is quite a delightful place, though - especially in the north.

Michael

Huh. Been there four times altogether and never had any serious problems--the border took 2 hours max with a bike, not four, and the one bribe solicitation was halfhearted and only lasted 20 minutes. It's not like I'm highly experienced in the Ukraine, but it's not all bleak.

I'll agree the riding is of limited interest--mostly flat, straight, and kind've boring. I liked the mountains in the west, enjoyed the big cities, and never made it down to the sea. And yes, the northern tier of Romania was definitely more my style.

I've been to Ukraine several times and don't think that it is horrible, it's just that the roads and cops are worse than in Russia.

I don't think it's ever taken me more than 2 hours to cross the border, usually less. Once I got hung up for about 30 minutes because I mistakenly gave the border guy the copy of my title rather than the real title (which I usually do with cops), and he spent half hour looking for the watermark (which wasn't there). I did the same thing once leaving Latvia, it took even longer there before they asked me about it and I gave them the real doc. Hopefully I won't screw that up again!

I agree with Paneuropean that I would definitely not ride along the highways there at night.

Thanks for all the tips!

I've been to Ukraine a few times (not with bike though) - border is indeed an absolute nightmare (between Poland and UA you consistently have to wait even upwards of 20hrs. I've experienced it myself and a good friend goes back and forth monthly.) Border with Moldova i crossed once though - and that one was not as bad. Still took few hrs but not too bad.

About corrupt cops and bad roads - lucky i haven't had much issues before but I'll keep that in mind.

I still would prefer to go via Russia - but if no go, then i might take the ferry to UA and just drive from the coast (ferry arrives near Odessa) straight to Moldova. Moldova is actually pretty awesome


One unrelated question - Any suggestions for best routes/regions to visit in Romania and Bulgaria? I'll be leaving from Poland next week, loose plan is to drive via the Tatra mountains to Slovakia, from there quickly cross Hungary and spend a bit more time in Romania & Bulgaria, before getting to Istanbul.

I'm no expert in either place, but will share what I know:

Romania is great and has lot to see; I can't do it justice so won't try! But Transylvania is pretty awesome, and the Danube Delta sounds great, although I had to scratch a planned visit to there. Then there's always the Transfagaran highway (LOL, have no idea how to spell it).

Bulgaria, on the other hand, didn't do much for me. Couldn't find a room in Sophia, although I didn't try too hard before losing interest. Plovdiv is nothing exciting at all. I was on the Black Sea Coast in early May a few years ago, and it was...odd. Totally deserted at that time of year, and towns were either totally over-developed or totally non-developed (ie, no where to stay, etc). Unless you love tourist traps or do some research to find somewhere nice, at this time of year I bet the coast is a nightmare--I would not assume, as I did, that you'll find a nice place just by driving along the coast.

You might want to visit Motocamp, a, well, moto camp in Bulgaria. Supposedly lots of bikers stay there, but it was almost empty whenever I've been there. Honestly it's nothing special but a nice place to stay if you're in the area.

Then there's Buzludzha--the spaceship building:
https://www.cnn.com/travel/article/b...ent/index.html

Looked like a cool place to visit, so I tried to do it when I was in Bulgaria. Unfortunately there is a war memorial with the same name, and I selected that on my GPS...when I got there, I could see the spaceship on a mountaintop on the horizon but didn't have time to go at that point. :-(

If you're going to Bulgaria, you might want to consider Istanbul, it is right there and it pretty awesome. That said, traffic and navigation in Istanbul are kind of brutal, so be prepared for that if you go.

Anyway, have a great time!

For Romania, there are two famous mountain roads - the Transfagarasan and the Transalpina. The latter is actually an important transit route for "normal" traffic, so it's quite busy, although still very pretty. The former is a road from nowhere to nowhere (built by their dictator so he could send tanks across a mountain range in the event of an invasion), and it's pretty much just tourists.



There are also wonderful roads through national parks in the southwest. I can personally highly recommed Route 58 and 57B, and just nearby Route 66A also looks extremely promising.

In general, the Romanian countryside is cheap and beautiful. Open Google Maps, look at dark-green patches and find yellow squiggly lines through them. You won't be disappointed.

I've been through Romania 4 or 5 times, and through Bulgaria twice.

I think Romania is the more interesting of the two. I suggest you avoid the larger cities (anything over 50,000 people) and stick to the countryside. The rural areas are really pleasant, and there is a good road network everywhere.

The bigger cities can be a bit depressing, and in some areas, kind of dangerous at night. The Roma (Romani, Gypsy, Zigeuner) people who gravitate to the cities do not do well there, and there is a lot of begging, which is depressing. The only time in my life that I was sure I was about to get mugged and had to run to escape happened in a medium size city in Romania in the early evening. Out in the rural areas, those folks do OK and are quite pleasant to interact with.

Bulgaria is a nice country, pleasant people, I think it is a bit more economically advanced than Romania, but it's a bit like riding in Saskatchewan, Canada: It's mostly flat, mostly wheat farming, and doesn't offer the geographical, cultural, and riding variety that Romania does.

If I remember correctly, the currency of both countries is not easily exchangeable once you get outside of the country (this because no-one wants it, not because it is controlled), so get rid of it before you leave the country.

Michael

I've given up planning trips. Waste of time at the moment in my opinion, seeing as there is no sign of things improving globally. Russia currently has a record death rate from covid.

If things open up again for travel and are the same logistically as before, entering Russia with a vehicle is very easy. The only complication is if the vehicle is not in your name - they might (though they don't always) ask for a power of attorney. Easy to get in your home country.

Visas depend on nationality, but for me with an EU passport even a 1 year multi entry visa was pretty cheap and easy.

If you don't speak Russian, the country can be a bit daunting and it makes for a bit of a steep learning curve alongside adjusting to the (former) Soviet world, but that's all part of the fun. Russians are generally down-to-earth, very helpful and honest.

There are few countries in my opinion that can compare to Russia in terms of long drives, wilderness experiences and great scenery; Ukraine is very different. You can still have fun in Ukraine though - Kiev, Lviv and Odessa are all definitely worth visiting, and the Carpathians are great for hiking.

Turkey is fascinating, don't be mislead by tourist brochures into thinking it's just another tame Mediterranean destination - there is huge depth to the country. I've never taken the Georgia - Ukraine ferry, but have taken the Chornomorsk (Ukraine) to Haydarpasha (Istanbul) route. Arriving by ferry in Istanbul on a warm spring morning after months of deep winter in Russia and Ukraine is something I will never forget.

One day I will start planning a winter Mongolia trip via Russia!

EO

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EurasiaOverland a memoir of one quarter of a million kilometres by road through all of the Former USSR, Western and Southern Asia.