Europe route / distance advise
 

Hello, I am finally putting the wheels in motion for a trip I have wanted to do for a very long time & will be shipping my bike from Australia to the UK in late May 2016 for a 4 month tour of Europe. I am researching info on great B roads and WW11 points of interest.
Roads like the Transfagarasan, Stelvio, Grimsel,Furka,Atlantic road,Trollstigan,Falzareg,etc ,
WW 11 Sites& areas such as Normandy, Auschwitz, Eagles nest, Etc. & Gallipoli as well ( I'm Australian )
The map attached shows a basic outline , the actual routes are underway in basecamp in sections by country
Do you guys think this trip is doable in 4 months without racing around , keeping in mind I really want to spend a few weeks exploring the French, Swiss,Italian alps....any info would be very much appreciated

Attachment 14640

Hi Simo,

Not really an answer to your questions, but for accommodation in e.g. UK, Belgium and Netherlands, you might check out:

Camp in my Garden

It's like couch surfing, but you camp in people's gardens (for almost nothing).
Anyway, I'll be happy to accommodate you in Holland bier!

Happy travels,

Gee

Given the 100 year WW I remembrance events that are organized all over Europe and especially along the old front lines I would try to focus a bit more on WW I sites.
Along your route especially Gallipoli in Turkey (with a large memorial for commonwealth and especially Australian casualties), Verdun and the Somme valley in France and Flanders fields in Belgium are of interest.

You could take all of these in and still include the WW II sites in e.g. Normandy.

Four months seems reasonable. I'd add roads in the Pyrenees, Dolomites and the Route des Grande Alpes to your route, give a wider berth to the Eastern Ukraine/Russian border area and consider a ferry directly from France to Ireland, doing whatever I wanted in the UK after that. The Atlantic Road gets interesting further North of your route but there's a lot of great sights on it as it is.

John Hermann's book on Alpine Routes would be a valuable investment for you.

Merhaba,
According to the map,some best colors of turkey seems outside..This is generally once in a life journey so I guess will be good to have your Turkey route as detailed below.Here goes my personal idea..

Nothing interesting in blacksea coastline except sumela monastry in trabzon..boring traffic ,many small towns and traffic lights..better take the road to south from samsun...Also ankara,being a capital city,is also boring and nothing interesting except some big museums..
After making georgia gate to samsun..
1-Samsun (fish restaurants) çorum (capital of hittites)ankara, aksaray (salt lake) cappadocia
2-Cappadocia,konya (center of sufism and mevlana),egridir lake.(old turkish natural life)
3-eğridir denizli,pamukkale(cotton castle! hot springs spa.)
4-Pamukkale-selçuk.(ephesus and st.mary hill here)
5-Selçuk,izmir,ayvalık,asos,babakale.(westernmost point of main asia continent and get your certificate by the headman of the vilage, Mr.Mustafa..nice small seaside village)
6-Asos,troy,çanakkale,galipoli.
7-gallipoli istanbul by the seaside.
8-9- mınımum 2 days to discover istanbul.
10-İstanbul-edirne-kapıkule gate.(just 2-3 hours)

tips..:
1-gas is most expensive here.now about 2 usd.per liter..many campsites and free camping areas availabe on this route..Salt lake,gallipoli anzac bay,etc.
2-several bikers festivals available in some cities during summer months and its a good opportunity for free entertainment,camping, and overall getting to know locals and the country better..Below are the photos for 2015-festival schedule and asia certificate..( I believe will be a good memory)

All the best.

looks like a nice route to me! give us a shout when you hit the uk, i'm around i'll be able to put you in in Devon & possibly Liverpool too. Good luck with it fella:D

Hello Gee

Thank you, i had never heard of camp in my garden. It looks a good idea and is noted . Your offer is kind & generous and as my trip is still a long way away I will re post this thread as the time gets closer. if you are around I may just take you up on it.

cheers Phil

Hello duibhceK,

Yes agreed, I have marked as a waypoint the Town of Albert in France where there is apparently a good museum regarding the Somme and western front battle fields. Thank you...i will gather more as time goes on. I no doubt will be exploring around the Gallipoli area, I am sure it will be quite surreal.

cheers Phil

Hello Wildman

Ok.... well reasonable will do me. Yes I have quite a lot of roads plotted around the Dolomites & some around the Pyrenees, I will work on a few more.
Point taken on the wide berth Ukraine/Russian border...I would like to enter the Arctic Circle though realistically its a long way up there. I think I may turn at Kristiansund and head south east, you never know. i may just give it a go.. I am waiting for a delivery of more Michelin maps and Toby Ballentines "western Europe motorcycle journeys"..i have now added John Hermanns book as well...Thank you he seems like a "King of the Alps" Man

cheers Phil

No, as long as you dont just want to stick to the highway and race around you will need more time. Not taking the (because of toll expensive and bouring strait) highways but nice winding roads will slow you down to 50 km/h average speed. There are many villages, many speed cameras and many red traffic lights. I still prefere to ride the wonderfull country side in Swiss etc but this way 300 km nice winding mountains in the Alps means 6 hours of riding without a break. The russian boarder etc will also take time. In the East Ukraine there is war at the moment and the roads in Romania (not the new highway) are very bad.

If you take the highway you can do your trip easily and can say youf done it but you will miss the best parts.

Insted of shiping i would buy a bike in Europa and sell it. Cheaper.

Enjoy it, Tobi

Hello Mehmet Zeki Avar

Thank you for the local knowledge regarding Turkey. I t is very much appreciated I now have it in my routes as an option.. 3000 kms from border to border....
Yes fuel is expensive over there I see... About $1.25 AUD per litre here....getting to know the locals is a big part of the trip to me....

Cheers Phil

Attachment 14646

Hello Nick_ish
Thanks mate... A long way off, but yes will give a shout....if you are around.....

Cheers Phil

Hello Tobi
thank you for your honest opinion....it is noted..... I want to start the trip in the UK and have searched bike prices over there. Yes good value indeed...I have talked to a few people that are willing to help out. There seems to be an issue with green card.. I have emailed 4 insurance companies known to this site and the closest I've got to what I need is they will insure me for Europe but not the country I buy the bike in. EG...Bennets won't insure me..canfieldpayne will insure me if the bike is in a UK residents name and I am a nominated rider...not really happy with buying a bike in someone else's name....Alessie will insure for Europe but not UK, so I will have to source UK insurance else where....BUT will insure me completely if I ship my own bike from Australia... I may have luck with Carole Nash...who wants more details from me...I could by for example a 660 tenere over there for say £4-5000 $8-10000 AUD...and sell when I am done ..... Or ship my bike both ways including customs, port fees and storage for $ 5000 AUD..... Advantage of my bike is its all set up and I know it+ I love riding it....

Attachment 14648 correct me if I am wrong ... I think theres not a lot in it price wise if you take into
account the lower resale of the UK bike upon return plus I would be trying to sell it
towards end of the riding season...But a big thing is i am not
putting 30,000 kms on my own bike.....I see your valid point...

The main thing is your opinion is I would run out of time in 4 months on B roads....IF I had to cut a section out it would either be Norway or Russia'''If I cut out Norway I could head east from Netherlands through to Estonia . If I cut out Russia I could head south from Lithuania.....and still enter Turkey from the west.....??????

Hi,

Well for the bike i would have bought a Honda Transalp 650 for just 2000 Euro in Europa, register and insure it on a friends name (resident) and ride the EU with it (not Russia and Turkey) and when you bring it back to your friend he will return you 1000 of your deposit and then sell the bike for 1500 so he will earn 500 for helping you and you will have a cheap bike.

Anyway to ride inside of the EU is very easy once you have the Shengen visa so if i would skip russia and ride Norway and Poland to stay inside of Shengen.
Romania is not part of Shengen but part of EU. Complicate.

The so calles *stans around the black sea are not very easy when it comes to visa as well but to ride down the coast from Austria, Slowenia, Kroatia down to Greece (Albania ist not EU) or ride down Italy to skip Albania and take the ferry to Greece you can ride to Turkey (not EU) as well.

Visa stuff allways makes traveling very hard. Otherwise it would also be great to take the ferry from Italy to Tunesie or from France to Marocco as well. With a German passport I dont need a Visa for this but have no idea about Australien Passports...

Enjoy it, Tobi

Can always find me through facebook if needs be! nick wheels wood :)
Enjoy your planning!:rofl:

I guess it comes down to what you prefer. Economically , you are right... But my irrational / fun side is telling me to ride my bike , so at this stage I plan to do that ...:funmeteryes::...

I ( Australian citizen ) only need a visa for Belarus 3 day approval , Ukraine a little more involved, so all good if I go that way,
Once again Tobi , your advise is very much appreciated

Simo,
I can advise you in Scandinavia. If you plan to made Atlantic road and Geiringer (Trollstigen)- Than for Scandinavia you shall considered at least a week.
I would suggest you to be flexible on direction planning as well because you cannot relay on extended forecast.

Hello Eshark

Yes I had allowed about 10 days for Norway/Sweden, looks pretty remote up in the north west. Not sure about going that far up, may turn at Kristiansund.

I don't agree with this.

The route is perhaps 16-18k kms to be covered in about 100 days leaving three weeks to ride the additional routes in the Alps. Even adding a margin for more miles and including some rest days and border crossing time, you still end up with little more than 200 kms needed per riding day. That, in my opinion, is manageable and reasonable. YMMV.

Based on past experience I find I average slightly over 1000k a week on a longer trip so if the route is 16 - 18000 kilometers (I haven't checked) then for me 4 months would be about right. For info my riding style is to avoid free ways and to regularly spend two nights at interesting spots and typically do 300 to 600 k days when I'm riding. Hope this helps with the planning.

Sent from my GT-P3110 using Tapatalk

2nd time over from Australia
 

Hi Simo,

My wife and I will be starting a 3 month camping holiday in Europe on the 1st of May. We are shipping our Suzuki V-Strom from Melbourne Aust to the UK return for around A$3,700.00. I am planning on 15-20K km and it is a lot of km in 3 months. We are using David Milligan at "Get Routed" to ship the Suzuki. I did look into buying and or renting but decided to take my motorcycle as there is nothing quite like taking your own, and having it set up the way you like. This is our second time over with this Suzuki and we had a great time last visit. I have I think attached the two routes I have planned, the decision will be made at Gibraltar. Hope this helps

Anthony

I have a not ruled out the original route, but it is great to get every ones views.
I am learning more everyday through this site. I just don't wish to waste time and money obtaining a Russian visa if i dont use it. Thank you it is much appreciated Eshark

Hello navalarchitect,

Thank you for your input, yes I need a day off the bike once a week, some times 2 days...and avoid freeways in good weather. If the rain is coming down sometimes I will ride them to get to my destination.

Cheers Phil

Hello Anthony,
The trip looks good, thank you for sharing. yes it sounds a lot ,though divide it up and its not so scary.
I looked at "Get Routed" as there round trip price is good. As I want to stay longer and they cant guarantee a later shipping, there one way price was on par with others. I will probably go with ship my bike as everything is included. Port fees ,Customs ,Insurance,Uncrating and they will store my bike for free up to 3 weeks so I dont have to rush and meet it at the dock....Yes I asked my self many times "what would I like to ride around Europe? and I keep coming back to the same answer... My own bike. so at the moment I'll go with that.

Have you organised insurance yet as i would like to hear about it.... PM me or post here if you are Ok with it...

cheers Phil

Just for calculation: On family vacations with the kids - my youngest riding a Yamaha 125WR now - we´re doing 4.500km in 21 days in Europe and could easily do more whilst having time for sightseeing and relax days. Been to Northern Norway, Wales, Ukraine, Italy and all in between.

BTW, interestingly you´re basically skipping Germany. Not sure why, but you should trade a couple of thousand kms of boring atlantic coast for the Rhine valley.
Cheers
Chris

Yes but riding 200 km without highway is at least 4 hours per day. A few days break here and there and your holliday turns into a rush...

,

Hello Chris

Yes it looks on the rough map outline that I am bypassing Germany, I had planned to Travel from Neuschwanstein Castle at the very end to the Rhine to Burg Eltz castle..Which part of the Rhine valley do you recommend, or all of it??
cheers Phil

Insurance.
 

Hi Simo, Insurance can be difficult, Dave gave us a good lead for the Green Slip and that is Tour Insurer (TourInsure: Europe) and for 3 months 696 Euro and we went with CGU for travel insurance at A$1380.00. The Suzuki while in the container is covered under Dave's insurance including all dock fees etc.

Hope this helps

Anthony

Cheers Anthony,

Your a champion thank you, gives me something to work with. I would be interested to here about your trip when you get back .....wishing you and your wife a safe and awesome trip....
Phil

It's 200kms a day including a few days break.

You should definitely ride over into Spain when you're in the Pyrenees - 70% of the mountains are on that side of the frontier and the roads and scenery are far, far better and more varied.

There are two 'must do' Colls on the French side; the Tourmalet pass and the Irati pass. Once you fit the border crossings back into France to do these you have a pretty good route - but whatever you do, don't go into Andorra - it's an absolute dump and all of the roads leading up to it are congested and dangerous.

I more or less live in a camp site along your way in Spain, on the N260* so send me a PM when you're approaching and we'll split a few stubbies beer - or at least a proper cup of tea if you're just passing through :)

Regs

Simon
* NB the N260 isn't the be-all-and-end-all Pyrenean road that many folks say it it - there are several crap sections and every year it's being 'improved' into being no good at all :(

Here is better road suggestions for you.
Map not show exact road only approximate direction, but this way all of destinations mentioned by you, are included. Pure driving for me it would be approx 5 days: 500-600+ km per day.
Better is take ferry to Tallin (overnight) from Stockholm (or Helsinki if decide visit Finland) if not going to Russia.
Ferry from Denmark is 4hr and not expensive- in gasoline and camp, by driving around you will spend more.

Hello Simon,

Thank you for your information.... I would be in that area on the end of my Journey around September....I have noted the must do's thank you...Information from local people like yourself is priceless.....I will definitely pop you a pm to see if you are around

Cheers Phil

Thanks Eshark,

Yes crossing from Hirtshals does seem to be the most sensible option, as it allows me to get straight into the heart of the west coast..possibly further north as well...problem being I could be up north a bit early... mid June????..I am flexible as long as I am around the circled area mid to late july as I want to spend a few weeks here..More and more unlikely to enter Russia this Time, so the direction you listed is very close to what I may end up doing... Thank you
Attachment 14686
Cheers Phil

Hi Phil,

I'm hosting my bi-annual HISS off-road event there the week September 6th to 11th if you want to pop in and share a good time with a load of other adventurous bikers.

I don't suppose you'll have toe to participate, which means paying a fee - but the camping is open to everyone and we all have a good time in the evenings . . . beer

Regs

Simon

Hi Mehmet,
Can you put this route on Google map?
I hardly can not trace most of all places and also identfy more spectacular road

I like your route, but consider extending further north along the coast of Norway. You're missing the beautiful Lofoten Islands, which is only a couple of days ride from Kristiansund. Actually, while you're there, you should go to the North Cape, but hey-ho - you can't get it all, I guess.
I've recently launched a non-commercial web site Ride Norway | All you need to know for your motorcycle trip to Norway for route suggestions, shoestring tips etc for riders visiting Norway. Maybe it'll be of some help.

Have a GREAT trip!

Site bookmarked - thanks ! I rode up to North Cape in 2014 and will be heading back to Norway at some point in the next couple of years .......

But of course, if you travel in Norway the most important advice is keepcalm

Great! Send me a few piccies so I can post them on the site! :)

Thank you,

I would like to travel further north and may do so.. Depending on the weather ( mid to late June).. As I need to be starting the alps East Austria and heading west by late July. I have been transferring gps routes from John Hermanns " riding the alps and beyond" to my Basecamp.. I could spend weeks riding these magical roads..

I did a trip through Norway last summer - travelled from Hirtshals across to Kristiansand on 17 June before heading north. Weather was fine and not too cold for camping ! Snow beside the roads in places but all main roads were clear.

Loads of photos on my FB page here

https://www.facebook.com/owen.lewis....5482819&type=3

Feel free to use them !

If you get to Ireland, I have a large stock of vegemite here when you arrive here.
We have camping/hostel facalities here at motofeirme as well as a well equipped shop to work on your bike.
We of course also have a bar with fire pit.

[QUOTE=wheatwhacker;498566]If you get to Ireland, I have a large stock of vegemite here when you arrive here.
We have camping/hostel facalities here at motofeirme as well as a well equipped shop to work on your bike.
We of course also have a bar with fire pit.[/QUOTE

Oh how could I say no to that... I will be in Ireland at the tail end of my trip late September. You might say saving the best till last hey bier ....I will call by....cheers

hi, give me a shout when you will be coming through norway, i live on the west coast between stavanger and bergen and know a few great roads around here, i live not too far from trolltunga, which is like a must see for people on this side of the country... also, petrol is like super expensive here, so is beer, and pretty much everything in fact

Hello,
Allways welcome here.
Just send me an email.
Greetings,
Jurgen

Hi scubabiker/ Jurgen.. Thanks guys .. Will do.. Yes am prepared for the shock of fuel etc.. All part of the deal I guess.. Cheers guys..

Hi Simo.
How's your planning going for your trip.
We're in Melbourne and planning a trip through Western Europe either 2016 or 2017 so very interested in what you're doing.

Hi, yes planning going well, airfare sorted yesterday, have information overload at the moment but in a good way. Been busy linking a few routes / POI!s, changing a few routes as well... I guess trying to make the most of a route ,ie:: great ridiing/ scenery etc...I am really not overly worried about getting accommodation as it's just me. Although I am looking at types of accom/ costs lots of good apps in regards to this... Have you got a basic idea of what area you are wanting to explore....cheers Phil

Hi Simo,

It's your trip of course but it would be a shame to miss a run along the Pyrenees seeing that you will be so close?

I could devise a short tour on the Spanish side to take in some of the best bits in just one day if you like :)

Regs

Simon

Hey Simon,

That would be very much appreciated....I wasn't sure how I would be going for time, but I would love to see the area albeit briefly. I was planning on spending a little time in the Valence area so I could detour south after that before heading north to my next POI.... Oradour-sur-.Glane ( the town untouched since WW11)..a route along the Pyrenees would be great mate ....

Cheers Phil

Just a short thought.

Have you considered going Pejë/Pec (Kosovo), Plav (Monte), Shkodër (Alba) instead of going through Greece?

I never went through Greece so I cant say anything about that option. But the route I mentioned was really amazing in terms of nature. Do mind that the road was sometimes a little rough. Like no real road but just a lot of rocks. I just got my license before my trip and did it two-up. Sometimes my passenger walked a few yards. Road construction was going on so maybe now there is even less "offroad" available.

Also looks like you will be passing by Plitvička in Croatia. Its a little touristy, you pay for entrance etc. But although I dont like touristy stuff, it was very nice (again nature, but this is more spectacular post card-ish. The route I mentioned first is more wild.


Regarding Norway. I was there this summer and did a similar trip as youre planning. I see youre planning to take the "lots of boats" path from Stavanger and north. I got some advise to go there but I opted to go a little more inland and I really liked it. The difference is that you get not only fjords but also some of the mountains/highlands or whatever it might be called. Not sure what you prefer but might be worth checking out. Two examples of nice places are Hardangervidda National Park (I went through north part) and Jotunheimen.

One last thing. The road you picked for crossing Sweden... Maybe its because Im from here, but it is not special at all. Just road and trees. I dont have a better suggestion but just a heads-up :)

Good luck!

Hi FS,

" my apologies" The route I posted is a basic outline of my direction and it isn't loaded to my Gps. I have no doubt my route will vary with the advise of valuable local knowledge such as yours...thank you...
I have many POI marked and my route can vary between them. So far I have loaded the routes from Bikers Britain..... all of John Hermanns routes from the "Alps & Beyond.. All of Toby Ballentine's motorcycle journeys through Western Europe To my GPS... As well as routes suggested by fellow HU community.... Basically I am starting my journey from South east England , anti clockwise through Scotland ' nc500' etc over To Ireland , back through Wales and down to catch ferry to Normandy, then a history tour of WW1& WW11 sites before cutting east to the Mid Rhine & follow the Rhine north viewing most of the castles to Koblenz , cutting North East through Nat Parks ,,, etc winding my Way to Hirtshals.
Yes as you said some good inland roads... I have taken note thank you again.....FS....from there I have a few routes loaded, but my aim is to ride the Atlantic road...and cut east to Stockholm...nothing really in concrete from there .. I have a really good app I can call on Best Biking Roads ... To help out if I get caught out....so I am basically winging it through to my POI's from there ?..Hitlers Wolf lair in Northern Poland, Stalag luft 111...the place where the real ' great escape ' took place in Zagan , western Poland... Auschwitz.....southern Poland , then across to ride the Transfagarasan, in Romania....nothing special planned from there to Gallipoli,, Turkey...and open to suggestions.... As well nothing special planned from Turkey to Austria....have you any ideas on a nice route from Montenegro to Eastern Austria.... So your suggestions are a definate possibility FS.....From Austria I have an endless supply of routes right accross to Valence .....just an outline of my trip thank you ... And any suggestions are valued & appreciated greatly....

You obviously know yourself best and what you like to do. Personally I prefer one main route that is planned ahead. There is always the option of changing it ofc. But personally I dont like having to spend time staring on a map/gps when I could enjoy nature, the city Im in or whatever.

My route through Albania/Kosovo was actually a de-tour based on stories/photos from a guy I met in Dubrovnik, Croatia. Easier to change "the grand plan" than to have many grand plans and try to choose one, imho :)

Good luck with the planning. Sounds like youre in for a sweet ride!

I guess historically more routes than I can think of I have changed here in Australia on the run., either because of the weather, which can turn to shit in the blink of an eye and in the out back you have to ride to the weather as the roads become impassable ,, also talking to local riders at Cafes who know there specific area have suggested a better way.. This
is why I usually go with a general route.. I guess old habits die hard ..!i rode New Zealand last year and had my route all sorted, on the plane on the way I looked at the weather and it was raining and forecasted bad weather where I was travelling.. I changed the entire route on the plane according to the forecast and I never got one day of rain,..I have been busy sorting a route and have one now .. No doubt I will edit it as the time gets near, and better options play a role.. Either way yes it will be an amazing ride.. Cheers

OK, here's a whistle stop tour in the Pyrenees - I nearly said 'of' the Pyrenees but that would take at least a week!

If you started and ended in the villages I suggest you would have a very long - I mean very long! - ride. So I suggest a two day ride starting and ending further in France at the places you mentioned - i don't 'do' France as such - with an overnight break in Spain - where you can eat properly at last! :D

Most people choose Ainsa and that's a good choice as there's loads of accommodation there and it's a nice place. It's a bit 'touristy' but not in a bad way.

So:

Day 1: Axat (France) - D118 to Puigcerda (Spain) - N260 to Sort - C13 to Esterri d'Aneu - C28 to Vielha - N230 to Bossost - N141/D618a to Bagneres de Luchon (France) - D618 to Arreau - D929/A128 to Ainsa (Spain)

Day 2: N260 to Boltaña - A1604/N330 to Sabiñánigo (NB - don't let your satnav/route finder just keep you on the N260! from Ainsa to Sabiñanigo) - N260/A136/D9345 to Laruns (France) - D918 to Argelés-Gasost -

Finally - phew! - continue on the D918 to Arreau for the Col du Tourmalet, which is best approached from the west. Note that you can leave the D918 before you get to Arreau and head for Tarbes on the D935 if that suits your plans better.

Regs

Simon

The route looks sensational.mate... I will definitely do this on the tail end of my trip...probably mid September
the 260,1604 look amazing rides...have transferred routes to my sat Nav & offline smartphone app...really appreciate the information...bier

:funmeteryes:UCheers

No worries. Mid-september will be ideal. I have a rally at La Pobla de Segur - fifteen minutes south of Sort - from September 12 - 16th so drop by for a cuppa along your way!

Put a note to yourself to beware of cattle, e.g. horses, sheep and even geese! - on the A1604!

Regs

Simon

Hi,

Just tuned into this thread. if you are visiting Oradour Sur Glane, I live 1/2hrs ride from there, so If your passing through and need a stop over send a message to the Rochechouart community and i'll pick it up.

Have fun!

Our planned route.
The route's basically a whole heap of Toby Bellentine's suggestions joined together but using only one side of the circuits.
Our plan is to ship our Guzzi Stelvio over to the UK or Netherlands and then do 200klms days for 2 days with a layday on the third - so average 150klms a day - and then a 4 day layover once a month or so depending where we are. So about 10,000klms in 3 months.
I've looked at buying a bike over there but then I'd be stuck with it's stock suspension which no matter how it's looked at totally sucks doing two up with all our luggage and it's essential that my wife enjoys the ride. I've already upgraded the Stelvio's suspenders and it's a great ride now.

Regards
Larry

I will definitely drop by if I am in the area between Sep 12 & 16 Simon...ok , at least I'm not dodging kangaroos and emu's....thanks again

Good to have a plan Larry...yes and pillion has to be happy as well....I plan on rest days when the body is telling me to take a break, so I will head for some where nice on those days..and try and do some sight seeing... I tend to ride to the weather & if it's on my side I might punch out a few extra Kms.
I was close to buying a bike in the Uk, as I have contacts over there, but it was still a bit of mucking around...and to be truthful I also have my bike set up how I want it & really like riding it....so have you set a date on the trip?

Hi Pongo,

I will be visiting Oradour Sur Glane mid September ish .....thank you for your kind offer...if your around I may just send the community a message.. ....cheers Phil

I'll be there during most of September :)

Simon

We're hoping for next year either April, May, June or August, September, October.
But there are a very important property development that has to be finalized prior to that so it could be 2017. But IT WILL HAPPEN.

What are you doing re accomodation? Camping, Hotels, B&Bs? Bludging off friends :)

Larry

Hi, I remember that yur plan is to take in the Millau Viaduct, but having just watch a program about Roman architecture and engineering - I live in Tarragona, one of the jewels in the crown in that field! - I wonder if the nearby Pont du Gard is actually the better engineering achievement? :)

Regs

Simon

You are passing so close to Slovenia, drop down a bit and go there. It is a great country with lots of places to see and some good roads, the Vrsic Pass, Lake Bled and lots of nice old castles. I was there about 6 days ago as part of my Balkans trip which is still on going (see signature block for link). Have a look at my report for some ideas

https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5618/...fdb00214_c.jpgIMG_1243 by Wayne 66, on Flickr

https://farm1.staticflickr.com/674/2...dc3c38c0_c.jpgIMG_1204 by Wayne 66, on Flickr

https://farm1.staticflickr.com/740/2...fe12fec4_c.jpgIMG_1297 by Wayne 66, on Flickr

Wayne

Different era but equally impressive Simon.. I will definitely look forward to seeing them both.. Thank you ..

Hi Wayne..

As it happens I am tweeking my route to include a portion of Serbia , Kosovo , Montenegro, Dubrovnik , then head north west through Slovenia to Austria.. Predjama castle is on my list.. Your report is a great read.. What a beautiful country Slovenia is..well done a great ride..

Phil

Cheers Phil

I have still got a lot more places to see yet
Good luck with the planning

Wayne

Larry,
A mixture of accom...camping when the weather is favourable. Air BnB when I need to wash clothes and treat myself to a hotel at least twice a week.. In Eastern Europe I am going to have a base on a few occasions where I will do day rides so it will be some where secure for my gear....

Phil

Hello Guys,
The route suggested above is good and slight match my intended main line of advance. Im entering Turkey this weekend (13 Nov 2015) and wonder if there any of our HU members in Turkey and others of course, can share some info about camping sites or cheap motel for me on the way.
Thanks for any info any assistance.


Amzah
:mchappy:

If you're interested in WWII sites, you will be passing not far from a couple of the biggest--Stalingrad and Kursk, in Russia, so you might want to check them out. Stalingrad in particular is really cool.

I would also recommend giving wider berth to the Ukrainian border areas near the Donbass. You probably wouldn't have any problems there, but there is a lot of stuff going on there and not much reason to venture into the area.

I had given Russia some serious consideration and at this stage won't be going as I have a huge trip already( to me anyway) . The visa application and particularly the small window I can access on the visa means I would have to plan my entry to be precise.. With many thousand kilometres to travel to get there I am not sure about meeting an exact date.. You are right it would be an interesting visit regarding military history.. This is my first extended trip and hope it's the first of many more.. In 2017 I hope to focus on Russia and surrounding borders using this trip as a shake down for what's to come..thank you for the advise .. I appreciate your knowledge..cheers Phil

If you're going to pass through Zagreb send me a PM, beer is on me, and also you can check our B&B
Lobagola B&B | design bed & breakfast in the center of Zagreb
If you need any specific info for Croatia, and that matter Balkans in general just write here bier

ride on
Dooby

As e´one is promoting his favorite home spots, I may put my 2cts into the thread, with what to avoid. Just to make your trip diverse and convenient. You are planning your trip around the european summer=peak season at mostly every coast. You might want to avoid (or at least know about) the too crowded, pricey and traffic jammed touristic areas in July/August:
- generally French coast (Atlantic & Med): full, pricey
- Med . coast of Spain & France: pricey, crowded, Disney-cliche of the Med or concrete jungle tourist traps
- Italian Adria, north
- coastal main road E65 of the eastern Adria towards Dubrovnic
- coastal road Norway (Stavanger/Bergen/Trondheim): great view, mostly blocked by caravans, overtaking nearly impossible

Except Norway (theres is no alternative coastal route), all of the above can be visited mostly without traffic jams or tourist traps, but only by detailed map research for detours around the hot spots. I´d skip the far north of Norway. These Fjords are awesome, but still just Fjords, all the way up.

With that in mind, your fancy for war sites & mountain passes starting the loop from the UK for only 4 months, I´d recommend the following loops clockwise:

- UK
- northern France (WWII Atlantik Wall, Brittany, Normandy)
- BeNeLux or more southwards towards i.e. Verdun WWI-sites, Vogeses
- speed up through Germany
- Baltic Loop: Denmark, Stavanger, Oslo, Stockholm, Helsinki, Tallin (plan around Midsommer/21st June)
- ex. Soviet-Satellite/Balkan-Loop: Poland, Prague, Budapest, Vienna, Bukarest, Istanbul, Zagreb
- alpine WWI/II Route: Slovenia, Austria, Swiss, Italy, France (you could spend 4 months here without doing a single pass twice)
- Med-Loop: incl. Ferry: Genova/Nizza - Corsica-Loop hop to Sardinia, Ferry Porto Torres-Barcelona
- Back to UK via Andorra

Enjoy

Agree with all of the above except the last - Andorra is the dump of the world, it absolutely sucks, I know, I have to go there three or four time a year! :thumbdown:

OK, in detail - to get to that art of the Pyrenees you travel the worst and mist congested and dangerous roads in the entire Pyrenees, ju ride through what amounts to a big trading estate inhabited by homicidal drivers - I'm not kidding - and you have to pass an EU frontier at each end. I ask you, is that your idea of fun? :)

Regs

Simon

Great info there.. Thank you.. I have been lucky enough to be able to extend my trip now to almost 4 1/2 months ,, and expecting some holiday traffic as you described.. I will only be on the French coast briefly before heading north then east to Luxembourg follow the Rhine north to Koblenz .. ( more holiday traffic no doubt) probably a free run from there to Denmark. More traffic on and off to Stavanger .. I am avoiding most big cities if I can or unless I need to go there. I guess travelling in spring summer autumn comes with traffic but will be taking alternate routes where possible.. I think I will relish Eastern Europe and the open roads, then I hit the Alps .. Whole new ball game there too I expect.. Cheers ...

Well, you might be right due to more experience with Andorra. I did the Pyr only once, following some former Tour de France - Stages and found it very nice there. Didn´t notice a difference in Andorra, that single day. Just mentioned it, as one has to cross the Pyr to get there. Axe le Therme is a nice stop. Coming from Barca, one could miss the Pyrs by driving directly up to Bilbao - Biarriz.

Regs

Hi there,

Everyone has their own taste of course - but you don't have to go through Andorra to get to Ax-des-Thermes. Go via Puigcerda/Bourge-Madame and cross the Col de Puymorens.

But a far better route from Puigcerda would be the D118 towards Axat.

Enjoy ...

Simon

Good tip.

We came over Perpignan that trip, so went to AxelTherme first. Do not remember the precise route or roads.

I just recommended the Med-leg via Corsica - Sardinia - Barcelona, because one could avoid one of the most (in my eyes) overrated, crowded, jammed and costliest areas in the Meds, those between Nizza and Perpignan (except Beauduc, it´s a nice beach), but could have a piece of the Pyr-cake, too.

From my experience (have been at nearly every single windsurfable beach around Europe, following the wind forecast), Corsica and Sardinia beats any other Med-area by far. Still picturesque without the big tourist-bunkers and a huge fun to ride on & off road. Sardinia is one of the last places in Europe, where wild camping and beach driving is tolerated, except in August.

Cheers

First trip
 

Hey Simo I see you will be passing my way , down the south of France , Avignon area . When you get down this way give us a shout you are welcome to tent up in the garden refresh , washing ,etc there are some great places to see in the area .
Cheers tinoo

Tinoo, that's a very generous offer, thank you. If all goes to plan I should be in your part of the world early/mid September, if you are around & I'm am passing I will look you up...looks like a lovely part of the world you live in.. Cheers Phil

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For WWI and WWII you should stay at http://www.bikersbedsfrance.co.uk/where_are_we.html. Ian is very knowledgable about the local history.

Hey Simo.
How are the plans ngoing?

Larry

Hello Simo.
As from the latest map is obvious, that you will bump in to Russian border - Kaliningrad is on your route between Lithuania and Poland. Fix that if you do not intend to visit Russia. Besides there is a lot of military movement lately going on there.
South of Poland is nice, pretty roads along the Kaliningrad border. Near Ketrzyn there was a Hitler's command base in WWII, it's called "Wolfs Lair".
STUTTHOF concentration camp is on your way to Krynica Morska peninsula, but Krynica Morska itself is not an object to put on your list.
Up above Gdansk there is a long dune seaside (they say it biggest in Europe), place Leba (Lebsko lake).
I live in Vilnius, Lithuania, if there will be a demand of accomodation contact me at gmail : aidasass@gmail.com
Best wishes
aidas

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Thanks Cambelt...I will call in . it's not far off my route, as you can see....and local info is always welcome.. Thanks again....Phil

Hi Larry,
Planning is all but done....my bike ships in two weeks ...I was lucky to get my bike shipping out of Sydney which is not far from my place....starting to get close now.....Phil

Hi aidas
I was thinking of calling in to Kaliningrad but I hear now you can't by a visa at the border like Russia you have to apply well in advance....I have hitlers Wof lair marked as you can see " I hope" ...I then head West to Malbork castle..then south west to Zagan " home of the great escape and the prison camp for allied airmen...then if I have time I might head towards Dresden and look at Konigstein fortress....from there I head to Czech Republic and follow the border to Slovakia before heading back over to Auschwitz, then down to Kraków to see Schindlers factory...I thank you for your offer for accomodation aidas I would really be greatful just to say hello and get some pointers on the local area...
..cheers mate

Route from Lithuanian border through Wolf lair , across to Malbork castle & down to Stalag luft 3...

Czech Slovakia, back into Poland

Fantastic. Who's shipping it, to where, and for how much?

Our plans are on hold until August 2017. It was always on the cards :( But never mind, we'll get there.
My wife and I doing a two week trial run with all of our gear from next Monday. We'll be doing the Gippsland coast and out to Mallacoota. Not too far because we don't intend doing huge miles anyway.
But pretty much all my planning is done so it's just a matter of 'keep on dreaming' ;)

Have a good one.

Larry

Larry,

Sounds good..At least you are out there somewhere doing it mate.
I ended up shipping with Get Routed. Around $3600 return from Sydney to Felixstowe UK. So far things are running pretty smoothly. There are mixed reviews about Dave Milligan from get routed, so far I havn't had a problem.. His communication ( returning emails) and forwarding on information to me has been very good. I will obviously comment more on that at the end of my journey.
I have had to refrain from over planning the trip. Too many variables on such a long time away ( for me anyway). I have my route, bike prepared best I can. My health, enough cash, relevant documents & paperwork sorted so all good.
I m sure you will make that dream a reality Larry as I am doing. I always dreamt of doing this and said yes one day , time is moving so fast and I am at that window of opportunity in life that " there are no excuses not to GO for it" .. If you are on face book or Twitter Private message me here and I will send you my details as they are where I am posting my trip blogs..

Cheers Phil

All sorted then Phil. I hope you can also do a RR on here too.

Wayne

Some of th RR'so on here are Fantastic Wayne. I dont know if im dIsciplined enoughto do a daily RR...Although it would be a great record of my trip.....Leave it with me.....

It will be fine mate, both mine have been live RR's and I found it great doing it on route and I didn't forget things (getting old now :rofl:)

Wayne