Overland UK to Bulgaria via France, Italy and Greece
 

Hi Folks !

New to the HUBB and seeking advice.

I'm planning to travel to Bulgaria, probably around Mid-March, and having considered the alternatives I'm thinking that going via France, Italy and Greece might be the easiest way to go.
My thinking is that there are less borders, less languages and less funny currencies.
I'm also thinking my Moto Guzzi might like to visit it's birthplace on the way !
Basically I'm after ANY help, information and advice at all.

Thanks in advance !

Gus.

Ok.

I notice there have been a few readers, but no-one able to help me yet.
Perhaps a couple of slightly more specific questions !

I'm thinking of taking the Ancona - Igoumenitsa Ferry from Italy to Greece.
Does anyone have any experience of taking a motorcycle on this route ?
Is there a better alternative ?

I'm assuming that by only travelling through EU countries the border proceedures should be relatively hassle free ?
Am I mad ?

Also, I'm notoriously paranoid about losing valuable paperwork, and really would prefer to leave as much stuff safe and sound at home as possible.
What is the bare minimum original paperwork I can get away with carrying ?
Can I take scanned or photocopied examples instead ?

There, that'll do for now.
Hope someone has some useful comments to make as I'm a bit new to this, and to be frank the more I think about it the more daunting it gets !

Hi Gus,
I don't know if I can be much help 'cos I've not done anything like it myself. Firstly my travels thus far are driven, not riden and I've been to Africa via Europe not to Eastern Europe.
That said, I would rather stay on the roads and do borders instead of boats where possible.
Looking at a map you could get all the way to Hungry before even thinking of an aggressive approach to borders. Following that you've only got Romainia and you're there.
This is only my guess, I've spoken to people from Romainia that have driven here, and a Czech friend of mine drove home for Christmas. Although I've not been there looking at the countries you'd cross they all seem pretty "westernised" when it comes to travelling there.

If nothing else my reply may encourage someone with more knowledge to responed, even if only to tell me where I'm wrong.

This, or at least something similar, is a trip that I'd like to do within the next couple of years.
Kevin

Cheers Kevin !
The generally recommended alternative routes are;
France-Belgium-Germany-Austria-Hungary-Romania-Bulgaria
or
France-Belgium-Germany-Austria-Slovenia-Croatia-Serbia-Bulgaria
I don't really fancy that many countries !
Also, I quite like the idea of taking the Guzzi to Mandello del Lario to see the factory where it was born !
I've also had an invitation to stop over with some folks in Brindisi, which might alter my ferry plans slightly.
Who knows, I might get really brave and try out Albania !

Hey, I met a lady from Albania about 6 months ago, she told me that I should ignore anything bad that I had heard about driving there and just go. At that time I hadn't heard anything bad about it.
I have to say the Italian route should be the most pleasant in terms of weather. My post was really just suggesting that driving Europe is just like driving one big country nowadays, no one looks twice at you.
Regards, and best of luck with the trip.
Kevin

Route Planning
 

One Word, SNOW

At some point you will have to go over the Alps and in March I would suspect
some passes will be closed.
Plan your route using main autoroutes and use the tunnels, St Gottard .
Heated clothing might be considered as it will be cold.
Mandelo is about 800 miles and i usualy take two days but thats not in the winter so allow yourself three days .
After Mandelo , You can head south and take a ferry across the Adriatic or,
Take the road to Venice and then go through , Slovenia , Croatia , Bosnia and Yugoslavia .
You may need to buy Insurance for Bosnia at the Border depends , check with your insurers.
Take your registration documents for the bike , I have colour photocopies of all my documents .
Hope this helps and safe trip .

Ricardo :scooter:

Cheers Rick !
As I said, the basic plan is to take a ferry from Italy to Greece.
Albania might be an interesting diversion !
I'm estimating a week for the entire journey.
I've got a stopover organised for Italy and hope to find at least one in France.
I reckon I might be able to 'do' Greece in a day.

Can't see why. It is the EU all the way if you stay away from the Balkans and, even there, nema problema.

Just do it, as the ad says.

Agree about the snow; stay away from the obvious ski resorts - that is why they are located where they are, in any country - alternatively, take a skiing hol and go biking later in the year!! :rolleyes2:

Go into Italy and then north again, if you prefer riding to sailing.

ps A week! Not worth it, if you want to see things/do things along the way, but it's your shout.

Ermmm !
I am going to Bulgaria !
I'd quite like to see Croatia as well, but not on this trip and I don't really fancy Serbia or Romania at all.
I don't want the complication of too many other languages I don't speak a word of and strange currencies !

As to taking a week, the main purpose of the journey is to get to Bulgaria, where I have a house. I intend to spend a week there, and then spend a week coming back.
I can't afford, or justify, taking any longer.

Fair enough; I would keep Italy in my back pocket for on the journey back.

Currencies: just offer Euros, everyone will want them, or $US. I can't remember who in East Europe has adopted the Euro, but everyone wants them anyway.

Hi again Dave !

$US ?
Wash your mouth out !!!
I ain't no Merkin !!!!

Bulgaria has it's currency pegged to the Euro but still has the Lev as it's currency.
They like £ Sterling though.

From reading around this site and a couple of other places I really feel that journeying outwards via Italy is still going to be my 'easiest' (as a novice to long distance, multi-country travel !) but, if I encounter no major problems I might be prepared to countenance a more adventurous journey !

For those of you who've replied already, thanks very much, your comments have been most interesting.
To those who have popped in, read a bit and wandered off, please, if you have anything to contribute at all, I'd like to read it.

Avoid the snowline
 

Gus,
Yep, you have it figured well enough. For instance, ride fast to the south of France, skirt around the Alps into Italy and catch the sun along the way.

There are quite a few guides and booking websites for ferries, here is one:-

ferrylines.com: Europe's Ferry Booking Portal

As for the $. Well you can go pretty much anywhere with greenbacks in your pocket, but the Euro will do it for where you are going!

Dave,

Ha !
Glad you think I've got it covered - now all I have to do is fool myself that I have too !

Still, I managed to buy a house, and renovate it, in Bulgaria despite not being able to speak more than half a dozen words of the language.
So how difficult can riding a bl**dy motorbike down there be ?
So why does it still seem so daunting ?

Because you're worrying too much!

I'm doing a RTW from April onwards & if I thought too much about it the bigger picture I wouldn't end up doing it.

Conventrate on one task at a time i.e. Do you need an international driving permit? If so get one then ask yourself about vaccinations etc.

Softly, softly catchee-monkey!!!!

Snow and more snow
 

You've got the house sorted and that has to be the harder bit (tell us about it here if you have time to type it up!!).

Weather is not great at present:-
BBC NEWS | Europe | Storm brings chaos to Black Sea

Dave,

The house buying was simple enough.
Organising and supervising the renovations was loads of fun !
Fighting the beaureaucrats so that I can move there permanently only got sorted last year when Bulgaria joined the EU.
And then I got diagnosed with F*cking Cancer !
Still, I'm fixed now and raring to go !

I could sense that you had it all figured!!

Good travels Gus, and you will enjoy the journey as much as the arrival.

UK to Bulgaria
 

:scooter:Hi Gus

Where abouts in Bulgaria are you heading for? Would be interested to hear how you get on, the final route/crossings, where you stop along the way etc etc. I've recently bought an apartment in Bansko (Pirin Mountains) and hope to travel over in the not too distant future on my XR650R or 900ss. In fact if you're going near Bansko, maybe you could tell my Builder to get off his fat a*se and finish the work off for me! Cheers and good luck

Bob

Hi
just a thought, given the amount of time you have - it may be worth having a look at the Autozug.DE website . Basically its a german motorrail network that takes bikes . It can be very expensive :( but if you catch it right then it works out reasonably . Guess your nearest German station would be Dusseldorf , you could then get off in Italy or Austria the next morning !!
Personally i only use it one way :thumbup1:
Chris

Hi Bob.

My place is down near Elhovo but I'm planning on visiting some friends up near Bansko so I'll give your builders a kicking !

I've started shaking down my old Guzzi in preparation for the trip.
She's 30 years old and has done 140,000 miles - mostly by the previous owner I have to say, so she's used to long distances !

I'm doing the usual stuff, stocking up on spare innner tubes and cables, I'll be popping into Mandello Del Lario en-route anyway, should I need any parts, but any suggestions for what other preparations I should undertake ?

a
 

In Croatia-Serbia you can driving very funny without anyone problems. You dont have prejudice, Serbia is nicely country with beauty nature, and you dont need visa for this country. If you have any problems with motorcycle, I can help you in Serbia. Cheers:scooter:

overseas travel
 

Hi Gus,

On my trip to Malta last october,with adventure 950,I used Super Fast ferries from Igoumenitsa to Bary and return,in aircraft seats,wich cost to me Euro 188+euro 57 fuel surcharge.Here you can find all prices for vehicles,cabins etc.,All Greek Ferries routes from/to Italy, Greece and Greek islands, Albania, Turkey, Cyprus, Israel. Ferries in Greece. Sea Travel Ferries to Greek islands. Greek Ferries/Boat/Ship Schedules for Italy Greece Albania Turkey + Greek Islands. Greek Ferrie

The route from Igoumenitsa to Thessaloniki via Metsovo is a fantastic,with lot of curves and nice places to see,like the Lake of Ioanina and all mountains around you.The whole distance to Thessaloniki is about 450-480km,wich you'll cover it for aproximately 6-6,5 hours.Bulgarian border is a 120km away from Thessaloniki.
Once you come here, I can meet you for a beer,just let me know,I'll send you my mobile by private message.

Cheers,
Simon

Cheers Folks !

The route planning is coming along nicely, and the bike seems to sense a long journey is pending and is getting all excited !

Hello Gus,
I live in southern Bulgaria, so was interested to see you have a house in Bg too.
I've done most of the routes to Bulgaria from UK, and, while the route through Italy is a good one, especially at the time of year you want to go, I don't think you will get across Greece from Igoumenitsa in one day. The first couple of hundred miles are through very mountainous country, where, although they are working on improving the road, it is still a bit iffy in places. At Thessalonika you can turn north towards Sofia, or carry on east towards the greek and turkish borders, and my place.
I've not done it, but I'm told there is a ferry from Ancona to Patra, and that the road is much better to Thessalonika.
The route I use now is from the channel ports up to Ostende, then turn south-east down the german motorway network, stopping my first night at Vienna, which is about 14 hours travel at 70 mph. Then east across hungary on the motorway, towards Arad, and soon after leaving the motorway near the romanian border turn right at a roundabout to Timisoara, crossing the border before you get there. At Timisoara follow signs to Drobheta, where I stay the second night, there is a large hotel on the right hand side of the road in the middle of the town. Third day stay on the same road through Craiova and to Alexandria, then down to the Danube, and over the bridge to Ruse.
If I can be any more help contact me via our website sakarhills.com
Regards,
Martin T. Jeffes
Sakar Hills Touring Park
Harmanli

I did UK, France, Italy & Greece in 2005. A week should be fine to get to Bulgaria.
In March some passes will be closed but others (eg Lautaret/Mont Genevre between France and Italy should be open)/ Border crossings are fine and all you will need are your license, your V5 and Insurance certificate/greencard.
You might get cold crossing the top of Greece as it gets pretty high up.
From Igouminetsa I'd have thought you'd get to Bularia in 2 days easy riding.
Have fun.

hi there,
so, i think u choose the right option riding thru italy & greece 4 your final destination. u can take the ferry easily from ancona to igoumenitsa (usually leaving about 5pm, spend the night on board and reach the igoumenitsa harbour the day after 8am. it should cost u about 90eu. one way, for a pulman seat not the cabin. easy borders procedures get thru italy to greece and bulgaria. paperworks: bike registration, passport. no one ask me for bike insurance, or any international driving permit in greece like in bulgaria too.
getting thru the balcans was really nasty 4 me (2002), police in serbia and croatia, seeks for victims with the radar gun. u must to respect the speed limit in most of cases 40km/h... but u must 2 be careful from the cops in bulgaria too. they like to shoot the veichles with the radar, and then asking 4 money...
well, if u'll decide to do in that way let me know, when you'll arrive next to mandello del lario or milan (the place where i live), i'll be glad to have a talk and a beer or what else with another "crazy biker".

Thanks again for the new tips guys !

Martin, I'd found your website elsewhere, nice to find you on here as well.
When and If I get the time I'll be over for a glass of Rakia !

Hi,

I went through France into Italy via the Mont Blanc tunnel, spent a bit of time in Italy, went to the Dolomites (awesome!) and along an amazing road throught the Alps to Austria, out of Austria into Slovenia, from there into Hungary, then south through Romania and into Bulgaria. It's a good trip and none of the borders are especially problematical.

Matt

I have done a lot of riding in Europe and have in one way or another done both these routes you are thinking of. It has been three years since my last trip to be fair but I can't imagine that much has changed. I would forget about the dollars if I was you, Euro will be accepted most anywhere and is easily changed in any of the Eastern European Countries with a standard rate. The dollar will change constantly so you are never quite sure where you stand with it at the moment.

If you want to sail from Bari, Italy to Greece it couldn't be easier. Totally hassle free and loads of help on the ferry to secure your bike from other riders if you don't know what your doing, which I didn't. The language barrier is not a problem anywhere either but particularly in the Eastern European countries just learning even how to say please and thank you will make a huge difference to how you are treated. They really don't expect you to know any words so it's a good idea in my book.

No worries at border crossings either as there is none in the west and a quick flash of your passport in the new Euro states is enough. Once you hit Serbia, Bosnia, Romania and Bulgaria etc you will need proof of insurance only. A green card can be easily gotten from your insurance company at home for no extra charge I imagine and if there is some countries where they wont cover you eg, Serbia and Kosovo right now then it can be bought at the boarder.

If I can be of any help to you with anything just let me know. You'll have a blast.

PJ.