UE to Mongolia

[ex-xt]

Hi folks
Like the well known " Ptiluc" ( you may find some informations in the magazine " motomag)" from FRANCE)
http://www.lecourrierderussie.com/so...russie-soudes/
i would like to ride one way from europe to Mongolia through Russia ( Il learnt it at school but have to practice a lot , can only read verbs at the moment ).
I had seen here that it might be possible to sell the bike there . And fly back . it a solution .
Another one is to take the train .
I made a very big trip long ago and a little last year .
So the day ride wont be so long for me .
and i enjoy both bivouac and hotel , and , far beyond everything , to meet people
to hear from you , riders !

[crisidsto]

When would you like to sell your bike in Mongolia? Which month?
What kind of bike?

[ex-xt]

Hi cristido
thank you for your fast answer ( a sportbike ?? )
Right now my bike would be a 400 Drz equipped for it
IMS 15 L
GLoop , and so , now 9000 km.
the month ? I dont know, no pals yet ( no serious i mean ) , may be summer or september ?

[truecolors]

Hi,
Could you be more precise regarding your tentative travel date?
I'll be heading that way from Switzerland, but via Balkans, Turkey and the Caucasus. I rode quite a lot in Western Russia last 2 years and it's very very straight and flat.
Thanks.

[ex-xt]

Hi truecolors
For the moment i am just "exploring" the possibilities ( so good retex will be welcome ) .
It seems more easy to ride through Russia directly : lesse borders, visas and so .
The time might be summer or june maybe ( if i can find an invitation of a russian m-cycle club)

[truecolors]

Good afternoon ex-xt,

Regarding visas:
- Turkey: online visa for Turkey needed. This is very quick and done online.
- Russia: I have used Real Russia (type "Real Russia visa" in google search-bar to find it) for the visa for the last years. Enter your details online, pay online and get the required letter of invitation typically within 24h. Then get all your documents together, submit them and, 10 days later max you have your visa. The process is really very quick. I never had any problems and everyone has always been helpful.
- Georgia/Armenia: no visa required.
- Mongolia: application direct with the consulate, no more visa free trade since January 2016 for EU passport holders unfortunately.
- Crossing the balkan and East Europe borders is all very easy and straightforward.
The most exotic crossing to get in Transdnistria which can be unpredictable, and best avoided if possible.
- Ukraine: no visa required. I travelled 4 times across the Ukrainian border to Russia via Kharkiv - Belgorod. That turned out to be a fairly painful process in the best case (6 hours wait in the rain) and downright awful in the worst case (6h and no rain wait then taking apart all my luggage twice and searching all my pockets on the Ukrainian side).

It was easier to cross via the baltic states which I then did to avoid the Ukrainian border crossing, but it is a very long detour. Unless you want to see St Petersburg, Moscow, etc, it is really a lot of mileage (on dead straight roads).

Bear in mind that western Russia is really quite flat. Endless straight roads. Even the clouds don't seem to have changed at all after 1,000km. There are some interesting unpaved road/piste opportunity by traveling away from the highway, but the distances are quite enormous; Having enough fuel was a bit stressful with the R1200GS at times.

I'll be taking off around mid-may from Switzerland.

If you'd like to explore further kindly let me know?