old silk route / eurasia / middle east 2022
 

Hello Everyone!

I'm starting my trip the 15th of april from the Netherlands to Siberia or south east Asia, depending on current and future land border (covid / geo political) situations. Not sure about the exact route, but it could look something like this ;

Plan A to Siberia : Netherlands , Germany, Austria , Italy, Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia , Serbia, Montenegro, Kosovo, Albania, Greece, Bulgaria, Turkey, Iran, Armenia, Georgia, Azerbaijan, Kazachstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Mongolia, Siberia, South Korea, Japan
Plan B to SE Asia : Netherlands , Germany, Austria , Italy, Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia , Serbia, Montenegro, Kosovo, Albania, Greece, Bulgaria, Turkey, Seria, Iraq, Iran, Pakistan, India , Nepal, Myanmar, Indonesia.

Started dreaming and planning the big trip 7 years ago with 2 good friends. Now they both have kids and i will be doing the trip solo ha ha . But it would be cool to do some riding with other people! Let me know if you are interested in joining forces on some parts!

Also regarding reliable up to date border situations on this route, i will create a thread in the 'route planning' topic.

Greetings and looking forward meeting you on the road!

Pete ( social meda : good_life_pd )

nice plans, I wanted to do Magadan, Mongolia but as for today boarder with Russia is off limits. I hope that will change. What do you ride?

Hey Tremens,

Hopefully i can give you some good news tomorrow. Going to the russian visa centre to check if my work visa got excepted. Will double check again about border situations. But last time i got some information from boots on the ground (kazach travel agent and russian travel / visa agency) there was nothing about Russian land borders being shut down for a dutchie like me on my route. Where and when did you got your last info about land borders being closed.

I'm driving a Yamaha xt 660 z Tenere. Modified a bit and deffinitly in for some off road adventures ! Magadan you say huh... old summer road : ) ? Road of bones is on my list (as well), only looking for a partner in crime !

Warm greetings from rainy Netherlands, Pieter

I must say, I am amazed that you are proposing to go to Russia in the next few months unless you are going in some sort of official capacity.
You do know that you kicked out 17 Russian diplomats today and you have given weapons to Ukraine?
It is, of course, only my opinion but things are going to get very, very messy in Russia soon. The crime and wildness of the 90's will look like a child's game compared to what is going to happen. The sanctions will have an effect on Russia's military machine but they will not achieve their other aim which is to turn the population against Putin. Instead, as I feared, a rabid anti Western sentiment is brewing which Putin will use ruthlessly. I have spent a lot of time all over the former CIS and I have updated stickers on my bike with 2022 on them for a trip I've been waiting to do since covid appeared but there is no way I would contemplate it at the moment!
You are a brave man!

I'm riding the same bike :) Magadan, Mongolia was my dream trip which unfortunately I was putting away each year until we got what we got now.
I'm currently in Poland and as far as I know there is no entry from here.

What you mean with no entry from Poland exactly? If you are planning to go in the next couple of weeks, let's stay in touch for sure. If you have social media add me on ; good_life_pd

@ GPZ ; It is, hopefully, indeed only your opinion ha ha ; ) But thanks for your reply for sure. The world and people on it in itself aint such a bad place, but sometimes you do can get unlucky of course. Hopefully i won't.

And to add something responsable ; ) .... I will check the status of the situation when i will enter mongolia, if i continu my travels to japan true Siberia. With check i mean; speaking with various russian contacts / friends , checking the latest news updates and embassie situation (if it's a red zone marked by the dutch goverment for travelers, insurances dont work, what is a real shit situation of course and probably a no go for me), etc.

UPDATE: Today i went to the russian visa centre in the hague (netherlands) and there the lovelee lady handed me over my passport with a awesoem new stamp, my 12 month multiple entry work visa . Ok, if it will be valid when i arrive at the border is something else, but for now, it's another win i would say ; )

I admire your optimism, if nothing else ;) Good luck and do keep us informed of how you get on :scooter:

how did you get work visa? do you work there?

I will call my Russian embassy but on official Polish government site it states except for work related cases there is not entry for tourists.

Do you really mean a work visa? Surely it's a business visa?

This always used to be the only way of getting a 90 day double entry visa. RealRussia could get them no trouble, you just had to make up some business reason. Then extended tourist visas became available, then Ukraine happened, god knows where we are now. But it'll be an interesting one to watch if our friend gets over, not to mention gauging the reaction of the Russian people along the way to westerners.

Nice plan. I advice plan B. How long you planing to travel? Also question are you coming back on bike or your plan is to ship? I just moved to NL and this date is to close to organize :(
Good luck!

@ tremens : sorry, i used the wrong word , excuse e moi. It's a business visa, you are right eurasiaoverland. Valid for 1 year. Multiple entry.

@tomkat : yeah it will be interesting for sure, hope a bit of luck is on my side. And hopefully the siberian people are as nice and non violent as i heard they where ; )

@pa3Q : plan B was not a option anymore because the moment i got my pasport back from russia embassy there was not enough time to get the plan b visa game started before my departure date (15th of april). I will probably ship my bike back from vladivostok or put it on a container in ulan bataar depending on various situations.

https://www.bikeandphoto.ru/

Absolutely recommended.

Anatoly's travels have left me absolutely wanting to visit Siberia. Not in winter though!