East Europe

[foxuk]

I'm trying to plan a trip around east europe next year for me and my brother. We only have two weeks for the holiday so I would be very interested in location ideas from veteran travellers of these countries. It would also be great to know areas to avoid 

So please let me know if you have come accross a great road, a good piece of architecture or a fun town.

Paul

[The Speeding Stag]

Paul have a look on here, a fountain  of knowledge with ref to world travel.

http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/intro

East europe

http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/hubb/route-planning/eastern-europe-1984?highlight=east+europe

Tony

[darrenlupton]

I'm trying to plan a trip around east Europe next year for me and my brother. We only have two weeks for the holiday so I would be very interested in location ideas from veteran travellers of these countries. It would also be great to know areas to avoid

So please let me know if you have come across a great road, a good piece of architecture or a fun town.

Paul

I've just got back from a trans-european trip (8146 miles in 19 days) and Eastern Europe was the best part of the trip.

Estonia, Latvia & Lithuania - The driving is mental - no other words for it, there are no rules just loose guidelines. You've really got to embrace it to enjoy it. Speed limits are only there to keep the sign makers in a job, nothing else - no one takes the blind bit of notice of them. The people are just great, relay helpfull and the girlies are mostly beautifully.  The main roads are generally good, European money has been helping to get them upto a really good standard (you can ride from Tallinn to Warsaw in a day - if the fancy takes you), but watch out in the towns, I came across a few missing man hole covers!!

Poland, the driving is just live the Baltic states - mental!  Watch out on the main roads for the Prozzies, they are quite stunning from a distance (never got close to one mind).  The people are really helpfull - I stayed at a roadside cafe/hotel thing and the guy put his lawn mower out in the car park for the night so I could put my bike in his wood shed!!  The north east of the country has some really nice areas.

Not sure how far you're planning to go, but be carefull if you are planning to go to Romania - I rode the mountain pass from Timisoara down to Craiova and I can say with some conviction that the Varadero will not make it to the end alive! I rode this on a Yam XT660Z Tenere and the suspension was bottoming out on a number of occasions, the metal belly pan is dented, scored and now replaced! the tyres took a real hammering and I'm glad I had inner tubes as there are more cracks and cuts than you can count.  On entering Bulgaria I had numerous loose spokes, mind you I did have the best ride of my life, in a convoy with 8 - 12 UN trucks  (heading for Serbia) in the worst roads you have ever seen, more like a war zone than a road, and the driving is (again) crazy so you really have to push on or the others will squeeze past you at any opportunity (or not!). It's a lovely country, made me think about how lucky we are, lots of towns and villages still have wells for water! the people here were just brilliant too, considering they have very little.

If you are anywhere near Greece, there is another mountain road from Thessaloniki to Igoumenitsa that is just awesome, beats anything I've found in the Pyrenees or the Alps, 200 miles of mountain run with no let up - switch backs, hairpins you name it, it got it. At one point I was so high up that the villages below were hardly recognisable (just specs) - fantastic!

Happy to elaborate, if you want more just PM me.  Don't frequent this forum much these days.

[tomhowe]

In April this year we travelled (by car) from Scotland to Dracula's castle in Romania.   We went via Holland, Belgium, Luxemburg, France, Germany, Switzerland, Lichtenstein, Austria, Italy, Slovenia, Croatia, Hungary and into Romania.   Returned through Hungary, Slovak Republic, Poland, Germany and Holland.   Local beer was drunk in every country except France and Slovakia - we weren't in those countries long enough!

While we had a brilliant time, we did the trip (3,800 miles) in 14 days and obviously missed a lot due to trying to keep our daily mileage up.   Three weeks would have been better and more relaxed.   I'd like to do the trip again on the Vara, but definitely not to a 14 day timetable.

Highlights - and there were so many - include travelling through the Black Forest area, the Alps, the old city jail in Ljubljana, Slovenia which is now a superb hostel, and the pubs all around the old jail yard! having Hungarian goulash in a Tesco store cafe in Hungary, the absolutely mingin roads and drivers in Romania - unbelievable!   In Poland we stopped overnight in Oswiecim and visited Auschwitz camp which left us rather subdued, and two nights in Berlin - not to be missed.

Places to go - so many, really depends on what you want from your trip (and remember, it's your trip), places to avoid - probably Romanian roads, they were unbelievably bad and the standard of driving is desperately dangerous!

Just don't underestimate distances, it can look an easy trip on a map, but the reality when covering distance on the ground can be quite different.

[Arex]

Apologize for my language. I'm not native English speaker.
But maybe I have a few information for that topic 
Origin I'm from Poland so that part of Europe is well known for me.

It's a few beautyfull places in Poland an Lithuania to see.
In Poland you should see the Baltic coast and Gdansk. If you would like go to Lithuania you probably will ride through place called Mazury (Northeast part of Poland). A lot of forests and lakes. Small and really big. I like that part. Of course south of Poland have the nice places too. Mountains Tatry, Karpaty, Bieszczady. All of them is different type and all is brilliant. From city's I recommended Krakow not Warsaw  <noway> Oswiecim if you like history. But beware. Oswiecim is really depressing place. believe me.
Roads in Poland - hmm. Vara is good choice.
I strongly recommend take the SatNav for that trip. Sometimes road sings is not the strongest side  . You know what I mean.

On Lithuania (I visit that country few times) I recommend to see Vilnius, Trokije, Klaipėda. It's a beauty place too.

If you or somebody have the another questions about Poland (trip, places anything) feel free to PM me.

[LazyRider]

 I'd like to do the trip again on the Vara, but definitely not to a 14 day timetable.


Just don't underestimate distances, it can look an easy trip on a map, but the reality when covering distance on the ground can be quite different.

Many of us introduce ourselves to continental touring by putting in big daily mileages and just ticking places off on the map.    

Having got that out of our system I suggest it is better to choose a place you would like to visit, put in a couple of really big mileage days then spend 3/4 days at a couple of locations in one area, then do a couple of more big mileage days to get home.

To me, this is one of the big benefits of going to VIM's.   They take you into areas one may not have thought of and having one specific place to head for, I find it concentrates the mind and make big mileage days easier.

[darrenlupton]

Just don't underestimate distances, it can look an easy trip on a map, but the reality when covering distance on the ground can be quite different.

Here here.

the road rarely go in the direction you want to go

I suggest it is better to choose a place you would like to visit, put in a couple of really big mileage days then spend 3/4 days at a couple of locations in one area, then do a couple of more big mileage days to get home.

Having done it for 19 days, I'm going to agree with Barry here. Blasting through somewhere is a great way to build up a list of the places you want to go back to, for me it will be Romania I think, although any one of the old Eastern European Countries would be great.  Maybe the Ukraine would be good too.......

[Craig67]

I would love to do the long europe trips. I have three five six main worries
1. Petrol. How available is it?
2. Money. Costing a trip out first and knowing how much things will be.
3. Health. what happens if the gremlins get hold of me.
4. Law and order. Are the Police trust worthy or are the people trust worthy?
5. Breakdowns. Does the RAC get to you within the hour?
6. Boarders. Do I have to bribe people?

I know they may sound silly, but I'm sure I'm not the only one who has these sorts of things rattling around in their thoughts.

[Tarwdu]

I think that you worry too much.
Just go ahead and do it.
Having gone to Hungary this year for VIM, I also went to Slovenia,Croatia and Bosnia.  Beleive me, it puts your feet back on the ground and to see how kind and friendly people can be.  I stopped at a petrol station in Slovenia one evening and stayed in a chalet for 12 euros.  Spoke to the owner who had perfect english and ended up going hunting wild boar with him.  People would pay hundreds of pounds for this experience.
Stopped at a pub/hotel on the Austrian border.  25 euros for B&B. It turned out to be a meeting place for local bikers. What a fantastic night.

I am thinking about the trip to Turkey next year.  Part of the journey is the planning, and I am getting excited already.  Some have reservations about their safety in the balkans, others about ferry times and routes etc.

Just DO IT.

[Mark H]

1. Petrol. How available is it?

Everywhere, no worries.

2. Money. Costing a trip out first and knowing how much things will be.

Take a credit card (or two just in case one gets stopped)

3. Health. what happens if the gremlins get hold of me.

Same as happens here. Get travel insurance and you can't go too far wrong.

4. Law and order. Are the Police trust worthy or are the people trust worthy?

Yes - people are generally good the world over. Even (or especially) the ones that look dodgy on the TV.

5. Breakdowns. Does the RAC get to you within the hour?

Who cares?

6. Boarders. Do I have to bribe people?

Not many borders in Europe....

[darrenlupton]

I would love to do the long europe trips. I have three five six main worries
1. Petrol. How available is it?
2. Money. Costing a trip out first and knowing how much things will be.
3. Health. what happens if the gremlins get hold of me.
4. Law and order. Are the Police trust worthy or are the people trust worthy?
5. Breakdowns. Does the RAC get to you within the hour?
6. Boarders. Do I have to bribe people?

I know they may sound silly, but I'm sure I'm not the only one who has these sorts of things rattling around in their thoughts.

I'm gonna agree with Tarwdu here and just do it, however a couple of months ago I had similar worries, the bigest being over local currency!

Like Mark said, Petrol - everywhere, not everywhere takes credit cards and there aren't may currency changing places, but there are ATM's, you just end up with a pile of money you can't get rid of when you move from country to country (mind you I've a pile of notes an inch thick - worth a whole ?12.63!!)

Costs?. depends on what you spend.... stupid answer I know but if you like nice hotels it's gona cost more.

Health - like Mark says, make sure you've insurance and take your Health Card with you (used to be E111)

Covered 8146miles, 24 countries and the first person I didn't trust was a Chav in a filling station in Newcastle! Peopel are generally good and very helpfull - nothing like the UK where they'll nick your ride home given half a chance

The RAC do Zone 2 cover for Eastern EEC countries, cost about ?100, they will get you home if needed.

There are Borders in Europe, but sometimes you'll be hard pressed to find them!  Most border posts are closed down and you drive straight through, I did get stopped going into (and out of) Romania, and Bulgaria but noware else. And there was some dodgy goings on at the Romania/Bulgaria border where you have to cross the Danube, I just kept my head down, waited for the ferry and said nowt.  It's only ever a case of showing your passport and carrying on through, except, yes you've guessed it, Newcastle!  Had to tell the guy where I lived, my name, Date of Birth and where I'd been - Oh and he insisted I remove my lid!!

I did get stopped for speeding in Bulgaria, had no idea what the guy was saying, I just kept speaking in English and eventually he let me go!

Don't worry about the continent, it's worse here in the UK!!

I'm planning a trip for 2010 (May/June time) to go to Nordcapp (top of Norway) to Gibraltar - top to bottom of Continental Europe.  This time I'm not going alone! anyone fancies it, they are welcome to come along.

[LazyRider]

I would love to do the long europe trips. I have three five six main worries
1. Petrol. How available is it?
2. Money. Costing a trip out first and knowing how much things will be.
3. Health. what happens if the gremlins get hold of me.
4. Law and order. Are the Police trust worthy or are the people trust worthy?
5. Breakdowns. Does the RAC get to you within the hour?
6. Boarders. Do I have to bribe people?

I know they may sound silly, but I'm sure I'm not the only one who has these sorts of things rattling around in their thoughts.

You are right, people do worry about such things.   Every time I get back from a trip, people, including other bikers, ask me 'you when where?   On your own?

Having toured Western Europe for many years I have found the infrastructure very familiar to the UK.   Petrol (except on Sundays and Bank Holidays), Breakdowns, Law and Order, Health, is very much like it is in the UK.   No great surprises.  With Boarders and currency now taken out of the equation, movement is much easier.

In he event of an accident, things will be out of your hands and you will be taken to the nearest A&E and receive good treatment.   In the case of an illness, the local doctor will attend you, quickly and efficiently - you may have to pay say ?20.00 + the cost of any prescription.   If you need to be hospitalised, it will be straight into the nearest NH hospital.

The only personal experience of this was my wife braking her hip whilst skiing.  Helicopter off the slopes, operation to pin her hip, 10 days in a very nice hospital.   It cost me just ?10.00 for the crutches because we were taking them out of the country!

Borders outside the EU - Eastern Europe and Turkey - can be a bit scary, but it is mainly the language problem and not knowing what to do with the various bits of paper they give you.
There is little point in asking the official who gave them to you, unless you speak the language!

I normally take them to the nearest policeman or border guard and shrug my shoulders.  They will normally point to one of the pieces of paper and point to where to take it.  From then on it is a matter of presenting pieces of paper to various official so they can stamp them or relieve you of them.

Many locals in Romania and Turkey spoke of bribing officials, but I think it is only relevant if you speak the language.   If a policeman or official wishes to rip off a foreigner who cant speak the language there are easier ways of doing it. 

I must say I have never experienced this and in Eastern Turkey, you pass through both military and police road blocks on entering and leaving virtually every major town.   It can play havoc with your itinerary as all they want to do is give you tea and chat about the bike.

Breaking down whilst abroad can be a problem - or as I prefer to think of it, an experience .   To get an emergency service you really need to be able to speak the local language.  I have broken down on two occasions.  First in France, where a local biker stopped and I asked him to phone the emergency service.   They took about 40 minutes to arrive, sorted me out and gave me a bill for ?50.00 - later my breakdown insurance reimbursed me.   
The second time was in Turkey.  I couldn't contact my breakdown insurance company in the UK.  But the 'locals' soon sorted me out with transport for the bike.  Eventually Honda Turkey, repaired the bike and reimbursed me the cost of the truck - all under warranty.

Money and costing a trip can be a problem.  Touring by bike is not a cheap holiday.   Do not expect to have any change out of ?100.00 a day.

When touring abroad, if you do not speak the language, you are virtually deaf, dumb and illiterate!

That's what I like about it, the lack of control, the uncertainty, the vulnerability.   It gives you the opportunity to experience how nice most people are.

[tomhowe]

I would love to do the long europe trips. I have three five six main worries
1. Petrol. How available is it?
2. Money. Costing a trip out first and knowing how much things will be.
3. Health. what happens if the gremlins get hold of me.
4. Law and order. Are the Police trust worthy or are the people trust worthy?
5. Breakdowns. Does the RAC get to you within the hour?
6. Boarders. Do I have to bribe people?

Hi Craig,
            Everyone's supplied you with straightforward, sensible advice.   All I'd add is money: cost everything out at UK prices, usually everything's cheaper everywhere else!   Bribes: don't even think about it - everywhere when we spoke to border guards and cops they were as correct and official as here, and I wouldn't dream of trying to bribe my way out of a situation with a Scottish cop!   Everything else: don't bother worrying, the uncertainty's part of the fun!   Relax and enjoy your trip.

[Phoenix Drum]

I'm a bit  :uglystupid2:

but anybody done any o this on a XL 1&25?

I'd love to!!

[darrenlupton]

I'm a bit  :uglystupid2:

but anybody done any o this on a XL 1&25?

I'd love to!!

Go for it, there's no reason at all why you couldn't.  Lois Pryce did London to Cape Town on a TT250 (and Alaska to Chille on a 225 Serow) ....... it just takes a bit longer, thats all.