I'm no expert in either place, but will share what I know:

Romania is great and has lot to see; I can't do it justice so won't try! But Transylvania is pretty awesome, and the Danube Delta sounds great, although I had to scratch a planned visit to there. Then there's always the Transfagaran highway (LOL, have no idea how to spell it).

Bulgaria, on the other hand, didn't do much for me. Couldn't find a room in Sophia, although I didn't try too hard before losing interest. Plovdiv is nothing exciting at all. I was on the Black Sea Coast in early May a few years ago, and it was...odd. Totally deserted at that time of year, and towns were either totally over-developed or totally non-developed (ie, no where to stay, etc). Unless you love tourist traps or do some research to find somewhere nice, at this time of year I bet the coast is a nightmare--I would not assume, as I did, that you'll find a nice place just by driving along the coast.

You might want to visit Motocamp, a, well, moto camp in Bulgaria. Supposedly lots of bikers stay there, but it was almost empty whenever I've been there. Honestly it's nothing special but a nice place to stay if you're in the area.

Then there's Buzludzha--the spaceship building:
https://www.cnn.com/travel/article/b...ent/index.html

Looked like a cool place to visit, so I tried to do it when I was in Bulgaria. Unfortunately there is a war memorial with the same name, and I selected that on my GPS...when I got there, I could see the spaceship on a mountaintop on the horizon but didn't have time to go at that point. :-(

If you're going to Bulgaria, you might want to consider Istanbul, it is right there and it pretty awesome. That said, traffic and navigation in Istanbul are kind of brutal, so be prepared for that if you go.

Anyway, have a great time!

For Romania, there are two famous mountain roads - the Transfagarasan and the Transalpina. The latter is actually an important transit route for "normal" traffic, so it's quite busy, although still very pretty. The former is a road from nowhere to nowhere (built by their dictator so he could send tanks across a mountain range in the event of an invasion), and it's pretty much just tourists.



There are also wonderful roads through national parks in the southwest. I can personally highly recommed Route 58 and 57B, and just nearby Route 66A also looks extremely promising.

In general, the Romanian countryside is cheap and beautiful. Open Google Maps, look at dark-green patches and find yellow squiggly lines through them. You won't be disappointed.

I've given up planning trips. Waste of time at the moment in my opinion, seeing as there is no sign of things improving globally. Russia currently has a record death rate from covid.

If things open up again for travel and are the same logistically as before, entering Russia with a vehicle is very easy. The only complication is if the vehicle is not in your name - they might (though they don't always) ask for a power of attorney. Easy to get in your home country.

Visas depend on nationality, but for me with an EU passport even a 1 year multi entry visa was pretty cheap and easy.

If you don't speak Russian, the country can be a bit daunting and it makes for a bit of a steep learning curve alongside adjusting to the (former) Soviet world, but that's all part of the fun. Russians are generally down-to-earth, very helpful and honest.

There are few countries in my opinion that can compare to Russia in terms of long drives, wilderness experiences and great scenery; Ukraine is very different. You can still have fun in Ukraine though - Kiev, Lviv and Odessa are all definitely worth visiting, and the Carpathians are great for hiking.

Turkey is fascinating, don't be mislead by tourist brochures into thinking it's just another tame Mediterranean destination - there is huge depth to the country. I've never taken the Georgia - Ukraine ferry, but have taken the Chornomorsk (Ukraine) to Haydarpasha (Istanbul) route. Arriving by ferry in Istanbul on a warm spring morning after months of deep winter in Russia and Ukraine is something I will never forget.

One day I will start planning a winter Mongolia trip via Russia!

EO

__________________
EurasiaOverland a memoir of one quarter of a million kilometres by road through all of the Former USSR, Western and Southern Asia.

I've been through Romania 4 or 5 times, and through Bulgaria twice.

I think Romania is the more interesting of the two. I suggest you avoid the larger cities (anything over 50,000 people) and stick to the countryside. The rural areas are really pleasant, and there is a good road network everywhere.

The bigger cities can be a bit depressing, and in some areas, kind of dangerous at night. The Roma (Romani, Gypsy, Zigeuner) people who gravitate to the cities do not do well there, and there is a lot of begging, which is depressing. The only time in my life that I was sure I was about to get mugged and had to run to escape happened in a medium size city in Romania in the early evening. Out in the rural areas, those folks do OK and are quite pleasant to interact with.

Bulgaria is a nice country, pleasant people, I think it is a bit more economically advanced than Romania, but it's a bit like riding in Saskatchewan, Canada: It's mostly flat, mostly wheat farming, and doesn't offer the geographical, cultural, and riding variety that Romania does.

If I remember correctly, the currency of both countries is not easily exchangeable once you get outside of the country (this because no-one wants it, not because it is controlled), so get rid of it before you leave the country.

Michael

No, and they wont open fast...

__________________
www.klausmotorreise.com

Thanks for all the tips guys! All really helpful! Im in Kosice in Slovakia, very prett area! Getting to Romania in a couple days! Weeeee!

Keep your wits about you if you are in big cities (over 50,000 people) in Romania.

I like Romania, it's a great place to ride, and out in the countryside and in small villages the people are kind and hospitable, but in the big cities, there are a lot of unsavoury people who are broke and hungry, and to them you are a walking (or riding) ATM.

Every hotel, guest house, or B&B will have some form of "locked up and secure" parking for overnight use, even if it is just putting your moto in the barn out back and parking the tractor in front of the barn door. Do not leave the moto outside overnight unattended.

Michael

To be honest, I always kept my bike out on the street and did not worry.
Even in Bucharest.

__________________
www.klausmotorreise.com

From what I understand you cannot cross russian borders on any vehicle, only airplanes and trains. This is confirmed by inmates btw

Maybe you are staying in good hotels.

I've stayed in hostel in Plzen on cheap side of the town and within 5min walking in and registering a guy came flying on yellow F650S to check out my ride; I think he got a call from pizza joint next door.

I complemented his ride and asked what year was it? he said no idea. Since the ignition switch was obviously broken in and hotwired, I didn't persue the matter. I'm glad hostel had gated parking for reasonable €5; I was ready to give up and look for another place.

Have been known to loose my passport and wallet on occasion (and leaving through a week without it in central asia) I would rather be safe than sorry.. just saying.