Just an idea of a route around the Baltic whilst dabbling with Google Maps which I eventually seem to be getting the hang of. I'd welcome any comments on this route although I'd like to pass through Kaliningrad, mainly out of curiousity.

Calais, France to Calais, France - Google Maps

Paul, I'm halfway through reading a book by Mike Carter called 'Uneasy Rider'. Published by Ebury Press in 2008, therefore the content is reasonably up-to-date.

The first half of the book covers the author’s (Mike’s) travels – on a BMW R1200GS (but we’ll forgive him for that, eh?!) – broadly around the Skandinavian /Baltic route that you have in mind.

It’s a cracking read, very funny indeed. Every chapter is literally making me laugh out loud.

I recommend you consider getting a copy out of your library for (a) the information content; and (b) Mike’s brilliant wit and humour.

All the best

Keith

PS – According to his story, Mike C is also a member of this forum.

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Keef

I have the book and recently read it. I also read another of his books about a bicycle ride around the coastline of the UK. He had a talk at HUBB but was on at the same time as Thingy so I missed him. Yes, he's a very funny writer and I throughly enjoyed his books. In fact I bought at least SIX books at HUBB and am into my second one.

I'll be starting a similar trip in 1 week. You can follow us on Facebook: 2 motorbikes 2 Russia

Thanks, I will.

Paul

How long are you planning to take to do this route? I'm doing something similar in August but will go up to Hammerfest in Norway - and am planning on 5 weeks UK to UK.

PS Mike Carters talk at HUBB was excellent.

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George

I have no set time as I am retired so can take as long or short a time as I want. In fact, although I must look into the cost of this, I may get a single ticket on the Dover/Calais ferry and after the completion of the trip, simply turn up and buy another single ticket. When I've done long trips in the past, I really hated the knowledge that I just had to get back in time for the return sailing.

It may mean also that I won't fit the trip in this year - we are off to Spain in four weeks in the 2CV - so it may have to wait until next spring for the better weather. As my R100GS-PD is nearing completion, I MUST get a decent ride in this autumn though.

Hi
Dont forget that there is a ferry from Kiel to Klapedia (Lt ) takes about 22 hrs . Have just used it and it cost £25 one way for the bike . you can then sleep on either a reclining chair ( room full of drunk smelly russians ) or book a cabin . You have to secure your own bike , there are straps but we only worked out how they operated when we attached the last one If you do take that route then stay at Palanga which is just up the road . The season there is june to august and its full of fit females , who are Very forward !!
If you need any info about Lt , Lv , Est or Poland ( if you go that way ) pm me . I took three weeks off work and did all four - about 4K in total . Fuel in the Baltics was around 90p a litre , whilst Poland was around £1.10 .
Lot of police radar in Lt - usually in the 70Km zones . As for the roads

OMG - just looked at your route . You are going to love the road from the border of Lt into Lv !!!! There are two different ways to go and they are both totally fuxxed . You should visit the masurian region its stunning . As for your trip it seems i have covered most of it mine - as i said feel free to pm me

Well my planned trip around the Baltic is only eight weeks away now. This week I booked the Dover/Calais ferry - a single crosssing for £18 as I don't know nor care when I return - for Tuesday 24 June at 0640hrs. I'll be arriving back from the HU meeting on Sunday afternoon for a planned BBQ with family and friends, then a day to get over it.

I have joined the YHA as staying in hostels will be the cheapest method, and no, after last year's sleepless nights at the HU meeting, that was the end of my years of sleepkess camping.

So the plan is to ride north west through France, Belgium, Holland, and Denmark aiming to take two days to reach the ferry terminal at Hertshals, then over to Kristiansand.

My R100GS-Paris Dakar is now finally pretty much ready to go although I needed to whip out the gearbox and take it to Jim Cray to have the input and output oil seals replaced. The output seal in particular had leaked sufficiently for the oil to run down the inside of the (dry) swinging arm and leak out of the bottom gaiter. I found about half a cupful in there. There's still a tiny amount of play in the back wheel which I think will be OK - I've done 1,600 miles since the rebuild - but there's still a bit of roughness at low revs which I feel must be the carbs out of balance.

I was down at Chris Tunbridge's workshop the other day and met Paul who is travelling to Scandinavia about the same time as me but whilst I shall clip to top of the Baltic before swinging down through Finland, he plans to ride to the Nord Cap then back through Finland. When I reach Poland, I shall head home across Germany whilst he is continuing south through the Balkans and heading for Morocco.

So all in all, my plans are going to, err, plan. I have paper maps so won't be fitting the GPS. I have added European Recovery to my insurance and bought medical insurance. Cltothing is the same stuff I've been wearing for years as it still functions but my new(ish) Arai Tour-X helmet is a revelation, it's so snug and comfortable. I don't even need earplugs as it's so quiet. Whilst I prefer and open face helmet, the PD is more exposed and blustery than my Gentleman's Express (the Pan) to I'll appreciate the comfort.

My wife thinks I need an iPad but it seems to me to be even more modern technological stuff to clutter up my life with. I am unsure what to do.

I am unsure as whether or not to write a blog. It seems many of you have ridden further and to more exotic places so what is the point?

Thanks for the advice received so far and keep it coming.

Dom, I've just finished your excellent book this morning and about to start another.

Paul, Glad you liked it.

Might I suggest to have a blog - at least put some photos up so other people can see what you've done and where you've been.

Good luck with the rest of the planning and the trip itself.

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Paul, You should have plently of carrying capacity riding solo. An iPad or netbook won't take-up much space.

I would be interested in reading your account of the trip. I might want to go myself one day. Moreover, a blog - with plenty of pictures (please) - is a good way to preserve and share the memories. There's always the dreaded Facebook, which a lot of travellers use to record their journeys.

If you find blogging 'on the road' too time consuming, which it definitely can be, then compose and post it all up on t’internet when you get back home.

See you in June - nearly 'next month' now – at the HUBB UK Meet.

All the best

Keith

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I agree with ,Keith. Wifi will be widely available and it shouldn't take long to post a couple of sentences and some photos. And LOTS of people will be keen to see what you're up to!

I found writing a blog really helped me think about what I'd seen/ done etc. And I'd never have written a book if I hadn't written a blog. So you never know where it might lead.

Dom

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I wrote a blog when I did a US Coast-to-Coast ride in 2002 but later the thing disappeared into the ether with apologies from the people. I lost the lot, words and pictures. I did another on my return US ride in 2006 and this is still around - somewhere.

On the second trip, I wrote a journal each evening after the day's ride and even stuck in mini-maps, bus tickets and odds and ends. I then used this as an aide-memoir when I could find a computer terminal. Internet cafés are not at all popular in the States. I think Las Vegas had just one as did Washington DC. I still read bits of my 2006 journal and it brings back happy memories of what was the greatest and most enjoyable trip of my life on two wheels - three months and 17,000 miles.

I suppose the big difference with my forthcoming trip is going to be currency. The US was just dollars and a credit card. Few of the Scandinavian countries have euros so this will mean changing cash at each border.

I am fascinated by Kaliningrad, the Russian exclave, as it seems UK citizens are allowed 48hrs there without a Russian visa. The Curonian Spit looks fascinating, a bit like Chesil Bank, and it seems as I can reach it by a bridge or ferry at it's northern end at Klaipeda, but I wonder if I would be permitted entry into Kaliningrad at it's southern end. More research to do.

Yes Keith, I'm also looking forward to seeing you at the HU event and the real ale. I will need to get a taxi though back to my B&B in Donington each evening.

One mod I need to do with my Paris Dakar is to make a small shield for the cut-out switch. When turning the bars on full lock with a tank bag fitted, the switch is easily (and embarassingly) switch on-able ;-)