Announcements

**Forestwiz** · #1 21 Mar 2017

Planning the transiberian this summer..wondering some hidden gems or places to see/stop etc. lets say starting at lake Baikal,in direction EU
cheers guys

**maria41** · #2 21 Mar 2017

The federal highway is mind numbingly boring and not fun.

Side excursions I would suggest:

If you have several days:
Krasnoyarsk -> Kemerovo -> Leninsk-Kuznetskiy (stay at the hotel Victoriia and make sure to eat in the restaurant attached to it! You will understand when you get there and take your camera! – hotel non-descript standard). Continue south via Novokuznetsk and Sheregesh (ski resort) . From there you will finally hit the mountains.
Get to Gorno-Altaysk via Tashtagol. You could , on the way, ride to the north shore of Lake Teleskoye.

Most of that is paved.

From Gorno-Altaysk, explore the Altay. Get lost in the little roads. If you want a bit of a challenge, ride south to Aktash, then leave the M52 and ride to Ust-Ulagan, (the track is more challenging beyond this point) then continue on that track all the way to the spectacular Katu Yarik pass and down to the river and to south shore of Lake Teleskoye. Plenty of guest houses and campsites by the river side. Note this is a dead end and the only way to get to the north shore is by boat. There is not road beyond the lake.

On the West side of the M52, soon after Manzherok, you can cross the river and again, explore the Altai region. Plenty of villages and towns in the mountains that are worth exploring. Places like Soloneshnoye and all those “white roads”. Most are in reasonable conditions.

North of the highway, and before reaching Novosibirsk, I really recommend spending few days in the ancient town of Tomsk. It is a very pleasant university town with a good vibe and lots of old wooden Siberian houses still standing. Lovely place.

Enjoy Siberia.

**Forestwiz** · #3 21 Mar 2017

thanks for this Maria.sounds like I should get out of Mongolia west ,at Ulgii, and skip Baikal (my original plan) .It actually makes lot more sense.definetly a shorter way.
distances are great. more than what looks like on the map..

and I have about 2 and 1/2 months from the China/Mongolia border to get to Europe/Italy

Edit :time to travel 2 and 1/2 months

Quote:

Originally Posted by maria41

The federal highway is mind numbingly boring and not fun.

Side excursions I would suggest:

If you have several days:
Krasnoyarsk -> Kemerovo -> Leninsk-Kuznetskiy (stay at the hotel Victoriia and make sure to eat in the restaurant attached to it! You will understand when you get there and take your camera! – hotel non-descript standard). Continue south via Novokuznetsk and Sheregesh (ski resort) . From there you will finally hit the mountains.
Get to Gorno-Altaysk via Tashtagol. You could , on the way, ride to the north shore of Lake Teleskoye.

Most of that is paved.

From Gorno-Altaysk, explore the Altay. Get lost in the little roads. If you want a bit of a challenge, ride south to Aktash, then leave the M52 and ride to Ust-Ulagan, (the track is more challenging beyond this point) then continue on that track all the way to the spectacular Katu Yarik pass and down to the river and to south shore of Lake Teleskoye. Plenty of guest houses and campsites by the river side. Note this is a dead end and the only way to get to the north shore is by boat. There is not road beyond the lake.

On the West side of the M52, soon after Manzherok, you can cross the river and again, explore the Altai region. Plenty of villages and towns in the mountains that are worth exploring. Places like Soloneshnoye and all those “white roads”. Most are in reasonable conditions.

North of the highway, and before reaching Novosibirsk, I really recommend spending few days in the ancient town of Tomsk. It is a very pleasant university town with a good vibe and lots of old wooden Siberian houses still standing. Lovely place.

Enjoy Siberia.

**maria41** · #4 21 Mar 2017

The Altai is very beautiful and becoming a very big holiday destination for Russians, so more and more accommodation and facilities are being built. We saw the difference during our last 3 visits (2014, 2015 and 2016).

There is also a lot to do and explore if you have time.

**Forestwiz** · #5 23 Mar 2017

Hi Maria ,any other tips beside the Altai? going west to Europe?
thanks

**Nuff Said** · #6 23 Mar 2017

The towns I stop at on route to Finland from east Rusian was.
Chita, Irkutsk, Tyhyh Krasnoyarsk, Omsk, Tyumen, Ufa, Kazan (great town), Moscow, St Petersburg,
Need to keep to the main road due to bike limitation.

**Forestwiz** · #7 23 Mar 2017

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nuff Said

The towns I stop at on route to Finland from east Rusian was.
Chita, Irkutsk, Tyhyh Krasnoyarsk, Omsk, Tyumen, Ufa, Kazan (great town), Moscow, St Petersburg,
Need to keep to the main road due to bike limitation.

I see

..I am quiet sure there should be a chance to change tires (if need) on the long stretch between Moscow and Altai ?
thanks

**maria41** · #8 23 Mar 2017

Hi Sergio,

You don’t say your time frame for the trip?

Riding from Irkutsk to Moscow and Europe is not fun as most of it will have to be riding the federal highway.
Personally I usually avoid big towns during my travels. This is for 2 reasons: I can visit them as a tourist and it is much more pleasant, less hassle about what to do with the bike, bike gear etc… Also, to avoid the insane and crazy traffic. I hate riding in big towns.
So my itinerary last year, exploring Russia took me away from the main roads as much as possible. There are lots of interesting places to visit but big distances in between and not much more than forest for long days. You can read my ride report in my website (www.franglais-riders.com).

If you have plenty of time, why not go via the Silk Road? There is so much to see and explore? IF you do not want visa expenses and hassle, for Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan you do not need a visa (depending on your passport) and for Tajikistan you can do it on line. I explored that region last year and in 2014 and it was well worth it.

If you remain in Russia, from Irkutsz to Moscow you will need to use part of the federal highway. Going up to Perm you can then stick to secondary and less busy roads.
North West of Russia there are interesting places but it will take you off the beaten track and often rather north. Depends where you want to get into Europe? Via Estonia, Finland, Ukraine? Again, my ride reports have lots of photos and maps.

Regions and republics north of Moscow have interesting towns. But it is for you to decide it is worth the detour? Most of the landscape, once you leave the Altai is flat, except for the Urals mountains. But there, as the infrastructure is pretty much no existent, exploring the Komi republic would be a big challenge.
And the town themselves, like Syktyvkar or Ukhta are industrial towns.

I can suggest few interesting places we liked: Veliky Ustyug, Petrozavodsk , visit Khizi (Island in lake Onega). I failed to make it to the Solovetsky islands (toward Murmansk peninsula) last year, because of the horrendous weather… But it is on the list! Around Lake Ladoga was very nice and touristic but, once again the weather was horrendous last year, so we just passed. Worth exploring the area maybe.

For maintenance and parts you may stop at Алтай-МОТО, in Manzherok (30 km from Gorno-Altaysk). The staff speak English and there should be someone there all the time. They also have lots of rooms for guests, so, if there is no tour ending or starting on that day, they may be able to accommodate you. Best phone of email them in that case. Also same for parts. They have a huge workshop with all tools. I am sure you can use the tools if you ask nicely and get help from their mechanic. Keep in mind this is a company organising motorcycle tours. They are very happy to get travellers stopping though and super friendly but may not have the parts you need, but they can help.

And of course, everyone stops for maintenance and tyres in Osh (Kyrgyzstan) at Patrick’s house (muztoo.ch) if you go that way (and really you should, especially if you like mountains!).

I am sure you will have an amazing trip!

**Forestwiz** · #9 24 Mar 2017

Quote:

Originally Posted by maria41

Hi Sergio,

You don’t say your time frame for the trip?

Riding from Irkutsk to Moscow and Europe is not fun as most of it will have to be riding the federal highway.
Personally I usually avoid big towns during my travels. This is for 2 reasons: I can visit them as a tourist and it is much more pleasant, less hassle about what to do with the bike, bike gear etc… Also, to avoid the insane and crazy traffic. I hate riding in big towns.
So my itinerary last year, exploring Russia took me away from the main roads as much as possible. There are lots of interesting places to visit but big distances in between and not much more than forest for long days. You can read my ride report in my website (www.franglais-riders.com).

If you have plenty of time, why not go via the Silk Road? There is so much to see and explore? IF you do not want visa expenses and hassle, for Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan you do not need a visa (depending on your passport) and for Tajikistan you can do it on line. I explored that region last year and in 2014 and it was well worth it.

If you remain in Russia, from Irkutsz to Moscow you will need to use part of the federal highway. Going up to Perm you can then stick to secondary and less busy roads.
North West of Russia there are interesting places but it will take you off the beaten track and often rather north. Depends where you want to get into Europe? Via Estonia, Finland, Ukraine? Again, my ride reports have lots of photos and maps.

Regions and republics north of Moscow have interesting towns. But it is for you to decide it is worth the detour? Most of the landscape, once you leave the Altai is flat, except for the Urals mountains. But there, as the infrastructure is pretty much no existent, exploring the Komi republic would be a big challenge.
And the town themselves, like Syktyvkar or Ukhta are industrial towns.

I can suggest few interesting places we liked: Veliky Ustyug, Petrozavodsk , visit Khizi (Island in lake Onega). I failed to make it to the Solovetsky islands (toward Murmansk peninsula) last year, because of the horrendous weather… But it is on the list! Around Lake Ladoga was very nice and touristic but, once again the weather was horrendous last year, so we just passed. Worth exploring the area maybe.

For maintenance and parts you may stop at Алтай-МОТО, in Manzherok (30 km from Gorno-Altaysk). The staff speak English and there should be someone there all the time. They also have lots of rooms for guests, so, if there is no tour ending or starting on that day, they may be able to accommodate you. Best phone of email them in that case. Also same for parts. They have a huge workshop with all tools. I am sure you can use the tools if you ask nicely and get help from their mechanic. Keep in mind this is a company organising motorcycle tours. They are very happy to get travellers stopping though and super friendly but may not have the parts you need, but they can help.

And of course, everyone stops for maintenance and tyres in Osh (Kyrgyzstan) at Patrick’s house (muztoo.ch) if you go that way (and really you should, especially if you like mountains!).

I am sure you will have an amazing trip!

hi Maria ,thanks for all the info.sorry didnt mention ,trip start mid june ,in Thailand.So July/Aug I am tht way.
I also thought to go via silk rd ,but a carnet is needed in Iran.plus I do not
particularly fancy going in/out borders ,expecially if there is language barriers ,bribes requests etc..
an option could be stay in Russia til Sochi on the Black Sea ,then catch a ferry to Turkey although did not find recent info on its service.then Greece etc
Or just ride through Georgia I think also possible.No visa required this way with EU passport
mmmh..interestig riddle here ..which way to go?

**Forestwiz** · #10 11 May 2017

Just to revive this post.I got quiet a few tips for the Altai from Maria.thanx! .
still there is quiet a long way to St Petersburg.........

Anyone else can pitch in ? Here the supposed route

https://goo.gl/maps/ufQU6ci94tN2
Cheers guys

**Forestwiz** · #11 11 May 2017

Quote:

Originally Posted by maria41

Hi Sergio,

You don’t say your time frame for the trip?

Riding from Irkutsk to Moscow and Europe is not fun as most of it will have to be riding the federal highway.
Personally I usually avoid big towns during my travels. This is for 2 reasons: I can visit them as a tourist and it is much more pleasant, less hassle about what to do with the bike, bike gear etc… Also, to avoid the insane and crazy traffic. I hate riding in big towns.
So my itinerary last year, exploring Russia took me away from the main roads as much as possible. There are lots of interesting places to visit but big distances in between and not much more than forest for long days. You can read my ride report in my website (www.franglais-riders.com).

If you have plenty of time, why not go via the Silk Road? There is so much to see and explore? IF you do not want visa expenses and hassle, for Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan you do not need a visa (depending on your passport) and for Tajikistan you can do it on line. I explored that region last year and in 2014 and it was well worth it.

If you remain in Russia, from Irkutsz to Moscow you will need to use part of the federal highway. Going up to Perm you can then stick to secondary and less busy roads.
North West of Russia there are interesting places but it will take you off the beaten track and often rather north. Depends where you want to get into Europe? Via Estonia, Finland, Ukraine? Again, my ride reports have lots of photos and maps.

Regions and republics north of Moscow have interesting towns. But it is for you to decide it is worth the detour? Most of the landscape, once you leave the Altai is flat, except for the Urals mountains. But there, as the infrastructure is pretty much no existent, exploring the Komi republic would be a big challenge.
And the town themselves, like Syktyvkar or Ukhta are industrial towns.

I can suggest few interesting places we liked: Veliky Ustyug, Petrozavodsk , visit Khizi (Island in lake Onega). I failed to make it to the Solovetsky islands (toward Murmansk peninsula) last year, because of the horrendous weather… But it is on the list! Around Lake Ladoga was very nice and touristic but, once again the weather was horrendous last year, so we just passed. Worth exploring the area maybe.

For maintenance and parts you may stop at Алтай-МОТО, in Manzherok (30 km from Gorno-Altaysk). The staff speak English and there should be someone there all the time. They also have lots of rooms for guests, so, if there is no tour ending or starting on that day, they may be able to accommodate you. Best phone of email them in that case. Also same for parts. They have a huge workshop with all tools. I am sure you can use the tools if you ask nicely and get help from their mechanic. Keep in mind this is a company organising motorcycle tours. They are very happy to get travellers stopping though and super friendly but may not have the parts you need, but they can help.

And of course, everyone stops for maintenance and tyres in Osh (Kyrgyzstan) at Patrick’s house (muztoo.ch) if you go that way (and really you should, especially if you like mountains!).

I am sure you will have an amazing trip!

Hi Maria,what was the weather like in July last year? Rain/cold during day/rides?

**eurasiaoverland** · #12 12 May 2017

Quote:

Originally Posted by Forestwiz

thanks for this Maria.sounds like I should get out of Mongolia west ,at Ulgii, and skip Baikal (my original plan) .It actually makes lot more sense.definetly a shorter way.
distances are great. more than what looks like on the map..

and I have about a month from the China/Mongolia border to get to Europe/Italy

A month from the Chinese border to Italy?

I'd say this is barely enough to do anything other than drive the most direct route.

I would also say to maximise your time in Mongolia.

As Maria has said, Altai is well worth riding through. Once you hit Novosibirsk there's really nothing along the main TSH of any interest until the Urals.

Once you hit the Urals, you can head south a bit into the mountains of Bashkortostan. Near Miass you can take a road south towards Beloretsk, then follow it westwards, and connect back to the main road just outside Ufa.

As well as the nice scenery, this also cuts out the worst part of the M5 which (at least in 2011) is a winding two lane highway full of trucks and cars illegally overtaking (it's almost all double white lines) when the police aren't watching.

You could actually stick on small roads by riding down to Orenburg then west to the Volga in Samara, south to Saratov then west to Voronezh, Kursk and Kyiv, thus avoiding Moscow.

As for weather, this year is very unsettled so you just have to see what you get.

EO

**Forestwiz** · #13 12 May 2017

Quote:

Originally Posted by eurasiaoverland

A month from the Chinese border to Italy?

I'd say this is barely enough to do anything other than drive the most direct route.

I would also say to maximise your time in Mongolia.

As Maria has said, Altai is well worth riding through. Once you hit Novosibirsk there's really nothing along the main TSH of any interest until the Urals.

Once you hit the Urals, you can head south a bit into the mountains of Bashkortostan. Near Miass you can take a road south towards Beloretsk, then follow it westwards, and connect back to the main road just outside Ufa.

As well as the nice scenery, this also cuts out the worst part of the M5 which (at least in 2011) is a winding two lane highway full of trucks and cars illegally overtaking (it's almost all double white lines) when the police aren't watching.

You could actually stick on small roads by riding down to Orenburg then west to the Volga in Samara, south to Saratov then west to Voronezh, Kursk and Kyiv, thus avoiding Moscow.

As for weather, this year is very unsettled so you just have to see what you get.

EO

thanks for the tips,u have probably read an old post ,I managed 2 and 1/2 months for this tripstarting on may 23rd now .thats not bad..

yes I d like to avoid Moscow..not interested in cities much ,unless I reallly have to for service etc

**maria41** · #14 12 May 2017

Hi Forestwiz,

Depending on your itinerary you should not need a carnet and you can bypass Iran, which requires one.

From Mongolia (Olgii town), you can cross the Siberian Altai, then turn south toward Shemonaika small crossing to Kazkahstan (very fast small border, no hassle). No visa or fee required for most passport holders and no registration. You have 15 days.

The East part of Kazakhstan is beautiful, with comfortable towns to rest. Once again, from the southern town of Kegen, you can cross into Kyrgyzstan (small border crossing, no hassle, friendly staff). Kyrgyzstan is magnificent. No visa required.
Tajikistan you need a visa but can do it online, hassle free.

You can then either cross Uzbekistan or get back via Kazakhstan (not sure what the situation is now with UZbek, probably still need a visa).
Uzbek has magnificent ancient towns, like Khiva, Samarkand or Bukhara. Entering Uzbek is long and bureaucratic though, but free!

Kazakh you can get another 15 days to cross.

From Kazakh, you can get back to Russia. You then have lots of choices. Either go down via Georgia (no visa required) and into Turkey, or explore Russia and enter Europe via Scandinavia/Ukraine/ Baltic states…..

None of these alternatives require a carnet and only few (Russia, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan) require a visa.

As you can see there are many options. It is a very big part of the world. Border crossing can be long, if you pick a busy one. Avoid the main ones with millions of trucks and locals. I usually pick the small ones.

Keep in mind that Russia, Kazakh, Kyrgyz (and Belarus) are part of a custom union, so the Temporary Import document for your bike, issued to you when you enter the Zone, you must keep it until you leave the Custom Zone. Only get it stampeded at borders within those countries. It means fast border crossings and less red tape.

Regarding weather, last summer, it was horrendous. Even in Kazakhstan in July, when I expected very hot weather, we had massive storms and not that hot! In Russia, the weather was terrible too. Rain, cold, storms. It never really stopped that summer L . Unlucky.

**Forestwiz** · #15 12 May 2017

Quote:

Originally Posted by maria41

Hi Forestwiz,

Depending on your itinerary you should not need a carnet and you can bypass Iran, which requires one.

From Mongolia (Olgii town), you can cross the Siberian Altai, then turn south toward Shemonaika small crossing to Kazkahstan (very fast small border, no hassle). No visa or fee required for most passport holders and no registration. You have 15 days.

The East part of Kazakhstan is beautiful, with comfortable towns to rest. Once again, from the southern town of Kegen, you can cross into Kyrgyzstan (small border crossing, no hassle, friendly staff). Kyrgyzstan is magnificent. No visa required.
Tajikistan you need a visa but can do it online, hassle free.

You can then either cross Uzbekistan or get back via Kazakhstan (not sure what the situation is now with UZbek, probably still need a visa).
Uzbek has magnificent ancient towns, like Khiva, Samarkand or Bukhara. Entering Uzbek is long and bureaucratic though, but free!

Kazakh you can get another 15 days to cross.

From Kazakh, you can get back to Russia. You then have lots of choices. Either go down via Georgia (no visa required) and into Turkey, or explore Russia and enter Europe via Scandinavia/Ukraine/ Baltic states…..

None of these alternatives require a carnet and only few (Russia, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan) require a visa.

As you can see there are many options. It is a very big part of the world. Border crossing can be long, if you pick a busy one. Avoid the main ones with millions of trucks and locals. I usually pick the small ones.

Keep in mind that Russia, Kazakh, Kyrgyz (and Belarus) are part of a custom union, so the Temporary Import document for your bike, issued to you when you enter the Zone, you must keep it until you leave the Custom Zone. Only get it stampeded at borders within those countries. It means fast border crossings and less red tape.

Regarding weather, last summer, it was horrendous. Even in Kazakhstan in July, when I expected very hot weather, we had massive storms and not that hot! In Russia, the weather was terrible too. Rain, cold, storms. It never really stopped that summer L . Unlucky.

Sounds great Maria !should look like something like this I guess?
https://goo.gl/maps/qQXcm6vwGau

Although this require a double entry visa for Russia that I will have to get in Mongolia.I have Italian pport which should be fine to apply for a single(not sure double,will check!

I also had thought to go through the north of Europe, Finland Norway/Nordkapp ,Sweden etc.. but thats probably a much colder ride (?)

Shipping the Bike

Regional Forums

Other Forums

Horizons Unlimited presents!

Links Page - wow, what a resource!

Bike Tech

Other Gear

Bike Forums

Stuff

Other Forums

Horizons Unlimited presents!

Links Page

Shipping the Bike

Crossing Borders

Staying Safe & Healthy

Getting There

Life on the Road

Horizons Unlimited presents!

Links Pages - A few samples...

Tell your Travel Story - Blog on HU!

Horizons Unlimited Communities

Horizons Unlimited Presents!

Links Page

Where are HU Meetings?

HU Travellers Meetings

Non-HU Events

Participate!

Photo Contest!

Why become an HU Member?

Horizons Unlimited presents!

New to HU? Start Here!

Your Hosts

I haven't been everywhere...
but it's on my list!

Announcements

Next HU Events

What others say about HU...

New to Horizons Unlimited?

Membership - help keep us going!

Shipping the Bike

Other Forums

Horizons Unlimited presents!

Bike Tech

Other Gear

Stuff

Other Forums

Horizons Unlimited presents!

Shipping the Bike

Crossing Borders

Staying Safe & Healthy

Getting There

Life on the Road

Horizons Unlimited presents!

Horizons Unlimited Presents!

HU Travellers Meetings

Non-HU Events

Participate!

Photo Contest!

Horizons Unlimited presents!

New to HU? Start Here!

Your Hosts

I haven't been everywhere... but it's on my list!

Announcements

Next HU Events

What others say about HU...

New to Horizons Unlimited?

Membership - help keep us going!

I haven't been everywhere...
but it's on my list!