Hi Folks !

New to the HUBB and seeking advice.

I'm planning to travel to Bulgaria, probably around Mid-March, and having considered the alternatives I'm thinking that going via France, Italy and Greece might be the easiest way to go.
My thinking is that there are less borders, less languages and less funny currencies.
I'm also thinking my Moto Guzzi might like to visit it's birthplace on the way !
Basically I'm after ANY help, information and advice at all.

Thanks in advance !

Gus.

Ok.

I notice there have been a few readers, but no-one able to help me yet.
Perhaps a couple of slightly more specific questions !

I'm thinking of taking the Ancona - Igoumenitsa Ferry from Italy to Greece.
Does anyone have any experience of taking a motorcycle on this route ?
Is there a better alternative ?

I'm assuming that by only travelling through EU countries the border proceedures should be relatively hassle free ?
Am I mad ?

Also, I'm notoriously paranoid about losing valuable paperwork, and really would prefer to leave as much stuff safe and sound at home as possible.
What is the bare minimum original paperwork I can get away with carrying ?
Can I take scanned or photocopied examples instead ?

There, that'll do for now.
Hope someone has some useful comments to make as I'm a bit new to this, and to be frank the more I think about it the more daunting it gets !

Hi Gus,
I don't know if I can be much help 'cos I've not done anything like it myself. Firstly my travels thus far are driven, not riden and I've been to Africa via Europe not to Eastern Europe.
That said, I would rather stay on the roads and do borders instead of boats where possible.
Looking at a map you could get all the way to Hungry before even thinking of an aggressive approach to borders. Following that you've only got Romainia and you're there.
This is only my guess, I've spoken to people from Romainia that have driven here, and a Czech friend of mine drove home for Christmas. Although I've not been there looking at the countries you'd cross they all seem pretty "westernised" when it comes to travelling there.

If nothing else my reply may encourage someone with more knowledge to responed, even if only to tell me where I'm wrong.

This, or at least something similar, is a trip that I'd like to do within the next couple of years.
Kevin

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www.4x4-travel.co.uk

Cheers Kevin !
The generally recommended alternative routes are;
France-Belgium-Germany-Austria-Hungary-Romania-Bulgaria
or
France-Belgium-Germany-Austria-Slovenia-Croatia-Serbia-Bulgaria
I don't really fancy that many countries !
Also, I quite like the idea of taking the Guzzi to Mandello del Lario to see the factory where it was born !
I've also had an invitation to stop over with some folks in Brindisi, which might alter my ferry plans slightly.
Who knows, I might get really brave and try out Albania !

Hey, I met a lady from Albania about 6 months ago, she told me that I should ignore anything bad that I had heard about driving there and just go. At that time I hadn't heard anything bad about it.
I have to say the Italian route should be the most pleasant in terms of weather. My post was really just suggesting that driving Europe is just like driving one big country nowadays, no one looks twice at you.
Regards, and best of luck with the trip.
Kevin

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www.4x4-travel.co.uk

One Word, SNOW

At some point you will have to go over the Alps and in March I would suspect
some passes will be closed.
Plan your route using main autoroutes and use the tunnels, St Gottard .
Heated clothing might be considered as it will be cold.
Mandelo is about 800 miles and i usualy take two days but thats not in the winter so allow yourself three days .
After Mandelo , You can head south and take a ferry across the Adriatic or,
Take the road to Venice and then go through , Slovenia , Croatia , Bosnia and Yugoslavia .
You may need to buy Insurance for Bosnia at the Border depends , check with your insurers.
Take your registration documents for the bike , I have colour photocopies of all my documents .
Hope this helps and safe trip .

Ricardo

Can't see why. It is the EU all the way if you stay away from the Balkans and, even there, nema problema.

Just do it, as the ad says.

Agree about the snow; stay away from the obvious ski resorts - that is why they are located where they are, in any country - alternatively, take a skiing hol and go biking later in the year!!

Go into Italy and then north again, if you prefer riding to sailing.

ps A week! Not worth it, if you want to see things/do things along the way, but it's your shout.

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Dave

Ermmm !
I am going to Bulgaria !
I'd quite like to see Croatia as well, but not on this trip and I don't really fancy Serbia or Romania at all.
I don't want the complication of too many other languages I don't speak a word of and strange currencies !

As to taking a week, the main purpose of the journey is to get to Bulgaria, where I have a house. I intend to spend a week there, and then spend a week coming back.
I can't afford, or justify, taking any longer.

Hi Gus

Where abouts in Bulgaria are you heading for? Would be interested to hear how you get on, the final route/crossings, where you stop along the way etc etc. I've recently bought an apartment in Bansko (Pirin Mountains) and hope to travel over in the not too distant future on my XR650R or 900ss. In fact if you're going near Bansko, maybe you could tell my Builder to get off his fat a*se and finish the work off for me! Cheers and good luck

Bob

Hello Gus,
I live in southern Bulgaria, so was interested to see you have a house in Bg too.
I've done most of the routes to Bulgaria from UK, and, while the route through Italy is a good one, especially at the time of year you want to go, I don't think you will get across Greece from Igoumenitsa in one day. The first couple of hundred miles are through very mountainous country, where, although they are working on improving the road, it is still a bit iffy in places. At Thessalonika you can turn north towards Sofia, or carry on east towards the greek and turkish borders, and my place.
I've not done it, but I'm told there is a ferry from Ancona to Patra, and that the road is much better to Thessalonika.
The route I use now is from the channel ports up to Ostende, then turn south-east down the german motorway network, stopping my first night at Vienna, which is about 14 hours travel at 70 mph. Then east across hungary on the motorway, towards Arad, and soon after leaving the motorway near the romanian border turn right at a roundabout to Timisoara, crossing the border before you get there. At Timisoara follow signs to Drobheta, where I stay the second night, there is a large hotel on the right hand side of the road in the middle of the town. Third day stay on the same road through Craiova and to Alexandria, then down to the Danube, and over the bridge to Ruse.
If I can be any more help contact me via our website sakarhills.com
Regards,
Martin T. Jeffes
Sakar Hills Touring Park
Harmanli