Hello everyone. I'm planning a 6 month trip alone in 2011 with my 91 BMW R80GS Paris Dakar. I will leave Switzerland in march-april and come back in september-october.

My Idea is to go from Switzerland to Mongolia (yes I watched long way round and loved it) and if I have enough time, come back with another route or juste go on as far as I can and then come back by flight (maybe sell my bike or let it ship back).

I would love to have some suggestions from people that did similar travels. I don't know this part of the world. I traveled a lot in southeast asia and south america but I have no experience of eastern europe.

I have found those alternatives, don't know what is the best. I must say I would love to ride as less as possible on tarmac! ;-) and I hate highway.

here are my alternatives:
1)Leaving Switzerland crossing Austria, slovenia, croatia, romania, ukraine, russia, Kazakhstan and Mongolia.
2) instead of going through Romania and Ukraine, going through bulgaria and Turkey ad then Russia.
3) Instead of crossing Kasakhstan, going through russia up to mongolia.

Some more questions:
-How is Kazakhstan?
-can I get a multiple entry visa for Russia at the border or do I have to apply before?
- How long do you think I would need to arrive in Mongolia? I'm not really aware of how far can i go in 6 month. I plan a 200-300km a day maximum.
-if I have enough time, I could send my bike to finland from Russia or Mongolia, and then drive down until I got back to switzerland....

Anyway, you see it's not clear not, I'm quite interested in your opinion and experiences. Like what are the country that I shoulnd't miss on the road or the country to avoid. My goal is not to trough the most possible countries, but to have fun, meet nice people and see beautiful landscapes.

Thanks in advance for your help!

Another point about the "Carnet de Passage". According to what I read on the HU webpage, I won't need one. According to the swiss automobile club, a carnet is recommended but not mandatory for Kazakhstan.

What is the benefite of having a carnet de passage? I was surprised that I don't need one for Russia.

http://www.tcs.ch/etc/medialib/trave..._carte_new.pdf

Hi Zimi; lots of questions!

Let me say first that there's at least two of us heading out from the UK in early June so we'll be following in your tyre-tracks! Our plans here.

Let's see if I can answer a few things for you. Some thoughts:

- You can't go directly from Kazakhstan to Mongolia, you have to go via Russia
- The Turkey route will involve the Trabazon-Sochi ferry unless you want to go via the 'Stans which you'll need to factor in
- There's several good threads on the situation in Kazakhstan in the North Asia forum
- If you want to do both Kazakhstan and Mongolia and not go or return via the 'Stans then you'll need to enter Russia three times requiring a multiple entry "business" visa which means, if Swiss is the same as UK nationality, that you'll need to apply in advance of your trip. Again, there's some good information on the site if you want to search it out
- Time depends on where you want to enter Mongolia; from Barnaul towards Tsaannaaguur or from Ulan Ude towards Ulaanbaatar and of course, on your route to get there. We're heading out through Russia and baring accident or breakdown, reckoning on it taking five weeks of leisurely progress to get from Neidersolbach in Germany to Western Mongolia. We're then coming back via Kazakhstan.

Anyone who's already been, please correct me if anything above is inaccurate.

Good luck with you preparations and keep in touch so we can help each other out.

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Paul "Every county of England, every country of Europe and every (part of every inhabited) continent of the Earth" 94% done! What's left? Central America, East, Central and West Africa, Australia & New Zealand

Russian Visas must be obtained in advance - preferably in your 'home' country or elsewhere if you have some residence qualification. ie. more than just passing through.

If time is your enemy, it is possible to ride to the Mongolia border in a MINIMUM of about 8-9 days from CH. I regularly ride from GB / Moscow in 2-3 days - via D, PL, LT & LV avoiding BY to save obtaining a visa and providing a more scenic ride, although slightly longer.
From Moscow it took me another 5 long days riding last year to reach the Altai mountain region, south of Barnaul, just north of Mongolia's north west corner (Altai was remarkably like the Alps of CH but without the numbers of people and the infrastructure and effects of people living in a modern state).

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Vitim Bridge Clubwww.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=533442
www.sibirskyextreme.com

Hi Paul, thanks for your reply, I'll have a look at your itinery. Maybe we will see us on the road? Who Knows?

Cheers

That would be cool.

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Paul "Every county of England, every country of Europe and every (part of every inhabited) continent of the Earth" 94% done! What's left? Central America, East, Central and West Africa, Australia & New Zealand

Hi Tony, thanks for the information, I'm not in a rush. By the way, I had a loook at your webpage, I think I will have to spend a couple of hours on it, you have plenty on information for me there, cool!

Hi, i unfortunately must agree about not particularly enjoying the Ukraine, between Moldova and Oddessa we saw many speed traps although we rode slowly and never got stopped, also the roads are very boring. The 'Arabat Spit' in the Crimea was the exception being 140km of fun dirt, this ends less than an hour from Kerch, the ferry to Russia. I am also looking at a Mongolia trip 2012 and see the Pamirs as the highlight. Andy B

Hi everybody, my planning is quite finished now, I still have a bit more than 1 month to go. Hope everything will be ok for my visas:

here is my plan:

departure from switzerland: beginning of april 2011
entering Russia from Finland: beginning of may 2011
entering Mongolia from Russia : beginning of june 2011
entering Kazakhstan: beginning of july 2011
then I habe 2 months to do Kyrg, Tadj and Uzbek and go back to Kaz to exit in Russia again
In beginning of september coming back home from Russia trough Romania and the rest is not defined yet.

Hope I will meet some of you on the road

Thanks for all you help and advices!

Hi,

I'm planning a similar trip.
Can you make a summary of all the LOI and visa process. Where are you going to ask for the LOI? Are you going to pick up the Central Asia visas on the way?

Hope everything goes well with your trip

PB

Maybe catch you in Kazakhstan, Zimi!

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Paul "Every county of England, every country of Europe and every (part of every inhabited) continent of the Earth" 94% done! What's left? Central America, East, Central and West Africa, Australia & New Zealand

Hi everyone, so I'm on my way, I started 2 week ago, I'm in Latvia at the moment, will cross border to russia begining of may, enter Mongolia at latest on the 3ofjune, then july and agust for the stans, and 1 month to go back home from Ukraine.

here is my webpage: zimiontheloose.ch | Rock'n'roll Motorcycle Adventure!
you can find the page on facebook as well, zimi on the loose

for now only in french, if I have time (but doubt it) will post in english maybe later..

Thanks for all your help for my planning and special thanks to Sakke!!!!