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Route Planning Where to go, when, what are the interesting places to see
Photo by Andy Miller, UK, Taking a rest, Jokulsarlon, Iceland

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


Photo by Andy Miller, UK,
Taking a rest,
Jokulsarlon, Iceland



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  #1  
Old 7 Dec 2009
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Ukraine
Hi, Newbie here and I am planning a trip to the Ukraine in 2010, I'm a bit daunted by what is required paperwork wise to travel across Europe and enter the Ukraine, Insurance - Visas_ and any other forms or red tape I will meet or require. Any help would be appreciated. I am 66 next year and this will be my first long distance trip, I ride a R1150gs and have toured uk by bike. Driven a lot on the continent by car, Roger
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  #2  
Old 7 Dec 2009
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It´s just insurance. Visas except Russia and Belarus should be available on the spot or not required. Get the broadest green card coverage you can find (try to include the Balkans, Turkey, Morocco, whatever else you can think of) and hit the road.

If you´ve done it by car, you´re already there.

Mark
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  #3  
Old 7 Dec 2009
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At least for Americans, Ukraine could hardly be easier--no visa required. I assume you're a Brit, check the visa requirements. Then you show up at the border with your title/rego, buy insurance, and you're done--really nothing to it. The Ukrainian border guards have always been very friendly to me.

Other than Crimea, which is spectacular, most of the roads in Ukraine are pretty boring in my opinion--straight and flat. Also watch for speed traps, lots of cops with radar.
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  #4  
Old 7 Dec 2009
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Hi, Ukraine is not a problem; No Visa required and your Green Card Insurance should cover the Ukraine. Numerous speed traps are the biggest problem. Andy B
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  #5  
Old 8 Dec 2009
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Quote:
Originally Posted by cockspur View Post
Hi, Newbie here and I am planning a trip to the Ukraine in 2010

Take real bike papers, not copies - this is important.
Visit Transkarpatia (Uzhgorod, mukachevo, stryy, slavskoye) and south Krimea seashore - nice places.

mainland Ukraine is flat and boring. In summer it is also hot and dusty.

Cities in "must see" cathegory are: Mukachevo, Lvov, Kiev, Chernigov, Odessa, Savastopol

Good service and oils/brakepads/chains etc can be find on shop shelf only in Kiev. Other places - only "order and wait", up to 2 weeks.

BTW: beware of speeding - traffic police is very hard to communicate when you don't know Russian of Ukrainian language.
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  #6  
Old 18 Dec 2009
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Sounds awesome! Hoping to be there around June next year.
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  #7  
Old 19 Dec 2009
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to be honest i am not a huge fan of the Ukranie, most of the roads i drove were very flat, featureless and heavily policed.
the parts i really enjoyed were the Crimea coast and especially the Arabat Spit (only for trail bikes). the crossing into Russia from Kerch was straight forward. Andy B
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Old 20 Dec 2009
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The mountains along and near the border with Romania (Carpathians?) are wonderful...but I agree that there's a lot of flat and boring in addition to an oversupply of police with handheld radar. Kill your speed the instant you see a sign indicating any sort of city, town, village or other settlement.

AFAIR, Ukraine was the only border crossing in recent memory of maybe 50 or so where I had to show actual originals of my bike documents. No one else has noticed or cared that I'm using photocopies and/or (at the moment) long-expired docs.

enjoy,

Mark
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Old 20 Dec 2009
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Originally Posted by markharf View Post
...but I agree that there's a lot of flat and boring in addition to an oversupply of police with handheld radar. Kill your speed the instant you see a sign indicating any sort of city, town, village or other settlement.

AFAIR, Ukraine was the only border crossing in recent memory of maybe 50 or so where I had to show actual originals of my bike documents. No one else has noticed or cared that I'm using photocopies and/or (at the moment) long-expired docs.
Agree about the flat and boring roads and police...

I actually got into Ukraine with a photocopy, although it was a color photocopy on thick paper which I had embossed with some kind of seal. While it looked real, the border guy spent about 15 minutes looking at it under what I think was an infrared lamp, he didn't seem to be able to find what he was looking for. He asked me if this was the only document I had for the bike, and I said "yes" and got in. Would have been easier to use the real thing.

One other thing about Ukraine--don't get a "transit" visa, because you need to specify where you'll leave the country--they almost wouldn't let me out of the country when I showed up at the wrong border post! I think if you get a "tourist" visa you don't have the same restriction.
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  #10  
Old 21 Dec 2009
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Originally Posted by motoreiter View Post
One other thing about Ukraine--don't get a "transit" visa

Confirm.
Fill the "purpose of the visit" box in immigration card as "Tourism" and write "Kiev, Hreschatik, Hotel 'Ukraina'" in "address of the visit" box.
This is the hint of entering Ukraina.
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  #11  
Old 21 Dec 2009
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Ukraine is nice if you want to visit a Red Star Museum. All the soviet crap is still there, and also the old way of thinking. It is funny to see a deep religious rebirth beside the former Comunism stuff. In other words: in the same street you can see Jesus and Lenin facing each other. People look like to be angry all the time. Too less fiber to eat, too much home made vodka to drink.

Cops are bastards. Girls are beautiful.The country is really poor. Roads are boring and along the Black Sea live the worst mosquitoes I ve ever seen. About speeding. Do not worry. They are going to stop you anyway. They will make fake speeding for you.

Paperwork is easy at the border: passport, bike papers and Green Card. Is all you need. The paperwork nightmare starts in Russia, where more or less is the same crap but more new richmen from dirty business.

Learn some Russian words in advance because they do not speak English. If you stop at a gas station and some one do the gest of cuting your neck, do not worry, it means: "full tank".

And after all, why the hell do you want to go Ukrain on your first long distance trip? Go Turkey, a real paradise for biking.

HEADING EAST...: LOVE AND MONEY IN UKRAINE

I am joking, have fun.
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www.miquelsilvestre.com
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  #12  
Old 2 Jan 2010
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Ukrain
Hello Roger,
I am 65 years old. You want to Ukrain ? Go, Roger. Also long and flat streets, surrounded by huge golden fields, are interesting. Last year I visited the Ukrain and went to Wolgograd. I have been interested in the history of the area. I met so different people.
All what biker wrote is correct here .Nevertheless I won`t miss the vacation. It has been a challance for me and now I am glad that I have done it.



By the way, 2010 I would go farer in this country. (riding also GS).

Are you interested ?

Greetings
retep
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