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Photo by Paul Stewart, of Egle Gerulaityte - Must love Donkeys!

I haven't been everywhere...
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Must love Donkeys!
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  #1  
Old 24 Oct 2020
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Advice for next year
Hello all,
I know everything for the foreseeable future is subject to this dastardly pandemic that's buggering everything up, but next year I'm going to hit the big 50, and want to do a 3-4 week bike trip to celebrate. I have several things rattling around in my head, but I'd like to hear ideas from those more well travelled than myself. I'm not a novice to biking in Europe, so basic advice isn't required, but if you had to do a trip starting and ending in the UK with my time frame, where would you go. I'm self employed so can pick my time as I see fit, and although my birthday is in late September, I'm open to doing it at a different time of year if the destination climate dictates. I'll be riding a Honda Varadero 1000, most likely 2 up.

Many thanks in advance,

Lee
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  #2  
Old 24 Oct 2020
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North to Norway in summer, south to wherever you can get to in shoulder seasons (Portugal, Spain, Morocco, former Yugoslavia, Greece, Turkey...). Don't forget possibilities for shipping your bike to avoid a lot of time spent getting to and from.

You don't say anything at all about what qualifies as a celebration in your mind. Cities? Rural areas? Twisties? High speed cruising? Exploring different cultures? Music festivals? Beaches? Blind drunkenness? Etc. etc. etc.

Hope that's helpful.

Mark
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  #3  
Old 24 Oct 2020
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Across to Czech then down through Slovakia,Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria to Greece.
Back via Albania, Montenegro, Bos/Hertz, Croatia and Slovenia.

That’s where I would/will go - hopefully see you somewhere along the way.
Happy holidays
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  #4  
Old 25 Oct 2020
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Down through France and Spain and across to Morocco. If you’ve not been to Morocco before it’ll be quite an eye opener and there’s so much to see / do there you can easily fill the time you have available. Plus, if you go in September you’ll just be missing the worst of the high summer heat.
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  #5  
Old 25 Oct 2020
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September will still be Hot !
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  #6  
Old 25 Oct 2020
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Quote:
Originally Posted by badou24 View Post
September will still be Hot !
Absolutely - it's still hot (by British stds!) there now, but I like hot climates which is why I'll be there (Covid and mechanical catastrophes notwithstanding) next August.
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  #7  
Old 25 Oct 2020
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we saw 50 degrees early September last year, the 3 years before that saw big storms and flooding during September.

But a great place to explore but 3 or 4 week trip will only give a small insight into Morocco and leave you wanting more
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Old 25 Oct 2020
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3/4 weeks will see most of morocco,................ but you need to spend a far few weeks to really understand it !
Try and get away from the "hot spots " and see the real Morocco ..Sidi ifini + Tiznit etc
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  #9  
Old 27 Oct 2020
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Agree with Markharf, heading north in summer is very viable and also fits a plan I have to head up through the Baltic states to the Nordkapp then back down through Norway via Iceland. My timescale for this is 2 months but I plan to take my time, and the Iceland section could be cut out if you were tight on time.

Otherwise, last year I headed east and south through Germany and down to Croatia, then ferry Dubrovnik-Bari and back up Italy. That was 5 weeks but again I stayed around holidaying and you could easily do it in 3 if you didn't mind being on the road more.

Another option is head south through Spain and over to Morocco. Will be stonking hot if you go in summer of course, and all the above will be dependent on covid travel restrictions, which I suspect will still be quite strict until at least the autumn.
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Old 27 Oct 2020
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Keep in mind that he is riding a Varadero, and two up.
Allthough I would normally second three weeks in Morocco as a top of the top destinations, I'm not sure I would reccommend it for someone riding two up on a varadero. Although it can certainly be done in an enjoyable manner, I would reserve it for a time with a more suitable set up.

Norway is a good option for a three week round trip. Riding with your GF in Italy or France, maybe a bit in the Alps - could probably be more romantic. Or maybe going very slow West-East on the Castle Road through Germany, stopping over at every pictoresque dorf/town to drink on street side bars and cafe's, with other bikers - could also be good.
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  #11  
Old 27 Oct 2020
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A bit of feedback from Lee (the OP) would be helpful, but he did say "I'm not a novice to biking in Europe" so my guess was he's done the nearby stuff - say a 1000 mile circle from Calais. Heading north - Norway for example - is a good suggestion but even in summer it can be a hit or miss weather wise. For me there's enough of that in the UK to want to face more of it in Scandinavia. Head south for the sunshine Lee. If Morocco doesn't appeal then down through the Balkans to Greece, or even over the border into Turkey. All Covid permitting of course.
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  #12  
Old 27 Oct 2020
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Go North in the summer
Norway: atlantic coast. Lofoten. One way. (Skip North cape)
Sweden: inland. Not the east coast. The other way.
Look for MC events that happens every evening and every weekend
Finland: Åland archipelago and all the lakes.
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  #13  
Old 27 Oct 2020
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Thanks all
Two things that I've been thinking of doing have popped up here more than once, Norway and Morocco. I also like the look of Serbia/Monte/Croatia......Too much bloody choice !!
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  #14  
Old 28 Oct 2020
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Morocco in the spring !
Will open your eyes to the way some people live
+ some fantastic roads and cheap as chips ! cold !
Hotels £10 food £3
Been a few times !!
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  #15  
Old 1 Nov 2020
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Ride down to Venice and use the ferry to either Patras or Igoumenitsa in Greece, then ride home..or do it in reverse.
I'm recently back from doing something very similar, except that I used a shipping company ( Kamikazi Motorcycles ) to get the bike home from Athens, saved a whole load of time slogging back on motorways !
If you only have a few weeks and want to maximise your time where you want to be and not where you have to be, then seriously consider shipping.
George and Spiros from Kamikaze are top blokes and proper bikers, can't recommend them highly enough .

Mike.
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