Eastern Europe tour July- August 2012

jc_bromley

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Hi all, I'm planning a trip East, approx 4-5 weeks starting at the end of July.
The dates are flexible ish, but I'm hoping to be out of the UK during the Olympics.
Locations wise I'm flexible but would like to get down to the Crimea/Turkey area and/or some of Russia &Belarus. (Visas needed for these two)
I generally stay in cheap hotels(preferred option!) but I'm open to a spot of camping if needed.

I like to ride for a day or so then do a bit of sightseeing, personally I think old industrial/military is more interesting than your average art gallery....

Anyone thinking about something similar that may want to get together for some all or just generaly shooting the shit about that part of the world?

ta for reading,

JC
:bounce1
 
I'm travelling overland to Western Russia (Novgorod) at the beginning of June. It'll be my first visit.

I've no first hand experience but everything I read tells me to avoid Belarus at all costs.

I'm just crossing Germany & Poland then doing a circuit via Vilnius, Rezekne, Novgorod, Narva, Tartu, Riga and back to Poland - but then I've only got a fortnights holiday to play with.
 
I've no first hand experience but everything I read tells me to avoid Belarus at all costs.

What are you reading and where?

I travel there regularly and took my GSA there in 2010 with no issues it's probably one of the safest countries in the former soviet block.

Minsk the capital has good nightlife, the northwest has plenty of hills and lakes, the south has interesting nature reserves , more forests than you can shake at stick at:) and the west near the russian border has huge wheatfields covering rolling hills. The area in the southeast suffered after Chernobyl but the city of Gomel is fine if you need to overnight on the way to Russia.

The only inconvenience is that a visa is required but that is easily arranged via the embassy in London.

Like all former USSR countries watch your speed but plod is not as keen on dipping your wallet as in the ukraine.

Its all down to personal choice, I can only relate my experiences( been there more than 30 times). :thumb
 
I'm travelling overland to Western Russia (Novgorod) at the beginning of June. It'll be my first visit.

I've no first hand experience but everything I read tells me to avoid Belarus at all costs.

I'm just crossing Germany & Poland then doing a circuit via Vilnius, Rezekne, Novgorod, Narva, Tartu, Riga and back to Poland - but then I've only got a fortnights holiday to play with.

I was in Belalarus last year for a few days including a stay in Minsk and was amazed how free it seemed for Europe's last dictatorship.
The only run with police was when I tried to photograph the predsidential palace.
Roads were generally excellent with very little traffic
Border crossing slow because of beaucracy collecting 6 different stamps even with visa.
Insurance at the border was €2 for a week. you also have to buy their health insurance about €5
Worth a look
 
We loved Russia when we went last summer. Like Barley-Mow, we travelled up via the Baltic states and crossed the border at Narva, Estonia. The entry paperwork took a while but the whole 2-hour procedure was relatively good-humoured and cost us a mere 1€ bridge toll. Bikes didn't even have to queue. Once in Russia, we had no hassle from the police or anyone else during our stay.

I'm surprised at the comment about Belarus. I have no experience, but the only negative I have heard is that the road is boring. Otherwise, the entry procedure for Russia from Belarus is apparently quite straight-forward.

I'm not quite sure why we were so 'lucky' where others appear to have been plagued by corrupt officials, bike theft, etc. My top tip is to look out for the DPS (ДПС in the Cyrillic alphabet) checkpoints. The fixed checkpoints are signalled by warning signs. Slow, give a polite nod of the head and be prepared to stop if a policeman waves his baton at you. (We were never stopped at all.)

If you are travelling as part of a group, I'd also recommend taking one or more long bike chains and locking the bikes together overnight.

Barley-Mow, if you are likely to be in Riga around 24th June, suggest you hang around for the Midsummer Festival. Lots of bonfires, dancing, cheap beer and food. Tradition has it that a young woman who goes to sleep before dawn will never marry ... so the party goes on all night :thumb

ETA Road conditions in Russia are appalling. The main road between St. Petersburg and Moscow was a three-lane highway on which change of overtaking priority was usually signalled by a truck hurtling towards you in the opposite direction. Road surface best described as potholes interspersed with patches of tarmac. GS bikes are perfect for the job!
 
All you need to know about the Belarus border crossing is posted here

http://www.ukgser.com/forums/showthread.php?p=2359718#post2359718

:thumb2

Pity I didn't see that before I crossed the border but my total lack of knowledge of both Russian and Cryllic didn't help although a pretty young female soldier did help with the translation
I am planning to drive across Russia to mongolia and Vladivostok this summer, still without any Russian.
Am I mad?
 
Pity I didn't see that before I crossed the border but my total lack of knowledge of both Russian and Cryllic didn't help although a pretty young female soldier did help with the translation
I am planning to drive across Russia to mongolia and Vladivostok this summer, still without any Russian.
Am I mad?

No, not mad at all. By all means learn how to say Hello and Goodbye, Please, Thank You and Excuse Me, but any more than that (short of complete fluency) is likely to be counter-productive. However, DO learn and practice pronouncing the Cyrillic alphabet. If you can sound the words out in your head, you will then be able to read road signs and you will find that you can guess the meanings of quite a lot of Russian words.

Here's a well-known eaterie with free wi-fi, for example: Макдоналдс :thumb
 


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