A jolly across Eastern Europe

[Deleted account 240831001]

Well after a bit of research on here I decided that I was due a holiday and I'd head east then down through a few different countries aiming for Romania.

Day 1
Not much of interest here, 110 miles from home to Harwich to catch the overnight ferry.

Day 2
The plan was to get through Germany in a day and take advantage of everything being cheaper in Poland. I ended up doing it all on motorways apart from the last 15 miles and I'm now in a small town called Przewoz which has nothing to commend it apart from having a room for £20 and some roads that tested the suspension on my KTM.

575 miles needed 2 fuel stops including an extended one because I was pissed off with filtering mile after mile near Hannover.

I might see something worth taking photos of as I head down into the Tatra mountains today

 

[Khulu]

Let me know what you think of the Tatras as I intend visiting them in August.

 

[Deleted account 240831001]

Will do. I might check into a hotel for 2 nights when I stop today so I can dump my luggage and have a day of exploring uncluttered.

 

[Deleted account 240831001]

Living the dream in motorway services.


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[Deleted account 240831001]

Day 3 Przewoc - Zilina (Slovakia) 330 miles.

Dear Mr Garmin, when I ask for curvy roads I expect them for the complete journey, not 40 miles at the start then 60 miles at the end but motorways for the middle section.

The last bit was great fun. I finally hit the hills and the road went up and down a series of large ridges on excellent roads. There was absolutely nowhere to stop on the good bits so no photos from there but it was very reminiscent of the Black Forest with the downside being that it's 1,000 miles from home.

I've found an excellent hotel just outside Zilina with a sitting room as well as a bedroom up some stairs so I'm stopping for 2 nights.

Thunderstorms forecast for tomorrow but if they hold off I'll do some exploring and if not I'll drink beer and feed my face.

Even more of a bonus at the hotel was that they've told me to put the bike in a locked garage so I don't need to unload it. I think I like Slovakia already.

 

[tanneman]

Did you not go through Zakopane? And are you going to do some sight seeing in Zilina? Wiki says very old city and a few things to see.

 

[Deleted account 240831001]

Zakopane is for another day. I walked into Zilina and it's a bit industrialised on the outskirts but ok in the centre.

I seem to have timed it right because there's an open air music festival in the town centre with loads of stalls selling beer and fast food. The beer is a necessary evil because it's scorching hot and I can't risk getting dehydrated.

 

[kurienp]

Andy, seems like you're having fun and loving every minute of it do share some pictures for us to salivate over

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[Deleted account 240831001]

Coffee and Marlboro for breakfast then off to Romania today. The locals are friendly this morning

 

[Deleted account 240831001]

Well I've made it to Romania, Oradea to be exact and it's been a tough day with the first 200 miles being through mountainous areas and alternating between well surfaced sweeping hairpins and standing up on the pegs on road surfaces that would have a temporary TRO on them in England.

As is the way there was nowhere safe to stop and take photos of the high passes so you'll have to make do with a distant view of the High Tatras taken with an iPad.

I changed my satnav from curvy roads to just fucking get me there mode for the last 100 miles because it was stupidly hot and by the time I got here it had taken nearly 9 hours to do just under 350 miles.

The hotel is a winner because it's got air con but better than that it's got this

I had a bottle of lager opened before I even took my boots off

 

[Deleted account 240831001]

That's me done for another day. I've checked into a hotel in Sebes for 3 nights so the next 2 days will be full on tourist rides with no clutter on the bike.

Today was mile after mile of the most evil roadworks you'll ever see where it's basically ripped up roads and standing up on the pegs is obligatory.

The only thing worth taking photos of was this

Yep. That's a stork nesting on a telegraph pole and probably every 4th village has a resident stork. Tough shit if you've got a fishpond in your garden


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[Greg Masters]

The only thing worth taking photos of was this

Yep. That's a stork nesting on a telegraph pole and probably every 4th village has a resident stork. Tough shit if you've got a fishpond in your garden

Haven't we all got that picture?

 

[Deleted account 240831001]

The first one I saw I thought it was a fake, then I saw a few more and thought ok, grab a photo. After about 20 of them I thought it best not to google images of storks on telegraph poles because there'd be hundreds of the fuckers

I'm getting a bit pissed off by the lack of places to pull over and take photos but it's got to get easier now I've dumped my luggage in a hotel room for the next 3 nights. I don't mind bouncing across verges when the bike is unloaded but I'm not big enough to pick it up fully loaded so I have to be careful.

 

[SilverFish]

Looks like fun

I'm off there myself in two weeks time. Taking the car train from Dusseldorf to Vienna, then planning on Budapest, Romania (the Transfagarasan), then back to Budapest then North through Slovakia over the Tatras and into Krakow.

Ive done a few routes if I need them, but intend to just follow my nose and operate in bimble mode.

How did you get on with the languages, and do you have any tips, ie cash rather than card..?

Cheers

Michael

 

[Greg Masters]

Looks like fun

I'm off there myself in two weeks time. Taking the car train from Dusseldorf to Vienna, then planning on Budapest, Romania (the Transfagarasan), then back to Budapest then North through Slovakia over the Tatras and into Krakow.

Ive done a few routes if I need them, but intend to just follow my nose and operate in bimble mode.

How did you get on with the languages, and do you have any tips, ie cash rather than card..?

Cheers

Michael

Take care where you leave your soiled trollies!

 

[SilverFish]

I'd leave them at home as its less washing, but then again it's cheaper to replace a pair of M&S undercrackers than a pair of Klim's trousers!

 

[Deleted account 240831001]

I'm now on the ferry at the Hook of Holland heading for home. I'll do an update at some point over the weekend but it's been great fun.

 

[Greg Masters]

I'm now on the ferry at the Hook of Holland heading for home. I'll do an update at some point over the weekend but it's been great fun.

Looking forward to it!

Ride safely.