Balkan Bimble: (Italy, Greece, Albania, Montenegro, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Croatia)

[mikeTR]

Balkan Bimble: (Italy, Greece, Albania, Montenegro, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Croatia)

The Balkans - An adventure bike nirvana

I have just returned from a trip, which I would class as the best riding trip I have ever done. It had it all, Mountains, Rivers, Mud, Rock, Technical, Easy gravel, grassland plains, spectacular views, Friendly locals. By any definition I think it was truly an adventure ride

I intend to do a ride report but as a taster, here are some photos assembled into a slideshow to wet your appetite. Hope you enjoy.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mC7rmsRCOu4&feature=youtu.be

<iframe width="420" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/mC7rmsRCOu4" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

 

[Mr K]

Loving the taster.

Bring on the main course.

 

[JayC]

I look forward to this.

 

[kurienp]

Seems this weekend is going - Popcorn! Popcorn! First it was Mike O, then rossi46, and now mikeTR.

Waiting for the main course.

 

[N111BJG]

Ride Report

I wondered if this ride report was ever posted as I'm looking to trek down to these part later this year

 

[simondippenhall]

I wondered if this ride report was ever posted as I'm looking to trek down to these part later this year

Me too....good to see the RR

 

[monkeyboy]

I wondered if this ride report was ever posted as I'm looking to trek down to these part later this year

Get yourself down there Me and a mate went down that way as far as Nafplion then got the boat back from Patras to Bali then up. 2 weeks there and back. No visas or anything and all super easy booking a day ahead through booking.com. Included the surreal experience of eating brussel sprouts in the sunshine with lunch in Sarejevo. Bosnia is really quite beautiful in places and the Adriatic is simply delicious. Albania was fine too. I'm sure you can find trouble if you go looking it down there but it felt ok in the main. Buy in insurance on the border of Montenegro I think, only a tenner.. That's a nice little place too.

My only advice would be to keep quiet. Don't go busting about making lots of noise else the fuzz will be all over you.

 

[monkeyboy]

Patras to Bali

What an Idiot Bari

 

[N111BJG]

That looks good, but we can only gather together for 10, maybe 11 days, so Montenegro is our limit.

Would like to do the Bar to Bari crossing, but Bari to UK looks too far for three days, so am thinking of circling back to Split & taking ferry to Ancona.

Any observations on this would be appreciated.

 

[monkeyboy]

That looks good, but we can only gather together for 10, maybe 11 days, so Montenegro is our limit.

Would like to do the Bar to Bari crossing, but Bari to UK looks too far for three days, so am thinking of circling back to Split & taking ferry to Ancona.

Any observations on this would be appreciated.

It depends on how far you like to ride obviously. I came back from Bari in 2 1/2 days and the boat from Patras gets in to port pretty early. I think I went Bari to Milan, then to Northern France somewhere. Pretty expensive tolls though.

Split to Ancona sounds good too though. Just pop in to Montenegro for a look. I nearly wrote myself off in Split doing a Uturn without looking - tosspot! It is really nice down that way but the coast road can be quite slow so it's always good to keep your options open.

 

[N111BJG]

Thanks. Six hours in the saddle is our ideal maximum.

We'll have to try to avoid the temptation of the hills on the way to Annecy / Grenoble.

Better book a flexible ticket I reckon

 

[monkeyboy]

Thanks. Six hours in the saddle is our ideal maximum.

We'll have to try to avoid the temptation of the hills on the way to Annecy / Grenoble.

Better book a flexible ticket I reckon

Never avoid temptation I love the autostrada in northern Italy, screaming through the tunnels, playing with the loons..

The Adriatic really is beautiful though. Enjoy!

 

[PaulinBont]

What are people's thoughts on doing this trip regarding the weather and temperatures in mid-March?

 

[jimmer]

where and how long.

What are people's thoughts on doing this trip regarding the weather and temperatures in mid-March?

it should be just starting to warm up.great for riding and not to busy. how long do you intend this trip will take.i was considering going on an organised trip like this last year.

 

[gspod]

That looks good, but we can only gather together for 10, maybe 11 days, so Montenegro is our limit.

Would like to do the Bar to Bari crossing, but Bari to UK looks too far for three days, so am thinking of circling back to Split & taking ferry to Ancona.

Any observations on this would be appreciated.

How about the motorail from the Netherlands (south Holland somewhere I think) to Slovenia - expensive maybe but if you're pushed for time.....

We will probably do this next time we go to the Balkans.

 

[simondippenhall]

How about the motorail from the Netherlands (south Holland somewhere I think) to Slovenia - expensive maybe but if you're pushed for time.....

We will probably do this next time we go to the Balkans.

Afraid these don't seem to run except from June. I have been looking for an easy way down having taken the DeutscheBahn auto train in April when I last motorcycled down that way. But it is now history!

So planning to motorcycle via Austria and through/around the Alps instead.

 

[N111BJG]

From what I see the motorail only runs from June until end of August & we are going in Sept.

Our outline route is this
Day 1 -Home to Chalons en Champagne - 436 miles
Day 2 -Chalons to Lindau - 342 miles
Day 3 - Lindau to Bled - 346 miles
Day 4 - Head for Sarajevo
Day 5 - Head for Montegnegro
Day 6 - Head for Dubrovnik
Day 7 - Go to Split - embark on Ferry for overnight crossing to Ancona
Day 8 - Ancona to Aosta - 360 miles
Day 9 -Aosta to Troyes - 350 miles
Day 10 -Troyes to Home - 360 miles

Would have liked a couple more days in Croatia, but we could only manage 10 days break. To do that or to go much further east or south we'd be looking at van with bikes in & flying to meet it.