Hungary and points south

Off to Hungary, Keszthely on the western end of Lake Balaton and looking at the run back, fancy making the trip south to the Adriatic and then up the coast towards Rijeka and back through Italy…

Anyone done that part of Croatia & Bosnia? Advice? Sights?

Currently got the GS out in Bosnia, roads awful with subsidence, and lethal in the wet as so compressed with oil everywhere. In the dry they are fine. Drivers are really bad with little or no road manners, keep defencesive and you're fine. Bosnian maps don't tell the truth. A small red or yellow road invariably start as tarmac and go gravel after a few kms. However, unless looks well used or between fairly major towns be aware this is the most land mined area in the northern hemisphere. That being said, food dirt cheap, locals friendly, beer that makes your head hurt. Police bountiful with speed guns and if in doubt they'll make things up to get you to cough up money. Visit Mostar, Sarajevo interesting if you like night life and try and get a battlefield tour. Croatia is much more upmarket, still relatively cheap but huge investment by Germans and Italians means prices going up. Lovely area though. Dubrovnik a must, Krk Island lovely and if going near to Bosnian Border, a lovely set of lakes about 20 km to North east of Bihac is worth a trip. Off to Lake Balaton in a couple of weeks time for the weekend via Zagreb (lovely city centre worth a look in).

When you hoping to travel?

Hi Paul,

I've been in this part of the world over the last couple of years. Hopefully the following will give you a bit of the flavour:

http://www.ukgser.com/forums/showthread.php?t=46014

http://www.ukgser.com/forums/showthread.php?t=83565

Dave Barrett said:

Hi Paul,

I've been in this part of the world over the last couple of years. Hopefully the following will give you a bit of the flavour:

http://www.ukgser.com/forums/showthread.php?t=46014

http://www.ukgser.com/forums/showthread.php?t=83565

Click to expand...

Thanks Dave. I'd not seen either of them before despite putting "Bosnia" into the search box.

Looks like a great trip.

With only two weeks available next year I'm looking at Autozug to Villach from Dusseldorf. It seems the Koln Deutz station has gone from the timetable. I used it on a trip a few years back to Salzburg on my old Kettle.

From there taking the off motorway run across to Balaton where we have an apartment with friends. We're there for a week or maybe less depending on how chilled we want to be in the spa at Heviz. Mrs Moto and me aren't used to holidaying for longer than a weekend with other people!!

I am toying with the return on the autozug too, also from Villach or Rijeka. Although on the website today, the Rikeka fare seems a little steep for the short distance and it looks like the train mates with the Villach train anyway. They have the exact same arrival time in D'dorf.

I have to wait until November when the Summer 08 fares come online to decide whether to come back on the bike all the way, zug and what day! Sat or Thu!

Have a rough plan of action of Balaton down to Croatia, across the top arm and into B-HG, Banja Luka and then Sarajevo, Mostar and the coast. Intrigued as after I had all this in my head, darnedMichael Palin went in his new programme! Then up along the coast to Dubrovnik and Zadar etc....

Any advice welcome. Currencies?

Insurance? Seen the threads about buy border. I'm with eBike and they said B-HG not covered and have resisted any attempts to ask how much to add it for the holiday.

GPS? I have a Quest and Mapsource v9... My route from Balaton to Split routes round Bosnia. When I force it to go as above it gets to Mostar and then routes in a bloody great loop as there are no roads from B-HG to Croatia, although the AA Map book shows quite a few. Clicking to sahow maps around the route get f.a. for Bosnia.

Have to wait for v10?

Invicta Moto said:

Off to Hungary, Keszthely on the western end of Lake Balaton and looking at the run back, fancy making the trip south to the Adriatic and then up the coast towards Rijeka and back through Italy…

Anyone done that part of Croatia & Bosnia? Advice? Sights?

Click to expand...

Was there last year, almost the same run. Try and get up to Heviz just up from Keszthely, its a thermal spar take your trunks. Head up to the old castle at Szigliget (pictures below) amazing views, if you go on the bike just watch the road up, gets a bit "lumpy" at the top. Castle intresting and you can climb right up the towers, health and safety All close by to Keszthely.
Budapest is only a short ride away and worth a stop over if you can manage. A ride round the lake is a good day out lots to see and places to stop for food and coffee. You may need a motorway carnet in Hungary. I got stopped at a service station when a police officer wandered over and noticed no sticker! Lots of head shaking and finger waving, just appologised and pleaded ignorance "not hard" and got one at the services for 5 days, think it was only cheap will check see if I made a note of the cost and let you know.
I came back through into Croatia on the E65-71 from Hungary to Zagreb used a mix of old roads and once close to Zagreb got on the new motorway. Zagreb a must see too, have a look at the old church roof near the cathederal and the goverment buildings
If you have time take the long way down the E71 towards Karlovac and then to a small road I think was the 23 all the way to the coast, you could be in Austria. As you come over the mountains the first view of the Adriatic is stunning.
Try to avoid Rijeka traffic at peak times just grid locked if you can, go round. Have a look at Opatija up the coast much nicer and more a "resort" feel than a busy city.
Hope that gives you some thing to think about
Hungary was my favorite country by far. Got to get back up to Tokaj some day. wine, food, bikes and great people

First two are of Balaton then Zagreb market day finaly mountain road down to the Adriatic

Thanks Ted. I've been to Balaton before with the First Mrs Moto but this is the Current Mrs Moto's first trip that far across Europe by bike. Maybe push the boundary back with a day trip to Budapest.. or maybe an overnight! Was last there for the FIM Rally in another life!

Will defo have the trunks for Heviz! The apartment we have is about 500m away!

Also stayed in Zagreb on the way back from FIM, it must have changed a lot in 22 years!

The run straight down to the Adriatic looks good - on paper, although Palin has a lot to answer for with Bosnia this week on TV!

Invicta Moto said:

Will defo have the trunks for Heviz! The apartment we have is about 500m away!

Click to expand...

Is it the place at the camp site just opposite the spa entrance? Top place and nice bar/cafe, sit and watch the Germans arrive in there super mobile homes.It's like watching Thunderbirds as they unfold and sprout aerials and dishes . They seem to fumigate the spa at night may be to kill off midges but looks very spooky.

In Budapest stopped at the Ibis Centrum. Had a Inet deal for 2 nights that just matched up with my trip time table was approx £25 for 2 nights B&B, may be worth a look. Nice underground carpark for the bike, and just walk out of the hotel to a street full of cafes restraunts and bars, stones throw from the Danube and the famous indoor market
Zagreb is a lot different I should imagine. New trams, lots of building renovation/repairs. Hard to imagine such a short time ago rockets and morters were falling on it.
Going back for more once I get some cash together. Would love to explore Hungary and Croatia for a few months.
Church in Zagreb, Indoor Market Budapest is cleaner than many hospitals, thats not saying much these days though

Ted

My old Gran told me not to wish my life away when I was about 5... now Iam doing just that wanting to get away! Mind you I am flying to SPain on Oct 6th for a week for our wedding anniversary.. or rather we are flying....

I have a rough plan of attack and printing the dates from Outlook a few times let's me have a fiddle and pencil in all the options.

Have no idea where the apartment is exactly, it says on the blurb "500m from spa" and is in fact on ut. Heviz in Kertvaros near Cserszegtomaj!
Sadly, Mapsource v9 for Europe is about as much use as a chocolate fireguard in this area! It's f.a. good for Bosnia as well.

The route from western Balaton to Split is almost a straight line, but my Mapsource takes a huge loop to avoid Bosnia and once I force the route it won't add the maps.

I've emailed Garmin with no response to when they might update the maps. Even basemap planning should plot a route through even if it keep to main roads?

Rough plan is to head through Bosnia towards Banja Luka and then aim for Split. I'm a tight bugger so I will be looking for cheap hotels around Split & Zadar, then up towards Rijeka. Time depends on whether we use the Autozug both ways to Villach, and which return train we take, Thursday or Saturday....

Sadly, as I work in local Education, I'm stuck with school holidays and the only two week spell is Easter and Summer. Mrs Moto won't go that far in March/April!