Greece - realistic or day dream?
Discussion
It certainly started as a day dream but then I thought why the hell not. An epic road trip to Greece this summer.
I'll only be able to snatch a couple of weeks off work, but the outline plan is overnight ferry to Zebrugge or Ijmuiden, a blast down through Holland and Germany, aiming for somewhere near Basel. A tootle through the Alps and down towards Milan on day 2, then on to Ancona on the third day for a ferry to Greece.
I will be meeting friends there so can while away a few days and recover.
Much as I would love to make a big loop of it and come back up through the Balkans, I'd probably be too pressed for time for that to be fun, and besides there are plenty of minor diversions along that route to keep it interesting so I'd probably come back the same way.
Am I being realistic, a bit optimistic or totally daft?
Any suggestions/stories welcome.
I'll only be able to snatch a couple of weeks off work, but the outline plan is overnight ferry to Zebrugge or Ijmuiden, a blast down through Holland and Germany, aiming for somewhere near Basel. A tootle through the Alps and down towards Milan on day 2, then on to Ancona on the third day for a ferry to Greece.
I will be meeting friends there so can while away a few days and recover.
Much as I would love to make a big loop of it and come back up through the Balkans, I'd probably be too pressed for time for that to be fun, and besides there are plenty of minor diversions along that route to keep it interesting so I'd probably come back the same way.
Am I being realistic, a bit optimistic or totally daft?
Any suggestions/stories welcome.
Hi it’s not a daydream at all I did albeit in 2005 on the well known tourer an Aprilia RSV factory. I went via France through Switzerland and Italy to Ancona then a ferry to mainland Greece then another ferry over to Kefalonia. I took 3 days to get down to Ancona . I had a great time on the way down not so much on the way back after a breakdown getting off the ferry in Ancona!. I ended up riding non stop from Italy to the speed ferry terminal in boulogne only to be turned away due to bad weather. It still was a great trip though.
I agree, it's doable.
Personnally I always prefer to take the scenic road, as that's the point of doing a roadtrip on a bike so for me the ideal average distance per day is around 300/350 km. Which would probably put you in Ancona in 5 days instead of 3, but it still works, and you can always take a more direct route on the way back is the timing constraint mandates it.
Personnally I always prefer to take the scenic road, as that's the point of doing a roadtrip on a bike so for me the ideal average distance per day is around 300/350 km. Which would probably put you in Ancona in 5 days instead of 3, but it still works, and you can always take a more direct route on the way back is the timing constraint mandates it.
That's encouraging! Must have been a monster of a ride back, I'd try to avoid that sort of caper, but good to know it's possible. So far the most I've done in a day is probably about 300 miles so that first leg to Basel looks a bit long. Although I've driven that route in a car with no difficulty.
What time of year did you do it? I'm looking at early August and aware that it could be very hot.
What time of year did you do it? I'm looking at early August and aware that it could be very hot.
6pi said:
Agree, doable.
Personnally I always prefer to take the scenic road, as that's the point of doing a roadtrip on a bike so for me the ideal average distance per day is around 300/350 km per day. Which would probably put you in Ancona in 5 days instead of 3, but it still works, and you can always take a more direct route on the way back is the timing constraint mandates it.
I agree In hindsight I would have taken longer on the way down luckily I had a 2 week break in Greece to get over it.Personnally I always prefer to take the scenic road, as that's the point of doing a roadtrip on a bike so for me the ideal average distance per day is around 300/350 km per day. Which would probably put you in Ancona in 5 days instead of 3, but it still works, and you can always take a more direct route on the way back is the timing constraint mandates it.
I'm not nearly hard-core enough lol. I do have the flexibility to squeeze another day in, so I'll keep looking and planning. Anywhere to avoid? I'm reasonable confident on a bike but having driven around the peripherique in a car it isn't something I'd fancy on a bike. Milan outer ring road looks fairly tame from the maps.
To be honest it’s been a while since I went but I remember the ride through Switzerland was amazing due to the scenery same for Italy but with crazier drivers! . The Greek roads were definitely the most dangerous road surfaces seemingly devoid of any grip even in the dry. I do remember being woken up by a German truck driver who was concerned I was dead after I fell asleep on a picnic table in a French lay-by on the way back .
Be careful in Switzerland with the speed cameras, it can be quite expensive there.. and if possible have some flexibility with the planning, especially with the ferry.
Some years ago I was riding through Switerland with my brother and we stayed overnight in Lausanne. The following morning it was pouring rain but we decided to go on, which was quite a mistake since we had the most miserable ride ever (completely wet after a few kms, cold, V-win running on one cylinder only as the front one was getting a bit of water in it). With hindsight we should have waited the day... and it was in August by the way.
Also in Switzerland you need to buy the vignette if you want to use the motorways, which is quite costly if you only plan to go through the country one time.
In my experience, northern Italy isn't particularly challenging as far as driving goes (but then I'm French, and I used to take the periphérique every day on my bike, so maybe we don't have the same standards
)
In Italy pay attention to the ZTLs in the city centers, as it can be a costly mistake if you do it multiple times.
Some years ago I was riding through Switerland with my brother and we stayed overnight in Lausanne. The following morning it was pouring rain but we decided to go on, which was quite a mistake since we had the most miserable ride ever (completely wet after a few kms, cold, V-win running on one cylinder only as the front one was getting a bit of water in it). With hindsight we should have waited the day... and it was in August by the way.
Also in Switzerland you need to buy the vignette if you want to use the motorways, which is quite costly if you only plan to go through the country one time.
In my experience, northern Italy isn't particularly challenging as far as driving goes (but then I'm French, and I used to take the periphérique every day on my bike, so maybe we don't have the same standards
)In Italy pay attention to the ZTLs in the city centers, as it can be a costly mistake if you do it multiple times.
Yeah the periphérique is probably pretty good preparation for most things! I guess it's different if you know it and do it regularly but when you hit it tired and not quite sure where you are going in a RHD car it's a bit confusing. Being undertaken by enthusiastic motorbikes only adds to the fun!
Sorry, what are ZTLs?
Sorry, what are ZTLs?
JuanCarlosFandango said:
It certainly started as a day dream but then I thought why the hell not. An epic road trip to Greece this summer.
I'll only be able to snatch a couple of weeks off work, but the outline plan is overnight ferry to Zebrugge or Ijmuiden, a blast down through Holland and Germany, aiming for somewhere near Basel. A tootle through the Alps and down towards Milan on day 2, then on to Ancona on the third day for a ferry to Greece.
I will be meeting friends there so can while away a few days and recover.
Much as I would love to make a big loop of it and come back up through the Balkans, I'd probably be too pressed for time for that to be fun, and besides there are plenty of minor diversions along that route to keep it interesting so I'd probably come back the same way.
Am I being realistic, a bit optimistic or totally daft?
Any suggestions/stories welcome.
I completed a very similar trip, on the bike, just a couple of weeks ago. Mine also started as a throwaway comment/suggestion, but grew legs!I'll only be able to snatch a couple of weeks off work, but the outline plan is overnight ferry to Zebrugge or Ijmuiden, a blast down through Holland and Germany, aiming for somewhere near Basel. A tootle through the Alps and down towards Milan on day 2, then on to Ancona on the third day for a ferry to Greece.
I will be meeting friends there so can while away a few days and recover.
Much as I would love to make a big loop of it and come back up through the Balkans, I'd probably be too pressed for time for that to be fun, and besides there are plenty of minor diversions along that route to keep it interesting so I'd probably come back the same way.
Am I being realistic, a bit optimistic or totally daft?
Any suggestions/stories welcome.
Route was:
Day 1: Home to Chunnel, then Sangatte to Steinbourg
Day 2: Steinbourg to Quinto via Lugano, Como
Day 3: Quinto to Modena via Monza
Day 4: Modena to Ancona via Tavullia, then ferry
Day 5: Arrive Patras
Then we had three days in Greece with mates who were doing the Hellas Raid
Day 8: Back to Patras, ferry to Ancona
Day 10: Ancona to Perugia
Day 11: Perugia to Genoa
Day 12: Genoa to Grasse (all along the Riviera, via Monaco, wasn't as great as you might expect, busy and very very hot)
Day 13: Route Napoleon (an absolute MUST do), then we pushed on a bit to near Dijon. Long day.
Day 14: We took a long drag back to the Chunnel, early start, all autoroute. We were going to split this into two days but were ready to be home.
Some parts were amazing (highlights included the Furka Pass (Goldfinger), going to Monza, going to Tavullia (massive anticlimax tho!), the Italian countryside between Ancona and Pisa, and again, the Route Napoleon, which was way beyond expectations both for the road itself and the scenery. We purposely took a longer route/more days, to see certain places.
The ferries weren't too bad, I expected them to be deadly boring but the 24-ish hours passed quite quickly. Not cheap (c. £400 pp return with a 3-person cabin) and the food was very expensive too. Ancona port is an absolute dump!
We did close to 3000 miles in the two weeks.
One thing I would say: We went on the 17 May and the temperatures from Italy onwards were way hotter than I expected at that time of year. Mid to high 30s most days. It does detract from the riding a little at times, when you get slowed down, such as on some rural Italian roads.
I know you said you wouldn't do the Balkans. Probably a wise choice. I did Greece to Croatia last year on the Illyria Raid. 7 countries. Depending on which countries you decide to go through, some are nice, some are less than (hello Albania). And depending on which border posts you end up at, some are straightforward, some like to extract a little extra "tax" from you ("I was thinking of taking my wife out for a nice meal this evening. It'll probably cost me about €100. Now, did you want your passport and V5 back?"). Plus your standard EU insurance won't cover you for some of the Balkans so you have the faff of buying questionable insurance at the borders.
Hope that helps!
It is a big help, CAPPO, thanks! More inspiration...
I'd love to do the Balkan route, and/or Romania, dodgy border guards don't put me off but I just don't think I could do it justice in the time I have, and a long boat ride then a 3 day scoot across Italy, Switzerland and Germany sounds like a more relaxed route than trying to do the other way even over 5 days, which would really start to eat into the time I'm in Greece itself.
Regarding the heat I suppose I'll have to see how it looks at the time. I'd aim to set off early and have the bulk of the travel done by midday - 1pm.
I'd love to do the Balkan route, and/or Romania, dodgy border guards don't put me off but I just don't think I could do it justice in the time I have, and a long boat ride then a 3 day scoot across Italy, Switzerland and Germany sounds like a more relaxed route than trying to do the other way even over 5 days, which would really start to eat into the time I'm in Greece itself.
Regarding the heat I suppose I'll have to see how it looks at the time. I'd aim to set off early and have the bulk of the travel done by midday - 1pm.
I regularly ride IJmuiden to Ancona, and normally finish day 1 riding in Baden-Baden.
I do this for no other reason than I get to wake up nice an early and ride the B500.
Then it's down to business, through Switzerland - stopping at the nearest fuel station to the border to get a vignette.
I've never found Switzerland bad for speeding/fines/filtering etc.. I think it's been grossly exaggerated by certain Internet clowns that got "caught" speeding a few years back... mind you I don't mess about in towns or when entering/leaving them.... maybe I've just been lucky over the past 20 years of riding there.
After that it's onto the 'madness' of the Italian Autostrada's - again.. I don't really find them an issue, always fairly fast moving (save for the likes of Milan etc and a few other hot spots) and the toll prices aren't that bad (IMO), the driving standard is certainly no worse than in the UK... just a bit more animated shall we say..
It's a looong day 2.. usually 8-10 hours..and that is with me pushing on a bit where I can...
So it should be doable at a more sensible pace in 3 days... Good Luck and hope have fun!
I do this for no other reason than I get to wake up nice an early and ride the B500.
Then it's down to business, through Switzerland - stopping at the nearest fuel station to the border to get a vignette.
I've never found Switzerland bad for speeding/fines/filtering etc.. I think it's been grossly exaggerated by certain Internet clowns that got "caught" speeding a few years back... mind you I don't mess about in towns or when entering/leaving them.... maybe I've just been lucky over the past 20 years of riding there.
After that it's onto the 'madness' of the Italian Autostrada's - again.. I don't really find them an issue, always fairly fast moving (save for the likes of Milan etc and a few other hot spots) and the toll prices aren't that bad (IMO), the driving standard is certainly no worse than in the UK... just a bit more animated shall we say..
It's a looong day 2.. usually 8-10 hours..and that is with me pushing on a bit where I can...
So it should be doable at a more sensible pace in 3 days... Good Luck and hope have fun!
Edited by the cueball on Wednesday 15th June 10:11
This is great, no discouragement at all!
Furka pass looks great.
What bikes did you use what would you recommend?
I am currently bikeless so would be buying something with this trip in mind. Budget around £5k, with a bit of flexibility. Looking at BMW R1200GS but these seem to be well worn in that range.
Furka pass looks great.
What bikes did you use what would you recommend?
I am currently bikeless so would be buying something with this trip in mind. Budget around £5k, with a bit of flexibility. Looking at BMW R1200GS but these seem to be well worn in that range.
Probably won't be a popular opinion, but for your budget I would look at a Pan European, or if you want to go a bit faster then a Blackbird.
Should get a very good one for that money, and it'll be rock solid and all day comfort... and you'll probably lose very little if you were to sell it on.
But I'm biased...
GS are hateful, horrible tractors.. wouldn't take one for free... I'm sure they're fine... Ewans and Charlies of the world love them... seem to make it to starbucks and back anyway with those huge cases on the sides...
<cue upset riders posting dirty GS photos and cries of "I use mine ya bellend" etc etc and so on....
Should get a very good one for that money, and it'll be rock solid and all day comfort... and you'll probably lose very little if you were to sell it on.
But I'm biased...
GS are hateful, horrible tractors.. wouldn't take one for free... I'm sure they're fine... Ewans and Charlies of the world love them... seem to make it to starbucks and back anyway with those huge cases on the sides...
<cue upset riders posting dirty GS photos and cries of "I use mine ya bellend" etc etc and so on....
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