Scotland to Croatia

[AndyT]

I would be grateful if one of you guys would point me in the right direction for one of the online autoroute websites as I've lost my links to them. I seem to remember that Michelin did one but i'm sure there were a few others.

Secondly can anyone recomend a scenic route from Zeebrugge towords Croatia (Dubrovnik). I would like to go via Germany and recall someone talked about the "old ????? road" going down to Bavaria. Any suggestions and also ideas on how long we should set aside for it. I'm thinking of doing alot in the saddle the first day to enjoy the Alps more but its a fair old trek.

Many thanks in Advance.

HAve Fun

AndyT

 

[wessie]

http://www.viamichelin.com/viamichelin/gbr/dyn/controller/HomePage

Shell Geostar has quit and redirects to the above

There are some others listed here:

http://www.selfdrivecamping.co.uk/
http://www.reiseroute.de/europ_uk.htm

Personally, from Zeebrugge, I would head for the Eiffel Mountains first. Trier is a nice city to spend a day or two. Only a leisurely 240 miles. Not the most inspiring journey so I'd knock it off on the free motorway so that I could enjoy myself once in the mountains.

Then I'd be tempted to head to Strasbourg, via Vosge Mountains. Cross the Rhine into the Black Forest, onto Lake Constance. Wiggle about in Austria & Slovenia before arriving in Croatia.

That should occupy you for a couple of weeks before even considering a return route via Bavaria.

 

[JohnnyBoxer]

Slovenia/Croatia

Our route in 2002 was.
Day 1 Zeebrugge to Contrexville,France (leaving m/way @ Namur,south of Brussels)
Day 2 Contrexville (over Vosges Mountains) to Andermatt,Switzerland(via Basel,Interlaken,Susten,Furka and Grimsel passes)
Day 3 Andermatt to Imst, Innsbruck (via Chur, Davos and Fluela pass,Landeck in Austria)
Day 4 Imst ( via Timmeljoch pass) to Cortina D'Ampezzo in Italian Dolomites - 2 days exploring Dolomites - a 'must do'
Day 6 Cortina to Lake Bled,Slovenia (via Tolmezzo,Italy to Kobarid,Slovenia)
Day 7 Lake Bled to Piran,Slovenia (via the Zelin gorge - best road and then onto Postonja - fab caves,then down to Adriatic Coast.
From there you can cut across the Istrian Peninsula to Rijeka and down onto Dubrovnik.

On this route we only covered 180 miles of m/way in 13-1400 miles and saw all that was best in the Alps/Tyrol/Dolomites and Julian Alps.
We explored the Croatian Istrian Peninsula,before returning via Trieste,Lienz Austria and over the Glossglockner towards Munich and then after Intermot,across the Rhine to the German Eifels and fabulous Nurburgring and Wunderlich,before returning to Zeebrugge.
Managed the whole trip in about 2 weeks in Sept 2002

 

[JohnnyBoxer]

Off-road in Slovenia

Slovenia

 

[JohnnyBoxer]

Deepest Croatia

 

[AndyT]

Thanks Guys

Thanks for the links and tips. Where was the last Pic in Croatia?here will be 2 of us going down, will we be okay for B&B along the way. We are setting off mid May whilst the kids are at school so I don't think it will be to busy but still fairly warm.

Thaks again

AndyT

 

[JohnnyBoxer]

Andy,
I think it's the Medieval hill top town @ Livade in Istrian Croatia.
It's a spectacular fortified town with great views.

 

[dodgy]

I lived in Croatia in '00 and rode there and back a couple of times. JB's route is a good one. The road from Ljubljana to the border crossing at Brod na Kupi is pretty good too though and beautiful, and has the advantage of avoiding Rijeka which is a bit ofa dump. Or you could gothe mountain route and cross into Croatia at Babno Polje

In Croatia itself, the coast road in parts is crap (too busy, bad surface), but in parts the best you'll ever ride (80km stretches oif swoopy well surfaced, empty roads). The best sections are between Senj and Karlobag, around Sibenik, and south of Split. Worst parts are between Rijeka and Senj and around Zadar.

Personally I would cross at Brod na Kupi and go via Delnice, Kupiak, Ravna Gora, Vrbovsko, Ogulin, Josipdol, over the Kapela pass to Brinje and drop on to the coast road at Senj. You'll see the beautiful inland scenery and get the best ofthe coast road that way. Wave to my mates in Ogulin building the motorway as you pass!

Other things you should be aware of in Croatia: thesignposts are often poor, some "roads" on the map are actually dirt tracks (shouldn't be a problem on a GS, though), you will need additional insurance (available at the border) and don't wander off roads for a walk anywhere away from the coast as landmines are still a real danger. Don't bother with Bosnia except the shortstretch you haveto go through to get to Dubrovnik, it's notworth thehassle. Oh yeah, and don't go in August when all of Croatia is on holiday. The coast is at its best in May-June and September

Have a great time, beautiful country. Zadar is prolly my fave town

 

[The Foolish Fellow]

route

i usa the aa site or from shell geostar via michelin
our route to croatia this year was as follows
newcastle to amsterdam
amsterdam to munich ( 1 day)
munich to saltzburg
saltzburg via villach to libjuiana
then on to croatia touring the coast to dubrovnick
then by ferry to bari in italia

great run

 

[Roy B]

Andy,
WWW.alpineroads.com has some good routes through the Alps.
Worth blasting down to the Alps in a day (good route in through Lac Leman to do it in a hurry for your route) or down to the south of Germany (our route in this June). It would be good to meet after your trip to swap notes before we set off this year. We are just getting a weeks pass (same as you , between trips and when the kids are at school).
Regards
RB

 

[mike6631]

Andy

May will be agreat time to go and the routes suggested will give you a real buzz. Route planner from michelin can be found at
www.viamichelin.com. B & B plentiful and reasonably cheap. Locals may well speak German/French/Italian but unless you're really lucky not too much english. have fun

Mike