If you’re sticking around, grab yourself a cuppa and allow me a few lines, if you will, before I get into the pictures:
You may have read one of my past tour reports, I try to do one each year to encourage others to do the same and to give something back, but then again, perhaps you haven’t. I’m allowed nine or ten days off from family duties once a year to embark on a boy’s week away on our bikes. This year, 2017, was my tenth year and as if to mark the occasion, I decided that we’d do something a bit more adventurous than the Alps, Pyrenees or the likes. I know, Romania isn’t exactly Outer Mongolia but it’s about as far as ten days will allow from Cambridgeshire without airfreighting my bike.
This year, for various reasons, our usual group had reduced to three. I was disappointed that a couple of the other guys weren’t able to make it but the upside was that the trip was easier to organise and we were much less likely to spend a third of our time trying to find he who likes getting lost. So it was the three amigos; me, Sid and Andrew.
The plan;
Set off Thursday morning. Ride from St Neots to Dusseldorf via the Eurotunnel, overnight Motorail to Vienna, ride across Hungary to Romania. Five days riding in Romania, back into Hungary stopping overnight in Budapest then back to Vienna for the return train to Dusseldorf and finally back home the following Saturday via the tunnel. And breathe.
Day 1; ST Neots to Dusseldorf.
Having got down to Folkstone, the crossing was as efficient as usual and we were soon en France! Our route took us north into Belgium and until we hit Antwerp everything was going fine. Through Antwerp was a nightmare, even on the bikes but it wasn’t long before we arrived in Dusseldorf and made our way to the motorail station. Right on time we told to load our bikes.
https://flic.kr/p/WHJUPa
It’s advisable to wear you lid when boarding. The deck is very low and I heard of someone properly slashing their head open due to not wearing their helmet.
https://flic.kr/p/W8sizy
Bikes safely aboard and tethered. Nice.
There were some nice classic cars on board including a Merc Pagoda. One of my favs.
I opted to take the motorail as it’s the only way to do Romania within the time and have enough days there to see something of the country. By road, unless you’re Nick Sanders, it’s long three days each way and I wanted to ride the Transfagarasan and Transalpina roads. That wouldn’t have been possible if riding all the way. The cabins are...intimate so knowing you’re companions well is advisable. It cost about £1000 for the three of us, return. You can do it cheaper in the couchette carriage but these days I prefer a small amount of privacy, the extra security plus we had a shower, albeit cold on the outward journey. Oh an breakfast was thrown in too.
https://flic.kr/p/W8siA5
https://flic.kr/p/WsKLJh
We eased out of Dusseldorf shortly before 21:00, whilst drinking a couple of beers and chatting to some German bikers.
https://flic.kr/p/WEb5fQ
Day 2; Vienna to Timisoara.
https://flic.kr/p/VugXGn
Somewhere between Dusseldorf and Vienna, the German efficiency had worn off and we arrived in Vienna an hour and a half late. I’d also forgotten that Romania is another hour behind Western Europe so suddenly we’d lost two and a half hours before we’d even left Austria. The Hungarian border is about forty miles from Vienna which we rode nervously due to not having bought vignettes. Over the border though, and a part from some very long queues due to accidents, by early evening we arrived at the Romanian border.
https://flic.kr/p/W8scSb
https://flic.kr/p/VufEWR
Despite Romania being in the EU, you still have to go through customs and immigration at the border. A quick flash of a British passport seemed to be enough though. Note the long line of trucks behind Andrew. Freight is separated and the queue very, very long. For cars and bikes though, it took 5 mins tops.
https://flic.kr/p/W8scLQ
Safely through.
From the border near Arad it was just over an hour to Timisoara. As were rode into town, at a set of lights, a van driver welcomed us to Romania and a little kid waved at us, his dad pointing at our bikes. We didn’t think too much of it but realised over the next few days that bigbikes aren’t that common in Romania.
It was about seven by the time we arrived at the hotel, the Green Regina so unfortunately didn’t have time to explore the town. Instead, the hotel recommended a pizzeria close by. That would do nicely, thank you.
https://flic.kr/p/WEb56S
TBC.
You may have read one of my past tour reports, I try to do one each year to encourage others to do the same and to give something back, but then again, perhaps you haven’t. I’m allowed nine or ten days off from family duties once a year to embark on a boy’s week away on our bikes. This year, 2017, was my tenth year and as if to mark the occasion, I decided that we’d do something a bit more adventurous than the Alps, Pyrenees or the likes. I know, Romania isn’t exactly Outer Mongolia but it’s about as far as ten days will allow from Cambridgeshire without airfreighting my bike.
This year, for various reasons, our usual group had reduced to three. I was disappointed that a couple of the other guys weren’t able to make it but the upside was that the trip was easier to organise and we were much less likely to spend a third of our time trying to find he who likes getting lost. So it was the three amigos; me, Sid and Andrew.
The plan;
Set off Thursday morning. Ride from St Neots to Dusseldorf via the Eurotunnel, overnight Motorail to Vienna, ride across Hungary to Romania. Five days riding in Romania, back into Hungary stopping overnight in Budapest then back to Vienna for the return train to Dusseldorf and finally back home the following Saturday via the tunnel. And breathe.
Day 1; ST Neots to Dusseldorf.
Having got down to Folkstone, the crossing was as efficient as usual and we were soon en France! Our route took us north into Belgium and until we hit Antwerp everything was going fine. Through Antwerp was a nightmare, even on the bikes but it wasn’t long before we arrived in Dusseldorf and made our way to the motorail station. Right on time we told to load our bikes.
https://flic.kr/p/WHJUPa
It’s advisable to wear you lid when boarding. The deck is very low and I heard of someone properly slashing their head open due to not wearing their helmet.
https://flic.kr/p/W8sizy
Bikes safely aboard and tethered. Nice.
There were some nice classic cars on board including a Merc Pagoda. One of my favs.
I opted to take the motorail as it’s the only way to do Romania within the time and have enough days there to see something of the country. By road, unless you’re Nick Sanders, it’s long three days each way and I wanted to ride the Transfagarasan and Transalpina roads. That wouldn’t have been possible if riding all the way. The cabins are...intimate so knowing you’re companions well is advisable. It cost about £1000 for the three of us, return. You can do it cheaper in the couchette carriage but these days I prefer a small amount of privacy, the extra security plus we had a shower, albeit cold on the outward journey. Oh an breakfast was thrown in too.
https://flic.kr/p/W8siA5
https://flic.kr/p/WsKLJh
We eased out of Dusseldorf shortly before 21:00, whilst drinking a couple of beers and chatting to some German bikers.
https://flic.kr/p/WEb5fQ
Day 2; Vienna to Timisoara.
https://flic.kr/p/VugXGn
Somewhere between Dusseldorf and Vienna, the German efficiency had worn off and we arrived in Vienna an hour and a half late. I’d also forgotten that Romania is another hour behind Western Europe so suddenly we’d lost two and a half hours before we’d even left Austria. The Hungarian border is about forty miles from Vienna which we rode nervously due to not having bought vignettes. Over the border though, and a part from some very long queues due to accidents, by early evening we arrived at the Romanian border.
https://flic.kr/p/W8scSb
https://flic.kr/p/VufEWR
Despite Romania being in the EU, you still have to go through customs and immigration at the border. A quick flash of a British passport seemed to be enough though. Note the long line of trucks behind Andrew. Freight is separated and the queue very, very long. For cars and bikes though, it took 5 mins tops.
https://flic.kr/p/W8scLQ
Safely through.
From the border near Arad it was just over an hour to Timisoara. As were rode into town, at a set of lights, a van driver welcomed us to Romania and a little kid waved at us, his dad pointing at our bikes. We didn’t think too much of it but realised over the next few days that bigbikes aren’t that common in Romania.
It was about seven by the time we arrived at the hotel, the Green Regina so unfortunately didn’t have time to explore the town. Instead, the hotel recommended a pizzeria close by. That would do nicely, thank you.
https://flic.kr/p/WEb56S
TBC.