Athens and back

But that's only the legal minimum isn't it? No comprehensive or theft cover or anything else that would cover any personal loss. My insurance company is fully comp for EU+Bosnia+Serbia.

True. But it was the only way my mate could get through Albania.
 
He said he's got a chance to ride there.

Maybe he doesn't want to fly, or won't (like me...and I'm not the only one).

It doesn't have to be "boring slab".

c.4500 miles return in 15 days, inclusive of family duties in Athens - perhaps we can rename it 'interesting slab' then, but I'm reckoning on at least 3000 miles of motorway to get this ride done on time.

Whilst far preferable, the scenic route would take a month.

Just sayin, each to their own - I admit readily to avoiding what I deem endurance test rides these days; so often they are not what they were cracked up to be.
 
A reasonably sensible (no extreme goat tracks) jaunt from Calais to Athens is 3,500 km or 2,200 miles give or take. At 250 miles a day is eight days, give or take but with no rest days.

That reduces to about 3,100 if you take more of the main roads but still no significant motorway. That is 1,900 miles which, at 250 miles a day, is say eight days, with no rest day.

It’s not a lot less if you take the motorways. It’s 3,000 km or bit under 1,900 miles. Though you could do say 350 miles a day (for the sake of argument) which would be five days but again, no rest day.

Logic dictates that if you can mix some motorway with some more interesting roads, then you’d come out at between five and eight days. Let’s call that six. That reduces to some extent or another if you can crack in more miles (get up earlier and / or don’t dawdle whilst you press wild flowers) but if you stop to revel in views and take pictures, any time saved will evaporate very quickly.

It really is up to you OP. Nothing is impossible. In your opening post you imagine 15 days travelling of which:

A. “As quickly as possible (whatever that means) to Ljubljana.

B. Then seven to 10 days to jolly from Ljubljana to Athens.

Some on this site regard even thinking about a motorway as a heinous crime, that will see you thrown out of the Brownies. Some of them go nowhere.

Clearly the eight days above could easily be amended to fit in the 14 days or so you have set aside, all without touching a motorway.

Now over to you, OP.
 
c.4500 miles return in 15 days, inclusive of family duties in Athens - perhaps we can rename it 'interesting slab' then, but I'm reckoning on at least 3000 miles of motorway to get this ride done on time.

Whilst far preferable, the scenic route would take a month.

Just sayin, each to their own - I admit readily to avoiding what I deem endurance test rides these days; so often they are not what they were cracked up to be.

Just to be clear, the 15 days does not include family time in Athens; it's 15 days (or maybe more) travelling.
 
A reasonably sensible (no extreme goat tracks) jaunt from Calais to Athens is 3,500 km or 2,200 miles give or take. At 250 miles a day is eight days, give or take but with no rest days.

That reduces to about 3,100 if you take more of the main roads but still no significant motorway. That is 1,900 miles which, at 250 miles a day, is say eight days, with no rest day.

It’s not a lot less if you take the motorways. It’s 3,000 km or bit under 1,900 miles. Though you could do say 350 miles a day (for the sake of argument) which would be five days but again, no rest day.

Logic dictates that if you can mix some motorway with some more interesting roads, then you’d come out at between five and eight days. Let’s call that six. That reduces to some extent or another if you can crack in more miles (get up earlier and / or don’t dawdle whilst you press wild flowers) but if you stop to revel in views and take pictures, any time saved will evaporate very quickly.

It really is up to you OP. Nothing is impossible. In your opening post you imagine 15 days travelling of which:

A. “As quickly as possible (whatever that means) to Ljubljana.

B. Then seven to 10 days to jolly from Ljubljana to Athens.

Some on this site regard even thinking about a motorway as a heinous crime, that will see you thrown out of the Brownies. Some of them go nowhere.

Clearly the eight days above could easily be amended to fit in the 14 days or so you have set aside, all without touching a motorway.

Now over to you, OP.

thanks, that's something to think about. As you say, over to me.

I'll update if/when I have some plans.
 
thanks, that's something to think about. As you say, over to me.

I'll update if/when I have some plans.

No problem.

I simply put Calais to Athens into the reasonably good Kurviger app and asked it for the three alternatives, all whilst sat in the pub. It’ll be a great jaunt, whichever way you go and is certainly doable within the 14 days outwards journey timeframe you’ve allowed.

https://kurviger.de/en

The daily estimated mileages of 250 (no motorway) and 350 (with motorways) are probably not unrealistic on a day-after-day basis, if that’s your thing. You’d definitely get time off somewhere along the line to either not ride the bike at all or to stop off to do ‘stuff’, all well within the fortnight’s timeframe you have set aside.

Do let us know what you do decide on and how it goes. Very few here do big milages, the Alps and the Pyrenees being the general stopping point. This though is understandable, as few have the luxury of weeks away from home and work.

PS Don’t follow the Kurviger route(s) exactly. The algorithms are good but not perfect. They sometimes take silly little detours, than no sane person would use. But, as a guide and for suggesting the direction a route might take (the Pro-version in particular *) it is amongst the best out there.


* Good in that you can, all within one dingle route, divide parts as direct (motorway) and parts non-motorway, plus varying the relative ‘twisty’ qualities of the non-motorway sections.
 
Went down on the slab to Ancona / Patras , fair haul , nothing notable .
However when you do get to Greece be AWARE that the road surfaces in places can be deceiving .
The surfaces can look as if they are “ grippy” and can actually be VERY slippery , found this on back/ rural roads .
 
No problem.

I simply put Calais to Athens into the reasonably good Kurviger app and asked it for the three alternatives, all whilst sat in the pub. It’ll be a great jaunt, whichever way you go and is certainly doable within the 14 days outwards journey timeframe you’ve allowed.

https://kurviger.de/en

The daily estimated mileages of 250 (no motorway) and 350 (with motorways) are probably not unrealistic on a day-after-day basis, if that’s your thing. You’d definitely get time off somewhere along the line to either not ride the bike at all or to stop off to do ‘stuff’, all well within the fortnight’s timeframe you have set aside.

Do let us know what you do decide on and how it goes. Very few here do big milages, the Alps and the Pyrenees being the general stopping point. This though is understandable, as few have the luxury of weeks away from home and work.

PS Don’t follow the Kurviger route(s) exactly. The algorithms are good but not perfect. They sometimes take silly little detours, than no sane person would use. But, as a guide and for suggesting the direction a route might take (the Pro-version in particular *) it is amongst the best out there.


* Good in that you can, all within one dingle route, divide parts as direct (motorway) and parts non-motorway, plus varying the relative ‘twisty’ qualities of the non-motorway sections.

I tried the link; it looks good but seems to give up if I try anything more than a few hundred km. Do you need the premium version?

I'm surprised you say not many do big miles here. I expected the opposite; that Athens would be a short jaunt done on a whim. ;)
 
I tried the link; it looks good but seems to give up if I try anything more than a few hundred km. Do you need the premium version?

You shouldn't do.

I have just gone onto the Kurviger site via my work PC (so outside of my premier account) asking it for Calais to Athens, via a 'wiggly' route. This it dished up. It was a bit slow but it did it.
 
You shouldn't do.

I have just gone onto the Kurviger site via my work PC (so outside of my premier account) asking it for Calais to Athens, via a 'wiggly' route. This it dished up. It was a bit slow but it did it.

If I put in some waypoints it's OK.
 
I tried the link; it looks good but seems to give up if I try anything more than a few hundred km. Do you need the premium version?

I'm surprised you say not many do big miles here. I expected the opposite; that Athens would be a short jaunt done on a whim. ;)

We're doing something similar at the end of May. Taking four days to get to Florence using a mix of slab and route nationale roads. We have then booked a villa to stay with the family who are flying in for a week. They go home and we take a couple of days to Brindisi, where we take the ferry to Igoumenitsa. We then have 12 days in Greece, taking in Metoria, Delphi, Corinth, Mystras & Sparta, Olympia then back to Igoumenitsa for the ferry back to Italy. Then an easy nine days home via Pompei, Montepulciano, Lake Como, Riquewihr, Épernay then the tunnel. :thumb2
 
theaa.com website has a good route planner. You can select options such as avoiding toll roads or motorways and can view the route on map or satellite view. Very useful!
 
We're doing something similar at the end of May. Taking four days to get to Florence using a mix of slab and route nationale roads. We have then booked a villa to stay with the family who are flying in for a week. They go home and we take a couple of days to Brindisi, where we take the ferry to Igoumenitsa. We then have 12 days in Greece, taking in Metoria, Delphi, Corinth, Mystras & Sparta, Olympia then back to Igoumenitsa for the ferry back to Italy. Then an easy nine days home via Pompei, Montepulciano, Lake Como, Riquewihr, Épernay then the tunnel. :thumb2


Sounds terrible. I feel for you. :beerjug:
 
We're doing something similar at the end of May. Taking four days to get to Florence using a mix of slab and route nationale roads. We have then booked a villa to stay with the family who are flying in for a week. They go home and we take a couple of days to Brindisi, where we take the ferry to Igoumenitsa. We then have 12 days in Greece, taking in Metoria, Delphi, Corinth, Mystras & Sparta, Olympia then back to Igoumenitsa for the ferry back to Italy. Then an easy nine days home via Pompei, Montepulciano, Lake Como, Riquewihr, Épernay then the tunnel. :thumb2

Sounds fantastic. I'm looking forward to hearing all about it.
 
Lived in Crete for 20 years. Rode to and fro at least a dozen times. Quickest and most reliable route from Bristol:-

Day one:-
Home to Dover Port - 194miles
Calais to Reims - 169miles

Day two:-
Reims to Como - 445 miles

Day three
Como to Ancona - 301 miles
Ferry to Patras

Day Four
Patras to Athens - 130 miles


Often broke the journey to go over an Alpine pass. done over ten metaled and unmetaled
 
Lived in Crete for 20 years. Rode to and fro at least a dozen times. Quickest and most reliable route from Bristol:-

Day one:-
Home to Dover Port - 194miles
Calais to Reims - 169miles

Day two:-
Reims to Como - 445 miles

Day three
Como to Ancona - 301 miles
Ferry to Patras

Day Four
Patras to Athens - 130 miles


Often broke the journey to go over an Alpine pass. done over ten metaled and unmetaled

thanks for this; one way of the trip will probably look a bit like this.
 
This might make an interesting detour on your way to Athens:

https://www.ukgser.com/forums/showthread.php/578149-Greece-Patras-Sparta-Kalamata-Gythio-375-miles

From the blurb….

Sights

Rio Andirrio Bridge (also: Charilaos Trikoupis Bridge): spectacular cable-stayed bridge (with pillars up to 230 m high) with a length of 2883 m, it is the second longest bridge of its kind in the world.

Pirgos Dirou stalactite cave ("Glyfada"): one of the most beautiful stalactite caves in Greece. It was only discovered by locals in 1923 and extends over more than 5000 m.
 


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