Athens and back

kevm

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Hi all, I have the opportunity to ride to Athens, meet up with family there for a holiday and then ride back. Athens accommodation and activities will be out of my hands and bikeless.

I was thinking of spending about 15 days travelling in total. My initial thoughts are: outward - get to somewhere like Lubjliana as quickly as possible (motorways) then spend 7-10 days travelling to Athens. Return - Patras to Venice ferry then home the quick way.

Does that sound do-able? Any recommendations, places to avoid? I was looking at shipping the bike part way but I’m not sure anybody is doing this any more.

thanks
 
Have a look for Steptoe's Turkey Trot thread: Istanbul and back in not very long at all. Alternatively, ferries cover a lot of your route, so UK/Spain/Italy/Greece with a ferry between each allows riding in each country :thumb
 
Done Greece a couple of times. Hard work if all by road. We used the motorail from Düsseldorf and the ferry from Ancona to get some miles in while we slept. Not cheap though.
Have also done it by road all the way. Not too bad in a car where you can share the driving and have a nap.
That distance on a bike will depend on how many big days you’re used to and how fit you are.
If you’re Nick Sanders….piece of piss.

I would do exactly what you suggested. Take your time riding down, then ferry back.
Don’t bother with the motorail. It’s not worth it for the cost and it constantly breaks down.
There’s nowhere I would avoid. It’s all good.

Consider what time of year you’re going. Southern Europe in the summer combined with long days on the bike at high speed….dehydration is a danger. Suggest getting a camelback.
 
We went down to Lefkas on bike. We went down the Adriatic coast road ( the S8 iirc). It was all good fun , and from the south east corner of Austria to Greece took 4 days. If I did it again I’d take a bit longer to enjoy the scenery and people.
Coming back we took the ferry from Igoumenitsa to Barri. Good overnight service and not silly money.
Oh, don’t forget you may need a green card.
Regardless of how you do it……enjoy.
 
Did the same trip back in 2015. Found the motorway legs boring and tiring. I wish I had taken more sedate, scenic routes, along A type roads.
I was somewhat pressed for time so fitted everything in 3 weeks. 4 would have been better.

The ferries from Italy to Greece are extremely slow. On the way down I took the ferry from Ancona to Patras. This was something like 36 hours if I remember correctly.
On the way back I took the ferry from Igoumenitsa in northern Greece to Venice. This was a little quicker which was better.

You could do it all in 2 weeks. I had the girlfriend with me so we stopped in a couple of places in the Peloponese before moving on to Athens. On the way back stopped in Thesalonica.
 
Be aware that the ferries from Italy to Greece are mobbed. There’s folk on sleeping bags in the hallways and tents on the deck. It’s a party boat full of young uns. Get a cabin.
 
Thanks for the replies. If it happens this year it will be May. I'm no Nick Sanders/iron butt-er but I'm good for a few long motorway days if I have to.
 
Have a look for Steptoe's Turkey Trot thread: Istanbul and back in not very long at all. Alternatively, ferries cover a lot of your route, so UK/Spain/Italy/Greece with a ferry between each allows riding in each country :thumb

Steptoe missed the Turkey Trot.

We went:

London to Milan in day.

Milan to Ancona in sort of half a day.

Ancona, late afternoon / overnight ferry to Greece.

We then curved off to the Dardanelles and into Turkey that way.

========================

Moving on to your Athens adventure....

You know you, much better than we know you. Look at:

1. The distances involved to get to Athens and the time period you think it will take you to complete them.

2. The time period you want / need to spend on the 'holiday' part of your jaunt in Athens, off your bike.

3. Repeat item 1 for your return journey.
 
Why not fly/ride, rather than commit to miles of boring slab - plenty of bike hire opportunities in Greece, if you can fit it in around family duties.
 
Forgot to mention. Albania is great, they are all barking mad. Lovely folk but barking mad.
 
Why not fly/ride, rather than commit to miles of boring slab - plenty of bike hire opportunities in Greece, if you can fit it in around family duties.

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".
 
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".

Yup, I want to ride there. A fly drive would be nice but that's a different holiday and one I'd probably do in a car with my partner, who doesn't do motorcycles.

Looking at routes and insurance, my insurance co only does cover for EU plus Serbia and Bosnia. To make things easier on that side I was thinking of veering east, so into Greece through Serbia and Bulgaria. All these places will be new to me and I'm sure they are equally nice/interesting.
 
That’ll be something like the route shown in post #14, or some widening of it.
 
Yup, I want to ride there. A fly drive would be nice but that's a different holiday and one I'd probably do in a car with my partner, who doesn't do motorcycles.

Looking at routes and insurance, my insurance co only does cover for EU plus Serbia and Bosnia. To make things easier on that side I was thinking of veering east, so into Greece through Serbia and Bulgaria. All these places will be new to me and I'm sure they are equally nice/interesting.

Insurance isn’t a problem. You can buy it at the border crossings for those countries not covered
 
Insurance isn’t a problem. You can buy it at the border crossings for those countries not covered

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.
 


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