Cycling UK to Cyprus

[Johngibsta]

Good day,

I am in initially planning stages of a potential cycyle from the UK to Cyprus. I am to leave early October and chase the last remaining summer sun . I'd really appreciate it if anyone has any advice on routes, time scales and challenges they have faced.

I have cycled extensively on tours before but this time it will be very leisurely as I have not trained this time.

Thank you

 

[Hill Wimp]

@BigonaBianchi is you man in Cyprus, not sure if he cycled there but he will certainly have some knowledge and tips to impart.

 

[Glow worm]

I've always wanted to ride the Danube Cycle path. I am sure you could use at least part of this for the journey. Ride up the Rhine (from the Hook, NL?) to south Germany then head east along the cycle path. Depends on where you're planning to sail to Cyprus from of course. (There's regular ferries to southern Cyprus from Piraeus near Athens - so you'd veer off the path somewhere in Serbia and weave on south to Greece). Or you could ride all the Danube route then on into Turkey via Bulgaria and get a ferry to Kyrenia in the Northern part of the island. The other option is to ride down Italy then ferries, though I personally would not fancy mixing it with Italian drivers . Sounds like a great plan and I'm not jealous at all!

 

[jonny jeez]

Good day,

I am in initially planning stages of a potential cycyle from the UK to Cyprus. I am to leave early October and chase the last remaining summer sun . I'd really appreciate it if anyone has any advice on routes, time scales and challenges they have faced.

I have cycled extensively on tours before but this time it will be very leisurely as I have not trained this time.

Thank you

Nice. Hope you get this off the ground. Very jealous

 

[steveindenmark]

I would plan to keep off the mountains as much as possible. A lot of the passes will almost certainly be closed

 

[Johngibsta]

I've always wanted to ride the Danube Cycle path. I am sure you could use at least part of this for the journey. Ride up the Rhine (from the Hook, NL?) to south Germany then head east along the cycle path.

Love this idea, looks a nice route to get fit on in Holland, avoids mountains and all countries I haven't cycled before. Now , what do you think Serbia etc would be like to cycle? I lived in Slovakia for a month and it was very different compared to the UK and I cant say I felt totally safe at times

 

[Johngibsta]

I anticipate that the last part might be a bit tricky to cycle.

I anticipate that the last part might be a bit tricky to cycle.

This is what im thinking, sure itll be ok as always but siting in Wales looking at that stage does get me thinking of the cautious side. Ive looked up that they have bears too which means camping will be limited if im alone

 

[Johngibsta]

I've always wanted to ride the Danube Cycle path. I am sure you could use at least part of this for the journey. Ride up the Rhine (from the Hook, NL?) to south Germany then head east along the cycle path. Depends on where you're planning to sail to Cyprus from of course. (There's regular ferries to southern Cyprus from Piraeus near Athens - so you'd veer off the path somewhere in Serbia and weave on south to Greece). Or you could ride all the Danube route then on into Turkey via Bulgaria and get a ferry to Kyrenia in the Northern part of the island. The other option is to ride down Italy then ferries, though I personally would not fancy mixing it with Italian drivers . Sounds like a great plan and I'm not jealous at all!

Thank you so much for this, I think ill defo take the Holland route but alittle stuck once I get to Budapest. At 50 miles a day, I should be able to get to Budapest in a month

 

[SteveF]

Bears? I was more concerned about sharks.

Might take a while:

 

[Glow worm]

Love this idea, looks a nice route to get fit on in Holland, avoids mountains and all countries I haven't cycled before. Now , what do you think Serbia etc would be like to cycle? I lived in Slovakia for a month and it was very different compared to the UK and I cant say I felt totally safe at times

Not sure about Serbia as I've not ridden there before I'm afraid. I think @SatNavSaysStraightOn has ridden to Turkey before so she may know more on some of the detail.

 

[SatNavSaysStraightOn]

Love this idea, looks a nice route to get fit on in Holland, avoids mountains and all countries I haven't cycled before. Now , what do you think Serbia etc would be like to cycle? I lived in Slovakia for a month and it was very different compared to the UK and I cant say I felt totally safe at times

It depended on where in Serbia you were. At times I certainly felt out of place, and on one occasion we were stopped by a driver who basically said turn around now and I will take you to the place we were looking for, you don't want to go any further down this road. We were stopped at the side of the road because I was basically saying the same to my OH that I didn't feel that safe. He was brought up in rougher places than me, so wasn't picking up on what I was feeling and was saying we were fine, but I wasn't convinced.
But there were many, many times when we were stopped by people to be escorted into a cafe and coffee and cakes bought for us whilst they wanted to just talk with us. People often came to our assistance and helped out, but there was also one notable occasion where someone basicllay stopped us cycling into a 'war zone'. We were litterally 1 day off cycling into it when someone stopped to ask us where we were going to (only road etc) and told us that UKIP (?) forces had been given permission to use live rounds on the road we were cycling on at a particular blockade around the Kosovo area. We knew we would have been able to get through the blockade, no-one would have hurt us, but things had been getting violent and did get violent the night before (so the day we were told) we would have been there. That changed our route completely.
Serbia was one of those countries that I found difficult and whilst never threatened, I was never at ease in it either and I can't put my finger on it. It was also a country of people who were really helpful or really unhelpful, there was nothing inbetween. It was a country that we first experieinced muslim hospitality (on many many occasions) and it was also the country that defeated us for getting into legally in that we ended up cycling down an autobahn to get to the control points which had been moved off the main road (which had been shut) and onto the brand new autobahn... we ended up cycling down another autobahn to get out of the country as well.... As for cycling it, well it was another of those in areas we didn't feel safe but most of the time the driving was fine. There was an awful lot of litter at the sides of the roads though and that is sadly one of my overriding memories - litter, dense freezing fog, and muslim hospitality.

 

[Johngibsta]

This is priceless ambition. I had a bear try get in my tent whilst trekking in USA so Im alittle bit more aware..A bears nose poking through your tent zip is enough once...I suppose I can just put foot up the top of trees like I did at the top of Sweden

Might take a while:

 

[Johngibsta]

That's the feeling Im getting. Thank you for the extensive email. I looking at tempertures and it will be too cold also.So new line of planning is to hug the cost, Croatia and Albania , then into Greece..

It depended on where in Serbia you were. At times I certainly felt out of place, and on one occasion we were stopped by a driver who basically said turn around now and I will take you to the place we were looking for, you don't want to go any further down this road. We were stopped at the side of the road because I was basically saying the same to my OH that I didn't feel that safe. He was brought up in rougher places than me, so wasn't picking up on what I was feeling and was saying we were fine, but I wasn't convinced.
But there were many, many times when we were stopped by people to be escorted into a cafe and coffee and cakes bought for us whilst they wanted to just talk with us. People often came to our assistance and helped out, but there was also one notable occasion where someone basicllay stopped us cycling into a 'war zone'. We were litterally 1 day off cycling into it when someone stopped to ask us where we were going to (only road etc) and told us that UKIP (?) forces had been given permission to use live rounds on the road we were cycling on at a particular blockade around the Kosovo area. We knew we would have been able to get through the blockade, no-one would have hurt us, but things had been getting violent and did get violent the night before (so the day we were told) we would have been there. That changed our route completely.
Serbia was one of those countries that I found difficult and whilst never threatened, I was never at ease in it either and I can't put my finger on it. It was also a country of people who were really helpful or really unhelpful, there was nothing inbetween. It was a country that we first experieinced muslim hospitality (on many many occasions) and it was also the country that defeated us for getting into legally in that we ended up cycling down an autobahn to get to the control points which had been moved off the main road (which had been shut) and onto the brand new autobahn... we ended up cycling down another autobahn to get out of the country as well.... As for cycling it, well it was another of those in areas we didn't feel safe but most of the time the driving was fine. There was an awful lot of litter at the sides of the roads though and that is sadly one of my overriding memories - litter, dense freezing fog, and muslim hospitality.

 

[Johngibsta]

Would you hav any knowledge on this route? Also did you camping , b&b or hostel. Trying to do the whole trip on £1000

It depended on where in Serbia you were. At times I certainly felt out of place, and on one occasion we were stopped by a driver who basically said turn around now and I will take you to the place we were looking for, you don't want to go any further down this road. We were stopped at the side of the road because I was basically saying the same to my OH that I didn't feel that safe. He was brought up in rougher places than me, so wasn't picking up on what I was feeling and was saying we were fine, but I wasn't convinced.
But there were many, many times when we were stopped by people to be escorted into a cafe and coffee and cakes bought for us whilst they wanted to just talk with us. People often came to our assistance and helped out, but there was also one notable occasion where someone basicllay stopped us cycling into a 'war zone'. We were litterally 1 day off cycling into it when someone stopped to ask us where we were going to (only road etc) and told us that UKIP (?) forces had been given permission to use live rounds on the road we were cycling on at a particular blockade around the Kosovo area. We knew we would have been able to get through the blockade, no-one would have hurt us, but things had been getting violent and did get violent the night before (so the day we were told) we would have been there. That changed our route completely.
Serbia was one of those countries that I found difficult and whilst never threatened, I was never at ease in it either and I can't put my finger on it. It was also a country of people who were really helpful or really unhelpful, there was nothing inbetween. It was a country that we first experieinced muslim hospitality (on many many occasions) and it was also the country that defeated us for getting into legally in that we ended up cycling down an autobahn to get to the control points which had been moved off the main road (which had been shut) and onto the brand new autobahn... we ended up cycling down another autobahn to get out of the country as well.... As for cycling it, well it was another of those in areas we didn't feel safe but most of the time the driving was fine. There was an awful lot of litter at the sides of the roads though and that is sadly one of my overriding memories - litter, dense freezing fog, and muslim hospitality.

 

[SatNavSaysStraightOn]

That's the feeling Im getting. Thank you for the extensive email. I looking at tempertures and it will be too cold also.So new line of planning is to hug the cost, Croatia and Albania , then into Greece..

Would you hav any knowledge on this route? Also did you camping , b&b or hostel. Trying to do the whole trip on £1000

It was desperately cold when we went through Serbia. It was the only place where I came exceptionally close to suffering from frostbite despite wearing merino wool liners and winter weight gloves. We ended up purchasing ski gloves in Novi Sad which resolved most of the issue on all but the really cold days. We were there in November though in a very cold year (record snowfall across all of eastern Europe and exceptionally cold temps everywhere).

I'm afraid I can't really help much with your new route. We didn't go into Croatia or Albania, just Greece
Can I suggest you read some journals on CGOAB? https://www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/?o=w9&doctype=journal you can also look at journal's per country and things like that which should help you considerably. By country = https://www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/locales/?o=w9&locale_id=7160707&doctype=journal
People often mention costs and the likes and will answer questions if you ask them either in the forum or guestbooks.