To Russia with Love

[james3001]

I was intending to cycle the North sea cycle route this summer but after pondering a map of Europe have decided on Cycling from Bergen(Norway),must sort out getting there by plane no ferry's, then east to sweden to stokholm east again to Finland(Helsinki) South to Estonia,Latvia,Lithuania, into little Russia,( must sort out Visa)Poland Germany,cycle the Danube with friends to Vienna. And here I havent worked the rest out, I want to end up in spain to get the ferry back to England, so do I go to slavenia and south over to Italy,sardinia and then spain but then i miss out switzerland and France or should i be going further south into greece then Italy hop over to the top of Africa and then into Spain what would you do !!!!

 

[jdtate101]

Re the Visa. Get it sorted EARLY. The Russian embassy in london is terrible for passport visa's and often you will find a huge Queue forming from dawn, as they only seem to get through about 20-30 per day. Of course you can 'pay' for express service, and there are a few shops across the road who can help with this. I think the 'private finance initiative' (a.k.a the backhander) is alive and well in mother Russia, including it's embassy.
Last time I had to go on a business trip, the going rate for the 'quicky' was £120.

 

[james3001]

Re the Visa. Get it sorted EARLY. The Russian embassy in london is terrible for passport visa's and often you will find a huge Queue forming from dawn, as they only seem to get through about 20-30 per day. Of course you can 'pay' for express service, and there are a few shops across the road who can help with this. I think the 'private finance initiative' (a.k.a the backhander) is alive and well in mother Russia, including it's embassy.
Last time I had to go on a business trip, the going rate for the 'quicky' was £120.

Thanks for that better get moving or it will cost me more. So heres a question where in russia should i cycle!

 

[jdtate101]

I would say, anywhere you like, but avoid Moscow. Traffic in Moscow is a law unto itself and is dangerous at the best of times. St.Petersburg is supposed to be beautiful and not as 'trafficy' as Moscow. Everywhere else will be quite rural and small really. The route I would choose is:

Bergen - Stockholm - Helsinki - St.Petersburg - Tartu - Riga - Gdansk - Berlin - Dresden - Prague - Vienna - Trieste - Venice - Genoa - Marseille - Barcelona - Bilboa

That seems to take in a flavour of most of Europe. About 4500miles.

 

[james3001]

Down to vienna sounds great but a few people are saying keep away from northen Italy and head down through Bosnia via split as the coastline is supposed to be great and as I'm that far down pass into Greece and then ferry over to Italy ?

 

[Fab Foodie]

Hi
I'm in 'little Russia' right now, Kaliningrad. Just flown down the coast from Riga on a very clear evening, 1 hour in a Fokker 50. What I can say is that whilst the Baltic is very pretty in places, there's a hell of a lot of nothing in the Baltic states too. No doubt some nice old fishing villages etc, but still a whole lot of nothing but flat land, endless forest, bogs and scrubby fields. Days of cycling through nothing in particular. The back-roads are not hard-topped either. I'd avoid the Kaliningrad Oblast, there isn't much here. If you want to know what Kaliningrad is like I can send you photos. It ain't a cycling town.
Hasving said that, the weather is fab right now, 15C, blue skies.
Just saying like ....

 

[james3001]

cheers for that that helps been doing a bit of research using google maps and your right but in some ways a tour is a tour you got to take the rough with the smooth

 

[CopperBrompton]

I'd definitely echo the advice not to cycle in Moscow. Traffic there is seriously deranged. RLJing by everything from small hatchbacks to petrol-tankers is absolutely commonplace.

 

[Jimmy Doug]

I lived in Russia for a year (near Moscow). Agree wholeheartedly with the "avoid Moscow" advice: some of the scariest roads I've ever experienced in my life, and to be honest apart from the Red Square it's not that interesting (IMO). St Petersbourg, on the other hand, is very pretty and less terrifying. But I have to say that you'll have to take the rough with the smooth in Russia. Some of the roads are in dreadful condition, so make sure you have good wheels and tyres, and be prepared to mend a spoke or two. Having said that, I always found the Russians to be tremendously amiable and helpful: it doesn't take long for that cold exterior to warm up.
The other thing I have experience about in your post is northern Italy. I have to say that I don't agree that it's to be avoided. The Italians drive very fast, it's true; but I found that the northern Italians were very considerate to me on my touring bike and I never felt in danger. Southern Italy was a completelydifferent ball game, though! However, the thing to watch out for is that some roads have a nasty habit of becoming motorways!
Greece was surprising as well: car drivers are crazy to each other, but I never once had any reason to feel in danger: they were tremendously considerate.

 

[james3001]

ok So Moscow is out (and Kallingrad later) I'll aim for st Petersburg and head south to pskov and then to Riga, Latvia, but unless I make a serious turning to west I'm going to miss out Talin so if any one can give me advice on Talin and Estonia it makes sense to just go south west. Interesting about the Baltic states im going to have to look deeper into which way is best to get some enjoyment out of it. I have to head to Germany to meet some friends who are cycling from the start of the Danube to Vienna so looks like route into Poland and into Germany. From Vienna to Slavenia and follow the coast to Greece ( ive been told the route to Greece is very Beautiful, although hilly) and then cross to Italy, true ill miss the North of Italy and I take in what your saying but this sort of feels right.