Planning to Ride from Uk to Australia

[Sir_night]

Hi im New to Cyle Chat

im planning to ride Australia starting next year June

the route i've got planned so far is

• France
• Belguim
• Luxembourg
• Germany
• Austria
• Hungary
• Serbia
• Bulgaria
• Turkey

after that im still working on.

im just wondering if any ones got any helpful tips or is planning anything similar

 

[Bigsharn]

Take as much English water as possible, anything south of London will just give you poisoning

In all seriousness though, be careful what and where you eat, the last thing you want is dodgy guts when you're on a tour... Stick to buying from the supermarkets and make sure you have health or travel insurance for every country that you go to

 

[Creamcrackered]

You may find it a little difficult to only buy stuff in supermarkets - but don't worry it is not a problem.
My advice is:
1) Ride through Iran and the 'Stans after Turkey - great cycling.
2) Have look at Adventure Cycling Guide

 

[jay clock]

no 1 tip would be to read everything on here..... www.crazguyonabike.com

eg http://www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/?o=RrzKj&doc_id=5465&v=W7
or http://www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/?o=RrzKj&doc_id=985&v=4hU

but there are tons.....

sounds like fun!

 

[benb]

You are insane!

In a good way.

 

[elduderino]

I'm in the (very) early stages of planning the same trip. I start in April, I'm riding down to Morocco first though to do a loop of the Atlas Mountains before heading back to Europe and across to Istanbul.
I've started to keep a little black book of visa information. Anything useful I find on the web regarding visas (embassy addresses, forms needed etc etc), gets written down in this. I'll take the book with me on the road and in theory it should hopefully be of some use to me.

I was also going to post some spare parts prior to departure to someone in Istanbul (using warmshowers/couchsurfing for a contact). From previous tours I've come to find I can usually get 4000 miles out of a chain, a bit less for a rear tyre. I'll need new brake pads by then too and maybe a new cassette for good measure. So I was going to post them to save me carrying what would essentially be dead weight up until then. But as luck would have it I have to fly back home for a wedding on July 31st, so I'm leaving my spare bits at home and taking them back with me.

My route should vaguely resemble this http://i95.photobuck...ino12/ROUTE.jpg

There's some good info on crazyguy, as already stated.

 

[benb]

That looks like a completely amazing experience. How much of the accommodation do you plan in advance?

 

[rich p]

This visa information site from someone who has been there and dione it may be of use

http://www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/page/?o=RrzKj&page_id=122300&v=Au

 

[elduderino]

That looks like a completely amazing experience. How much of the accommodation do you plan in advance?

Thanks, it does promise to be an experience.

It's pretty much impossible to plan accomodation in advance. What I do know though is that in the big cities, if there isn't a campsite available
or I fancy sleeping in a real bed for a change, then I'll use a hostel. And I also quite fancy taking a two week break on a beach in Thailand. Other than that I'm not sure where I'll be laying my head, but it'll most likely be at the side of the road in my tent.

 

[elduderino]

This visa information site from someone who has been there and dione it may be of use

http://www.crazyguyo..._id=122300&v=Au

That's a pretty in depth review, but it's based on having a US passport. Some useful information nonetheless though. I've been following this one http://www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/?o=RrzKj&doc_id=6396&v=fc he's doing a similar route through Central Asia and has some useful posts on visa's.

 

[Ticktockmy]

I'm in the (very) early stages of planning the same trip. I start in April, I'm riding down to Morocco first though to do a loop of the Atlas Mountains before heading back to Europe and across to Istanbul.
I've started to keep a little black book of visa information. Anything useful I find on the web regarding visas (embassy addresses, forms needed etc etc), gets written down in this. I'll take the book with me on the road and in theory it should hopefully be of some use to me.

I was also going to post some spare parts prior to departure to someone in Istanbul (using warmshowers/couchsurfing for a contact). From previous tours I've come to find I can usually get 4000 miles out of a chain, a bit less for a rear tyre. I'll need new brake pads by then too and maybe a new cassette for good measure. So I was going to post them to save me carrying what would essentially be dead weight up until then. But as luck would have it I have to fly back home for a wedding on July 31st, so I'm leaving my spare bits at home and taking them back with me.

My route should vaguely resemble this http://i95.photobuck...ino12/ROUTE.jpg

There's some good info on crazyguy, as already stated.

Why not instead of coming back into Europe after Morooco, ride along the northern coast of africa, its interesting, like wise the high altas mountain are brill, but its quite a slog at times. Also the heat can be bad I was cycling between Fez ans meknes and the temp was hitting 46 Deg C, I spent most of one day sitting in a cafe drinking mint tea, until it cooled down.

 

[elduderino]

Algeria stands in the way I'm afraid. I think that the borders with Morocco have been closed for a number of years now.

 

[benb]

Algeria stands in the way I'm afraid. I think that the borders with Morocco have been closed for a number of years now.

I'm sure you can sneak through somehow.

 

[Ticktockmy]

Thanks, it does promise to be an experience.

It's pretty much impossible to plan accomodation in advance. What I do know though is that in the big cities, if there isn't a campsite available
or I fancy sleeping in a real bed for a change, then I'll use a hostel. And I also quite fancy taking a two week break on a beach in Thailand. Other than that I'm not sure where I'll be laying my head, but it'll most likely be at the side of the road in my tent.

In south east Asia, it can be risky pitching you tent near to the road. as during the night all manner of beasts roam around, elphants are the main problem as they just trample anything in there way, and snakes, they like nice warm places to snuggle down with..LOL ohhhhhhhhhhh and tigers.

A bit about Thailand, the land of smiles.hmmmmmmmmmmmmmm They smile as they see you as a big fat wallet LOL.

Southern Thailand has bandits, along the Malaysian/Thai Border it also has some unrest, bombs and such. Phuket is ok, and the beaches are ok, and the smiling girls are very ok. if you are thinking of cycling through Cambodia, they too have bandits, 7 years ago I was shot at as I was as I was heading to Siem Reap (Ankor Wat) from the Thai bordor, surprising how one get lots of power from weary legs, the road from Siem Reap is rough to say the least, well it was 7 years ago, roads around Siem Reap are ok, onwards into Vietnam, was there last november in the main they are good, but the traffice is manic, but felt safe all the time well until you want to cross the road. the thing is that people dont want to tell you this stuff at the embassies.

If thinking of going down though Malaysia they have very good roads, very nice people, good food and the East coast route has nice beaches, and roads are quiter than the main roads down the West coast. Singapore, expensive, good roads, always tidy. Indonisa, hmmmmm as a country of thousands of islands, you can work your way along the chain of main islands, then a short flight to Aussie land. Just keep away from Aceh Bandar as civil unrest is the norm. And they are still trying to get over the effects of the Tsunami. one of the easy way into Indonisa is to get the ferry from Port Dickson in Malaysia to Meden in Surmatra, one of the travellers fav routes.

 

[Crankarm]

This visa information site from someone who has been there and dione it may be of use

http://www.crazyguyo..._id=122300&v=Au

Good link. The Barkleys are a legend on the CGOAB site.

Also very good are the following RTW journals with lots of visa info, first hand experience plus compelling reads and first class pictures:

Ben Rowlands' - Ben Voyage : http://www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/page/?o=RrzKj&page_id=120281&v=b6

Keith Hallagan's - Bike About : http://www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/page/?o=RrzKj&page_id=85220&v=2Da

Dave Holmes' - Europe and the Silk Road : http://www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/?o=RrzKj&doc_id=6867&v=T3

Dave Holmes' - South American Circuit : http://www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/page/?o=RrzKj&page_id=91102&v=kz

Peter Quaife - The Stan Diet http://www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/page/?o=RrzKj&page_id=125162&v=Jb


Be careful, the above links could lose you weeks/months of your life reading them.