4-5 weeks in 2020 - where would you go?

tempesc · Post by **tempesc** » Sat Jun 22, 2019 5:05 pm

I am planning to take 4-5 weeks out mid 2020 to celebrate turning 50 (I hate parties!!) and am looking for route ideas. I will be travelling alone. Where would you go? Even better, where did you go and how was it?

My option A is to ride the Trans America Trail. I have wanted to do this for a while. I have an XT660z set up for adventure riding in South Africa which i could ship from/back to there but suspect this will not be straightforward or cheap, hence pausing to consider alternatives.

Option B is to do another African trip with the XT. I've done Cape Town to Nairobi and number of trips within South Africa on the XT, as well as Zimbabwe and Namibia on 4 wheels. There is nothing specifically calling to me at the moment in Africa, but I am open to ideas.

Option C is to do something in Europe. I have a Tiger 800 in the UK set up for European touring (rather than off road). I have always fancied going down through the Balkans/Eastern Europe and into Turkey. I was in Croatia and Slovenia briefly this year but would like to see more, and did (and loved) Romania on a previous trip. I have a fascination with Russia too (I have read lots of the Russian classics but have ever been).

Option D is to head up through Norway to the Arctic Circle, back via Finland and the Baltic states.

Option E is whatever you tell me it is!!! A bit of South America? Spain/Morocco (I am terrible at riding on sand)?

Interested to hear your thoughts.

qcnr · Post by **qcnr** » Mon Jun 24, 2019 7:47 am

I can recommend Norway

, but you could easily spend 3 weeks touring here.
My advice if you want to do Norway is to find a route to get to N Norway without going through
Norway and then head back down through Norway, taking in as much of the coast as possible.
Lofoten is a must at least. Nordkapp (not the farthest point north) is an expensive tourist trap.
Stay off E- roads, wild camp and enjoy your trip.

Hope you have an awesome time wherever you go.

tempesc · Post by **tempesc** » Wed Jul 24, 2019 10:55 pm

Thanks - i do have Lofoten on my ‘to do’ list so maybe now’s the time?

Cheers
Andy

PaulinBont · Post by **PaulinBont** » Thu Jul 25, 2019 6:51 am

Balkans-Turkey-Georgia-Russia-Norway

DanielS · Post by **DanielS** » Thu Jul 25, 2019 10:31 am

Sounds like you're on a SA passport? If so, you know it's VISA free to Russia for SA Citizens now?

Just sayin'

Just to elaborate. We've done Russia a few times now and it's amazing. We're not as hardcore as some, but it's always a proper adventure and the people are mostly great. If I were in your shoes, it'd be Russia if you want an adventure and experience the culture. It'd be the TAT if you wanted 4 or 5 weeks of trails in a lovely country and with some knowledge that you're in a 1st world (Mostly) country.

garyboy · Post by **garyboy** » Thu Jul 25, 2019 12:14 pm

Someone I know did the TAT in sections .. apparently west is best .. so I guess it is too much on one go of 4 weeks ?

Personally I think France is great.. and hope to do a route n to s through central France.. maybe next year .. as I always say every year

Also fancy Scandinavia

tempesc · Post by **tempesc** » Fri Jul 26, 2019 11:32 am

DanielS wrote:Sounds like you're on a SA passport? If so, you know it's VISA free to Russia for SA Citizens now? Just sayin'

Just to elaborate. We've done Russia a few times now and it's amazing. We're not as hardcore as some, but it's always a proper adventure and the people are mostly great.

I have a UK passport, (but also twin brother who is RSA resident hence keeping a bike there).

Anything you can share on Russia - routes, must visits, avoids etc. Sounds interesting!

(Thanks everyone else for the ideas too - very helpful to mull over).

OB1 · Post by **OB1** » Fri Jul 26, 2019 12:03 pm

I turned 50 at the end of 2017 and to celebrate, I headed over to Qatar for Round 1 of the 2018 MotoGP. A great place to have a good time but, unfortunately, I didn't have time to ride there and back. I did Nordkapp and the Baltic state loop in 2016 and had a great time: 5,000 miles in two weeks.

Next year I'll be heading East to see as much of Russia and the 'stans as possible... but it's going to be a bit longer than 4 weeks!

qcnr · Post by **qcnr** » Sun Jul 28, 2019 9:56 am

If you are going for option D then do it the other way around. Come down the west coast and stay off the main E- roads.

tempesc · Post by **tempesc** » Sun Jul 28, 2019 3:13 pm

qcnr wrote:If you are going for option D then do it the other way around. Come down the west coast and stay off the main E- roads.

Thanks qcnr. What’s makes you recommend doing that way? (that would be fine for me, just interested).