My loop of the Balkans

[Tourist-Biker]

Did you go inside the Buzldzha monument ? I loved that place.

Snap, What an amazing place! :laugh:

Looks like you had better weather than we did :laugh: :laugh:

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Did go back a few days later to see it in the sun

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[quote="Tourist-Biker" post=478392

If you think Albania is mad driving wait until you go to Georgia [/quote]


Haven't done Albania yet, but Georgia... Took about four hours to cross border at Ramadan sundown when they decided to Xray my bike at Turkish exit. Got to Albania in the dark, drunken people staggering around at the border. Short ride to Batumi, police everywhere sat in cars with blue lights flashing.

Went looking for hotel, got off main road and suddenly it's a gravel surface... With a big rope lying on the road between two houses with people sat at entrances... What was the rope for? Didn't find out but we did ride over it...

Ended up stopping to look for a hotel on the GPS and suddenly a door slides open and we are ushered into a courtyard. Lots of beer and no food. Rooms offered which were OK. Woke up with all vital organs and rode to Tbilisi.completely mad. Police shouting, people overtaking on zebra crossings. No one giving a fuck. Then torrential rain and some of the most unbelievable and unfeasible overtaking I have ever seen. Loved it...

[Tourist-Biker]

Am a bit surprised about the Turkish border guards wanting bribes, I've been there twice and it hasn't been my experience, lots of form filling to import the bike but they seemed honest.

+1 - This reflects my experience of the Turkish border, completely professional and no hint of a possibility of a bribe.

Turkish border no problems for us we had visas and insurance crossed Greece-Turkey Georgia-Turkey and back again never more that 10-15 minutes each time and very friendly

[Bigdavesmate]

good writeup (thumbs) how much was the "green card" per country? I was amazed when found out that in UK insurance companies do not include those countries in European cover list.

Bosnia was 21 Euro for 3 days
Montenegro was 10 Euro for 14 days
Albania was 12.40 Euro for 14 days

The border crossing into Albania was non existent. When I exited Montenegro I expected to enter
Albania customs... but nothing so by the time I realised I didn't have to stop, I was way past the green card seller,so pressed on without.

[Kev63]

Thanks for the report, great read.

It brought back some great memories of travelling around the Balkans in 2007 and 2013.
I totally agree with your point about Motocamp Bulgaria. Its all to easy to stay longer than you planned as you are made to feel so welcome.

Albania is a great country as has been mentioned a few times on the forum with some crazy driving.
With regards to the Turkish border it took us a couple of hours. Everything was unpacked and checked as well as the bike being X rayed. Despite this everybody was friendly and the country was well worth the 2 hours.

[jackdaw]

Great report. Thanks for posting.

[dubber68]

Thanks for the RR. I will be doing a very similar trip in May. Any tips or must do's feel free to post them up or PM me.

Cheers