Motorcycle trip through Greece

[vroomfundel]

Hi mates,

I'm planning a motorcycle trip across south-eastern Europe and Greece is on my way. I plan to be in Greece on the 5th of August. I plan to come from Bulgaria and be heading to Igoumenitsa to catch the ferry to Italy (Bari or Brindisi).

I'll be really grateful if you share some tips to make my stay in Greece nicer. I have some specific questions:


1. Can you make some suggestions about the roads? I prefer to go on roads with nice views, turns, etc. I'd also prefer toll-free roads. Are there paid highways on my path?
I'll be also happy to get info about interesting sights around my route. I plan to spend a couple of hours on the Aegean cost somewhere around Thessaloniki and maybe go to the city itsself and even have a beer with some of you :-)

2. How is the traffic police? Are there lots of speeding cameras or they rely more on under-cover police cars with radars? Are there any specific requirements like spare light bulbs or sth like that?

3. I have some url of sites for booking ferries but I didn't find a suitable one. Which is the best way to book a ferry, can you suggest a site? I'm looking for a nightly ferry on the 4th of August

4. It will be great if you can share info about motorcycle service and tyre repair centres along the way in case of emergency.

5. And of course everyone willing to join the trip in some part is welcome!

Thanks everyone!

[idi]

hi mate

one thing I can tell that you'll have NO problem with the local police!

just be careful of the road surface it’s in poor condition. thats all.

have a nice time in Greece and ride safe!

[Nostra]

Αρχικά δημιουργήθηκε από vroomfundel
Hi mates,

I'm planning a motorcycle trip across south-eastern Europe and Greece is on my way. I plan to be in Greece on the 5th of August. I plan to come from Bulgaria and be heading to Igoumenitsa to catch the ferry to Italy (Bari or Brindisi).

I'll be really grateful if you share some tips to make my stay in Greece nicer. I have some specific questions:


1. Can you make some suggestions about the roads? I prefer to go on roads with nice views, turns, etc. I'd also prefer toll-free roads. Are there paid highways on my path?
I'll be also happy to get info about interesting sights around my route. I plan to spend a couple of hours on the Aegean cost somewhere around Thessaloniki and maybe go to the city itsself and even have a beer with some of you :-)

2. How is the traffic police? Are there lots of speeding cameras or they rely more on under-cover police cars with radars? Are there any specific requirements like spare light bulbs or sth like that?

3. I have some url of sites for booking ferries but I didn't find a suitable one. Which is the best way to book a ferry, can you suggest a site? I'm looking for a nightly ferry on the 4th of August

4. It will be great if you can share info about motorcycle service and tyre repair centres along the way in case of emergency.

5. And of course everyone willing to join the trip in some part is welcome!

Thanks everyone!


wait up a little bit and we'll manage to give you answers to all your questions ...

hopefully you'll get maps and directions ....

there are though some missing information about your trip.

firstly, on what bike you are going to make this trip ...

secondly, what is your general plan (countries, distance, days, etc.)

and most important, is your passing from greece planned to last just one day or more?

regards,

Nostra

:wave2: :wave2: :wave2:

[Cpt. Haddock]

1. Any winding mountain road is guaranteed to be nice. Avoid Egnatia Highway - boring stuff. Take the "old road" instead from Kalambaka to Ioannina though the Katara's pass. Careful with the road conditions though, especially in warm days

2. Be sure you slow down when passing though the villages or small towns- it's likely they might stop you there. No specific requirements and usually traditional radar holding cops.

3. http://www.minoan.gr/index.asp?a_id=226

http://www.superfast.com/



take care and enjoy your trip :wave2: :beer:

[vroomfundel]

Hi again spam-loving mates :-)

Thanks for the posts containing useful info! Now some more about my trip:

There are two bikes confirmed, Honda CB 500 and Suzuki V-Storm 650
We plan to spend only one day in Greece but we will sleep in tents near the Greek border so we'll have the whole day.

Then we're heading north through Italy, then Austria, Hungary, Romania and back to Bulgaria

So, any more advices are pretty welcome :-) More specifically some directions to a nice peace of beach to have a rest and other nice sights and road suggestions.

[Sapadak]

Where are you from mate?

The suggestion to stay one more day here is :beer:

[vroomfundel]

Bulgaria

[Cpt. Haddock]

Αρχικά δημιουργήθηκε από vroomfundel
So, any more advices are pretty welcome :-) More specifically some directions to a nice peace of beach to have a rest and other nice sights and road suggestions.

I suppose you will enter Greece from Koulata?

You can go south to Thessaloniki, stop over there for a coffee at the seaside Nikis avenue or Aristotelous square (lots of girls passing by :lol: ) and then head south towards Katerini. Plenty of beaches there, then you can go round past Mt Olympus from the east side of the mountain through Tyrnavo and then to Kalambaka-Ioannina.

From Ioannina you may either take the highway (if you 're in a hurry) or choose the smaller road to Igoumenitsa - recommended if you have time

:wave2: :wave2: :wave2:

[vroomfundel]

Yes, Cpt. Haddock, we'll avoid the highway, i've heard that the small road from Ioanina to Igoumenitsa is really nice

And btw isn't meteora somewhere on the way? Can we see something interesting there if we just pass by for a couple of hours

[Sapadak]

A nice Bulgaria.

I have some Q's as well if you dont mind :D


I will be passing through Bulgaria to go to Serbia.

What are the roads like there?

Any tolls?



Meteora isnt on your way to Ioannina

[Nostra]

Αρχικά δημιουργήθηκε από vroomfundel
Yes, Cpt. Haddock, we'll avoid the highway, i've heard that the small road from Ioanina to Igoumenitsa is really nice

And btw isn't meteora somewhere on the way? Can we see something interesting there if we just pass by for a couple of hours

have you checked the itineraries from igoumenitsa to italy?

your stay (transit) in greece will be depended very much on when is your departure from igoumenitsa!

i guess you can't do everything in one day!

coffee at downtown thessaloniki, beach near katerini, sightseeing of Meteora and be on time for the ship...

[Cpt. Haddock]

Αρχικά δημιουργήθηκε από vroomfundel
And btw isn't meteora somewhere on the way? Can we see something interesting there if we just pass by for a couple of hours

Yeap, Kalambaka is on the foothill of Meteora

:beer: :beer: :beer:

[sniper]

Αρχικά δημιουργήθηκε από Cpt. Haddock
I suppose you will enter Greece from Koulata?

You can go south to Thessaloniki, stop over there for a coffee at the seaside Nikis avenue or Aristotelous square (lots of girls passing by :lol: ) and then head south towards Katerini. Plenty of beaches there, then you can go round past Mt Olympus from the east side of the mountain through Tyrnavo and then to Kalambaka-Ioannina.

From Ioannina you may either take the highway (if you 're in a hurry) or choose the smaller road to Igoumenitsa - recommended if you have time

:wave2: :wave2: :wave2:

I heard some rummors going around that Triumph will take back the Tiger because of your abuse of the English Language :lol:

[Cpt. Haddock]

Αρχικά δημιουργήθηκε από Sapadak
Meteora isnt on your way to Ioannina

Meteora IS on his way

:wave2:

[Cpt. Haddock]

Αρχικά δημιουργήθηκε από sniper
I heard some rummors going around that Triumph will take back the Tiger because of your abuse of the English Language :lol:

bugger off, Nick :lol: :lol: :lol:



(the usual crap 2night?)

[sniper]

Αρχικά δημιουργήθηκε από Cpt. Haddock
Yeap, Kalambaka is on the foothill of Meteora

:beer: :beer: :beer:


Αρχικά δημιουργήθηκε από Nostra
...sightseeing of Meteora and be on time for the ship...



Are you both out of your minds?????????


HE IS NOT crs-k :lol:


Meteora IS NOT on the way from Thessaloniki to Ioannina.

[npat]

A rather "standard" way to go from Thessaloniki to Igoumenitsa is the one Cpt. suggested. See also the map linked below. Your route is marked in blue.

If you like the sea, there are a lot of beaches around Katerini, Leptokaria, Platamonas, or even more to the south (taking you a bit out of your way in Agiokampos, Polidendri, Velika). None of these are spectacular, according to Greek standards, but then again, Greek standards are quite high :)

From Thessaloniki to Larisa it's mostly a highway and you can maintain quite high average speeds with the exception of the part around Tembi where the road gets narrower with several twists (and depending on the day, some traffic).

From Larissa to Trikala it's a standard 1 / 1.5 lanes per direction road without too much traffic, and mostly "fast" curves. There's nothing special to see in Larissa and Trikala (Trikala is a nice little town, but nothing special).

Continuing from there the road will take you through Kalambaka. While in Kalambaka DO spend some time to visit Meteora.

From Kalambaka follow signs towards Ioannina through Katara Pass---around which there are some serious twisties---On your way you can take a short detour and stop in the village Metsovo for coffee or for lunch.

Ioannina is also a very nice city, built to the shores of a lake, with a lot of places for coffee or a meal (ask around).

From Ioannina to Igoumenitsa you can either take the highway (green on the map), or the "old" road (which is the one marked on the map).

Don't worry too much about cops or speed limits, but DO slow down when you get near built-up areas (which is the place most likely to get a ticket at). Motorcycle repair shops you can find in mostly every town (even small ones) so if you are traveling on a working day a flat tire would not be too much of a problem...

The map:

http://npat.smugmug.com/photos/173970579-O.jpg

[vroomfundel]

npat, thank's for the info, that's really what I asked for!!! I'd rather go for the windy roads rather than highway.

the others, thanks for the jokes except for the ones in Greek that i didn't understand.

Nostra, finding your dick may really not be that easy, depending on the size of your belly!

About the guys worried about my tight schedule, I plan to take the ferry at 23:30 or 24:00 and start the trip about 6:00 in the morning, so this is about 18 hours, so I think it should be enough. After all it's < 400 km, for which 6 hours should be enough, and the other 12 for beach and sightseeing, sounds just fine.

No one told me about the tolls on the highways, are there such for bikes?

Also, has anyone used the ferries that I asked for? Is it ok to book online or it's better to go it on site?

Thanks

[hornet]

Hi mate well you can go to your destination from at least two different roads the first is the road that npat show you and the other is from the new egnatia road...the choice is yours

From larissa its a toll road until larissa
From egnatia its also a toll road until beroia

Well about local police well its a lucky thing ..if they are out then you might get a ticket

Have a nice trip and ride carefully

[hornet]

Αρχικά δημιουργήθηκε από vroomfundel
npat, thank's for the info, that's really what I asked for!!! I'd rather go for the windy roads rather than highway.

the others, thanks for the jokes except for the ones in Greek that i didn't understand.

Nostra, finding your dick may really not be that easy, depending on the size of your belly!

About the guys worried about my tight schedule, I plan to take the ferry at 23:30 or 24:00 and start the trip about 6:00 in the morning, so this is about 18 hours, so I think it should be enough. After all it's < 400 km, for which 6 hours should be enough, and the other 12 for beach and sightseeing, sounds just fine.

No one told me about the tolls on the highways, are there such for bikes?

Also, has anyone used the ferries that I asked for? Is it ok to book online or it's better to go it on site?

Thanks

Also until larissa its a highway
The tolls are also for bikes but they are cheaper (from 1 euro to 1.30 depends the toll)
The online booking its better due to the high season

[Cpt. Haddock]

Αρχικά δημιουργήθηκε από vroomfundel
Also, has anyone used the ferries that I asked for? Is it ok to book online or it's better to go it on site?
Thanks

I have used in the past both Minoan and Superfast ferries and in both cases I booked online the tickets.

However, it may well be possible to buy the ticket on the spot at Igoumenitsa, it shouldn't be a problem. Check the ferry schedules though beforehand

On the road tha npat showed, you will pay tolls from Tessaloniki to Larissa the rest is free

:wave2:

[Daemon]

99,9% you wont pay any tolls, in north Greece they usually let motorcycles pass without paying.

[StavrosMAGNA]

Personaly i wouldn't recomend the "Blue" line of yours my friend "nprat" for a one day transit through Greece, and with a ship to catch in approximately 20:00 !
I will though recomend yours green line travel e.g. from "Thessaloniki" ****deleted by sniper and through VERIA - KOZANI - GREVENA - METSO PUX ..... Sorry METSOVO - IWANNINA - IGUMENITSA ..... Ferry boat ..... ANCONA or PRINTISI- & & & &

deleted by sniper

Yspex priatel :beer: :wave2:

[vroomfundel]

Thanks for your continuing help, guys! It's so nice to see helpful people which see you for the first time!

About the ferries, how much is it normal to pay for 2 of us on a bike? I didn't find anything below 170 euros but I think i have seen offers for about 100 EUR a month ago. This is to Bari or Brindisi.

[Cpt. Haddock]

Αρχικά δημιουργήθηκε από vroomfundel
About the ferries, how much is it normal to pay for 2 of us on a bike? I didn't find anything below 170 euros but I think i have seen offers for about 100 EUR a month ago. This is to Bari or Brindisi.

It's true that the two companies I gave you are not the cheapest ones... You may try with Agoudimos Lines and Italian ferry companies are usually cheaper

Bari is the closest port from Igoumenitsa I reckon

However Stavrosmagna is correct that your schedule may be rather tight is you choose the mountain winding roads and skip the highways.

[VegasKitty]

You should also keep in mind that the going rates that you saw about a month ago are
very different from the ones that you will find in august, because as was mentioned previously, it will be during high season, where there is usually a sufficient increase
in the rates for ferries and all accomodations in general. :D

[StavrosMAGNA]

.... Reading in http://www.greekferries.gr/other-en/ag2007_brindisi-igoumenitsa.htm?8,1#date , i guess that the most cheap and unforgetable experience my Bulgarian friend is to "book" your DECK tickets !!! (44 EURO) The trip is lasting for about 6 hours , ( IGOUMENITSA 23:30 BRINDISI (Via Corfu) 06:00 ) But with the priceless help of your teammates and a bottle of RAKYQ that shouldn't be a major problem! (+ i assume that you have each one his "sleeping bag" ,right?
They say that they charge 14 EURO for a motorcycle so we have a perfect 58 Euros for your trip !!! PLUS fuel surcharge
of EURO 5.00 per way, per passenger and THAT'S IT !!!


Stavros

[vroomfundel]

My original intention was to sleep in a couch and 100e for the two of us and a bike looked quite afordable... I checked a month ago, but I searched for August, so it was still the high season. But if we can't find anything for < 150 EUR then we may go for the sleeping bags on the deck.

[alex-vstrom]

STRASTH KOLEGA KADE OTIVAS
OT KOI GRAT SI.
AS BIAX STUDENT B SOFIA

[npat]

If you decide to do the route I suggested, then you should know that:

From Thessaloniki to Larisa it's about 2 hours,
From Larissa toy Kalambaka it's about 1 hour,
From Kalambaka to Ioannina, it's about 2 hours,
From Ioannina to Igoumenitsa, I'm not sure as it's been ages since I've done this trip, but it should be less than 2 hours.

These are VERY conservative estimations, without counting stops.

[H.A.Balafoutre]

Re Bulgare, 5th of August is still some time ahead.

Come down to Xanthi, Thrace for a coffee and we will talk all about it. Dont worry.:wave2:

[StavrosMAGNA]

Αρχικά δημιουργήθηκε από alex-vstrom
STRASTH KOLEGA KADE OTIVAS
OT KOI GRAT SI.
AS BIAX STUDENT B SOFIA

A re kolega ,akseperasta ta BG soy !!!
Des parapanw se ena mynuma mou to link me tin diadromi pou skeftetai o STEFAN na akolou8isei !
Episis ..... apla des to Profil tou gia perissoteres info !
.
.
.
sorry gia ta greeklish!!


:D

[alex-vstrom]

Personaly i wouldn't recomend the "Blue" line of yours my friend "nprat" for a one day transit through Greece, and with a ship to catch in approximately 20:00 !
I will though recomend yours green line travel e.g. from "Thessaloniki" (=Solun) and through VERIA - KOZANI - GREVENA - METSO PUX ..... Sorry METSOVO - IWANNINA - IGUMENITSA ..... Ferry boat ..... ANCONA or PRINTISI- & & & &

deleted by sniper

Yspex priatel


ναι ναι εσυ που και τι ρε κολεγκα

[TROOPER]

ako iskas nesto....

leko patuvane !!!!!!!

:wave2:

:beer: :beer: :beer: :beer:

[sniper]

Τhe map..... corrected...


Κι αν δω κανέναν άλλον να αναφέρει την Θεσσαλονίκη με άλλο όνομα εκτός από αυτό και τα Σκόπια Μακεδονία τον ξύρισα στεγνά....


Δεν πεθάναν άλλοι για να τα δώσουμε εμείς....


96897

[StavrosMAGNA]

Αρχικά δημιουργήθηκε από sniper
Τhe map..... corrected...


Κι αν δω κανέναν άλλον να αναφέρει την Θεσσαλονίκη με άλλο όνομα εκτός από αυτό και τα Σκόπια Μακεδονία τον ξύρισα στεγνά....


Δεν πεθάναν άλλοι για να τα δώσουμε εμείς....

ΕΧΕΙΣ ΤΟΣΟ ΔΙΚΙΟ !!!
Και δεν το λεω ειρωνικά αλλά να, ας μας πει όποιος έχει ζήσει έξω λίγο (εξωτερικό) είτε για σπουδές είτε για δουλειές ΠΟΣΟ δύσκολο είναι για κάποια απλά θέματα και ΝΤΕ ΦΑΚΤΟ ,φυσικά, να αποδείξεις οτι δεν είσαι Ελέφαντας ,και οτι τα πράγματα π.χ σε θέματα ονομασίας είναι ΕΤΣΙ όπως τους τα λές εσύ!!!
Το λινκ με τον χάρτη ειναι (ατυχώς) copy - paste από forum του εξωτερικού όπου ο ενδιαφερόμενος ΣΤΕΦΑΝΟΣ κάνει λόγο για συμμετοχές και άλλων μοτο συνταξιδιωτών ...... Είναι όμως παρμένο από τον ίδιο από χχχχμμμ ΕΓΚΥΡΗ ΠΗΓΗ ,το GOOGLE !!!

Α και κάτι άλλο' όσο και κάποιοι "χθεσινοί" να θέλουν να μας πάρουν -να δανειστούν (πες το όπως θέλεις) στοιχεία δικά μας (ονόματα-Ιστορία κ.α.) αυτό δεν θα γίνει ποτέ για τον απλούστατο λόγο οτι δεν μπορεί να καλυφθεί ΕΝΑ ΜΕΓΑΛΟ ΧΑΣΜΑ από τότε που εμείς ΚΑΝΑΜΕ ΠΡΑΓΜΑΤΑ ΚΑΙ ΘΑΜΑΤΑ στα "χωράφια" αυτά και από τα μόλις λίγα χρονάκια (1400 περίπου) που ΟΛΟΙ αυτοί ήρθαν στην γειτονιά μας και .... εγκαταστάθηκαν φρόνιμα(?) και ειρηνικά(?)!

Λοιπόν ας επιστρέψουμε στο ΘΕΜΑ μας που δεν είναι άλλο από "ταξιδιωτικό" και ας τα λέμε αυτά ... κάπου αλλού !~!

@sniper
όταν κάνεις correct-ions ,κάνε τα ΚΑΙ σε μηνύματα που έχουν γίνει .... "παράθεση" :) :) ;)