What countries can I go to ?

[Gazz]

I am just really starting to plan my trip this summer in more depth now and whilst looking over my insurance documents it states that I can only visit countries within the European Union.

Does this mean that I cannot travel through Switzerland (and a few other places) ?

I will be going to Poland (for definate) and would quite like to travel into Ukraine if possible as well and possibly Croatia on the way back home (thay are also not in the EU). Is there anyway round about these complcations?

Here is a wee map for anyone who is not familiar with this side of the continent:

https://ec.europa.eu/information_society/activities/sip/images/eu_map.gif

[Itchy]

You can go everywhere on that map bar Bellarus, and Russia

Switzerland you need to buy road tax on the border for, much of the time you will find bikers coming the other way who will give it to you or you can buy it off them for a very low price. Factor in fines as the speed limits are enforced heavily (same with Austria)

The Balkans make you buy a green card on the border (and request IDPs on the border too £5 from the post office) Alan said it was pretty expensive £30 for a couple of days.

Turkey you can go into with a £10 visa sticker and $15 insurance for 1 month. Double the cost of UK fuel though, its also mountainous which means its cold.

Georgia you can go into no problems, no insurance needed, no visa needed, however Georgian driving is nuts, it is absolutely insane overtaking is standard, once out of Bojourmi I noticed double triple quaduple overtaking was normal where cars overtaking missed opposing cars by mm. Roads can be attrocious but Georgian people are incredibly friendly.

Azerbaijan ~ risky, you can go in for 3 days only need an expensive Visa, corrupt officials, corrupt people, nothing to see.

Armenia expensive visa and restricted on where you can go.
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Spain 2008France 2007Big one 2009 We all die. The goal isn't to live forever, the goal is to create something that will. In the end, your life will flash before your eyes. Make sure it is worth watching.

[c-m]

Your current insurance will cover you for every EU country, plus those signed up to a particular directive. See my post in this section about insurance to Croatia.

Basically, Suisse, Croatia , Andorra, Norway, Iceland etc.. all covered under this directive. Happy touring.

[Kickstart]

Hi

Min legal cover for EU countries is compulsory for any EU motor insurance policy. Anything beyond that is down to your insurance company (ie, whether they extend 3rd party cover in other countries to your comprehensive cover, whether they cover any other countries, etc).

All the best

Keith
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Traxpics, track day and racing photographs - Bimota Forum - Bike performance / thrust graphs for choosing gearing

[Ste]

[tatters]

Insurance for Ukraine is brought at the border though when l was there last summer the locals told me that motorbikes dont require insurance though l did get the women at the border insurance hut to write me out a policy just incase which came to about £4 for 1 week, not worth the paper its writen on though it helps stops the local police from trying to fine you if your stopped though l was never was asked for it.

Same again for Russia was brought on the border from AXA but came to around £60 for 2 weeks worth, though this time you really do need it as the Militya (highway robbing scum) offen check
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[c-m]

[Phoenix]

[c-m]

Interestingly i have never paid for motorways in slovenia, Austria and Hungary and Czech Republic.

In Czech Republic most cars on the motorway pretty much go autobahn speeds, so i just followed suit. Hungry are meant to be pretty tight on speeding, but I happily sped to lake balaton from Budapest and then on the back roads to Romania.

Croatia are also meant to be hard on speeding, but I have never found this the case in multiple visits there, and many cars do about 70mpg on the dual carriageways into town, and riders don't always wear helmets (it is a requirement though)

In Austria, I passed police and later an accident scene on the autobahn at speed. I was not stopped or ever asked to show my vignette (one is needed though - i lived there for quite a while).

You'll pretty much get away with most things you would in the UK. That doesn't mean you should break the law though. Ride safe.

[Phoenix]

Unless you get stopped you won't need one, although if you cross the border using the motorway then they are likely to check for it, I just prefer to have a vignette as the fines for not having one are quite high, unlike fines in the UK they cost you a lot more than the original charge that you've evaded.

Slovenia and Austria Vignettes are pretty cheap anyway and are 6months and weekly respectively so are fairer than the Swiss annual system, I didn't realise I needed one in Slovenia until I got to Lubljana, saw the signs on the motorway gantrys where the tolls booths used to be so figured I was missing something. I didn't use motorways in Hungary so didn't need one, not sure what Hungary is like on speeding, I didn't actually see a single copper, have to remember to look out for the "Rendorseg" rather than a familiar word. The speeds the locals were doing on the backroads was quite crazy, 90 minimum really everywhere on the way across the south to Romania.

[oriel dave]

Carole Nash insured me for every country in Europe inc non EU ones. Before I left I had to phone up and request a green card to be sent for the countries I was going to. I think this also included breakdown cover.

As said the only European country you need a visa for is Belarus. Apparently if you want to ride across Kaliningrad you can get a transit visa from somewhere near the border quite easily but not sure if you need to be insured to ride in Russia.
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Europe Trip 2009