Amsterdam to Istanbul - route advice needed
 

Hi there,

I'm organizing a 25 person cycling tour (its not for profit, its a youth tour examining global issues). We run one already from Vancouver, Canada to Tijuana, Mexico quite successfully, and would LOVE some advice on routing through Europe.

We're riding from Amsterdam to Istanbul, currently following EuroVelo routes anywhere possible, and are having trouble with the Budapest to Istanbul stretch as just can't find solid info - particularly in Serbia.

Anyone out there cycled Budapest to Istanbul, or any stretches of the Danube there and across Bulgaria? Links to best resources? We've done a LOT of searching, emailing and calling so I hope these don't seem like stupid questions...

Cheers!

Shawn
www.globalafc.org

How about the Orient express route? You can also check out http://www.crazyguyonabike.com/

Follow the Danube through Budapest and continue on along the Danube to Constanta. Then follow the coast south to Istanbul.

Look at the website of the sponsor that is above this post, Tour D,Afrique, they have a Paris to Istanbul tour starting in May.

From Budapest east to the border with Romania is quite good because you have quite a few different routes.You enter into Romania towards Timosoara..The border roads are busy..You can get to Severin on the Danube from there but you must avoid the main roads..All the heavy truck traffic from Turkey ,Bulgaria and Romania are on these roads..They don't go through Serbia .The main roads are wicked.
From Severin ride down to Calafat and cross over into Bulgaria at Vidin and then follow the Danube to Lom and Orjahovo and then south to Pleven ..Pleven to Stara Zagora..From there to the turkisk border at Svilengrad and on a busy road to Edirne..Kirklareli,Vize ,Saray ,Cerkezkoy..I would go on the train from there.If you must ride into Istanbul come from the north on a Sunday at 4am in the morning ..!!

Thanks!
 

Thanks everyone.

We've tentatively settled on basically following the Danube from Linz, Austria, all the way to Ruse, Bulgaria and then breaking for the Black Sea Coast and down. Combo of the EuroVelo route, and the Tour D'Afrique route (they've been helpful in answering some questions!).

Most is straight forward, from Budapest on not so much...Tentatively (??? means we need to insert a stop):

Budapest
Solt
mohacs
Vukovar
Novi Sad
Beograd
OFF
Turnu Severin?(Rom)
vidin
lom
??
belene
ruse
OFF
OFF (Bucharest day trip)
razgrad
shumen
varna
pomorie
OFF
malko tarnovo
kirklareli

Anyway, thanks again! If anyone knows these communities at all, the tour relies on community contacts to find free places where a group that large (25) can camp/stay - tough to wild camp!

Cheers,

Shawn

Not that it is totally relevant to your post, but you just happen to be doing the same trip as an amazing person, Patrick Fermor. His book might make interesting comparison for your trip.

http://www.amazon.com/Time-Gifts-Con...5086358&sr=8-1