[Mr_Assmaster]

Greetings, fine gentlemen. I have reached a turning point in my life where I must either go on a long and dangerous journey of self-discovery or slowly spiral into deep depression. I have decided to either walk or bike from northern Croatia, where I live, to Athens. Once I arrive there, I would spend a couple of days relaxing in the sun and then head back home. However, I must stress that this would literally be the first time that I travel alone without company, not to mention the furthest I've ever walked or biked from home. In addition to that, I hadn't ridden a bike since I was 11 and my funds are practically non-existent so I can't rely on any public transport or someone to bail me out.

Naturally, this will all sound crazy and dangerous for someone who's never done anything of this magnitude before, but I'm relentless and will not back down no matter what. I have to do this. I'll need as many tips and advices as you guys can give me. Has anyone here ever attempted something like this before?

Now, there are several questions that some of you more seasoned travelers might know. Is there any place on the internet where I can ask the locals or fellow travelers to help me with food and shelter? (So far, I have a tent and I was planning on sleeping wherever I can) As much as I hate begging, I can't possibly bring 20kgs of canned sardines with me or spend hundreds of euros on food. Furthermore, what places would you recommend me to avoid and has anyone ever traveled around Balkans?

The safest and the easiest route would be to follow the Adriatic coast all the way to Greece, although I have also considered an overland route across Bosnia/Montenegro/Albania/Macedonia to see more sights. I'm still not sure.

Thanks!

[Not a Second Hander]

I have 0 knowledge on outdoorsy stuff but all the best and keep us updated.

[Cation]

What do you mean "walking/biking"?

Either go hitchhike or use a bike.

[Mr_Assmaster]

(07-10-2018 09:07 AM)Not a Second Hander Wrote:  

I have 0 knowledge on outdoorsy stuff but all the best and keep us updated.

Thank you. I might start a wordpress blog to document the journey. I'm sure it will be exciting.

(07-10-2018 09:43 AM)Cation Wrote:  

What do you mean "walking/biking"?

Either go hitchhike or use a bike.

If my bike breaks down and I can't fix it, I'll continue my journey on foot. The point is that intend to get there by any means necessary. Hitchhiking might be the easiest option, though it would surely take away some of the adventure. I'm still not sure about all the details, we'll see.

I'll have time to prepare until the end of this month.

[Wander]

So there's one vital aspect of your journey that you seemed to have omitted - PUSSY

How do you propose to get laid on your trip traipsing around in BO sodden cycling gear and smelling of tinned sardines?

[Mercenary]

OP, will you be passing through Belgrade on your journey ?

Perhaps your time and energy would be better spent joing the French Foreign Legion.

[8ball]

Why did you feel the need to create this thread lol. There are literally hundreds of YouTube videos of people biking the Adriatic coast as thousands of people do it all the time during the summer. Was this more about people cheering you on? All those countries you mentioned are known tourist destinations(especially anywhere in the coast), you are not exactly climbing Mount Everest....

[christpuncher]

Bring extra cash...

[Mr_Assmaster]

(07-10-2018 11:53 AM)8ball Wrote:  

Why did you feel the need to create this thread lol. There are literally hundreds of YouTube videos of people biking the Adriatic coast as thousands of people do it all the time during the summer. Was this more about people cheering you on? All those countries you mentioned are known tourist destinations(especially anywhere in the coast), you are not exactly climbing Mount Everest....

That's precisely why I did it. Surely I can't be the first one who did this so someone must have at least one tip to spare

Off the top of my head, I have no idea where I'm going to sleep. Or how to acquire food without money. And those are just the most important issues, there are a million smaller ones that fellow adventurers who are smarter than me must know about.

(07-10-2018 10:48 AM)Wander Wrote:  

So there's one vital aspect of your journey that you seemed to have omitted - PUSSY

How do you propose to get laid on your trip traipsing around in BO sodden cycling gear and smelling of tinned sardines?

Cycling gear? Where's the fun in that? I don't even have any cycling gear nor money to buy it. I doubt I'll even care about sex while having existential issues. I am willing to pound some Greek pussies in exchange for food, though. But only if the situation becomes real bad. I'll work on my unwashed vagabond game

(07-10-2018 10:52 AM)Mercenary Wrote:  

OP, will you be passing through Belgrade on your journey ?

Perhaps your time and energy would be better spent joing the French Foreign Legion.

I imagined that my route on the way down would go along the Croatian coast all the way down to Montenegro and then down to Albanian coast because it'd allow me to at least swim in the sea and wash my clothes so that I don't reek like a dead cat, but if I could find a couple of people who would allow me to crash on their couch and take a warm shower along the route to Macedonia, I'd take an alternative route through Serbia and Macedonia down to Greece.

[idane]

I have some biking and hiking experience but not from the Balkans.

But before I move on: If you are not begging for food and shelter every day, hitchhiking or public transportation will be the cheapest option - period. You will spend massive sums on food every day - and maybe also shelter.

From Zagreb to Athens its about 1500 km by car. If you walk/bicycle add another 25% since you cannot go on the big straight highways. Thats 1875 km ... lets just say 2000 km.

If you have no cycling experience count on 100 km/day and it will take 20 days to complete. If you have no walking experience count on 20 km/day and it will take 100 days (3 months) to complete. What about rest days? If you have no walking experience and you start out with 20 km/day ... you will have blisters right away and will have take care of your feet for 100 days. For that reason biking is much easier on your body.

The biggest challenge will def be walking.

If you plan on begging for food and shelter, you have to take it REALLY slow and talk to people all the time along the way - especially towards the evening where you will need a place to stay. Also, if you happen to walk/bicycle in a very remote and beautiful area there will be no food and no shelter for many days. So plan you trip in such a way that you have a town for every 20 km approx.

As for begging and shelter: I have no experience with southern Europe but I would not start on a begging for food and shelter trip in northern Europe. With the mentality of the people in that region you can def not rely on a positive feedback every night - generally people would be suspicious if they had to host stranger just like that off the street.

If I were you, I would take the bike. Its only 20 days and not 3 months. It will still be an adventure, but you move faster towards food and shelter.

[Mercenary]

(07-10-2018 12:41 PM)Mr_Assmaster Wrote:  

... but if I could find a couple of people who would allow me to crash on their couch and take a warm shower along the route to Macedonia, I'd take an alternative route through Serbia and Macedonia down to Greece.

No one is going to meet you and let you in their house.
You have just registered on RVF, have 3 posts to your name, zero rep, no one vetted has met you, and now you are attention whoring with this thread instead of contributing to the community here.

[idane]

(07-10-2018 12:41 PM)Mr_Assmaster Wrote:  

it'd allow me to at least swim in the sea and wash my clothes

You cannot wash your clothes in the extremely salty Mediterrenean sea. There are special detergents for salty water ...

The salt will make the clothes stiff - you need to find a spring, creek or whatever with water from the mountains.

[Trent W.]

It will sound like I'm discouraging you, I just want to understand why not do this trip by train or bus or something that's less hard on you. As far as I understand you are not looking to get into cycling long distances or hitchhiking, you "simply" want to get out of a rut. If you take a trip on your own, especially with means that are not the fastest, it will still be an adventure. Alternatively you could break the route into pieces and move between them using different means of transport. E.g. train to a city, then bike somewhere else etc.

As for accommodation, couch surfing might be worth a shot.

[Irenicus]

I'll necro this thread, because ideas like these might get the OP (and others who have same ideas) in trouble. I'll address primarily the OP, but others may take clue.



First of all OP, do you realize how much distance is between Croatia and Greece? It's hundreds and hundreds of kilometers. Very few people can cover that distance, either by foot, or bike. You have no chance, despite how relentless you claim to be. Do you have any experience riding a bike, especially a long distance? You don't, given that you didn't ride a bike since you were 11, if I remember correctly. Also, do you know how to perform basic repairs on a bike - like for example, unstuck a chain, and fix a broken tire? I bet you don't.



And the most important thing...WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO IF YOU HAVE AN ACCIDENT?. It's one thing in Croatia, where you are likely covered by insurance. But what will happen if that accident happens in say Albania? You don't have money for hospital bills (and/or accommodation), and no connections. People don't help strangers in general.


Before you (or someone else) claim(s) that Irenicus is some mean keyboard alpha, know that I have covered a distance of 60+ km (both ways) by bike. By foot as well, in combat gear (you train for months in order to do that). People I met, from and outside RF, know where and when I did all of that. I did both of those barely. And I was in relative good shape! And you hope to cover 20+ times that distance, untrained, and un experienced?



If you really want to do this, you need to prepare yourself.



First, get in shape. We have a whole topic dedicated to that.

Second, learn how to ride, and perform repairs on a bike. Use Google.

Third, get money. That trip of yours will cost you .

Fourth, when (and if)you get a bike, and take care of all things above (1-3), cycle long distances. 5,10,15, 20 kilometers, and build endurance.

And five, Balkans is a low trust society. People will certainly not let you rent for free, or let you sleep in their backyard. or give food. Not unless you are a 7/10+ chick. You, being a male, have...nothing to offer except your gratitude, which is worthless.



This will do for now.

EDIT(S) - Typos. I was laughing all the time.

[lika91]

Are you Croatian and where do you live?

I was biking in Croatia from Rijeka to Vratnik (Senj) and further up to the Velebits when I was younger. It is extremely beautiful, but as a more or less local I wouldnt recommend riding the whole Adriatic coast. Most people in cars are drunk, be it day or night - and they hate bicycles on the road. The tendency is that it gets even worse in countries further south, plus I seriously doubt that there are connecting cycling roads.

Plus - Athens itself and sorrounding is more or less impossible to go by bicycle. There are no routes, no acceptable ways - nothing. Hitchhiking could be an idea, but I would rather go in summer then - when there are many tourists doing the coastal road trip.

[Irenicus]

Sorry for belated response. I am more less native as well.


I can't, due to possibility of doxxing, say the whole route . All I can say is that the final lap was Međugorje - Mostar (and I live in that part of the country, by the way, at the moment.)I agree with your statements about the drivers - they really have no consideration when bike drivers are concerned. As a matter of fact, they don't have anywhere. Everyone is always in a hurry. Modern life, what can you do.


I can't recall how it is in Athens - been there with my high school ten years ago. I am not suprised that they did not rectify that problem yet, despite them being 20+ years in the EU. After all...you can separate Greece from the Balkans, but you can't separate the Balkans from Greece.

[Waqqle]

You don't sound crazy at all. I think it sounds like a great idea and I totally get why you need to do it.

This is long but it should help you a lot.


First, some questions so I can give you better info:

1. Are you from Croatia originally and/or do you speak Serbo-Croatian do some degree? Some language ability will be very helpful in asking for directions and such as well as just talking to people and asking about whatever local areas you end up passing through.

2. Have you created an account on couchsurfing.com and/or checked out http://hitchwiki.org/en/Europe?

3. Will you be mainly sticking to the cities to be near accommodations or taking your tent out into nature and the countryside?

4. Have you got a toiletry kit?: toothbrushes (always have 2 or 3 in case something happens to one), soap, shaver, deodorant), a towel, and some basic meds like Dulcolax just in case?

5. What sort of clothing are you bringing and how much of it? It's always good to have 2 or 3 more pairs of socks and underwear than you think you will need because you might not always have time to wash your clothes on schedule but you should always change your underwear and socks at least every day to avoid the rot.

6. After you have hung out in Greece, will you be returning by bike/foot as well or by some other means like a bus?

7. When you say that your funds are nonexistent, do you mean $0 or will you at least have enough food for 1 or 2 meals a day? A "meal" can be as small and simple as a locally-made sausage or two purchased from a vendor at a street cart or some leftovers you bought from the granny of a guy you met in town whom you asked if he had any leftovers you could buy. Don't worry too much about bottled water if the tap is drinkable as you can just get a water pouch or canteen and fill it whenever you stop. If you are in the countryside, you can boil river water (if you have a little stove and pot) and put that in your canteen and/or ask a local if you can fill your canteen from their tap when you pass a village. You will be burning calories so you should be able to consume at least the protein equivalent of 4-5 bratwursts and the water equivalent of 3-4 normal-sized water bottles per day in order to stay hydrated and avoid losing muscle mass. Don't shy away from bread and potatoes for the carb energy but definitely don't forget to get your protein.

8. Do you have a big metal flashlight to use for when it's dark and/or you need to defend yourself from some local thug (a lock in a sock is good for this too - not sure what the laws are in all those countries regarding having a knife on you for protection)?

9. Do you have padlocks for your backpack so that nobody can get their fingers in their while you are walking through town and/or when you are asleep?

10. Do you have a heavy duty bike lock so nobody steals your bike while you are sitting in a restaurant or sleeping (bike locks can also be used for self defense)?

11. Do you have real athletic shoes/tennis shoes or are you thinking that you will do this in sandals (don't do this in sandals)?

12. Do you have a physical map so you do not need to bring your phone and do you have a notebook (preferably a composition book as they are durable) so you can write a journal (use both sides of the paper) and jot down the contact info of any interesting people you meet and would like to keep in touch with or visit again?

13. Do you have a waterproof cover of some kind for your backpack and a large ziploc plastic bag for your notebook, map, and other items that should not get wet?

14. Do you have a camera? You may regret it later if you don't have one. Don't get a big expensive one though. A standard pocket camera will do as long as the image quality is good.

These are some things off the top of my head.

*Pro Tip: Most people overpack but that just weighs you down and makes you more tired faster because you have to lug the extra weight everywhere. If you can find it, scavenge it, and/or ask for it (such as asking a local if you can fill your canteen at their tap), then you probably don't need to bring it unless it is toiletries and/or meds.


As for what route to take, I would recommend:

- Go down the coast of Croatia until you reach Split.
- Then head east to Mostar, Bosnia.
- From Mostar, head southwest Međugorje
- From Međugorje, keep going until you reach Dubrovnik
- From Dubrovnik, head south to Montenegro.
- Start going east inland once you reach Kotor in Montenegro because there is a lot of nature, mountains, rivers, etc. in the interior of Montenegro
- Make a pilgrimage to Ostrog Monastery in Montenegro (pretty much directly northeast of Kotor in more or less the center of the country)
- From Ostrog Monastery, make your way south to Podgorica.
- From Podgorica, venture to and through Thethi, Prokletije, Çuka Dunishës, Hajdaraj, and Bajram Curri in Albania to get yourself to the border with Kosovo. Kosovars and Albanians share language and history so you should have no trouble crossing the border from Albania as you might if you had tried to cross from Serbia.
- The road that you have been taking from Bajram Curri should take your through Gjakova and Prizren in Kosovo.
- From Prizren, go south on the road to Dragash and Brod (great side trip but you will probably have to turn around and return to the main road after Brod) or skip those two places and take the main road to Gllabonica.
- From Gllabonica, keep taking the main road to and through Mavrovo National Park in Macedonia (this is where your tent comes in handy) and continue all the way south to Struga and then from Struga to Ohrid.
- Since you mentioned Athens specifically as your destination, I recommend that you continue from Ohrid to Bitola and cross into Greece by taking the road going south from Bitola (the A3 road I believe) until you reach Graničen Premin Medžitlija.
- From Graničen Premin Medžitlija, take the road going south and cross into Greece heading toward Níki but turn off onto the A27 road before you reach Níki.
- Either keep following the A27 road all the way to Athens or go rogue, get lost, and explore Greece however you see fit.


*When I say to take these roads, I mean you can hitchhike, ride your bike down the side of the road, or just use the direction of the road as a general guide while you bike down some other nearby road(s) going in the same direction.

*Another pro tip: Use an online translator to write the same message on some cards with each card having its own language. The message should be something to the effect of:

"I have left my possessions and am traveling alone solely by my own power and the grace of God/Allah (depending on whether you are in a majority Christian or Muslim area) from my home in Croatia to Athens in order to test my faith and focus my mind away from the things of this world and more towards God/Allah. I greatly appreciate any help with directions or advice about the area (don't ask for food - if someone wants to give you food, they will offer to on their own). May God/Allah bless and protect you and your loved ones forever and always."

This should get you some help without you having to beg or appear to be some kind of random hobo without a cause or dirty stoner trying to "find himself" by slumming it with the hicks in the sticks. It will also add a spiritual element to your quest which I get the impression is something you want. It should go without saying but keep your other cards tucked away in an inner pocket of you locked backpack when you are not traveling through an area where their languages dominate and only use one card at a time. This card also lets people know that you most likely don't have a lot of expensive tourist gear and electronics on you that might be worth stealing - plus only the most hardcore psycho would ever think to rob a religious pilgrim who probably doesn't even possess anything of great value.

As an added bonus, if you are at the point in your life where you are wanting to get married and have a family with a traditional girl, you will probably find that a lot of folks you meet will be impressed by your piety and determination and suggest to put you in touch with their granddaughter/niece/cousin/whatever who is of marriage age and looking for a good husband.


*From the sound of it, this is a right of passage/spiritual adventure and not a trip for women. That is good as we need those sometimes. Don't worry about women. Keep hygienic and all just for yourself and in case you meet any girls whose info you can log into your notebook (I recommend not bringing a phone as it will distract you from your quest and you can just ask to borrow a phone from someone else who is actually on a local phone plan if you really need to). If you meet a woman or two, great and you can log their contact info into your notebook. If not, that doesn't seem to be the purpose of this quest anyway so don't sweat it.

I hope this all helps and good luck man! Let me know if you want more tips or have any specific questions.

[threeofdiamonds]

I've cycled 2000km across Europe with a tent on the back of a £70 second hand ebay bike. Took a month and spent £1500 doing it.

There are lots of websites with information on the topic - I recommend travellingtwo and warmshowers. Warmshowers is basically couchsurfing for cycle tourers.

You will eat a lot (5000 kcal per day) and your quads will be ripped if you choose rugged terrain ( I went across the Alps ). The first challenge will be physical, then mental. You will need strong sources of motivation to keep going.

The route I chose was called via de Francigena and is an ancient pilgrimage route from Canterbury to Rome. There were lots of places to camp and hostels to stay in on the way. Find a touristy coastal Mediterranean town to relax in at the end of your journey to reward yourself, get your new legs out on the beach and the ladies will come to you.

Afterwards I felt fantastic, very calm and confident. Easily the best thing I've ever done.

Do not do the trip in Winter!

[Waqqle]

(07-10-2018 01:00 PM)idane Wrote:  

(07-10-2018 12:41 PM)Mr_Assmaster Wrote:  

it'd allow me to at least swim in the sea and wash my clothes

You cannot wash your clothes in the extremely salty Mediterrenean sea. There are special detergents for salty water ...

The salt will make the clothes stiff - you need to find a spring, creek or whatever with water from the mountains.

Very true. You can also get a tarp bag (or sew some tarp into the shape of a bag) so you can get water from the tap wherever you are, put some soap in the bag with some water, and hand wash your clothes that way. As for drying them, you can hang them with a bit of rope tied to a tree or plastic hangers hung on a branch or something. Can also rig up something on the back of your bike so you can clip your clothes on there and have them wind dry as you pedal down the road.

[gework]

Irenicus has some good points.

I have done 1,000km from central Serbia to Greece and some in Coratia and Slovenia via ferry + a train.

I did this on little notice. I had really little idea of what I was doing. I didn't have a mobile phone. I navigated and contacted hosts via a tablet and hopping onto wi-fi networks. I was always worried I'd end up sleeping in a ditch. But all of this was what made it a worthwhile experience and helped me shed some of my green. So I think you're making a good choice.

Some notes:

1) biking 1,500 with a heavy rucksack on your back will strain your back and make every journey painful for the most way. My first journey I stopped about 200 times out of discomfort. A lot of that was down to the weight of my cira 20kg rucksack. Also having a rucksack kill increase the chance of injury when going up hill as it adds more strain on your back and legs. I biked 140km from Sofia, up Vitosha mountain. Within about 20-30km I got an injury as a result of the rucksack and biked the remaining 100+ km in pain. The solution is panniers, which will cost you about 60 EUR.

2) tires are a big issue. It may take an hour for an experienced cyclist to fix a puncture and if you don't know what you're doing you will by a puncture kit that doesn't work. You need to buy the thick patches, not the little plastic ones. However I'd recommend getting solid tires. But that's about 100 EUR and you have to get the right tires and they don't have tires for every model. But either way, you'd paying 40 EUR for good repair kit or more for a road bike.

3) lights. I feel pretty secure when I'm biking as I have a 800 lumen rear light that I have on full-flash mode in the day. You get a lot more respect with something like this. 200 EUR.

4) planning route. I would highly recommend to plan out the on back roads. I just woke up in the morning, sometimes with virtually no food and as little as one hour sleep and just headed out on the suggested route. The backroads were great. In Serbia I probably bike 50km on backroads and saw about 5 cars. But I ended up on some really busy roads in Bulgaria and Greece that were really dangerous. In Bulgaria, after scaling Vitosha, I had about 60km on a busy road with little space for cyclists. It's a really horrible experience you'll want to avoid, but if you're biking in somewhere like Bulgaria there might not be many routes you can take without huge detours.

5) cheap bikes. if you buy a cheap bike the more likely you are to have a catastrophic problem, i.e. a spoke goes. I had a bike that happened to three times, leaving me to walk home for about two hours. I also bought a bike in Serbia for about 200 EUR, bike about 200km and the cassette for the gears broke. I've had cheap bikes that didn't have problems, but some did. None of my expensive bikes had issues.

6) protein. You need high intake to avoid injury.

If you want to get there cheap you are looking at Couchsurfing, which is going to be difficult to get a place to stay at. In my experience couchsurfing is a 1 in 3 chance they will let you stay and if you are talking about smaller cities in the Balkans then there are few active members.

You don't want to be carrying food with you. If I was you I'd take as little as possible. About four changes of clothes, a bike lock, some money and a phone you can use for GPS.

If you don't have a bike I can't see this costing less than 500 EUR.