It's taken a while but we're finally on the road again. We missed out on our planned Danube ride in 2020, so we've taken that and run with it. We added the Rhine and Main Rivers to come up with a trans-European route only to realise it was probably a little further than we could fit in our available time. Not only that, but the Danube flows into the Black Sea at Constanta on the Romanian coast, just a little too close to Ukraine and "Mad Vlad" for our liking. Instead, after reaching Belgrade via the Danube trail, we'll head south and east through eastern Europe ending up at Istanbul. It's still going to be an epic adventure. We'll visit 14 countries (I think?) and travel roughly 4,500km over 3 months (well, that's the plan anyway). The only places we're booking accommodation are London, Vienna to Budapest and Istanbul. We'll play the rest by ear.
This is a 90 trip and while I normally blog every day, I'm not sure that will be possible this time round so there may be a few gaps between posts.
Jeff (aka Ray Charles) - Will be doing the whole trip. We've ridden France, Melbourne to Uluru, Across the USA, through the Candian Rockies together and a lot of country Victoria together. Despite that, we're teaming up again!
Tom (aka Tommy-Too-Far) will be joining us for the second half of the trip from Vienna to Istanbul. He's ridden all the big rides with us but only got a leave pass for the second half this time round.
Mark (aka Richo) - With 9 months Long Service Leave on my hands what else is there to do, hop on a plane, and find somewhere new to explore on the bike. What an adventure!
As usual, people ask, "Have you been training?" and, as usual, we respond with, "We'll train when we get there".
| Date | Blog Title | Location |
| June 30th 2023 | London to Istanbul - The Hard Way! | Oceania » Australia » Victoria » Williamstown |
| July 2nd 2023 | The Longest Day | Europe » United Kingdom » England |
| July 3rd 2023 | Playing Tourist | Europe » United Kingdom » England » Greater London |
| July 4th 2023 | Day 4, The Calm before the Storm | Europe » United Kingdom » England » Greater London |
| July 5th 2023 | Day 5 - Answer: Everything - What's the Question?: WCPGW | Europe » United Kingdom » England » Berkshire » Reading |
| July 6th 2023 | Day 6 - Anyone for Golf | Europe » United Kingdom » England » Oxfordshire » Oxford |
| July 7th 2023 | Day 7 - The Loch Weir Keeper | Europe » United Kingdom » England » Wiltshire » Cricklade |
| July 8th 2023 | Day 8 - Crickdale to Bristol | Europe » United Kingdom » England » Somerset |
| July 9th 2023 | Day 9 - St Miles of Frome | Europe » United Kingdom » England » Wiltshire » Warminster |
| July 10th 2023 | Day 10 - To the Manor Born | Europe » United Kingdom » England » Hampshire » Southampton |
| July 11th 2023 | Day 11 - Transition | Europe » United Kingdom » England » West Sussex » Chichester |
| July 12th 2023 | Day 11.5 - Plans Change Part I / Day 12 - Plans Change Part II | Europe » United Kingdom » England » East Sussex |
| July 13th 2023 | Day 13 - On French Soil | Europe » France » Upper Normandy » Dieppe |
| July 14th 2023 | Day 14 - I hope it doesn't rain tonight | Europe » France » Upper Normandy |
| July 15th 2023 | Day 15 - It rained last night | Europe » France » Nord-Pas de Calais |
| July 16th 2023 | Day 16 - Roubaix (without the Cobblestones) | Europe » France » Nord-Pas de Calais » Roubaix |
| July 17th 2023 | Day 17 - Bonus Content | Europe » France » Nord-Pas de Calais » Roubaix |
| July 18th 2023 | Day 18 - Flanders | Europe » Belgium » East Flanders » Gent |
| July 19th 2023 | Day 19 - Antwerp and Logistics | Europe » Belgium |
| July 20th 2023 | Day 20 - Windmills and Tulips | Europe » Netherlands » Limburg » Weert |
| July 21st 2023 | Day 21 - It's all down hill from here | Europe » Germany » North Rhine-Westphalia » Erkelenz |
| July 22nd 2023 | Day 21 - The Old City | Europe » Germany |
| July 23rd 2023 | Day 22 - Miracles happen on Sundays | Europe » Germany » North Rhine-Westphalia » Cologne |
| July 24th 2023 | Day 23 - The Rhine - Finally | Europe » Germany » Rhineland-Palatinate » Bad Breisig |
| July 25th 2023 | Day 24 - A Play in 4 Acts | Europe » Germany » Rhineland-Palatinate » Koblenz |
| July 26th 2023 | Day 25 - Castle Country | Europe » Germany » Rhineland-Palatinate » Bingen am Rhein |
| July 27th 2023 | Day 26 - European heat wave, I don't think so | Europe » Germany » Hesse » Frankfurt |
| July 28th 2023 | Day 27 - Playing Tourist in Frankfurt | Europe » Germany » Hesse » Frankfurt |
| July 29th 2023 | Day 28 - Bavaria Bound | Europe » Germany » Bavaria |
| July 30th 2023 | Day 29 - Can we pay now please? | Europe » Germany » Bavaria » Lohr am Main |
| July 31st 2023 | Day 29.5 - Alarming / Day 30 Schweinfurt Bound | Europe » Germany » Bavaria » Schweinfurt |
| August 1st 2023 | Day 31 - Water bottles can be very useful | Europe » Germany » Bavaria » Bamberg |
| August 2nd 2023 | Day 32 - The Mantra | Europe » Germany » Bavaria » Nuremberg (aka Nürnberg) |
| August 3rd 2023 | Day 33 - Oh Nuremberg! | Europe » Germany » Bavaria » Nuremberg (aka Nürnberg) |
| August 4th 2023 | Day 34 - Canal Cruising | Europe » Germany » Bavaria » Beilngries |
| August 5th 2023 | Day 35 - Ghost Canal / Hidden Gems / The Danube | Europe » Germany » Bavaria » Regensburg |
| August 6th 2023 | Day 36 - Soggy Deggendorf | Europe » Germany » Bavaria » Deggendorf |
| August 7th 2023 | Day 37 - It never rains in California . . . . | Europe » Germany » Bavaria » Passau |
| August 8th 2023 | Day 38 - Tour Boat Central | Europe |
| August 10th 2023 | Day 40 - Good Day Sunshine | Europe » Austria » Upper Austria |
| August 11th 2023 | Day 41 - Gentlemen, start your engines | Europe » Austria » Upper Austria » Linz |
| August 12th 2023 | Day 42 - Rally Cross | Europe » Austria » Upper Austria |
| August 13th 2023 | Day 43 - Melting in Melk | Europe » Austria » Lower Austria » Melk |
| August 14th 2023 | Day 44 - How wide is it? | Europe » Austria » Lower Austria |
| August 15th 2023 | Day 45 - Nothing Special | Europe » Austria » Lower Austria » Tulln an der Donau |
| August 16th 2023 | Day 46 - We conquered the West, Now for the East. | Europe » Austria » Vienna |
| August 17th 2023 | Day 47 - Where's Jeff / Tickets Please | Europe » Austria » Vienna |
| August 18th 2023 | Day 48 - Culture Club | Europe » Austria » Vienna |
| August 19th 2023 | Day 49 - Into the East | Europe » Slovakia » Bratislava Region » Bratislava |
| August 20th 2023 | Day 50 - Into Slovakia | Europe » Slovakia » Trnava Region |
| August 21st 2023 | Day 51 - Rock and Roll | Europe » Slovakia |
| August 22nd 2023 | Day 52 - Another Stamp in the Passport | Europe » Hungary » Central Hungary » Esztergom |
| August 23rd 2023 | Day 53 - Boiling in Budapest | Europe » Hungary » Central Hungary » Budapest |
| August 24th 2023 | Day 54 - Dodging Deals in Budapest | Europe » Hungary |
| August 25th 2023 | Day 55 - How many tubes does it take? | Europe » Hungary |
| August 26th 2023 | Day 56 - Melting and Mechanicals | Europe » Hungary » Southern Transdanubia |
| August 27th 2023 | Day 57 - Thanks Hose Guy / 3K | Europe » Hungary » Southern Transdanubia » Baja |
| August 28th 2023 | Day 58 - Dynamic Routing | Europe » Serbia » North |
| August 29th 2023 | Day 59 - Taxing Times, Darrell Lea and the Midnight Express | Europe » Croatia » Slavonia » Osijek |
| August 30th 2023 | Day 60 - Relief, Finally | Europe » Croatia » Slavonia |
| August 31st 2023 | Day 61 - 2 Minute Noodles and the Dilemma | Europe » Serbia » North » Novi Sad |
| September 1st 2023 | Day 62 - Belgrade Bound | Europe » Serbia » West » Belgrade |
| September 2nd 2023 | Day 63 - No WInners | Europe » Serbia » West » Belgrade |
| September 3rd 2023 | Day 64 - No Good Way | Europe » Serbia » East » Smederevo |
| September 4th 2023 | Day 65 - Flying, Mangy Dogs and Cancellations | Europe » Serbia » East |
| September 5th 2023 | Day 66 - Serbian Hospitality | Europe » Serbia » East |
| September 6th 2023 | Day 67 - We Should Have Known Better | Europe » Serbia » South » Nis |
| September 7th 2023 | Day 68 - An Horrific Past | Europe » Serbia » South » Nis |
| September 8th 2023 | Day 69 - Hills and Wind | Europe » Serbia » South |
| September 9th 2023 | Day 70 - Trouble on the Border | Europe » Bulgaria » West |
| September 10th 2023 | Day 71 - Licorice Allsorts | Europe » Bulgaria » Sofia City » Sofia |
| September 11th 2023 | Day 72 - Exploring Sofia | Europe » Bulgaria » Sofia City » Sofia |
| September 12th 2023 | Day 73 - The Ups and Downs of it All | Europe » Bulgaria |
| September 13th 2023 | Day 74 - An Ancient City / 4K* | Europe » Bulgaria » South |
| September 14th 2023 | Day 75 - Time for a Swim / 4K* | Europe » Bulgaria » South |
| September 15th 2023 | Day 76 - Hungry and in need of a Puff | Europe » Bulgaria » South |
| September 16th 2023 | Day 77 - Bulgaria to Turkey via Greek Hospitality | Middle East » Turkey » Marmara » Edirne |
| September 17th 2023 | Day 78 - Rest Day in Edirne | Middle East » Turkey » Marmara » Edirne |
| September 18th 2023 | Day 79 - The Tortoises | Middle East » Turkey » Marmara |
| September 19th 2023 | Day 80 - More Wind and a Melon | Middle East » Turkey » Marmara |
| September 20th 2023 | Day 81 - Up, Down, Rinse, Repeat | Middle East » Turkey » Marmara |
| September 21st 2023 | Day 82 - The Black Sea / 4.5K | Middle East » Turkey » Marmara |
| September 22nd 2023 | Day 83 - Destination Istanbul | Middle East » Turkey » Marmara » Istanbul |
| September 23rd 2023 | Day 84 - Exhausted in Istanbul | Middle East » Turkey » Marmara » Istanbul |
| September 24th 2023 | Day 85 - The Gallipoli Peninsula | Middle East » Turkey » Aegean |
| September 25th 2023 | Day 86 - The Bike Box Delemma | Middle East » Turkey » Marmara |
| September 26th 2023 | Day 87 - A Quiet Day | Middle East » Turkey » Marmara » Istanbul |
| September 27th 2023 | Day 88 - Capatavating Cappadocia | Middle East » Turkey » Central Anatolia » Cappadocia |
| September 28th 2023 | Day 89 - Cappadocia by Air | Middle East » Turkey » Central Anatolia » Cappadocia |
| September 29th 2023 | Day 90 - Late Nights and Airport Transfers | Middle East » Turkey » Marmara » Istanbul |
| September 30th 2023 | Day 91 - Killing Time | Middle East » Turkey » Marmara » Istanbul |
| October 2nd 2023 | Day 92 - Epilogue | Oceania » Australia » Victoria » Melbourne |
