I'm planning this trip. Want to start in April. Will be going alone.
2007-02-07 09:15:04 · 5 answers · asked by urbanbard7 3 in Travel ➔ Other - Destinations
As a native of the Russian Federation who has visited nearly every country between Germany and India except for Germany itself (although I speak nearly fluent German and will be going to Germany this summer), I can tell you that I think it is generally safe. It's certainly different, and you've got to be careful if you haven't traveled often before. Definitely don't take anything valuable with you, don't dress fancy, and trust your instinct if you don't think a place is safe.
The main thing that I would be concerned about is your bike. I don't know how you plan to lock it up because people in some of those regions can certainly take parts of it if not the whole thing. I'm not saying that they will, and I've had wonderful experiences in those parts of the world, but people are people and sometimes you'll have bad ones who will steal from you anywhere you go. However, a shiny American bike can look quite enticing to a person who doesn't have much. Besides, how will you travel in some of those places? It's probably not good for your bike, and you may end up having to leave it somewhere. Some of those places you'll pass through simply have a dangerous climate or landscape.
Would you consider traveling by rail instead or hitch hiking? I've hitch hiked throughout Eastern Europe and the Russian Federation, and it was a wonderful experience. I've also traveled by rail, and you get to see the same things and meet great people on the train.
If you are set upon riding your motorcycle though, I would recommend ending your trip in the Russian Federation, but skip visiting the Caucasus Mountain Region (especially Chechnya...it's quite unstable there yet) since you're not from there and won't be going with anyone who is. I am from Caucasia, and some of my family still lives there, but we lived in a nicer part of it. Nonetheless, I think you may have trouble with driving your bike in some of these places, and you may want to go by rail instead.
As an American (or I assume you're American), you should actually avoid some of the former Soviet satellites in the southwestern area as well regardless of how you travel; Kazakhstan is okay, but as you go farther south of Kazakhstan, you may not feel as safe. However, if you took someone familiar with the region along with you, I would definitely change my mind and recommend those places to you then; I really like them, but I wouldn't recommend them to someone unfamiliar with the region traveling alone. I think that you could go through Kazakhstan without much problems if you stay in places where there are other people, but it depends on your experience too.
I hope that you enjoy your trip, but I would not recommend doing it by motorcycle!
2007-02-09 11:09:57 · answer #1 · answered by aanstalokaniskiodov_nikolai 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Don't know where your brains are .Doesn't make any dif if you drive from Germany to India or if you drive from New York to Ohio . Motorcycles are dangerous no matter where you drive them . Must be you don't read the papers or you would know how many accidents there are with motorcycles . My advice is take a bus . Did you ever stop to think that you are not going to know the roads . Good luck I hope you make it .
2007-02-07 09:30:59 · answer #2 · answered by ajkastun 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It would be close to suicidal. Look at the route you would have to take.
Do you speak Arabic? Farsi? Urdu? Hindi?
Or are you planning on driving thru Russia and then over the High Pamir or the Himalayas into India?
Consider the various peoples along the route who would be happy to cut your throat.
2007-02-07 09:24:29 · answer #3 · answered by Rillifane 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
probably not as long as you wear a helmet and protective gear...i went on a motorcycle tour of italy a few years ago and the autobahn or autostrada, the cars go quite fast, so you want to be protected. our helmets were actually stolen from our motorcycle during world superbike weekend and we had to ride several miles to a dainese store to buy new helmets and people actually stopped up and told us we should have helmets on because of the way people drive. in any case, we rode nearly 1500 miles in 7 days and never had anything happen...good luck on your trip!!
2007-02-07 09:23:35 · answer #4 · answered by jttoledo9279@sbcglobal.net 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I've ridden my own bikes for years and it is dangerous no matter where you are going. With the political unrest in India and Pakistan right now, can't you pick a better location to travel to?
2007-02-07 09:23:51 · answer #5 · answered by Catfish_Woman154 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋