Budapest to Belgrade

[hugogo]

Hi,

I'm undertaking a cycle from Munich to Belgrade this summer and it may be solo. Caught the cycling bug when I cylcled 1500Km from Bloemfontein to Cape Town (via PE) at Christmas mostly on dirt track, great experience. However my two fello hobos from that trip are being very non-commital about another one so soon. I'm not worried about the Munich to Budapest part as will hit the Danube (which I will stay by for the duration of the trip) before I get to Austria and there is plenty of information on that route available. I'm wondering if anyone has experience of the cycle from Budapest to Belgrade or if anyone has blogs they could direct me to of people who have undertaken that leg of the trip....just so I know what I'm getting myself into!
Thanks.

[Jord]

Check this months Cycling Plus - I think there is an article on a similar journey.

[BE1]

Hi

www.Danube-info.org is probably the best on-line source for the parts of the route in Croatia and Serbia

Crazy guy on a bike has various journals for the route.

This may give you some broader info about the countries www.danubebybike.eu . I'm registered for this and if things go to plan I'l have a journal on crazy guy you can consult if your trip is after end of june.

Best of luck for the trip there is some good cycling on teh route and some fascinating places to see.

[tom_u]

Took me 4 days from Budapest to Belgrade. Followed Danube pretty much to border, 2 days. 1 day from border to Novi Sad. Flat, boring, windy, no food/shops/restaurants. 1 day from Novi Sad to Belgrade, big uphill on way out of Novi Sad, fairly busy roads, lots of mad truck drivers trying to kill me. Got lost on way into Belgrade, crossed over river on motorway bridge in rush hour! The Danube cycle route is supposed to go this far, but the signs are crap and route not great.

[BE1]

Tom's post shows why its probably better to cross the Danube in Hungary, pass through Mohacs and then take the Croatian bank of the Danube. There is Kopacki rit nature reserve, Osijek with its art nouveau architecture, Vukovar and the legacy of the Yugoslav wars plus excellent wine in both Baranja as you cross the border from Hungary and Ilok on the border with Serbia.

Then if you like the road to be hilly there is Fruska Gora on the way to Novi Sad. Novi Sad itself is a friendly relaxed place and home to the famous Exit Music Festival, held in the fortress up the big hill Tom mentions. From there it is down hill to Sremski Karlovci, with its pretty baroque town centre and home to the first "round table" where peace with the Ottomans was negotiated.

Beyond there Tom is right the traffic can get a bit hairy but once you get to Zemun you turn left head towards the Danube and there is a cycle path through to Belgrade.

[adamant]

Natasha Scott-Stokes did some of that journey:

http://www.cycling-books.com/Amber_Trai ... Stokes.htm

It might also be worthwhile you having a good look on this site:

http://www.paloaltobicycles.com/guidebooks.html#europe

Best

Adamant

[anastaco]

Hello,

i want to do the same route, but from Belgrade to Budapest and then continue to Germany.
Tom and BE1 can you discribe a little bit more.
I am an amateur biker (only cycling through my city) so i want to avoid mountains.
Of course i want to avoid highways or even busy small streets.
I have heard that there is not really a bicycle-path. So do i have do drive on small roads?
Is it safer to take those closer to the river, or is it extremely time-consuming?
I think i will go first to Novi Sad (and be very carefull) and then to Ilok by small roads and then follow the route BE1 mentioned.
I want to have an image on how it will be. Driving throuth the country-side near to Danube from village to village or driving in the middle of nowhere in the highway up and down the hills.

Thanks,
Constantin

[BE1]

Constantin

As regards the route it is mainly on quiet roads with a few hills (ilok area and between Osijek and the Hungarian border). The best route guide I found was the bikeline danube 4 (Budapest to the Black sea) . You will need to reverse the direction and the instruction.

have fun.