Cycling UK Forum

hello all, we are planning to ride from Budapest to Krakow, end of July - not necessarily the 'Amber Trail' for which there are companies providing assisted tours, as it looks like they pick and choose sections with some minibus connections (to avoid heavy traffic in some cases).

I would like to ask if any fellow CT members have made this journey and have any advice on sections not to miss........and very busy roads! From the 1-100.000 atlas, it looks impossible to cross the Tatras on anything other than red roads - but, maybe some of these roads have less traffic and are more scenic?

We don't mind gradients and prefer smaller roads.

thank you, Stefano

I'm thinking of doing the same route at the beginning of September. I'm currently searching for some maps but they seem to be very difficult to find! Is the map you have a road map or a map of cycle routes?

Hi guys,

You can avoid the Tatras being going east to Poprad and heading north for Nowy sancz. The route is rolling and pretty and not busy. I did this route three years ago after doing the Danube from Vienna to buderpest. On the other hand why would you want to avoid the Tatras they are spectacular?

I drove this route with some friends a few years ago.
Slovakia was kind of fun scary. When over-taking the drivers liked to see the whites of the eyes of the oncoming driver before pulling back in. And did they like over-taking, anywhere at any time. Obviousy we took the more major roads, but I'd stick to routes with as little traffic as possible.

Greg

I did the ride in the opposite direction back in August 2005. The Tatras are a national park and deliberately don't have any minor through roads, however when I did it the roads were not what I would call busy, but obviously increased wealth in Eastern Europe has probably multiplied car ownership since then.

I found the Krakow end had much more traffic. We were passed by one driver who took exception to our presence, swerving to a stop across our bows bringing the group to a halt, hurling abuse in a tongue none of us understood before driving off. Nice. Poland as whole felt more dour and threatening than Slovakia/Hungary.

A load of bull on this topic. Poland is grand. I have lived here for 20 years, and whenever I have felt blue, it's down to personal shiite.
Just like anywhere else.
But of course - blame it on the locals. LOL.
The Tatra, though over policed, and ravaged by environmental disasters, are fantastic.

Liptowsky Milkulas to Stary Smokowec and the old Bohemian grass tennis centre is the route to go.

jdthebrit wrote:A load of bull on this topic. Poland is grand. I have lived here for 20 years, and whenever I have felt blue, it's down to personal shiite.
Just like anywhere else.
But of course - blame it on the locals. LOL.

If you're getting all 'right-on' about my comments on the driver who actively blocked us to have a confrontation, you need to read more carefully before you sound off, I said that none of us understood what the 'gentleman' was yelling at us, that means we didn't know what nationality he was... OK?

RichardPH wrote:

jdthebrit wrote:A load of bull on this topic. Poland is grand. I have lived here for 20 years, and whenever I have felt blue, it's down to personal shiite.
Just like anywhere else.
But of course - blame it on the locals. LOL.

If you're getting all 'right-on' about my comments on the driver who actively blocked us to have a confrontation, you need to read more carefully before you sound off, I said that none of us understood what the 'gentleman' was yelling at us, that means we didn't know what nationality he was... OK?

It was you who wrote "Poland was more dour than...."
I was simply pointing out that there is a good chance it is you was dour.

It's not the most direct route between your start & finish but I enjoyed crossing from Slovakia to Poland on the Bardejov to Gorlice road - using a scenic (though not spectacular) quiet road. The Tatras see a lot of tourists but a bit further east felt more off the beaten track & means passing through the Rus(?) areas