Our depature date was fixed. It was August 16th.
We have decided to ride through Greece, Italy, Switzerland, France and reach to Germany. We will be also riding through the same countries. For that reason we wanted to stay in different cities on the way back.
Our aim was to ride 300 to 350 km per day and to have a relaxed trip. So, we could have time to enjoy the cities visited.
We had to take many different aspects into account, because we were planning the tour with a scooter.
First, we have fixed our route, then we have fixed the hotels. Booking.com was very helpful at that sense. We could filter the hotels with a parking lot, wireless, etc. availability. Google Map has helped us finding secure places for the motorcycles, etc. Fixing the hotels with early bookings has also brought us some price advantages. We have bought our ferry tickets from Igoumentisa to Venice.
Then we had to buy some side cases for the motorcycle. We have preferred the Kappa's soft cases. W have also bought a front case. It was enough for us. In the summer time, even Alps wouldn't be so cold. We have used the top case for the scooters equipments and the air mattresses. The side cases were for the clothes and the front case was for the electronical devices like computer and camera. Having a front case has helped the motorcycle very much to balance the weight, even we have loaded only 3-4 kgs.
That we had a 4300 kms planned tour, I have changed the oil right before the tour. As I have asked the maintenance assistant to check the scooter carefully and told him that we will have a long tour, he couldn't imagine that it was a Turkey - Germany trip. After a while, he asked where we are going and learned that it was a really long tour for a scooter, he checked everything once more with extra care :))
As we were planing the tour, the daily life was going on. I had to work. All colleagues were asking everyday about the progress and I was reporting them at which stage we are. They were trying to be helpful, wherever they can contribute.
In the meanwhile, I had a meeting with the owner of Codingmedia, a reputable IT Company in Turkey, Mert Huseyinoglu regarding the website of our company. I asked him which GPS ı had to buy. It is important to ask the opinions of the people, who are working on IT Technologies :)
Mert had a meeting aftre our meeting and he had to leave as soon as possible. He asked me rapidly where I was planning to use the GPS and I told him about our europe tour plans. As he heas heard that we are planning to make a round tour in europe, as a motorcycler he cancelled his next meeting and continued to sit and listen to the plan.
I showed him the route and the planning on the computer. He asked me how many motorcycles will be attending to the tour and the answer was "one". We decided to realize the tour together. But there was a small problem. He hadn't got a suitable motorcycle for the tour.
The week after, I bought a GPS and he bought a Yamaha T-MAX 530 :) and he started with the preparations. We organized a meeting as two couples and went through the routes and hotels together and reserved our rooms.
The trip was getting closer. There was another procedure to be done. The green card (insurance for the motorcycles for abroad) and the international driving license. We received them.
Three weeks before the trip, I have received an e-mail from Minoan Lines and they have announced that the Venice line has been cancelled due to the Venice Port Authority's request but they have offered us to use the Ancona Line with some price reduction.
That was an extra 200 - 250 kms way for us to get to Venice. We have accepted their offer and changed our tickets.
After all, we were ready for the upcoming trip.
We have packed everything on August 15th, washed our scooters and the next morning we were ready for the trip at 6 o'clock in front of the tolls in Istanbul.
.......
* Cagri Nakipoglu, Eda Pakkan, Mert Huseyinoglu, Iglem Kayihan Huseyinoglu
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