Berlin to Istanbul by bike

I am still in the process of writing up a short report about this summer’s bike trip to Istanbul, so please be patient and start by enjoying some of the photos from the road.

Three brave souls
(and one guitar)
cycling 2600km
through 10 countries
one hell of a fun trip.

After spending a year harassing my friends about the previous solo bike trip to St Petersburg, I surprisingly managed to convince two brave souls to join me this summer. Before I write a more detailed report I would just like to highlight some of the pros and cons of travelling together.

Solo
Independence – total independence, full responsibility and absolute freedom
Relationship – open to meet new friends, easier to build trust and find a place to sleep
Personal development – challenging, more reflection time and character building

As a Team
Safety – key to any caring parent but also the lonely traveller, together all seems possible and I saved a lot of energy otherwise wasted on shallow worries
Fun – toughest days past faster and I can honestly say that I enjoyed myself more
Sharing – distributing luggage, sharing language skills, tasks such as cooking, setting up the tent or shopping as well as sharing some of the best time of my life with people I care about

Ultimately the decision will depend on personal preferences, your own character and the chemistry in the team. I am thankful to have travelled alone and with some of my best friends. When riding solo I enjoyed the absolute independence and personal challenges of the road. The intensity of emotions and the level of self motivation necessary have proved extremely valuable. However, if with the right people, I would give anything for the fun and ease of travelling together. There is nothing greater than sharing a special moment and even on the hardest day we would joke together over dinner.