Finally sold my R NineT a month ago, so I can now calculate the actual cost of the Europe trip that I did a few months ago. Overall, I’ve spent less than I had originally anticipated, which gives me financial confidence for future trips in other countries around the world.
Outright costs, totaling $27153, categorised below in AUD, conversion rate effective on the 29/08/2018.
– Travel preparations: $3062. Includes air ticket, visa, insurance and currency conversion.
– Vehicle: $16693. Includes vehicle purchase, registration and insurance.
– Equipment: $2330. Luggage bags, apparel, tools, first aid.
– Food: $1100. Mostly servo grub and grocery items, nothing fancy.
– Accommodation: $492. Staying indoors when I really need it, at hostels and motels.
– Fuel: $2664. A total of 1085 litres consumed. The largest on-road expense.
– Tolls: $410. Includes vignettes and transit services.
– Sundry: $402. Miscellaneous items including toilet fees, haircut and traffic fines.
Accommodation:
– Paid indoor accommodation: 7 nights (Total of $388.61)
– Friends’ homes: 11 nights
– Outdoor camping: 31 nights (5 nights on paid site to the amount of $104)
Servicing:
– Front and rear tyre replacement with Michelin Pilot Road 5 ($464 including labour)
– Oil and filter change, brake fluid top up, at approx. 12000km ($128 for parts only)
– Free major service, after completion of road trip
Fines:
– Hungary: Failure to purchase e-vignette pass ($153.54)
– Switzerland: Travelling 2km/h in excess of 50km/h zone ($56.14)
Bike issues:
– Excessive oil consumption. Cause determined to be related to prolonged riding in heavy traffic, aggravated by sweltering temperatures in Greece. Remedy: Top up oil reservoir and avoid idling the engine for an extended period. No repair needed.
Recouped costs:
– Sale of motorcycle ($12960)
– Sale of luggage bags: ($640)
Net expense of Europe trip: $13556
Day 1 – Within hours of landing in Germany, I browsed my options for my choice of ride around Europe.
Day 2 – Bought my new bike!
Day 3 – Running in the new ride with Konrad on his Ducati.
Day 4 – Rainy days spent inside, researching on items to be bought for the long road.
Day 5 – Bought my new saddle bags, but at an eye watering 800 Euros!
Day 6 – Heading to Dresden, Germany, with Konrad!
Day 7 – Camping on the fringe of Prague.
Day 8, 05/06/2018. The charming Czech city of Prague.
Day 9 – A stormy, wet Austria as I visit the briefly-dry Vienna.
Day 10 – Beautiful Budapest.
Day 11 – Romania, home of the best motorcycling road in the world!
Day 12 – A deteriorating Communist monument in Bulgaria.
Day 13 – Back to using the Euro currency, as I enter into Greek territory.
Day 14 – The amazing Pelion peninsula on the eastern Greek coast.
Day 15 – Got my new tyres in Athens that should easily take me back to Germany via the European Alps.
Day 16 – Returning to the Balkan range as I enter Albania.
Day 17 – Mountains near Vlorë, in Albania.
Day 18 – The lakes and mountains of Montenegro, on the way to Podgorica.
Day 19 – The historical Croatian town of Dubrovnik.
Day 20 – Late evening on the Grossglockner, Austria.
Day 21 – Stellar Stelvio!
Day 22 – Checking out the Swiss Alps, on the Furka Pass.
Day 23 – Returned to Germany to do a minor service.
Day 24 – Berlin, Germany.
Day 25 – Ran out of fuel in the middle of rural Poland!
Day 26 – Warsaw, Poland.
Day 27 – Riga, Latvia.
Day 28 – Tallinn, Estonia.
Day 29 – Palace Square, Saint Petersburg.
Day 30 – Helsinki, Finland.
Day 31 – By the water off Lake Päijänne, Finland.
Day 32 – Daylight at midnight in the Lapland region.
Day 33 – Reached the northernmost mainland point of Norway!
Day 34 – Midnight camping near Alta, Norway.
Day 35 – A traditional village near Luleå, Sweden.
Day 36 – Örnsköldsvik, Sweden.
Day 37 – Trondheim, Norway.
Day 38 – Ålesund, Norway.
Day 39 – The “Trolls Road”. Trollstigen, Norway.
Day 40 – Geirangerfjord, Norway.
Day 41 – Stockholm, Sweden.
Day 42 – The royal residences at Amalienborg. Copenhagen, Denmark.
Day 43 – Back on German soil, in Hamburg.
Day 44 – Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
Day 45 – London, United Kingdom.
Day 46 – Brighton, United Kingdom.
Day 47 – Paris, France.
Day 48 – Cologne, Germany.
Day 49 – Aggertalsperre, Germany.
Day 50 – The last day in Germany.
18th of July, 2018. The final embrace, before flying back to Sydney.
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