Portugal to Sweden

From the coast to the North

13 countries, 31 days, 7100 km

Bike: Triumph Speed Twin -19

Exploring with a little adventure seeking pillion

I picked up my lovely cousin Julia at the airport in Denmark and together we flew to Portugal to pick up my Speed Twin that I had named Thor. The bike was sent a week prior and my plan was to ride it from Portugal back home to Sweden.

Julia had just gotten off school for the summer and called me because of her sudden thirst for adventures. I immediately suggested that she should come to Portugal, get on the bike with me and then ride with me for as long as she wanted. She planned to spend a maximum of 7 days on the road, but ended up riding through 8 countries during 3 weeks.

Together we explored small villages, watched sunsets, met hilarious people, got soaked in rain, visited old travel friends of mine, rode the circuit in Monaco, ate cookies for breakfast, had sangria by the river in Porto, celebrated Pride in Spain and almost passed out during the most extreme heat wave Europe has had in decades.

The riding was amazing, but to have my little cousin behind me was the real pleasure of this trip.

Countries visited

01/

PORTUGAL

What a wonderful place to visit on a bike!

02/

SPAIN

Riga got my heart immediately! Amazingly cozy town with a lot of history and a lively biker culture. Stayed at the biker friendly hostel "Two Wheels" where I met the owner who gave me the phone number to one of his friends in Bulgaria. Went on a day trip on the nice roads around the city with a group of bikers from Belarus that had left their contacs on my bike.

03/

ANDORRA

Stayed two nights in Panevezys and learned engine renovation with my AirBnb host. Vilnius was one of my favorite cities during my whole trip! Felt at home since the first minute. Applied for my visa to Belarus here.

04/

FRANCE

Here it felt like the trip started for real! Very interesting country and nothing like the others. It felt like traveling back in time and visit the Soviet Union, but Minsk, the capital, is still a modern and developing city with a lot of cool things to do! Met up with the bikers I met in Riga. Loved Minsk and will go back.

05/

MONACO

Kiev surprised me, it's a big city with a great night life. Visited Chernobyl and Pripyat which was an interesting experience. Odessa and the Ukrainian coast was great too with nice beaches.

06/

ITALY

The biggest surprise during my whole trip! I was told that Moldova didn't have roads, but I was greeted with great(!) motorcycle roads, amazing wine yards everywhere and welcoming people. Stayed with an English teacher from Germany and met up with a local couple that took me out to see the nightlife. Got chased by Moldovan TV.

11/

LIECHTENSTEIN

A special country to visit due to it's history. Wasn't accessible from Serbia, but easy to enter from Macedonia. Green card not valid, but an insurance was cheap and easy to buy at the border. Pristina was a really cool city and totally worth to see.

12/

SWITZERLAND

Took a long ride over the mountains around Tirana. Brought my thermos and got the best therapy the soul could ever need.

13/

LUXEMBOURG

Went to Kotor along the road around the bay, and this place is like taken from a postcard. Had to force myself to keep the camera in my bag after a while, or I'd probably still be there taking photos to this day.

14/

BELGIUM

Beautiful coastal road, reminded me a lot about Highway 1 in California. The coast is full of gems and the best thing about going here is to find your own little treasure.

15/

NETHERLANDS

Stayed in the little town Stolac, which was amazingly cozy. Went to Mostar to see the famous Stari Most and was incredibly lucky to visit during low season and could therefore really enjoy the city.

16/

GERMANY

Also an incredible surprise! Wonderful little roads perfect for motorcycling and cool sightseeings with castles and pretty cities. Very beautiful during the fall.

17/

SWEDEN

Only went to Graz to change the wire for the speedometer that broke in Bosnia. 25€ for the wire and work – I was very happy.

The ROUTE

GÖTEBORG

HAMBURG

BERGEN OP ZOOM

BRUSSELS

MINDEN

BARCELONA

VALENCIA

LUXEMBOURG

COLMAR

LIECHTENSTEIN

ALBA

LUNGERN

MONACO

ANDORRA

MADRID

LISBON

PORTO

STOCKHOLM

ACCOMMODATIONS

01/

Colina do Elétrico, Figueira da Foz, Portugal

Cute little family owned place with view over the water + pool. Big kitchen where you can cook your own food. Private parking right outside. Around €30 per night.

02/

Le Petit Palü, Madrid, Spain

Nice, clean and air-conditioned. The rooms are a bit small, but the price and location weigh up for it. Parking on the street a few hundred meters from the hotel. No elevator.

03/

El Pozo Hostal, Chulilla, Spain

The cutest little town ever! This place is family owned and has a restaurant on the ground floor with great food. The rooms are big and comfy. They let us park the bikes right outside of the hotel (very calm and safe little street).

04/

Pitiusa, Andorra

Good location, good price and they have their own garage in the basement.

05/

Hôtel Kyriad, Montpellier, France

Great place to get some sleep for the night. Super clean and modern hotel with their own parking and security fence. Not many restaurants near by, but Uber isn't too expensive if you want to get some dinner in town.

06/

Hotel Gletscherblick, Switzerland

The best morning view I had during the trip. Great little place in a very beautiful location. Private parking.

07/

Ferienwohnung Land-Ruhe, Germany

Super cozy, big and comfortable apartment.

08/

Hotel Wedina, Hamburg, Germany

Good location and nice hotel in a calm area. Parking on the street just outside.

09/

Agriturismo Ca' Colomba, Italy

Amazingly romantic villa in the middle of an Italian vineyard. Very genuine, private and perfect in every way. Parking on the premises with security fence.