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Polski
Hey there, fellow traveler!
It’s been a few days since we returned to Poland, so we can finally sit down and write about everything that happened along the way. Desert Horizons 2025 kicked off exactly as we planned — from Poland, heading towards the Middle East.
It was a long and sometimes exhausting start — but looking back, it was exactly how it was meant to be.
This journal isn’t a guidebook or a list of must-see places. It’s simply a record of the road — the fatigue, the stress, the laughter, and those moments when you start wondering why on earth you’re doing this in the first place.
And if we happened to stay somewhere a bit longer — long enough to see more than just the parking lot where we dropped our helmets or the mattress we collapsed on at the end of the day — we’ve written about those places separately, in dedicated posts.
Day 1: August 28, 2025, Friday
🇵🇱 Poland, Warsaw -> 🇸🇰 Slovakia, Malacky
Packing was supposed to start “calmly and ahead of time,” but… well, it went the usual way. We officially got things rolling on Wednesday, August 26, but it wasn’t until Friday that we realized the scale of it all — everything loaded onto the bike, and wow, that thing was heavy.
The day before — Thursday — the Quad Lock wireless charger for the phone decided to die (of course, the day before departure and a month after the warranty ended). So, naturally, a last-minute dash to RRmoto was in order to grab a new one.
Friday — the departure day — we made the mistake of mixing it with remote work. Big mistake. That day should’ve been all about packing and getting things ready, not “just sending two more emails”.
Then came a quick run to the mall to exchange some dollars for Iraq, since we had no idea what to expect from currency exchanges over there. Hauling all the gear down to the parking lot, first test fitting, and… the tank bag instantly earned the title of “chief troublemaker”. The phone didn’t sit right, the dashboard was barely visible, and time was running out.Departure delayed by about thirty minutes (we were aiming for 4:30 PM). Oh well — we’ll fix it “later” (yeah, sure xD). Gear up, let’s roll! 🏍️
Poland went smoothly, but once we crossed into the Czech Republic, night fell — and so did the rain. No views, just raindrops on the visor. We dragged ourselves to a hotel near Bratislava around 2:00 AM, completely done for the day. Tired to the point of “please don’t talk to me”, and still a few trips between the bike and the room, because we weren’t ready to leave any of our gear outside. Luckily, we managed to park right by the entrance. Sleep. Definitely not our day.
- ⌚️ Travel time: 8 hours 18 minutes;
- 🛣️ Distance: 652 km;
- 🏍️ Average speed: 98 km/h
Day 2: August 29, 2025, Saturday
🇸🇰 Słowacja, Malacky -> 🇷🇸 Serbia, Belgrad
Wake-up call around 9:30. We felt like absolute wrecks XD. Breakfast was more of a “just so we can ride” kind of thing, followed by a quick (and failed) attempt to tame the tank bag and the phone mount. Oh well — it stays as it is. Next stop: Hungary.
We just passed through the capital this time — we’d been there before. But if you haven’t yet, it’s definitely worth stopping for a bit to see the city. You’ll find a separate post on our blog about what’s worth visiting there and where to catch the real vibe of Hungary’s capital.
Of course, after some time on the road, our inseparable friend showed up — rain. Because obviously, we couldn’t have nice weather, right? The European stretch turned into one big shower. It was warm, so putting on rain gear was pure torture. You have to stop, dig it out from the pannier, squeeze into it… a nightmare. Jadzia at least had some decent rain covers for her boots, but me? I’d left mine back in Warsaw thinking, “what could possibly go wrong?” Yeah, right. Enter: garbage bags. And guess what? Perfect solution. Looks funny — but it works.
After Budapest, the rain got so heavy that, with all our weight, I didn’t want to risk aquaplaning — that moment when your tire literally floats on water and loses contact with the asphalt. Steering control? Gone. So, we pulled over at a gas station for some tea and a hot dog, but the rain just wouldn’t stop. Oh well, at least we warmed up a bit. A new garbage bag for my boots (the previous one decided to give up) and back on the road.
The rain gloves did their job, though there was zero joy in wearing them. It finally stopped pouring somewhere near the Serbian border. Got a few “just came back from a Russian bazaar” looks on the way — whatever, we call it functional fashion.
The Hungarian–Serbian border crossing went smoothly. Once we entered Serbia, we switched off roaming — out-of-EU rates can really hurt. As for Belgrade, it’s not the cleanest city in the world, but let’s not exaggerate. We found our hotel, unloaded the bike, and were greeted by a charming little detail: a kettle that someone had clearly used to cook pudding in. Yes, pudding. In a kettle. Absolutely disgusting. We ended the day the classic way — ordering McDonald’s delivery. We didn’t even have the energy to leave the room, haha.
- ⌚️ Travel time: 7 hours 15 minutes;
- 🛣️ Distance: 587 km;
- 🏍️ Average speed: 101 km/h
Day 3: August 30, 2025, Sunday
🇷🇸 Serbia, Belgrad -> 🇧🇬 Bulgaria, Sofia
Good morning — time to get up, the bike is calling 😄 The bed was hard, but today’s ride would be shorter. This European stretch was basically a straight shot, no breaks — if we were planning it again, we’d definitely add an extra day to take it easier (no more than five hours of riding a day). Highways get the job done, but with the weather switching every hour, you wear out fast. Although, as you’ll read later, we had one stage that lasted twelve hours in the saddle — so today’s seven felt like nothing, haha.
Around 6 AM, the hotel “accidentally” marked our stay as a no-show and charged us for the room again. It took two weeks to get the money back — annoying, but hey, things happen.
The ride was smooth, the border crossing quick — just a few more cars in line this time. Our stop for the night was Sofia, where we were greeted by a pink hotel room — Jadzia instantly happier 😄 Packing was finally getting easier; we’d stopped throwing everything in at random. More things went into the roll bags (the waterproof ones we strap to the rear panniers). We took a short walk around the hotel, had dinner at a nearby restaurant, backed up the camera cards, and made a quick Allegro purchase — two eSIM cards for Turkey, so we’d have Internet right after crossing the border. A quick bathroom break, a short prayer, and off to bed.
- ⌚️ Travel time: 5 hours 10 minutes;
- 🛣️ Distance: 399 km;
- 🏍️ Average speed: 95 km/h
Day 4: September 1, 2025, Monday
🇧🇬 Bułgaria, Sofia -> 🇹🇷 Turkey, Istanbul
New month, new energy. No one had touched the bike overnight — the hotel didn’t have an underground garage, but we went with our usual strategy: parking under the security cameras. Worked perfectly, everything was safe.
Before hitting the road, we did something smart — we sent all the unnecessary stuff back home via DPD. Switched to lighter mesh jackets from Shima (same abrasion rating — AA — but way more comfortable at 40°C). Said goodbye to the tank bag — thanks for your service, but it really was killing the riding comfort. The iPad also went back home; the laptop stayed. In total, we got rid of around 12 kilograms, and it made a real difference. Looking back now — absolutely worth it.
At the Turkish border, I even managed to squeeze in a work call (yes, right there at the crossing 😆). The customs check went smoothly — the officers asked for our notarized authorization to use the motorcycle, since our names weren’t listed in the registration papers (only the leasing company’s name was). That document came in handy. On a trip like this, it’s always better to have the paperwork ready than to start explaining later.
If you want to know how to handle the legalization of a leasing authorization, check out our travel guides. By the way — the Carnet de Passages website claims that Turkey requires a carnet, but that’s not true in practice. Even the Turkish embassy confirmed it’s not needed, so this time the orange booklet stayed in the pannier. The customs officers didn’t even check the luggage, so after a quick photo at the border — we hit the road again!
Istanbul was, as always, completely jammed. We rode like the locals — along the shoulder and between lanes — otherwise, we’d have wasted hours in traffic. In the evening, we grabbed a quick pizza (nothing special, but hunger isn’t picky) and headed back to the hotel. We stayed here until September 3rd, so we did a bit of sightseeing. Stefan — that’s what we call our bike — got to rest too. He earned it.
- ⌚️ Travel time: 8 hours 22 minutes;
- 🛣️ Distance: 560 km;
- 🏍️ Average speed: 86 km/h
Turkey, here we come!
And that’s where our European leg comes to an end. From rainy highways and pudding-cooked hotel kettles (seriously, who even thinks of making pudding in a kettle XD), we now move into a completely different world — full of sunshine, spices, and pure road chaos.
Click on the link to read the next part. We continue our journey towards the Turkish interior – through Ankara, Cappadocia, and Şanlıurfa.
