Vienna → Bukovina → Danube Delta, 13 Days

The start takes you from the meeting point near Vienna across the Hungarian Puszta and Budapest to Oradea, known in German as Großwardein. Your luggage travels in the support vehicle, and the Romanian leader welcomes you for the overnight stay in Oradea.

Off the main roads the route crosses the Western Carpathians and a first beautiful mountain pass. In Salaj, the schnapps capital, a local family cooks lunch for you. Overnight in Cluj, Romania's lively second-largest city with over 2,000 years of history.

Crossing the Transylvanian hills and the old Saxon town of Bistrița, the route reaches the famous Borgo Pass, where Count Dracula is said to have lived. Winding, recently paved mountain roads carry you on into monastery-rich Bukovina.

The route continues across the Carpathians to the spectacular gorge at Bicaz and past the Killer Lake. In the evening you reach Bran with its world-famous castle, which you visit the next morning. Overnight stay in Bran, in the heart of Transylvania.

After visiting Bran Castle, THE Dracula Castle, the route leaves the Carpathians behind and heads towards the Danube. Green forests give way to dry, almost desert-like landscapes on the way to your overnight stay near Braila.

Today's leg starts with a ferry crossing of the Danube, followed by a beautiful stretch to the Danube Delta – your base for the next two nights. The hotel's pool and spa invite you to unwind after the day's riding.

On your rest day you swap the motorcycle for a boat: the Danube Delta by boat reveals Europe's largest wetland with pelicans, herons and rare plant life, before an afternoon swim in the Black Sea. You then cruise back upstream to the hotel.

You reach Bucharest in the afternoon. Right after checking in, a coach city sightseeing round begins, including a visit to the Palace of Parliament, one of the largest buildings in the world. Dinner in the old town, overnight in Bucharest.

Today brings one of Europe's most spectacular roads: the Transfagarasan mountain road, Romania's second-highest at 2,042 metres, with the glacial Balea Lake. The leg ends in Sibiu, 2007 European Capital of Culture and Transylvania's most beautiful cityscape.

After sightseeing in Sibiu, the route crosses the Southern Carpathians on Romania's highest road, the Urdele Pass Transalpina at 2,132 metres. Overnight in Targu Jiu, known for the UNESCO-listed works of sculptor Constantin Brâncuși.

A shorter but eventful day: passing Romania's oldest monastery, you reach Baile Herculane, once the favourite spa town of Empress Sisi. After that, a boat excursion on the Danube awaits, right on the border with Serbia.

This leg follows the Danube through the Banat region, past the remains of Ada Kaleh fortress, to Timisoara. The city was conquered by Prince Eugene and was the starting point of the 1989 Romanian Revolution. Last night in Romania.

Time to say goodbye to your new Romanian friends: the route ends with the ride home to Vienna, solo or with the group. Anyone faster than the support vehicle simply carries their own luggage.