It's a nice idea, but in no way practical, especially in 60 days..

I have friends who have done it onTVS/Bajaj 150's around Africa, but in 18 months ...small enough to lift, small enough to put on a ferry, and now available and easy to service in many African countries, but in 60 days you would be nuts..

The carnet is a problem as well, and selling the bike in Cairo would void the carnet.. Selling it you basically have to give it away, imo, although a few tourist places might take the plunge. But the paperwork will be a huge hassle on both sides.

And a two hour work out every day means riding peak sun hours, which isn't the smartest idea.. Sure you could say afternoon workouts, but riding 300km a day wipes you out

Have you ever traveled on a motorcycle??Suddenly security, sleeping, luggage and so much more become big issues..

The bikes i refer to run about 1500€ in Africa.. Why not travel through SA, maybe Namibia, and sell it quickly a few weeks before leaving by pricing it to sell quickly..

Make sure you have proper insurance as well.. If you don't have a motorcycle license per se, you pretty well void all motorcycle accidents health coverage

Today I’m driving to the Côte d’Azur via the Route Napoléon. There are snow-capped peaks along that route also, even as far as Haute-Provence. But it also has roads that wind through spectacular limestone gorges and the landscape dries out the further south you get. There are castles and riverscapes, and at Sisteron there is a mighty fortress looking across the river to the highly suggestive folds in the Rocher de la Baume.

It’s a fantastic drive.>

Yes, we did it some years ago and liked it a lot

As for the Dutch, they nearly colonized Lake Idro; they are almost the only foreign tourists there and most come back every summer since the 1960s. Plenty of Dutch people on Lake Iseo too.

Tomorrow we are going to cool off in the mountains, traveling to Valtournenche for a change (and also because the hut we had chosen is booked up).

Getting off a train, finding the bus stop, waiting for the bus and then finding space on what is likely to be a crowded bus is a slow and clumsy method for saving a couple of dollars. Even with minimal luggage, you will not have a comfortable ride and you will be a nuisance to other passengers, especially during peak hour.

I really don't see the sense in this. Travel, anywhere, involves spending money. If the five dollars will make a serious difference to your travel budget then perhaps you should rethink your destination. Or else start a GoFundMe fund to raise the five dollars that you will need to stay on the train until the airport stop.

maybe you cant or dont see the sense, but this is what many people are doing, I didnt make it up myself, actually travelers from the first world country told me these routes (e.g. a Canadian guy regularly takes the Banksia route). The bus stops are not a long way from the train stations (not recommended for the sluggish and lazy travelers). Its not actually 5 bucks, you will save more than 15 buck by taking this route (figure out the cost yourself). I didnt know that a guy with a luggage is a nuisance to the other bus travelers!! (I found many of them & left my seat for them but I realize such act is not for snobbish people)

Thanks Simone !

I'd love to get to one or two but I'm not sure if any will coincide with the locations and timing of my priority, hiking. However that one is the one I've marked down as most likely as it could coincide with my trek to the Mt Lenin Base Camp. Fingers crossed !

There is also this one though on the 27th, a very viable option:

At Chabysh Festival 2018
Location: Peak Lenin Base Camp
Cultural and sportive festival in Murghab devoted to horses with horse races and games. It is about Kyrgyz traditions.

Hi antiseptic I share your interest in the alternate route from Karikola, and, having walked in from Jiri numerous times and also crossed over the Zetwra, I am also keen to find another way for my next visit but have had difficulty finding info about this route.
Like you I'm not planning to summit Mera Peak, just an alternative way to get up the valley rather than the usual route through Bupsa, Puiyan and Surke from Karikola.
If you are able to make this trip I'd be grateful if you could let me know how you get on.
Cheers and good luck

Some ideas:
Arrive Matera, dine at park across gorge from town, then enjoy the views, peek in some cave churches.
Enjoy town in evening
Next morning, tour Sassi
After lunch, hike the gorge at Laterza or take a tour of abandoned Craco
Enjoy town in evening
Find somewhere to stop en route to Lecce
Enjoy passiegeta
Make a reservation for dinner in Lecce

I'm going crazy with the photos here,so some good advice ;-)

Speaking of bike riding...I have seen an uncommonly large number of foreigners riding bikes across the Kyzylkum desert.We passed maybe 10 or more on the way here from Bukhara.

500km of flat,straight (but hot,featureless)road seems to be popular,even in August....

I'd pick September. Very many European schools have a couple of weeeks holiday in June whereas most are back in September. Obviously not everyone heads to Paris during school holidays but like everywhere in Europe, school holidays are the peak times for all the criteria you wish to avoid.