On this page you can view LostinTransit's route.During the travelling, it provided a real-time location.Click on the button below to see the final route-Red markers indicate an overnight stop, Blue markers are points of interest visited, and Green markers are garage events. Zoom right in, the markers are placed very accurately !....
Real Time tracker.
clicking the arrow on the right of the map allows wider dates to be inserted, but not all the route is visible now. On the journey, this map provided a real time location.
clicking the arrow on the right of the map allows wider dates to be inserted, but not all the route is visible now. On the journey, this map provided a real time location.
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(Lost in transit was using the Greenalp GPS tracking app)
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Route Planning Considerations
If the aspiration is to visit every country in Europe---then what is Europe?
Countries in the EU and EEA ? Countries in what is regarded as the geographical continent of Europe?Countries which are recognized by UEFA?(European Football associations) ...........Or countries in the European song contest ???
Remember also that a number of territories such as Gibraltar are classified as dependencies,and are not sovereign states
The European Union (EU) is an economic and political union of 28 countries. It operates a single market which allows free movement of goods, capital, services and people between member states.
The EU countries are 28:
Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Republic of Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and the UK.
The European Economic Area (EEA) adds 3 more countries:-
The EEA includes EU countries and also Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway. It allows them to be part of the EU’s single market.
Switzerland is neither an EU or EEA member but is part of the single market - this means Swiss nationals have the same rights to live and work in the UK as other EEA nationals.
UEFA member states are 54 in total and include the 4 individual UK home nations of England ,Wales,Scotland and N Ireland,as well as Gibraltar and San Marino.
It also includes all the Balkan states,of which those not in the EU are Bosnia Herzegovina,Serbia,Albania,Montenegro and FYR Macedonia.
Former Soviet republics in UEFA are Russia,Belarus,Ukraine,Moldova,Georgia,Armenia,and Azerbaijan ,and finally UEFA includesTurkey and Israel,Iceland and the Faroe islands
San Marino is not in the EU or EEA but seems to be unofficially part of the EU and is in the Euro currency zone.Likewise,Monaco,not recognised by UEFA,is a defacto unofficial member of the EU and is,like San Marino ,within the Eurozone.
Listing Eurovision competitors does not add any countries to the list of UEFA members,which is more or less the same.
Missing from all these lists is the Vatican City,regarded as a sovereign state within Europe.
If one defines Europe as being anything west of the Urals then western Russia ,Moldova,Belarus Ukraine,Georgia,Armenia and Azerbaijan are regarded as in continental Europe.The the small portion of Turkey west of the Bosphorus is has been traditionally always regarded as European.Calling Israel part of Europe seems to be pushing it on most counts,for why not include Syria,Lebanon,Jordan and Iran in the definition?
It would seem that to travel round "Europe" I am going to have to arbitrarily accept and reject some countries.Malta,Cyprus,Iceland and the Faroes might be achievable by flying,but probably not by ferry in a camper van. Other areas would be too politically unstable,or impossible to reach unless travelling through unstable zones,such as Ukraine,Israel,Georgia,Azerbaijan and Armenia or might pose minor visa and vehicle entry challenges,such as Russia or Moldova and Belarus.Certainly,on the Journey through the Baltic states I should attempt the Russian enclave of Kaliningrad * (the former German enclave of Koningsberg) or even reach Finland from Estonia via St Petersburg,as opposed to ferry across the Gulf of Finland.Visa requirements to Kaliningrad are apparently easier than to the main body of Russia as you can get a 72 hour visitors visa.
* Unfortunately I didn't pluck up courage or make the time to attempt to overcome the considerable red-tape necessary to visit Kaliningrad. Although a three day visa is possible it is not cheap(70 Euros),almost as expensive as a full visa,and you need sponsorship from the hotel you are staying at,and a representative must meet you at the border.Since there is only one campsite in Kaliningrad,apparently,a car park at the back of Hotel Baltika in the city,options for travel are a bit limited.I feared snags importing the vehicle temporarily ,and I read that among other things you need to buy a licence to operate a satnav(which use American GPS !!)This 3 day visa seems most suitable for coach tours and the like.A full Russian visa for a UK citizen can only be obtained in person at the Russian consulate in London,an impossible task if one is already abroad.
For further info on 72 hour Kaliningrad visa ,visit http://konigsberg.ru/eng/kaliningrad/express-visa.htm