




THE ULTIMATE ADVENTURETHROUGH SOUTHEAST EUROPE
14 days of undiscovered terrain. Down dusty roads, along white beaches, overtop rugged mountain ranges and through the secluded wilderness—right through the heart of the former Eastern Bloc. Experience the pulsing metropolises of Southeast Europe and discover cities and towns where time seems to have stood still. It’s the ultimate old-school adventure rally Balkan Express!
Next August, get ready to embark on the wildest adventure road trip of your life, as you make your way through the fascinatingly diverse landscape of Southeast Europe. Cruise your classic—or modern classic—rally vehicle (which should be at least 10 years old) across 12 countries in 14 days, covering 4,000 km: all without the help of GPS or navigation systems.
This is the Balkan Express!
It's time for your next big adventure!
Quickfacts - BALKAN EXPRESS
Start: Böhmen, Germany. Finish: Istria.
4,000 km in 14 days through:
- The Carpathians, the Low & High Tatras, the Dinaric Alps
- The Balkans, incl. Macedonia, Albania, Montenegro, Bosnia-Herzegovina
- Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, Serbia, Croatia
- Budapest, Belgrade, Sibiu, Sofia, Sarajevo, Tirana, Dubrovnik, Split
- Transylvania & the Adriatic Sea
- Slovenia and Austria
Cars
Modern classic or vintage cars: 10 years and older (incl. 12/2015)
Motorcycles
Modern classic or vintage motorcycles: 10 years and older (incl. 12/2015)
Vans & Trucks
Modern classic or vintage vans & trucks: 10 years and older (incl. 12/2015)
Electric vehicles
No age restriction, purely electric drive
More information
Codex
- No GPS
- No navigation systems
- No highways/motorways
- More Backroads & more adventure!
Roadbook
The Roadbook awaits you and your team, filled with great suggestions for your trip in addition to cool challenges and opportunities for extra fun.
The activities and tips in the Roadbook are just a bonus, not mandatory!
How many members can a team have?
There’s no upper limit. All of you have to fit in the vehicle, however!
Charity:
Each team collects €500 for sustainable charity projects of their choice.
Entry fee:
A two-person team starts at 1500€.
Each additional member pays €300.
In August the rally starts in Böhmen. The event begins at 10am and the official start takes place between 11am and 1pm.
The day prior all adventurers can already get to know each other at the pre-adventure-get-together and get in the mood for the upcoming adventures. The event will start around 6pm.
Of course, all friends and fans are welcome.
At the Starting Line of the Balkan Express in Böhmen, your team will be given the Roadbook, which is packed with useful tips for your route, unbelievable challenges, and plenty of suggestions to maximize your fun and get the most out of your adventure.
The activities and adventures in the Roadbook are best undertaken as a team. Creativity and a talent for improvisation are your best assets here!
The activities and tips in the Roadbook are just a bonus, not mandatory!
Along the way through Southeast Europe we’re going to party like crazy together—twice—at some truly extraordinary locations.
At the official rally parties we’ll pitch a tent and celebrate our adventure into the wee hours.
The exact party locations will be our little secret up until the Rally Start…The Roadbook will tell you all you need to know.
At the finish we’ll celebrate the successful completion of the Balkan Express with a big finish line event and of course we’ll crown the winners!
The winning team of the Balkan Express Rally Roadbook Competition will earn a starting spot for a future SAC rally of their choice at a value of up to €1.490!
No obligations, just a load of possibilities!
With the SAC Live Tracking App for all rally teams, your friends, relatives and colleagues can follow your team live during the rally.
With the app you can view your driven route as well as rally statistics and add photos, videos and comments to the individual stages. You can also create a professionally designed photo book with all your rally memories after the rally.
The conditions of the roadways can vary considerably during the rally:
from dry asphalt lanes in the Pannonian Steppe at 35 degrees C,
to dirt roads through the high mountain passes in the rain and hail at 8 degrees C,
through to the Balkan “slalom pothole parkour”…
Anything’s possible and there’s a little something for everyone!
From rustic Balkan-style camping, to post-communist motels, to posh beach hotels—anything goes! You’re free to choose your own lodgings at every stage of the trip depending on your budget and your notion of “adventure.”
Even playing it by ear and deciding as you go has worked out for teams in the past and generally isn’t a problem in the time period the rally takes place.
The Rally Kit has everything that belongs at an official rally:
- rally vehicle branding with the official Balkan Express logos and your official rally starting numbers
- rally T-shirts
- awesome additional Balkan Express merchandise
Your team will receive the Rally Kit four weeks before the Rally Start.
Creativity pays off!
Teams with extravagant costumes and eye-catching vehicle decorations will be awarded extra points by the rally jury.
Whether you dazzle your fellow drivers with slick racing stripes and fluttering flags or go full techie with flashing disco lights on your radiator, we’re looking forward to seeing how you bring it.
Anything goes, as long as it’s street-legal.
The registration fee for the Balkan Express is 1500€ for a two-person team. The fee for each additional team member is €300.
Additional team members can be added up to 1 month before the Rally Start.
The registration fee does not include the charitable donation of €250.
Round up €250 for great charity projects.
The money can go to projects that we have carefully vetted to ensure that all contributions go where they should—to the people who truly need them. Or you are free to pick a charity project that has always been dear to your heart.
Charity donations can be collected any time from the date you sign up to the moment you cross the Finish Line. More
You can book your Adventure Rally with complete peace of mind.
If the tour does not take place due to Covid-19, we will refund your entry fee or we will reschedule your entry (entry guarantee).
So you have all options!