...what effect might migrants have on cycle touring

[bikes4two]

> So like many others, I'm moving into the planning phase for next year's cycle trips, which for me will be in Europe.
> I'm wondering in what ways, if any, the current 'flood' of migrants through Europe might affect touring in respect of routes to maybe avoid or treat with caution
> I also mainly cycle-camp using sites (not bold enough to wild camp ) and I'm wondering if I might find some of the normal commercial camp sites occupied by migrants
> On the topic of wild camping, which as said, is not for me, I would think that those EU states that who are sensitive to this are likely to be even more so if migrants are in their area?
> Security - when ordinary good folk get desperate, survival kicks in possibly at the expense of morals: say no more!
> I last toured in the EU in 2014 when I didn't experience anything untoward, but a year is a long time in these things

> So, any views and/or experiences on this topic that you could share please?

[hamster]

I can't honestly say that I see much difference as I travel around Europe on business. 300,000 people scattered across a continent with over 300 million spreads it thin. Ignore the hysteria of the newspapers.

I was in Frankfurt last week, staying in a hotel on the edge of an industrial park. My host pointed out a large warehouse which had over 1000 refugees sleeping in it. At 10pm there were a few more people walking about, otherwise nothing unusual. An ordinary slightly dull German industrial area.

[iviehoff]

Apparently you aren't allowed to walk across the border from Russia to Norway, up in the arctic, but you can ride a bicycle across. So a business has been set up in the Russian town of Nikel selling bicycles to migrants to facilitate them crossing the border, often cheap children's bikes. But they don't even ride the 30km or so from Nikel to the border, they get taken in vans or trucks and then only ride them a few hundred yards across the border, and then dump them. They aren't actually using them as a means of serious transport.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-34602208

I think it is very unlikely that there would be any confusion between them and cycle tourists. I think this applies more widely to the kind of camping, etc, done by cycle tourists. Clearly there are a few border areas which are chaotic at the moment, but that affects everyone, not just cycle tourists.

[reohn2]

They'll probably 'swarm' across the countryside stealing whatever they can and murdering innocent tourists in their tents,after all they're most likely bad people all too willing to blow themselves up in the cause of Islam..........

[pwa]

Apart from disruption to Channel crossings it is unlikely to affect you. Carry on as normal.

[Yatsushiro]

> So like many others, I'm moving into the planning phase for next year's cycle trips, which for me will be in Europe.
> I'm wondering in what ways, if any, the current 'flood' of migrants through Europe might affect touring in respect of routes to maybe avoid or treat with caution
> I also mainly cycle-camp using sites (not bold enough to wild camp ) and I'm wondering if I might find some of the normal commercial camp sites occupied by migrants
> On the topic of wild camping, which as said, is not for me, I would think that those EU states that who are sensitive to this are likely to be even more so if migrants are in their area?
> Security - when ordinary good folk get desperate, survival kicks in possibly at the expense of morals: say no more!
> I last toured in the EU in 2014 when I didn't experience anything untoward, but a year is a long time in these things

> So, any views and/or experiences on this topic that you could share please?

As much as you let it?

[Audax67]

Forget it. I live within 15 km of the German border and I haven't seen a border cop since Schengen came into force about 20 years ago.

Be aware though that cycling through Montpellier always has carried the danger of the odd flying half-brick. Most of the routes taken by diagonalistes give it a wide berth by the south. However (har har) this usually passes through Lunel, where there was a bit of a barney with terrorists a few months back.

[PDQ Mobile]

A lot less than a country ever more filled with stressed and hurried drivers of fast powerful cars who read the Daily Mail (and believe it's contents!).

[Audax67]

A lot less than a country ever more filled with stressed and hurried drivers of fast powerful cars who read the Daily Mail (and believe it's contents!).

...when driving

[bikes4two]

They'll probably 'swarm' across the countryside stealing whatever they can and murdering innocent tourists in their tents,after all they're most likely bad people all too willing to blow themselves up in the cause of Islam..........

O come on!!!

I am not one to hysteria but am not incautious either - this was a serious question to which a good number of folks have probably pondered, especially those who do indeed take a large pinch of salt with what ever the press throw our way but would like to get a clearer picture of the situation from informed people.

[Bmblbzzz]

This is a bit of a "What? " thread. As someone's already mentioned, the number of refugees is tiny compared to the population that's already here (and compared to the number of refugees in other parts of the world).

[meic]

It can affect cycle tourists. A couple of migrants came and spoke to me in Calais at 2am when I had just rolled off the ferry. Seemed nice enough blokes.
Enormous queues and tailbacks getting on to the Ferry (some motorists were rather vexed at my queue jumping on the bike), heavy presence of store detectives in local shops and cruising Police vans stopping non-white pedestrians on the roads around the Ferry Port.

Apart from that once you are a mile from Calais, you can forget all about it. Just the UK registered cars coming off the ferries up to their usual tricks to make you forget that any other problems even exist.

[irc]

Other than borders the migrants will tend to go to urban areas not rural. That's where shelter, food, and everything else is easier to get. So I'd be surprised if there was much difference in rural areas.

As for official sites. From the migrants point of view why pay for using sites when unofficial sites are free?

[RickH]

A friend's son is cycling back from a stint in Australia. I'm following his blog. He reached Istanbul at the beginning of the month and has just crossed into Austria (via Bulgaria, Romania, Serbia & Hungary). Unless I've missed something, the subject of migrants hasn't been mentioned. His last blog was day 344 on the road so he's been travelling a while & I don't know if he's been keeping up to date with the news.

Rick.

[whoof]

Last summer I cycled between Strasbourg and Geneva. On the way I stopped at Belfort. Whilst there I when to a takeaway run by former migrants from the middle-east. They did a very good falafel.