progressive wrote: One large reservation I do have though, due to my nature, is the uncertainty of where I'll be laying my head each night........Particularly as I'll be travelling alone. Any supporting words or experiences?
I felt the same for my first two tours and planned all accommodation meticulously. The third was more free-spirited and mostly left to chance. It's my best one so far .
Truly, you will be surprised how helpful and generous people can be when you're solo. I've only toured for up to two weeks at a time, all alone and in the UK, but I've been offered a sofa to sleep on when I've been stuck, a shower when my campsite didn't have one, and free pitches in pub gardens when I've stopped for a drink. My advice would be: Talk to people. Be friendly without angling for anything. Ask if they know a campsite nearby and if there isn't one, they may suggest an alternative. And, speaking from experience, never be too proud to accept an offer of help as you could find yourself regretting it later!
Something will go wrong at some point. I used to cycle a lot by myself in my twenties and as a group of 4 girls, and got caught out a few times both in planned and non planned situations. We've also had some bizarre experiences in recent years.
The best option if time is moving on is to ask at a local bar, they will usually know a local farmer where you can camp. If you are in the middle of nowhere and haven't found anyone to ask then wait till late and find a quiet patch of trees to camp behind.
Ideally though if you find the campsite is closed and got there by by mid afternoon then head to the nearest small town instead and spring for a hotel or B&B. That's a low stress solution and don't forget about warm showers ( make sure you register before travelling). It is the unexpected situations that generally make this sort of travelling more fun but you could book the first few nights until you get into the swing of things as a pratical solution. If you find you prefer booking ahead then every few nights make a plan for the next few days and book those nights ahead.
Thanks for your experiences on that last point. It has eased my mind somewhat. Deep down I know that it would be 'alright on the night' but I suppose it's just the uncertainty.
I have spent the past few days planning a rough route of the tour, and have attached a draft. I would be interested to hear your feedback, based on knowledge or experiences. My logic is as follows:
- Incorporates the main countries I want to see. - Incorporates well established main (Eurovelo) cycle routes. - Allows easy ferry access to the start and finish from my place of origin in UK. - Heads south quickly to make the most of the weather (assuming May 2015 start). - Allows a 'grace period' to get into the seing of things, with good camping and roads down through France. - Allows Eurovelo 15 (Rhine Route) to be ridden in the favoured direction.
I have to admit, I haven't deeply considered the locations on the route. It just kind of fit, joining up places I liked the look of. I certainly want to start in Belgium and then France though (unless there is a reason not to). Pamplona and northern Spain look amazing. Always wanted to see Carcassone. Montpellier equally. The Eurovelo 15 (Rhine Route) route looks to my taste; scenery, history and rivers. Also relatively easy going and largely downhill from Switzerland onwards. Maybe subconciously I have thought about it more than I first think.
The rough estimated distance is around 4,000km. I have cycled 100km plus (on an unloaded road bike, much different I know) on a few occassions I would anticipate no issue with at least 75km per day, day after day (famous last words!) as I have the luxury of time. This will obviously be firmed up as I take a few 'training rides'. Assuming the above, incorporating one rest day per week, I would be aiming to complete the tour in around two months. I would also have some alternative plans in case I underestiamte the logistics and/or distances.
Any comments or sugegstions? Have I missed anywhere that I can't afford to miss? Any pitfalls regarding the proposed route? Would I be better off skipping the Western France and northern Spain sections, instead taking the most direct route to the south of France before heading north to join Eurovelo 15 (Rhine Route).
Only one or two things to be aware of. You've got quite a few big cities on your list, like Paris and Milan. Big cities can be a bit of a challenge on a bike (limited camping, slow to get in and out of and bike thieves if you have a nice bit of kit). I'm certainly not saying don't do it as if that's what you want to see then go and see it and most cities now have lots of cycle routes. You will probably figure out a strategy for managing your visits eg choosing a small hotel with bike parking on the outskirts or whatever suits you.
The other thing I was going to mention is the mountains/terrain. Looks like you will do you first big pass in the Pyrenees after you've had time to build up your legs. Should be fine. I prefer to do yellow roads or small red roads (if you are on Michelin maps) for passes and avoid the major ones as they can get quite busy. For the cycle route eg EV1 the surfaces can be slower than tarmaced road so see how you go and switch onto a road if you prefer a smoother surface. Personally I enjoy the variety of both types of route (some of EV1 is minor road anyway). I knew the western France and northern Spain sections quite well and love cycling in both, might get a bit wet in May but if you want to see it go for it, if you are unlucky and it rains a lot then do more hotels for this section, rooms won't be too pricey in rural France and Spain in May. the Atlantic Coast is well worth a visit. Cycling in Spain is a very worthwhile experience, different to other parts of Europe. I've cycled throught Pamplona and Jaca a couple of times.
Yes, looks like a splendid route. As Mrs HJ says, you’ve got quite a few big cities there. You might like big-city cycling (I do), but it’s more challenging. Paris and Milan both have excellent campsites; the one in Turin is a bit seedy and overpriced, but friendly and superbly located. As a detail, it looks from your map that your first alpine pass is Montgenevre. I haven’t done it, but believe it’s one of the busier ones. If you take a left after Briancon, you can do the col d’Echelle instead: it’s a bit further, about 100m lower, signed as a bike route, and virtually traffic free. And a beautiful wild-camping opportunity at the top.
Superb responses MrsHJ and nirakaro. Such invaluable information in your posts, exactly what I am looking for.
With regard to the cities. I was plotting quite generally and don't have a firm preference to pass through major cities. I have been fortunate enough to spend time in both Paris and Milan in the past, and admittedly this isn't really what the tour is about for me. My sporadic ten years travelling in Europe has been exclusively in larger cities. I'm pining for rural Europe for sure.
Thanks again, and I'll incorporate that into my planning. I will no doubt update the post as I progress. Maybe at some point I'll be able to post helpful information for other prospective tourers!
One last thing to be aware of. I have twice not finished a tour when I by myself. This is just silly and having reflected on it I should have taken a rest and maybe moved by public transport to somewhere more enjoyable. Once I was in Spain and it was just intolerably hot by 11 in the morning and another time I was on the Massif Central and had had enough of being rained on.
In France I hopped on a train -one of the most beautiful train rides I've ever done from Le Puy to Ales - and in a few hours was far enough South to have moved into a better climate zone ( and to scare the hell out of my boyfriend who I was cycling down to join). This was a reasonable solution. The other time I flew back from Madrid when I could have just found a reasonably priced hotel and chilled out there for a few days (I think I was homesick that time). Anyway don't worry if it happens to you, just remember it won't be a crisis if you head to a beach in the south of France for a few days and chill out and listen to people talking english in a bar. You can pick up the tour when you are ready, it's a holiday not an endurance test.
A very valid last point. I understand why that could happen, and it could certainly happen to me. To be hoenst, I don't think I'll ever have this slot of time again so will persevere when things get tough (and I'm sure there will be times like this).
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