From the 31st May until the 21st September 2010, we cycled over 5000 kms or 3000 miles. We would cycle in between 40-100kms a day, probably averaging around 70km. We mostly camped except for about 7 or 8 nights.
Here are some thoughts on the tour..
If I was to advise a friend on where to plan a cycle tour, I would say...
Cycle the Loire cycle path. Amazing cycling past all the chateaus, the fields, the charming towns. It goes along small roads or dedicated cycle paths. There are many other tourers to share experiences with and plenty of campsites. What would be perfect is taking it real slow, visiting all the chateaus, picnicking on baguettes and cheese everyday and drinking lots of wine! It is an official path with guide books available to buy, but we just followed our noses and the fairly easy to read signs.
Cycle through Provence. So so so good. Beautiful scenery with mountains, vineyards, olive groves, everything you would want for a French cycle tour. The small towns are just amazing. We went through St-Remy-de-Provence and visited the mental hospital where Vincent Van Gough lived then just happened upon the house where Nostradamus was born. Such history everywhere. We cycled through in July which was very hot but worth it. A round trip tour going through the main tourists points would be great, and if you have more time, skip Marseille (ridiculous by bike) and head to Cassis and the Calanques, then up to the Gorge du Verdon. This area of France is incredible!!!!!
Cycle through Tuscany. Yes it is the obvious one but it is good. Avoid in summer because the hills plus the heat are a killer. Otherwise, it has all you could want. Interesting towns, Tuscan scenery, small cycle friendly roads. In particular the small road between Siena and Asciano is postcard Tuscany at its best.
Cycle the river Inn path. It goes from the Maloja pass in Switzerland into the Tyrol Mountains of Austria, through the great city of Innsbruck, and then carries on into Germany. It is 517 kms in total, though we didn't cycle all of it. We met it near Salzburg and left it near Ardez, Switzerland. It is perhaps the best cycling of the whole trip!!! You cycle along mostly dedicated cycle paths with very easy to follow signs. Its is quite up and down with some fairly big climbs in Switzerland but in Austria it is flat with towering mountains on either side of you. Absolutely spectacular. Camping was easy too.
Now some quick thoughts on the countries visited:
France. Amazing. We spent a month and a half in France. The camping is cheap (go for the municipal sites) the food, wine, bread is also very cheap compared to the other countries. There are lots of roads to choose from so planning your route takes a little longer but the upside is that you can choose roads that have nearly no traffic.
Italy. We visited Italy in July which was very very hot. Often we would be cycling up big hills in 40 C. Skull exploding stuff. So I would recommend spring or autumn instead. But great cycling with interesting towns, lots of hills and the great Italian culture. Not so many roads to choose from and even the small ones where quite busy. We found in general the price of things to be more expensive, particularly the camping.
Croatia. Dubrovnik was awesome! We did a combination of coastal roads and islands with ferries in between. Again, the main roads where very busy with normally only one road to choose from. But the riding was beautiful and swimming in the amazingly clear Adriatic Sea makes up for everything else. The towns are very interesting and except for an information panel in Dubrovnik, the effects of the war are invisible along the coast. Croatia is very hilly and you can't avoid them, but it makes the cycling very satisfying. There were lots of campgrounds, comparable in price to Italy.
Austria. After France, my favourite. After the busy roads of Croatia, the network of cycle paths was heaven. Perfect little paths with little signs pointing the way, why would you cycle anywhere else? Prices were more comparable to France and the mountain scenery fantastic.
Switzerland. Also very beautiful. The cycle network here took a little more time getting used to, but once understood the organization and planning that has gone into their 'Switzerland mobility' scheme is mind boggling. Really incredible. It was the most expensive country but that shouldn't deter anyone because it is truly spectacular biking!!!! We cycled along the cycle route 1 and 2 without even a map. Just following the signs and it took us on some fantastic roads with some pretty insane climbs.
Our Bikes:
Decided to go for new entry-level touring specific bikes. I got a Dawes, Ross got a Raleigh. Saw plenty of people touring with any old bike and would potentially do the same next time. Though a good point for new bikes is that nothing went wrong with mine in 5000ks.
Had Ortlieb Panniers on the back, they are worth the high price. Had very cheap front panniers which did the job too, but they fell apart in the end and putting them on the bike each morning was a bit of a labour. But they cost next to nothing. You get what you pay for. We went for brooks saddles, expensive but an investment for a hopeful lifetime of touring. Again, worth the money.
Our gear:
Didn't go too high tech with anything really. Used the same shoes for everything plus a pair of sandals and flip-flops. Just took the expected stuff, nothing very fancy, just tried to take as little as possible. The only thing that really surprised me in its usefulness was a tarp we bought for 5 pounds. It was meant to be a ground sheet for our tent but it was most useful as a picnic blanket and a bike cover in the rain.
What’s Next?:
Talking to all the different tourers we met on the ride, it seems that a very good ride would be going from Budapest to the Netherlands along first the River Danube, then following the Rhien to the Dutch Coast. Plus the NZ government is starting to set up long distance cycle paths in NZ and that being my backyard; I'll have to ride those when they are completed too.
Thats it. Check out my posts that were made on the ride for more and feel free to email comments or questions.
