An Englishman wants to do the coast to Coast USA in 2007
Hi there,
I am 6 days before leaving on my 2006 cycle camping tour from Switzerald to Rotterdam down the Rhein. I shall also cycle up the Molsel to Metz and back at the sort of "half way point". By the time I get back home I should have got 2000 kms under my wheels!
However i have just started outline planning to celebrate my 70 birthday by cyle/camping coas tto coast across the USA
IF ( a big IF) I do it it will be as a result of good advice and more important to me a requirement to keep my costs to a minimum. it would be my intention to use my visit to USA ( my first) to spend longer than the normal transam tour in crossing. I sould like to spend at least 4 months completing it with the expressed intention of seeing as much of the US "hinterland" and people as I could and also see various "sightsseeing" areas as i could as well.
I am well aware that the distance coverd on a cycling day need tpo be grewater than my EWropean tripps but I woiuld tend to stop more frequently in areras that I liked.
One of my major shortages of information is the problem of flying from UK to one coast of the US and returning from the other ( which ever way round I do it). From what I have seen on my first looks at airline schedules , booking two single trips would cost me about 4 times the rate of a return trip to and from the same airport. There must be a way round this! Help.
The other things which come to mind are
1. Cost of taking my bike + trailer and luggage safely by air.( and returning it from a different airport!)
2. Earliest starting time to avoid late winter conditons and the later heat of full summer.
3. Do I do East to West or West to East! And of course the actual route!
4. Above all my funds will be limited and I should need advice on camping, "wild camping", and other ways of staying overnight at low cost! perhaps once in every 2 0r so weeks in an inexpensive motel!
So I know this is just a beginning but I do hope to be able to do this journey --before I finally fall off my pedals!
This is my little tent which has served me well in all conditions.
Tow pictures -- my first ( disorganised night) and one taken 29 days later during my cycle tour down and up the Danube in 2005