Touring - Any Europeans in the Forum?

We are planning a bicycle trip across Europe : Amsterdam - Belgium - England (?)- France - Switzerland - Austria - Hungary and then fly to Turkey. We're taking off on March 18.
Anyone in those neighborhoods? Or anyone touring in Europe around that time? It'd be great to meet up and ride together.

Sounds like a very nice ride, but it's a bit early for northern europe. If the weather is anything like last spring you will get wet and cold.
My wife and I will be flying into Milan than cycle through Tuscani to Rome. From there well follow the Appian way to Brindisi then catch the ferry to northern Greece and spend another 2 weeks cycling towards Athens.
If you cycle through Maastricht in the south of Holland and have some questions let me know I'd be happy to help.

Yup, you´re gonna get wet. Bring good raingear. Once spring hits it´ll be fantastic though! Remenber that there´s usually lots of snow in the alps well into may and sometimes june if you´re going through passes. Have a great trip!
/Erik

Having a good weather log really helps.

I discovered Netherlands has more sun in April and May than in July and August and the mean temperatures are within a few degrees C. Strikes me Turkey might be warmer earlier.

I find BBC weather (http://www.bbc.co.uk/weather/5day.shtml?world=0074)is very good.

Let me know if you decide to come through Germany, which I highly recommend.

Sounds like a good trip. I am in the UK, London, and am planning to land in Venice and ride back to London around Sept 07. Would be glad to help with any info required.

Ride Safe

If you are leaving March, I suggst you fly to Turkey and ride NW. The weather will be mild-warm and damp but spring in the Med is really pretty.

If you are leaving March, I suggst you fly to Turkey and ride NW. The weather will be mild-warm and damp but spring in the Med is really pretty.
That is a really good idea. Not only will the weather be much better that way, but also it is imho better riding home as you have a set destination. It gives you a target to work towards.

Thank you all for your input and suggestions.
We are gearing up for wet and cold - having lived in LA for 6 years, I'm curious to see how that will work out, hehe. We were originally planning on leaving in April, but we have been saving/planning for this trip for so long now, we just can't wait any longer. Every hour feels like a century at work! So, with the wet and the cold... March it is.
The plan is 100% preliminery - so Becnal and Joelonghair, there is a good chance that we'll hang out. When I backpacked in Europe before, I ended up in places I had not even heard of!
Flocking NW is a great idea - However, I am originally Turkish, so we'll spend a couple of months in Turkey before we take off for Nepal & Southeast Asia. So, Turkey will be our hub for the second leg of the trip.
Ps: I called in sick today. I'm loving it!

If you are startng in the NW, note that the Atlantic coast Gulf Stream is a lot milder than the North Sea which is ffffreeezing all year round. I live on the E coast of England and the SW (Cornwall, Devon) gets spring a few weeks earlier but there are no guarentees as to when spring arrives.
Travel to London Heathrow may be cheaper than Amsterdam. You can use rail to get away from London. If you are smart (http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=18454)it doesnt cost too much but a naive rail user can get stung. Its so much easier in the rest of Europe.
Youth Hostels (www.yha.org.uk)are a useful option and should be pretty empty but some fill up for field trips during the Easter break. Many hostels are old country houses, castles or in premium locations.

MichaelW has a good point about travelling to London being cheaper than Amsterdam, check out Rayanair.com and easyjet.com, if you book 3 weeks in advance, and toggel with time, the price approx 0.50p + airport tax thanks to Gordon its now £20 + £15 for your bike. So for £40 approx you can fly to most places in Europe, this gives you plenty of variables to work with. I think it will be cheaper than the train to europe. The same applies to travelling by train in UK. trainline.com, you can travell by train, last year I went on a holiday with some friends to Scotland and whilst they hired a 15 seater van for £350 and fuel £300 there & back, I prebooked the train 2 weeks in advanced, cycled to Euston station in London, £12 I was in North Scotland, My journey took i think 5 odd hrs, I arrived fresh whilst there journey took 12 hr and they spent a day recovering I spent my first day cycling in Scotland. It seems like if you are to come across the pond you might as well get the most out of your trip. I have to say that it is a hell of a journey you are taking on and you will love every miniute of it, it will deffinitly be a trip of a life time. Best of luck and may you alway ride with the wind.

If you want a real nice route in Italy check out my pictures and map of my tour last year.

http://s95.photobucket.com/albums/l140/cycletouringjoe/cycletouringjoe%20Italy%2006/


Then click on the link:

View album as slideshow

Then on the key board press F11 after the show press F11 to re size your screen.

For flights you can also check out virgin-express.com out of Brussels, my wife and I always use them. Very cheap and great service. Bikes (flying in europe) were 30euro, but after March virgin becomes Brussels Air and the bikes cost 47euro, on all flights in Europe. Search them out for more details.
cheers

just a tiny question.
what kind of sleeping accomodations are you planning on?
not all campsites / gites etc. are open early in the year.

have a nice day
jurjan

Sounds like a very nice ride, but it's a bit early for northern europe.

Are we looking at the same route plan? Which leg is the "northern" part? :)

--J

Are we looking at the same route plan? Which leg is the "northern" part? :)

--J

Everything north of the Alps.

A combination of camping / hostelling / volunteering. We have good sleeping bags, a good 3-season tent and all the camping gear. We are used to camping - both of us are avid backpackers.
Since we are quitting our obs, we'll travel for as long as the money lasts and I want to stretch it as long as possible! Camping usually is the cheapest accommodation in Europe. I'll also look into Woofing (working for room and board in organic farms around the world) and Servas (you pay a small fee and you get to stay with families while traveling).

[QUOTE=JoeLonghair]MichaelW has a good point about travelling to London being cheaper than Amsterdam, check out Rayanair.com and easyjet.com, if you book 3 weeks in advance, and toggel with time, the price approx 0.50p + airport tax thanks to Gordon its now £20 + £15 for your bike. So for £40 approx you can fly to most places in Europe, this gives you plenty of variables to work with. I think it will be cheaper than the train to europe. The same applies to travelling by train in UK. trainline.com, you can travell by train, last year I went on a holiday with some friends to Scotland and whilst they hired a 15 seater van for £350 and fuel £300 there & back, I prebooked the train 2 weeks in advanced, cycled to Euston station in London, £12 I was in North Scotland, My journey took i think 5 odd hrs, I arrived fresh whilst there journey took 12 hr and they spent a day recovering I spent my first day cycling in Scotland. It seems like if you are to come across the pond you might as well get the most out of your trip. I have to say that it is a hell of a journey you are taking on and you will love every miniute of it, it will deffinitly be a trip of a life time. Best of luck and may you alway ride with the wind.

If you want a real nice route in Italy check out my pictures and map of my tour last year.

http://s95.photobucket.com/albums/l140/cycletouringjoe/cycletouringjoe%20Italy%2006/

Hey, thanks a lot for sending the link - very inspiring. I was drueling over the pics (I'm at work-yikes!).
We already bought our ticket to Amsterdam with our Delta miles, we only had to pay the tax! Sweet!~ Got to love Delta, they honor their miles unlike party poopers like United.
I'll try to cycle or take the train as much as I can while I'm in Europe because of environmental reasons.
And thank you for your good wishes, we'll need as much of them as we can get!

I am glad you enjoyed the pics.
In most European countries ther are in the city, there is one close to the Airport in Amsterdam, hotels called Fourmale 1. They are very cheap, usually you hire a room, approx e15 which can comfortable sleep 3. Its a good way to stay in a city cheap. Here is the link:
http://www.hotelformule1.com/formule1/index.html
and once there pick up their booklet as it gives you a listing of all there other locations throught Europe.

Usually Formule1's are a bit outside the city limits, mainly targeted for driving guests who don't rely on public transportation. That's one reason they can offer reasonable prices. A bit like the Ibis chain. They can be quite convenient for bike touring.

--J

Are we looking at the same route plan? Which leg is the "northern" part? :)

--J

:D :D :D

That's an awesome tip! I was checking out the prices at the European hostels and getting a bit worried here. We'll travel as long as the money lasts, so every $ has to stretch! A long, loooooong stretch!
Thank you so much!


I am glad you enjoyed the pics.
In most European countries ther are in the city, there is one close to the Airport in Amsterdam, hotels called Fourmale 1. They are very cheap, usually you hire a room, approx e15 which can comfortable sleep 3. Its a good way to stay in a city cheap. Here is the link:
http://www.hotelformule1.com/formule1/index.html
and once there pick up their booklet as it gives you a listing of all there other locations throught Europe.

I'm hoping to go with a friend from Prague to Dresden to Berlin in April 06. I know it's not on your itinerary, but you never know, our tracks may cross. I'll be the chap studying my map and scratching my head.

Gotte: " I'll be the chap studying my map and scratching my head."

Been there done that .........:o

I'm hoping to go with a friend from Prague to Dresden to Berlin in April 06. I know it's not on your itinerary, but you never know, our tracks may cross. I'll be the chap studying my map and scratching my head.

Prague is on my list, but I doubt that I can make it there from Asmterdam in a month, hehe! Have a great ride and please let me know how it went.