Touring - Touring and Hotels

I had an interesting experience on a short Christmas tour last week. I and my traveling companion, a fellow Bike Forum member, were staying in three hotels. The two I booked were in the center of their respective cities, Philadelphia and Bethlehem, PA. The one my friend booked was a number of miles outside of Doylestown. When we arrived in Doylestown, in the cold drizzle of a Pennsylvania winter, we discovered the hotel was located on a road marked "Motor Vehicles Only." Fortunately we were able to obtain other lodging, and cancel that reservation. The lesson learned is that if you are going to use a nineteenth century means of travel, do what folks in the nineteenth century did and stay in the center of town. And contact the hotel in advance about taking your bike to avoid any unpleasantness.

Incidentally, speaking to the hotel in advance can pay off. The Hotel Bethlehem put us in a larger room when they knew we were traveling by bike. And the doorman carried my bike to my room for me!

The CrazyGuy Journal for the trip:

http://www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/3184

[snip] When we arrived in Doylestown, in the cold drizzle of a Pennsylvania winter, we discovered the hotel was located on a road marked "Motor Vehicles Only." Fortunately we were able to obtain other lodging, and cancel that reservation. The lesson learned is that if you are going to use a nineteenth century means of travel, do what folks in the nineteenth century did and stay in the center of town. [snip]

The American way of life and the automobile are one. Q.E.D.

It might be argued, though, especially in light of what Al Gore et al. have been up to recently, that cycling is very much a 21st century means of travel. At least for those of us who can be bothered about saving the planet.

The American way of life and the automobile are one. Q.E.D.

It might be argued, though, especially in light of what Al Gore et al. have been up to recently, that cycling is very much a 21st century means of travel. At least for those of us who can be bothered about saving the planet.

I agree cycling has a future, and it's our future.

Hey, you found that hotelI I just booked it when you gave me the name.

I'm not sure how we'd handle this in the future when booking a room. Sure, we can ask the hotel desk about bicycle access, but most non-cyclists are pretty clueless about what can and can't be done on a bike and non-cyclist advice must be taken with a grain of salt, even when the speaker does speak English well.

Allright, let's be constructive, here: We could always get feedback on the route from folks who live locally, but I don't know anyone in Doylestown, and I'm not sure what else we could've done in this case. Vetting critical roads with satellite views helps, sometimes. Perhaps we should plan on traveling with basic camping equipment, so we can stealth camp if no hotel is available, or take a cab to the hotel if we can't get to it by bicycle. Neither is a very good option, particularly in the rain.

Hey, you found that hotelI I just booked it when you gave me the name.

I'm not sure how we'd handle this in the future when booking a room. Sure, we can ask the hotel desk about bicycle access, but most non-cyclists are pretty clueless about what can and can't be done on a bike and non-cyclist advice must be taken with a grain of salt, even when the speaker does speak English well.

Allright, let's be constructive, here: We could always get feedback on the route from folks who live locally, but I don't know anyone in Doylestown, and I'm not sure what else we could've done in this case. Vetting critical roads with satellite views helps, sometimes. Perhaps we should plan on traveling with basic camping equipment, so we can stealth camp if no hotel is available, or take a cab to the hotel if we can't get to it by bicycle. Neither is a very good option, particularly in the rain.

Neil, disengage. I didn't blame anyone, I merely stated it had happened. And yes, we both should have been aware of the potential problem.

I agree with Neilfan...most desk clerks are clueless. I stay at a hotel in Summerville, SC (with depressing regularity) I ride every chance I get. The main road that leads to the motel is a 9 lane cluster**** that comes right off of an interstate.:( I discovered that by cutting up the truck access behind the adjacent strip mall I can access the small quieter downtown area and avoid the 9 lane.:D

FWIW I use various mapping programs and GoogleEarth to plan my longer trips. The overlays are great and once you use them for a while it becomes second nature to know what to avoid. YMMV

Aaron:)

...we can ask the hotel desk about bicycle access, but most non-cyclists are pretty clueless about what can and can't be done on a bike and non-cyclist advice must be taken with a grain of salt...

Much advice from non-cyclists regarding roads, etc, is pretty much useless. Witness the woman who identified herself as a spinning instructor - AKA member of the "bikes are toys" crowd - who told us a perfectly ridable road, PA Rt 412, "wasn't what you want" because there was traffic on it.

If it were me ... I'd have very likely ignored the sign that said "Motor Vehicles Only".

I also tend not to book anything in advance ... or very little. I generally prefer to wing it when I tour.

If it were me ... I'd have very likely ignored the sign that said "Motor Vehicles Only".

I also tend not to book anything in advance ... or very little. I generally prefer to wing it when I tour.

We didn't want to reach Bethlehem on December 24 and find there was no room at the inn.

:roflmao: classic!

We didn't want to reach Bethlehem on December 24 and find there was no room at the inn.

:D Good one!!

When I toured Australia, I generally made a point of booking a bed at a hostel on Friday and Saturday nights (if I were going to use a hostel) ... however, I booked them from a Tourist Information booth Friday morning, so it was still almost like winging it. And if I'm flying into another country, especially if I'm flying in late in the day, I'll book something near the airport for one night, just for the convenience.