koreansteve

I want to bike across ITALY (and maybe some bordering neighbors to the north) in the summer of 2007 after i finish a semester abroad, studying just NW of Venice. I want to see every part of Italy in the 3 months i bike, especially the big cities but the smaller towns like Assissi are a must visit, too.I've read a lot of your posts (very helpful, but i've got a few questions/goals that i would be greatly appreciative if they were answered:

1) Can I stay in hostels most nights on my trip for relatively inexpensive?
i know most people camp, which is the other option i'm considering, but in also keeping with my 2nd goal (below) I don't know if i want to have to back a sleeping bag and tent on my journey. It seems like I'll almost be forced to camp some, since i don't know if some of the smaller towns have hostels, but i was wondering (especially from a financial perspective) if staying at a hostel most nights is feasable...or maybe staying at a local resident's house if they invite me (i've heard of others doing this). THANKS.

2) I want to pack LIGHT
I'm thinking that I would like to bike some serious miles in between my 2-3 day stops in the cities (maybe fewer days for smaller towns) and since I've never traveled with panniers before, I'm a bit concerned that I would be slowed tremendously by the extra weight. What would you suggest bringing to keep the weight to a minimum? Also, being a cycling fanatic, i would like to have a few days during the 3 months to just cycle across the Italian countryside (and maybe some mountains)...where do i put my stuff (my panniers) during the day while i'm goineif i want to do this?

3) Where do I keep my stuff during the day if I want to go explore a city?
If i stay in a hostel, can i leave my stuff in their during the day? I've heard some bad stories about theft and i'm a little weary of that, so i'm wondering where you guys leave your stuff when you want to go to a bar, club, museum, cafe, etc. during the day without spandex and a road bike. If i camp, i guess i'd definitely have to find a place to put it, but i would think that i'd need some sort of huge locker or something so that stuff isn't stolen out of my panniers and so my bike isn't stolen with a chain cutter. Obviously, i need input on what to do with my stuff when i decide to go into the city as a regular tourist.

...and lastly 4) Can I tour on a regular road bike like my Trek 1200?
I'm very interested in knowing if i can carry panniers on my trek 1200 (or a road bike in general because hopefully i'll be able to get a better bike by the time i tour) or do i need a bike designed specifically for touring, like the Trek 520? I would imagine it would have a lot to do with the weld strength and tube diameter, and i'm wondering if a normal road bike has the strength to endure a 3 month European adventure.


I envy all of you who have toured already, and i'm thinking of taking a few weekend/4-day tours in the next year and a half as a prepare for Italy.

Thanks, and sorry for the long post, i'm just really excited and very ignorant.

Bikepacker67

I can only address #2.

Packing light is great, but it's also a compromise.

I'd say the minumum is about 10kgs of gear for a hostel sleeping tour. (this includes six 24oz water bottles.) And yes... I have found myself - even in the crowded northeast US, needing every one of those bottles on some tough rural routes with 30 miles between "re-fueling" stations.

MichaelW

There is lots of info on European bike touring at:
https://www-math.science.unitn.it/Bike/
and for youth hostels see:
https://www.ostellionline.org/

If you stick to hostelling then you can travel fairly light and you won't need a full expedition touring bike; A small pair of panniers will suffice. Your Trek 1200 has good enough gearing but does it have any threaded eyelets for a luggage rack ? If not there are ways and means to fit one. The bike is plenty strong enough for hostel touring.

There are many packing lists kicking around the web. The concept of ultra-light travelling is worth exploring. You dont have to compromise on comfort to get light. The image of credit card tourists using a tiny saddlebag is misleading; you do need to take stuff, but you can usually find modern lightweight alternatives to heavy kit.
In Northern Italy you will never be far from a bike shop (or a manufacturer of premium lightweight components). Dont go crazy bringing parts for a major expedition (eg take a spare inner tube, not a spare tyre)

koreansteve

thanks for your responses guys.

-Can I afford not to take a sleeping bag/tent at all and just plan on staying at hostels every night? (they have a list of all the youth hostels and i figure i could plan on where i'll stay each night)

-How much do youth hostels cost per night (on average)? For someone who has stayed at hostels for an entire trip, did it get too costly?

Thanks.

skookum

What that Italian hostelling site needs is a map of Italy that shows the location of all the hostels so you can figure out how far the hostels are from each other and see if they are a rideable distance apart. Maybe there is a map like that but I didn't see it.
What you need to do is get a map of Italy and figure out what you want to see, then check the website for the locations of suitable hostels.

The website does have the prices for each hostel, so you should be able to get an idea of what it will cost.

Quickfit

I toured three weeks ago through northern and middle Italy, as part of my trip from Brussels to Rome.
Northern Italy (Aosta to Parma region) was not very pleasant to ride due to the very busy traffic, even on small roads. More to the south, the Toscany region was heaven: quiet roads, lovely towns, beautiful scenery. Closer to Rome, roads were again awfully busy.

I slept in hotels along the way; for 40 €/night you can get a room in a 3star hotel, breakfast included. Compared to other countries I've driven through (France, Switzerland), this is fairly cheap.

Also the Italians are very kind; they are interested in your tour (a couple of times another cyclist just drove besides me to ask where I came from...), they like to talk with you and are very polite, especially if you try to talk also a bit Italian.

A last thing: if you will be crossing mountains, roads are sometimes very steep (10% to 15%) and no sign will alert you before of it. So be prepared!

biodiesel

You can go lighter.
I'd suggest a handlebar bag and either a big saddlebag (like a Carradice)

You should be able to fat a few days of clothes and bike clothes in a small kit, you're in populated areas so i'll dissagree with the 6 water bottles. A little much unless you're desert crossing but you can always fit a 1-1.5 litre waterbottle (Topeak or Minoura makes cages)