Well, remember in the context of our security concerns, it can become four trips, and when a hotel staffer says "follow me", and leads you and your bikes through a labyrinth of corridors, then waits until you have unloaded before securing the door... and then leads you to the stair up five flights to your room... with no lift... it's a scenario that has been repeated several times for us in some of Europe's older hotels and accommodation establishments.

And that train station thing is something many Americans cannot connect with because they simply don't travel by trains often, if at all in their lifetimes. But it's a common form of travel in Britain and Europe, and for loaded touring cyclists, there are certain challenges when confronted with no lift, no ramp, no escalator, 50 steps that have to be negotiated and a connection time of less than five minutes.