Touring Europe
 

I am looking at doing an 11 month tour through europe, starting in Oslo (Norway) in mid April...Is this time still too cold to be getting on a bike.
I am 27 yrs. old, fit and dont mind a good hard adventure!
Any advice/comments would be apprecitad.
Cheers,
Grant.

Hi,
why not start in the Southern Europe where it will be warm and even attractive in April and then wind your way North?

I agree with late on starting in the south and working your way north. I lived in Norway and April can be a tad cold and rainy. Spring, however is a very beautiful time to be in Norway with all the mountain flowers, concerts and celebrations. You may consider starting in say France, ride north, and try to hit the Scandinavian countries in late spring early summer and then work your way south for the winter.

Here is a good link: http://www.northsea-cycle.com/lande_index.html

That's clever,
you could do a loop traveling north through the Benelux, hop the ferry to Denmark, ride around the northern countries and then south through central europe making a S shaped curve that winds through germany, france, switzerland, austria, and italy.

Thanks for the tips... I will be planning the route in more detail this week with a friend.
I'll post it on this tread later in the week, your advice would be welcomed!

Tips,
hmmm, when in Salzburg make sure you visit the AugustinerKeller? Best beer I ever had. Vienna is to music what greasy food is to the South. Deserts in Austria are very good. Avoid the big cities in France and you'll have a better time. If you climb a glacier illegally in Switzerland people holler at you when you come down :D Try the yogurt with the long crazy name. Visit Amsterdam but make sure you have to get out of there a couple of days later.
There is a tomb of a princess in northern Italy somehwere, they do tours, and it doesn't sound like much, but it's quite beautiful inside; I'd like to see it again.
I understand they keep Michealangelo's work protected now, pity, see it anyway.
The David is unique, there is nothing quite like the experience of standing in front of it. Grappa takes no prisoners.

Oh yes, the great Austrian Deserts... hot and dry :D. How much grappa did you have, late?

No, really, Austrians make good desserts. Oslo is not that far up north, you just need some decent gear to keep you warm and dry. That sort of clothing would be too much for Central Europe in the summer, so if you want to start from Oslo you will end up carrying more stuff around.

I would join the choir in suggesting you start a bit more south and save Northern Europe for May-June. The spring is really nice here, and that early you will not even have to worry about the mosqitoes.

--J

Hi,
yes, Austria is justly proud of her deserts (oh well). After I posted I started thinking the same thing. A start in Italy might be just the ticket. As to the grappa.... I had pasta and wine, after dinner someone started passing around a bottle of grappa. I don't really remember much after that. I think I died :)

I've heard a rumor that mosquito's and other things that like to bite come out in their masses during the spring time in the northern parts of europe....is this true? how bad is it? does it make camping unbearable?
I can handle pretty much anything except the constant onslaught of blood thirsty insects!

The best mosquito season in Finland tends to be later in summer, say June-July. In southern parts they are really just a nuisance, but it gets worse (much worse) towards north. I know that northern Norway and Sweden are the same, but don't know about the southern areas.

Actually, if you stay in a rental cottage, it may be impossible to keep them out - they don't need much of a hole to enter. But it is easy to keep a decent tent clear of the little suckers. When camping they are more of a problem during the evenings and in the morning, when you are eating etc.

You can make things easier for yourself by choosing your campsites, using repellants and wearing clothes that cover most of your body. And the good thing is they don't spread diseases like malaria here.

--J

Advice: Have a ball, you lucky mo-fo

You really can't go wrong with a year-long trip. I would simply caution against traversing wide agricultural spaces (i.e. NE france, N. Italy, Kansas) as boredom can kill...

BK

p.s. If you have not done this kind of thing before, bring along some Ibuprofen and dose before and after the days ride to keep inflammation at a minimum - and stay hydrated.

I have cycle toured in Norway,both in June and August.

The Hardanger and Sogn regions if you plan to visit these regions,pose very little problem regarding Mosq`is, Much worse if you stay near the seaboard area`s are the Midge`s. I cycled in June from Stavanger to Bergen, Island hopping along the coastal region and they drove me crazy, early morning and at dusk....