Cycle in Europa?
04-02-09, 01:18 AM
#1
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Cycle in Europa?
Hi!
We are two bikers who are going across the european continent in april-june, from Stockholm (swe) to Lisbon (por). We look forward to a great adventure.
Does anyone have any tip/experiences from biking in/between countries like Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, France, Spain and/or Portugal?
Feel free to visit our website https://www.cykeleffekten.se
and if you got facebook search for bike-friendly tour.
Peace /
Gustav & Elin
We are two bikers who are going across the european continent in april-june, from Stockholm (swe) to Lisbon (por). We look forward to a great adventure.
Does anyone have any tip/experiences from biking in/between countries like Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, France, Spain and/or Portugal?
Feel free to visit our website https://www.cykeleffekten.se
and if you got facebook search for bike-friendly tour.
Peace /
Gustav & Elin
04-02-09, 02:38 AM
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An advice from someone living in Denmark and seeing you are going from Copenhagen to Rødby on a sunday.
Shops are closed on Sundays in this country, only bakeries and petrol stations are open.
But if you ride the direct route down road 151 and 153 you pass both several times.
Gus
Shops are closed on Sundays in this country, only bakeries and petrol stations are open.
But if you ride the direct route down road 151 and 153 you pass both several times.
Gus
04-02-09, 02:57 AM
#3
Formerly Known as Newbie
I'd like to do a similar tour one of these days... it seems you guys got over the dreaming/planning stage and into making it happen. Grattis! I have no practical advice but I hope you enjoy the trip!
--J
--J
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04-02-09, 06:08 AM
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I have limited experience in Netherlands, Belgium, Germany and France. All except the latter have excellent cycling infrastructure. Perhaps someone can correct me, but France seems to view cycling differently, integrating bikes with traffic and in big cities putting them in bus and taxi lanes.
Either way, you still get a lot more respect from drivers than you do in North America.
Either way, you still get a lot more respect from drivers than you do in North America.
04-02-09, 06:21 AM
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If you're lucky you can camp in our garden (depends on my parents) otherwise I could try to find someplace else for you to camp/couch surf with 
I live 5 minutes away from the historic centre of the city.
Brussels is not that bike friendly, but the number of cyclists is growing by the day and the government is rather willing to fix problems. If you're assertive people treat you OK.
I live 5 minutes away from the historic centre of the city.
Brussels is not that bike friendly, but the number of cyclists is growing by the day and the government is rather willing to fix problems. If you're assertive people treat you OK.
04-02-09, 01:08 PM
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Your route is prety close to what we've done last spring. If you ride a bit further south to Maastricht we would be glad to show around (if we're at home), we plan our own small tour (just a couple weeks) in the end of May.
You can check out some details of our last years tour in our page.
You can check out some details of our last years tour in our page.
Last edited by xilios; 04-02-09 at 01:13 PM.
04-02-09, 02:19 PM
#9
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Cycle friendly accomodation in Europe
Mainly in the Netherlands and Belgium, the network of 'Vrienden op de Fiets' is ideal to cover that part of your trip with over 3500 host families. In Spain, Portugal, Denmark and Sweden there are only a few families. Germany and France present 70 and 56 hosts.
>> https://www.vriendenopdefiets.nl
>> https://www.vriendenopdefiets.nl
04-04-09, 12:18 PM
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I know a bit of Germany and The Netherlands, crossed in the last summer. Cycle routes are almost everywhere! Good bicycle maps could be useful, because road signs are frequent but some points have lacks; we used the Esterbauer guides and they were perfect.
In The Netherlands you can choose between direct straight paths (white/red signs), along main roads but physically separated, and country paths (the LF white/green signs), which are secundary country roads with low traffic but also with "intricate" shape.
In Germany, main rivers have cycle paths, so you can follow the valleys and avoid steep ascents.
Wind can increase fatigue. I'm sorry, probably it usually flows from West to East in those areas...
In The Netherlands you can choose between direct straight paths (white/red signs), along main roads but physically separated, and country paths (the LF white/green signs), which are secundary country roads with low traffic but also with "intricate" shape.
In Germany, main rivers have cycle paths, so you can follow the valleys and avoid steep ascents.
Wind can increase fatigue. I'm sorry, probably it usually flows from West to East in those areas...
