Cycle touring in Europe - DIY bike holidaysAussies Rod and Karen Davis have recently returned from 11 weeks cycle touring in Europe. Here they share their experiences and some handy hints for fellow would-be cyclists.

Europe offers the best cycle touring in the world. 30,000 kilometres of dedicated bike paths link villages and towns that are as close as five kilometres. Castles, medieval houses, keeps and statues are part of the

European identity. History in Europe is written in wood and stone buildings, recorded in architecture that spans time measured in millennia. All this is awaiting the cycle tourist.

Whether you have three months, three weeks or three days, you can tailor a cycle tour to meet your needs. All fitness levels can be accommodated, with rides to suit every budget. Some will seek out the mountains with full panniers, others wish for wineries and hotels, while day tours along a sunny river val-ley will excite others. There are rides for all ages and all interests.

Europeans respect the bike and cyclists. Trains will carry bikes in most countries, buses will in the Netherlands, and bike paths exist for safe, easy riding. Cycle touring offers flexible travel and access to adventure that is easy to achieve. And you can drink the water, eat the food, and be safe too.

PLANNING A TOUR

Do you want flexibility or organization in your holidays? Riding with panniers, tents and cooking gear provides complete freedom and independence; you decide how far and where to ride daily accord-ing to your whims at the time.

Or, you are with a tour group with the itinerary, accommodation, food all supplied, with your gear taken from one destination to the next. Thorough organisation, with only the sights, smells and adven-ture awaiting you can be easily obtained. It depends on whether planning and preparation are a pain or a pleasure.

“…decide what is right for you.”Or maybe you want to combine cycle touring with another interest. For example, staying on a barge,

riding some days, walking others, or focusing on food and wine. Castles, and staying in them, might interest you. Perhaps staying in a town and riding the surrounding areas could slake your thirst for exploring. Stopping in capital cit-ies, travelling by train and using a bike to soak up the sights and sounds might be more your thing.

Decide on the time you have available, the budget you have and your interests. Once these are decided, you can begin to select the cycle touring that suits your needs. This is the hardest part – clarifying your own needs. History, leisure, food, wine, physical challenge, train spotting,

bird watching, all can be blended into cycling. You de-cide what is right for you.

What style of accommodation would you prefer? Camp-ing is not an option if you enjoy fluffy white towels, dressing gowns and crisp sheets. Youth hostels, camp grounds, hotels, all are plentiful; and many are listed on this website.

BIKE PATHS

Dedicated bike paths exist for long distance cycling in Europe. Imagine riding on a sealed path that only bikes and pedestrians can use! It is a pleasure cycling on a sealed trail with sign posts to direct you, not having to consider traffic. Cycling is so much more enjoyable. You can look about you, admire the scenery, chat, soak up the atmosphere and savour the experience.

Long distance paths exist because they are not isolated – in excess of 30,000 kilometres already con-structed indicates the distances possible. Countries like France, Germany, and the Netherlands can be explored by bike path!

DESTINATIONS AND ROUTES

These bike paths criss-cross Europe and provide endless opportunities to explore the comfortable continent. Perhaps it is the Loire River valley, with its UNESCO World Heritage castles that you seek. Or the Normandy beaches, or the World War I battlefields, or the Mediterranean area, then France offers all of this and a lot of history too.

Maybe you’d prefer the flat cycling of the Netherlands with its changing scenery and canals, where there are twice as many bikes as people. Here, the Dutch of all ages ride and cycle touring is a way of life. The Dutch seem to be born with their feet on pedals. Visiting historical fishing villages, island hopping in the North Sea, these are the cycling experiences awaiting you.

Maybe Germany and its wasser schlosses (water castles) would interest you. Then Munster would be a magnet. Or perhaps riding along a river valley, like the Elbe River, with the historic towns, easy riding and major cities would link your fascination to Europe.

There are long distance cycle paths like the North Sea Cycle Route that is 6,500 kilometres in total. Or the Pilgrim Route of Santiago de Compostella in Spain, or the ride from Amsterdam to Moscow. Each of these has books, pamphlets, maps, logos, sign posts and specialised accommodation along the route.

Flat terrain with only moderate climbs was our key consideration in planning our tours. We sought maps, details and cycling books to support our needs, then chose the route accordingly. Not for us

the challenges of bursting lungs and burning thighs! We wanted to sample, enjoy and the delights of steady cycling through somewhere new and exciting.

TIME TO VISIT

The ideal time is late spring, summer or autumn. However, note that Europe is on holidays in July and August. In France, July is holidays and peak tourist time too. July would be the time to visit the East Ger-many area, whereas early spring would be suited to areas of Spain, rather than the soaring temperatures of high summer.

Match your interests to the climate and peak seasons in the countries you intend to visit. After all, Europe is a compact place with lots of choices.

INFORMATION

Whether you tour independently, or with a tour group, your first point of call is the in-ternet. With 63,000km of bike paths on the drawing boards, you need up-to-date detail.

Type in “long distance cycling paths in Eu-rope” to find an excellent website and start your search. It has great details for individ-ual countries, for an overview and will allow you to gather detail. We planned our cycle tour of the Netherlands and Germany from this website.

This website offers access to many associ-ated websites like touring groups, tourist organizations, literature, and so on…Another option is to type in “cycle touring France” (or the particular country you are interested in) and an amazing array of options awaits you. Lonely Planet has an excellent cycle touring book for France; we used it to plan our first trip to Europe and it was excellent.

Maps, brochures, and pamphlets are available for many regions. Tourist Centres can supply these for you, some online, many when you arrive. Try the individual country’s tourist information website for many details.

The long distance cycle paths – for example, the North Sea Cycle Route, the Weser Radweg, Elbe Radweg – have cycle books to accompany them. Sometimes these are in English, but even in other languages (we used two in German) the maps are outstanding with all the detail you need to plan a route. The tourist-type details are difficult, but each town has a Tourist Centre and they provide these for you when you arrive at the town.

It is a lot easier than you would believe to get de-tailed information. Most countries even have national

the challenges of bursting lungs and burning thighs! We wanted to sample, enjoy and the delights of steady cycling through somewhere new and exciting.

TIME TO VISIT

The ideal time is late spring, summer or autumn. However, note that Europe is on holidays in July and August. In France, July is holidays and peak tourist time too. July would be the time to visit the East Ger-many area, whereas early spring would be suited to areas of Spain, rather than the soaring temperatures of high summer.

Match your interests to the climate and peak seasons in the countries you intend to visit. After all, Europe is a compact place with lots of choices.

INFORMATION

Whether you tour independently, or with a tour group, your first point of call is the in-ternet. With 63,000km of bike paths on the drawing boards, you need up-to-date detail.

Type in “long distance cycling paths in Eu-rope” to find an excellent website and start your search. It has great details for individ-ual countries, for an overview and will allow you to gather detail. We planned our cycle tour of the Netherlands and Germany from this website.

This website offers access to many associ-ated websites like touring groups, tourist organizations, literature, and so on…Another option is to type in “cycle touring France” (or the particular country you are interested in) and an amazing array of options awaits you. Lonely Planet has an excellent cycle touring book for France; we used it to plan our first trip to Europe and it was excellent.

Maps, brochures, and pamphlets are available for many regions. Tourist Centres can supply these for you, some online, many when you arrive. Try the individual country’s tourist information website for many details.

The long distance cycle paths – for example, the North Sea Cycle Route, the Weser Radweg, Elbe Radweg – have cycle books to accompany them. Sometimes these are in English, but even in other languages (we used two in German) the maps are outstanding with all the detail you need to plan a route. The tourist-type details are difficult, but each town has a Tourist Centre and they provide these for you when you arrive at the town.

It is a lot easier than you would believe to get de-tailed information. Most countries even have national

cycling organizations. They have publi-cations, though sometimes English ver-sions are not available. But the maps and choices of route provided are excellent.

EQUIPMENT

Our first rule with equipment was keep it simple.

If you need panniers of your own, buy wa-terproof ones. We used secondhand and home made ones for our first trips, but

had waterproof inner bags for security from dampness. It is Europe and there is a reason for the green mantle that colours nature! There is a lot of rain, so, a quality rain/wind slicker is good value. Clothing made for cycling is durable and tough and we found it excellent value.

Camping Equipment: tent, tent pegs, sleeping bags, 2 sheets of plastic tarp, foam pillows, inflatable sleep-ing pads. The plastic sheets were very helpful and adaptive and were of no weight.

Cooking Gear: gas stove (refills were available), small fry pan, billy.

Eating Utensils: bowls, cups, knives, forks and spoons, matches, scourer, Chux (dishcloth), and plastic con-tainers to store food in.

Finances: money belts, credit cards (Visa), Master cards (one for each of us),passports, cash in Euros (500 euros), information on insurances, banking and important phone numbers, drivers licence. Access to your bank account is possible through Eftpos, but check with your bank (we certainly did). We used Eftpos in Europe.

Maps are available for Europe's cycling pathsToiletries: sun block and lip saver, toothbrushes, toothpaste, soap, moisturizer, shampoo, comb, towels and washers.

Clothing: handkerchiefs, socks, T-shirts (x2), bike pants and tops, shorts, rain gear, thermals, pyjamas, long pants and warm top, sandals, track shoes, sun visor, beanie. Clothing that washes easily and dries quickly is very, very practical.

Bike: we have taken a mountain bike, a flat bar road bike and a hybrid on our trips so far. All performed excellently.

Bike Equipment: spare big tubes, lubricant, tyre levers, puncture kit, pump, bike locks, water bottles, plastic ties, helmets, allen keys, small shifter and screwdriver, all kept in a draw string bag.

NB: puncture proof tyres are used by all European cyclists and are an excellent investment.

Miscellaneous: torch, first aid, cotton, nail file, needle, pen knife, scissors, glasses, cam-

cycling organizations. They have publi-cations, though sometimes English ver-sions are not available. But the maps and choices of route provided are excellent.

EQUIPMENT

Our first rule with equipment was keep it simple.

If you need panniers of your own, buy wa-terproof ones. We used secondhand and home made ones for our first trips, but

had waterproof inner bags for security from dampness. It is Europe and there is a reason for the green mantle that colours nature! There is a lot of rain, so, a quality rain/wind slicker is good value. Clothing made for cycling is durable and tough and we found it excellent value.

Camping Equipment: tent, tent pegs, sleeping bags, 2 sheets of plastic tarp, foam pillows, inflatable sleep-ing pads. The plastic sheets were very helpful and adaptive and were of no weight.

Cooking Gear: gas stove (refills were available), small fry pan, billy.

Eating Utensils: bowls, cups, knives, forks and spoons, matches, scourer, Chux (dishcloth), and plastic con-tainers to store food in.

Finances: money belts, credit cards (Visa), Master cards (one for each of us),passports, cash in Euros (500 euros), information on insurances, banking and important phone numbers, drivers licence. Access to your bank account is possible through Eftpos, but check with your bank (we certainly did). We used Eftpos in Europe.

Maps are available for Europe's cycling pathsToiletries: sun block and lip saver, toothbrushes, toothpaste, soap, moisturizer, shampoo, comb, towels and washers.

Clothing: handkerchiefs, socks, T-shirts (x2), bike pants and tops, shorts, rain gear, thermals, pyjamas, long pants and warm top, sandals, track shoes, sun visor, beanie. Clothing that washes easily and dries quickly is very, very practical.

Bike: we have taken a mountain bike, a flat bar road bike and a hybrid on our trips so far. All performed excellently.

Bike Equipment: spare big tubes, lubricant, tyre levers, puncture kit, pump, bike locks, water bottles, plastic ties, helmets, allen keys, small shifter and screwdriver, all kept in a draw string bag.

NB: puncture proof tyres are used by all European cyclists and are an excellent investment.

Miscellaneous: torch, first aid, cotton, nail file, needle, pen knife, scissors, glasses, cam-

era, diary, map/s, pens, radio, toilet paper, watch, cord.

TRANSPORT

If you are travelling for a short time then hiring bikes in Europe would be advisable. Otherwise, you might consider buying a second hand bike, or even buying brand new and selling back to the bike shop at the end of your trip. It all depends on the length of your trip.

We took our bikes on Singapore Airlines because they allow you 25 kilograms of luggage, plus 7 kilograms of hand luggage. Our bikes were dismantled (handlebars, pedals and seat taken off, front wheel detached, and all packed in a bike box from our local bike shop). Our camping gear went in the box as well and went on the plane as luggage. We told the airline about the bike boxes when we booked. We managed the weight restrictions but it took adjustment and weigh-ing to get it right. You can always buy a tent and camping gear in Europe – this would relieve the weight issue considerably.

We took trains in Germany, France and the Netherlands, with our bikes, without any problems. It can be done. However, you have a fee to pay and must book the bikes onto the train. Buses in the Netherlands and Germany took our bikes too. It is always advisable to check before hand to make sure this is possible. For example, peak hour trains and buses may not allow you to take the bikes.

A tip on public transport in Germany is that weekends offer very cheap train/bus passes. Trains are fast, efficient and reliable.

ACCOMMODATION

We book accommodation for our first couple and last couple of nights from Australia before we go. This is done on the internet. However, we camp so have a lot of flexibility with accommodation. If you intend to use hotels, in the busiest time, bookings could be helpful. It took us three hours to locate a hotel vacancy in Hamburg during July. Cities are busy places in Europe. In Amsterdam, the Gay Pride weekend saw 500,000 visitors book every style of bed for the weekend.

All levels of accommodation are available at levels to suit every budget. This is true of Europe overall, however, costs do vary from one country to another. We camped mostly (costs of approximately 10 to 20 euros), used Youth Hostels (about 25 euros per person for a room) and stayed in hotels (costs vary greatly, but consider 35 to 100 euros as a reasonable range). In France, hotels can be cheap whereas in the Neth-erlands they are more expensive. In Germany, zimmers (or bed and breakfasts) can be reasonably priced from 35 to 50 euros for the night for 2 people.

The camp grounds are green, clean, and comfortable. Germany and the Netherlands had many facilities while France’s campgrounds were more basic. In the Netherlands we stayed in trekkers’ huttes (little cab-ins that cost from 14 to 35 euros for 2 per night).

Apartments can be rented cheaply if you are staying for 3 or more nights in one place. These have cook-ing facilities and bathrooms and are attractive options if you stay in a spot. (Take a look at the listings on this website).

CATERING AND FOOD

Supermarkets are available in most towns. They are usually closed on Saturday afternoons and Sundays in most places. However, the fresh food is excellent and cheap. The range is very good with lots of inter-esting alternatives.

Eating out is easy. The range of cafes, restaurants and varieties of food is outstanding in Europe. Costs vary greatly, according to many factors, but dining out is popular. Al fresco eating is possible in some delight-ful settings.

German bread and beer is good, wines are plentiful and cheap; all budgets and tastes are catered for in European countries. Eating is pleasant and often the choices available are overwhelming.

LANGUAGE

There is genuine tolerance for people who do not speak the language of any given country. A few simple greetings, a smile and sense of humour and people are extremely helpful. We learnt the good manners greetings and then trusted to providence. Australia and Australians are viewed positively in Europe.

The French like to see you try their language, which is beautiful to listen to. The Dutch basically speak English too, and many West Germans are good speakers of our language. We did not feel that we were denied anything, or were outsiders in any country. Though you do miss conversations with new people at times if you cannot speak their language, and you do need to ask questions about information issues.

COSTS

The Australian dollar and Euro exchange rate does vary. A rule of thumb is $1,000 Australian will get you approximately 600 Euros. The cost of living is a little higher because we did not have fridges or the chance to buy in bulk, however, the costs were roughly akin to those you pay in Australia. That is, a camp site in Australia might be $15 so expect to pay 15 Euros in Europe; an hotel charging $75 would have an equivalent tariff in Euros.

This is a rough rule of thumb that you can generalize from, but it will vary. Sometimes you will be pleas-antly surprised, sometimes you will pay a little more than you might expect. However, we used the dollar/ euro parity with our planning and it was a helpful yardstick.

THE POPULARITY OF CYCLING

The car is king of the road in Australia. This is not the case in Europe; the car is king on the busy highways. On country roads, cyclists are shown consideration and respect. On cycling paths, there are traffic lights for cyclists to use – you can stop the vehicles and cross safely.

Camping for the night after a day's cycle touring in EuropeSo many people cycle in Europe. At Luther-stadt Wittenberg there are 600 touring cyclists a day passing through every day in summer. There is a cycling culture that supports and encourages bike riding. The priority and range of cycling paths is testi-mony to this truth.

Families cycle together, people of all ages ride bikes, and we saw teenagers holding hands and cycling on a date on Saturday nights. And Europeans cycle tour because it is popular and easy to do in Europe.

On a sunny day, cycle touring makes you king of the road. You should consider becoming royalty!

- Rod Davis, 2008© Holidays to Europe, 2008

www.holidaystoeurope.com.au