Cycling in Europe

Comments on Cycling in Europe

Based mostly on a 1998 12,000km trip supplemented by further more recent trips

With an emphasis on budget traveling

GENERAL COMMENTS

• DISTANCES: We rode 75-80 km per day in 1998. In 2001 we rode 60 km per day. Often towns/campsites dictated shorter or longer days. A person alone tends to ride further in a day (nothing to do but ride). More than one person will go as fast/far as the slowest person. That means those strong cycling guys should think about pulling the gear in a trailer and lightening the other person's load weight.

• GEOGRAPHY: southern coastlines were disappointing (tourist developments) and border regions were often the best (hilly and no traffic). Atlantic coastlines have many nice areas especially in the SW of France.

• COSTS: Much time has passed but travel by bike with camping is relatively inexpensive. Back in the day, it cost us 18 US dollars (USD) per person, per day in 1998(including tires, maps, film, some equipment purchased along the way and train fares within Europe). In 2001 it cost us less (11 USD/day) or 12 Euro/day/person, mostly because France offers inexpensive camping.

• MAPS: We rode in the pre-smart phone era. Nowadays, we'd use a gps app. Back in those days, 1:200,000 were the most appropriate.

• STRETCHING: a daily stretch routine (a few minutes is enough) was important to maintain elasticity in the muscles and to look after the back. We experienced no serious body pains other than occasional saddle sores.It would also be a good idea to incorporate stretching and some muscle toning for the back. Push-ups or sit-ups compensate for the lack of stomach muscle development (none) while riding.

• FOOD: The great joy of cycling! We cooked our own food in the evenings. Granola/bananas/milk with juice and coffee did the trick for breakfast. Picnic lunches were the norm.

• FAVOURITE COUNTRIES: France with Czech Republic, Switzerland and Andalucia (Southern Spain)well back but very enjoyable.

• WEATHER: Bad weather (wet and cold) can "dampen" a bike trip. There is an element of luck, but the wrong season can be avoided with a little research and trip planning. For instance, in most regions of Spain would be brutal during the summer months (June-August). We met a number of cyclists who abandoned Spain for that very reason. However, the far north (Atlantic region) would be ideal at that time. In 2001, September was very wet in northern Europe, while in other years September can be brilliant.

• RESEARCH (where/when to go): A hard-to-find, out-of-print book, Nicholas Crane’s "Cycling in Europe" (Pan Books) is good. A good public library has good cycling books. The Internet takes a long time to wade through (lots of junk). Get an idea of which region interests you, then away you go! Flipping through Michelin regional guides or other travel guides can give you an idea of what tourist sites there are to visit. Following someone else’s cycling itinerary really is not necessary and even self-defeating. Discover it for yourself!

• BIKES ON TRAINS: Good web sites exists on this.

• OUR EXPERIENCE: 15 days in June, July and August. The weather was generally very good (the mountains provide barriers from the northern rains). Very scenic.

• BIKING: a good bike route/path network exists. Bike paths are often unpaved. Mountains, hills and large river valleys; very beautiful country.

• CAMPING: generally good campsites. They were less busy than their German counterparts in August. Wild camping is very possible. Free camping guides are available at tourist offices.

• MAPS: we used 1:200,000 Freytag maps; very good. Campsites were generally marked on the maps.

• COSTS: One of the most expensive countries in continental Europe. Trains are expensive and bikes can be taken on most (fee often required).

• GENERAL COMMENTS: Sometimes we loved Austria, other times (when we hit busier roads), it fell from favour. The Doanau (Danube) bike path is paved. It is most beautiful between Linz and Passau (Germany); other sections can be "tedious" (boring).

• FAVOURITE SPOTS: Freistadt (near the Czech border) with it good youth hostel and of course Salzburg.

• YOUTH HOSTELS: We stayed in only one (Freistadt); no one else was there; we met the caretaker only once!

• INFORMATION: tourist offices have heaps of brochures including cycle routes, camping, etc.

• SUPERMARKETS: nice but EXPENSIVE. Bread can bankrupt you!

• OUR EXPERIENCE: 16 days in June and July. It was all south of and including Prague in Bohemia. We had some rain in early July. It was very enjoyable.

• BIKING: non-stop rolling hills in Bohemia. Almost no traffic off the major highways. Secondary roads were deserted. Some roads had poor surfaces.

• TOWNS: Historic southern Bohemian towns were all wonderful: Cesky Krumlov, Ceske Budejovice, Trebon, Tabor, Telc, etc.

• CAMPING: varied. 3 star campsites were very good and some cheap ones were interesting "experiences". A camping map is available from tourist offices. Almost every campsite had a beer garden!

• MAPS: We bought a spiral 1:200,000 map book (it included Slovakia) at a tourist office). Campsites were accurately indicated on the maps.

• COSTS: cheap. We spent more money than required but we ate out, stayed in some hostels, bungalows, etc.

• BEST BUYS: Czech beer (always cheapest at campsite beer gardens). "Budweiser" came second to "Rebel", a beautiful cream ale.

• ALTERNATIVE RECREATION: We rented canoes and arranged transport in Cesky Krumlov for a fun 2 day trip along the river (very popular with Czechs). We learned the Czech worked for hello: "ahoy"!

• PRAGUE: The "Apple Garden" campsite, just south of the city was excellent. It was well served by the bus and metro into town. There is a good bar just down the street.

• INFORMATION: Tourist offices are helpful and often sell a huge range of guidebooks and maps.

• SUPERMARKETS: sometimes limited choice but generally fine.

• WOULD BE USEFUL: A Czech phrase book gets you past ordering beer. Some campsite staff speak German. English and German are widely spoken in Prague.

• BIKE SHOPS: A few in Prague. We didn’t look, or see too many, elsewhere. The usual stuff is available in Prague (especially for mountain bikes).

• OUR EXPERIENCE: 79 days in April, May, June and then September into October. We had bad weather at both ends. France is our favourite cycle country. We returned there for 3 months in 2001.

• BIKING: Very diverse landscape. Huge extensive secondary and tertiary road system; some beautiful roads with little traffic and wonderful villages en route to anywhere.

• CAMPING: Best value for money in Europe; nice sites; friendly staff; good access; plenty everywhere during the 6 month season.

• MAPS: Michelin maps are the best all round cycle maps in Europe. 1:200,000. Stick to "white" roads as much as possible. Campsites are not marked on Michelin maps.

• COSTS: Surprisingly cheap if you do not eat in restaurants.

• INFORMATION: Widely available at tourist offices. The tourist office in London has many regional camping guides (free). Most regions have them; often available at tourist offices. The Michelin camping guide was useful but a little heavy to carry. A listing of Gites d’etape is more difficult to come by but might be useful.

• SUPERMARKETS: The best in Europe. Plenty to choose from and to keep you interested.

• ALTERNATIVE LODGING: Some YHA hostels are inexpensive. Some Gites d’etape are another option.

• VERY HANDY: A knowledge of some French opens up lots of doors (like a tour of the tiny bakery in Bendorf). The English and German languages are not very well received.

• BIKE SHOPS: Generally very good; mostly racing and mountain biking (VTT).

• FRENCH BREAD: There is more to France than the baguette. Try some of the other breads where available.

• REGIONS: The Jura (hills near the Swiss border), inland Normandy, Southern France, and anywhere going cross-country are good. Avoid the Mediterranean coastline. We found the Loire to be over-rated as a cycling destination. The Acquitaine (SW) coastline was terrificly relaxing.

• OUR EXPERIENCE: 25 nights in June and August; across from the Mosel out to Passau and back through Southern Bavaria. We had a fair amount of rain. Interesting to pass through Germany but we didn’t have a desire to linger.

• BIKING: We followed river basins sometimes crossing from one to another and had little hill work except in parts of Bavaria. Primarily bike paths (usually loose very fine gravel). Disappointing after France, especially since many bike paths avoid villages.

• GERMAN VILLAGES: The average village does not grab your attention, but there are some towns with historic centres that do such as Rothenberg o.d. Tauber, Regensberg and Passau. Watch out for the high season; coach loads of tourists and plenty of kitchy souvenirs; sometimes a little bit too sweet.

• CAMPING: Fine. The height of the August vacation period stretches their capacity.

• MAPS: Difficult. The bicycle maps have 1:100,000 scale,were overpriced and show poor detail if you want to stray off a cycle route; poor value. Road maps never provided complete detail. The tourist bike brochure of Bavaria combined with a road map was a reasonable compromise. We sometimes consulted other cyclists’ biking maps. Detailed guides and maps are available for each major "cycle route"; they were pricey.

• INFORMATION: Information on camping by region was sometimes available at tourist offices.

• SUPERMARKETS: Utilitarian, little choice and cheap prices (e.g. LIDL, Penny Market, PLUS). For a full choice supermarket, the premium is considerable. "Milka" chocolate bars were a bargain.

• NICE BIKING SECTIONS: Parts of the Mosel and Neckar Rivers. Roads west of Rothenberg o.d. Tauber were quiet enough to eat your lunch on them!

• FORGETTABLE: The Rhine and Munich.

• BAVARIA: Lots of nice roads in Southern Bavaria but it was easy to slip, unknowingly onto busy roads.

• BIKE SHOPS: Very good selection of bike stuff and good mechanics.

• LANGUAGE: We didn’t know too much German except how to book into a campsite…not everyone speaks English as some might suggest!

• SURPRISING; The number of touring cyclists, especially retired people (following flat routes). Having said that, once you step off a bike route, the other cyclists completely disappear.

• OUR EXPERIENCE: 10 nights in July; we followed the Danube part way, stayed in Budapest and rode the western border areas. It was hot. We enjoyed it and could have stayed longer

• BIKING: Our limited experience in the rolling hill country bordering Austria had light traffic and interesting towns. We skipped Lake Balaton as it was peak tourist season.

• CAMPING: Good quality tourist campgrounds had swimming pools; perfect for a hot day. Less developed sites cost less and were fine. There is a reasonable network of campgrounds in the country.

• MAPS: We picked up a spiral 1:200,000 map book when we entered Hungary. It was fine.

• SUPERMARKETS: Very good. Simple in small towns.

• INFORMATION: Brochures and camping guides are available from friendly tourist offices.

• LANGUAGE: A Hungarian phrasebook was useful but not essential. German is sometimes spoken.

• SWIMMING POOLS: A mid-day break at a public swimming pool (you can often bring your bike into the grounds) was a nice treat. The Buk thermal pools were a different, positive experience.

• OUR EXPERIENCE: We spent 4 weeks in the flat Po valley, riding from Milan to Venice return in April/May 1999. It was easy cycling and we took our time, visiting many of the historic towns and cities. Weather was good most of the time (low 20's celcius, sometimes foggy, always humid).

• ROADS: We found plenty of quieter roads throughout the Po Valley. Drivers were courteous.

• MAPS: touring Club Italiano 1:200,000 maps were fair. The maps were 95% accurate. The white roads were dirt roads about half the time (our mountain bikes came in handy on dirt and on the cobbled streets). Campsites were not marked on the maps.

• CAMPSITES: Italian campsites are concentrated along the seaside. We found them to be somewhat over-priced compared to other European campsites. Showers were always HOT. Each region we visited had free camping guides available from Tourist Offices. "Wild camping", especially near rivers, is very possible. Camping carnets provided us more discounts than anywhere else in Europe. The Cremona and Ferrera campsites stood out as nice, good value places on the outskirts of very nice towns. We were also able to camp at a couple of youth hostels for a very reasonable charge.

• VENICE CAMPING: We found the "Serrinisima" site at Oriago to be very quiet and well run. A 20-25 minute bus ride brought you into town. It was a very good deal in Venice.

• WHICH REGIONS: Apparently, Le Marche and Umbria are the best overall cycling regions. Tuscany can be brutally hilly. The Po valley is the only flat area in the country.

• CLIMATE: May is the best. Summers can be very hot.

• RESTAURANTS: Eating out can be quite reasonable.

• OUR EXPERIENCE: It’s a tiny country; we spent 2 nights there; you could ride through in a day. We liked it.

• BIKING: We followed the Rhine bike path and roads. Riding into the mountains would make some good (tough) day trips. There is a good cycling infrastructure.

• CAMPING: We stayed at both campsites (there are 2 in the entire country). Very good.

• MAPS: Extensions of Swiss or German maps are sufficient.

• COSTS: Same as Switzerland. They use the Swiss Franc as currency.

• THE HIGHLIGHT: We "knocked off" four countries in a morning (Germany, Austria, Switzerland and Liechtenstein).

• OUR EXPERIENCE: We spent only 2 nights in Luxembourg on our first visit; a week would have been nicer. Quiet roads and some nice bike paths. Very nice. In 2001, we spent more time in Luxembourg (2 weeks, though did not ride the whole time).

• CAMPING: Plenty. A little more expensive than in France. Well run.

• MAPS: Extensions of Swiss or German maps are sufficient.

• SUPERMARKETS: Very good. Similar to French or Belgian supermarkets.

• HIGHLIGHT: The bike path from the south (Hasperange), through the ravine into Luxembourg City. An elevator gets you into town!

• OUR EXPERIENCE: We left our bikes behind in Spain at a campsite. We were in Morocco for 53 nights from December to January.

• WHEN TO GO: November to March can be surprisingly wet. Our experience was 3 very wet and cold days every week. It is hot in the summer. Best in October or April?

• WHERE: Central Morocco looks most promising. Watch out for the long distances!

• TRAINS AND BUSES: We saw no provision for bikes on the trains, but buses do take bikes for a fee.

• FIRST HAND EXPERIENCE: We met 3 touring cyclists. Their biggest issue was kids begging in the villages; when they rode out of town, they were often stoned (the rock type, not the drug kind) by the very same kids. Their overall experience didn’t sound great. We’d recommend taking the bus and doing some walking in the mountains instead but each to their own!

• OUR EXPERIENCE: We spent 2 weeks in September 2001 and got rained out.We would like to have seen much more of the country but the weather was so poor. Some very nice places and fun to ride in good weather.

• CAMPING: Plenty. They were well run.

• MAPS: At ANWB stores you can buy 2 maps that cover the entire country with major cycle paths marked. The map is called "De Sterkste, Fietskaart van Nederland" in the "Handig formaat" (small pocket size with velcro closure)

• SUPERMARKETS: OK and in convenient locations. Albert Heijn is tough to avoid and the best. Some of the discount German stores(LIDL or Aldi) are making inroads.

• ROUTES: Some of the small farmer's roads are nicer and more interesting than the prescribed cycle routes. The quiet roads are quiet.

• OUR EXPERIENCE: Just 3 nights in the south to avoid following the (boring) Danube. Agricultural land; it was hot. It was a strange surreal experience at times.

• BIKING: Generally quiet, once away from Bratislava. Good roads. The north would be mountainous and more challenging.

• CAMPING: In July, the campsites were very busy and often part of a recreational complex (thermal pools, disco, etc.)

• MAPS: We used the Czech/Slovakian map that we had purchased in Czech Republic.

• SUPERMARKETS: Sometimes basic, but very adequate.

• INFORMATION: The Bratislava tourist office furnished us with a camping brochure.

• LANGUAGE: Similar to Czech.

• BEER: good, similar to Czech beer (not quite as good).

• WE DID NOT ENJOY: Riding east out of Bratislava

• OUR EXPERIENCE: Only a week in July/August and much of that staying with friends. Very enjoyable. Warm sunny weather.

• BIKING: Very good in border areas, but busier roads in the more populated areas.

• CAMPING: Good campsites.

• COSTS: Prices are a little more than neighbouring Hungary but much less than Austria to the north.

• MAPS: We worked off the edge of our Austrian and Hungarian maps. The Freytag map and others are locally available.

• SUPERMARKETS: Fairly good.

• INFORMATION: Tourist offices and camping guide available.

• LANGUAGE: We muddled through. There were some similarities with Czech. German or English are sometimes understood.

• HIGHLIGHTS: Postojna caves and Bled Lake are not to be missed.

• OUR EXPERIENCE: 49 nights in October through December, entering from France (Mediterranean) and out to Morocco. Very good weather (cooling off in Nov/Dec). Disappointing in the NorthEast but very rewarding in Andalucia.

• BIKING: Rugged terrain. Bigger distances than the rest of Europe. Not a very extensive secondary road system in areas. Plenty of trucks on some national highways (carrying produce to Northern Europe). Extra route planning is required to avoid busy roads.

• CAMPING: Sometimes expensive . A practice of charging for bicycles exists (as in Portugal). The bigger, better run campsites were often cheaper than the smaller ones. The larger ones usually discount their rates during non-peak, non-summer months. We camped "wild" out of necessity a number of times (not as easy as it sounds as it got dark very early, which didn’t allow much time to scout around).

• COSTS:Hotels, restaurants and transportation are cheaper than their Western European counterparts but camping and supermarkets are more than in France.

• MAPS: The Michelin 1:400,000 are barely adequate (pretty much, the best there is). Easy to underestimate distances and hills. It is cheaper to buy the maps in France.

• SUPERMARKETS: Fairly good, though not a huge range of products always available.

• WINE: Variable luck with overpriced Rioja wines; we had better luck with other regional wines.

• BEST DEAL: Extra virgin olive oil!

• TRAINS AND BUSES: Relatively inexpensive. Many buses will take bikes. Stopping trains take bikes for free. Some longer trains do also. Commuter trains around cities are useful and cheap to avoid going through residential and industrial sprawls.

• INFORMATION: Tourist offices were useful. A basic camping map is available. We bought a full camping guide to Spain.

• LANGUAGE: We speak Spanish.

• DON’T MISS: Whilst Spanish bread is mediocre, the Chocolate "Napos" are much better than the French "pan au chocolate". Gerona (near Barcelona) is also not to be missed (we did).

• WHEN TO GO: Mid February to mid May and mid September to mid November for the "dry and hot parts" of Spain (non-Atlantic or Pyrennes) as summer is outrageously hot. Winter is cooler than we expected.

• OUR EXPERIENCE: 26 nights. A few nights in the west and NorthWest, but mostly in the backbone of the Alps country. Mixed weather in May and August/September. We enjoyed the Alps region but the weather closed in for the remainder of the summer, so we left earlier than we would have hoped for.

• BIKING:A good cycle route system if you stick with the recommended routes or combinations. Swiss cycle routes make good use of pre-existing quiet roads through beautiful country. The big passes take a good part of the day to climb but some mountain zones are well worth the effort (with clear weather). There are a surprising number of relatively flat routes throughout the country in addition to some pretty tough ones.

• CAMPING: On average, they are among the best campsites in Europe. Some have kitchens and dining areas for tenters.

• MAPS: The single bicycle map of Switzerland (1:300,000) with routes indicated is all you need for the entire country. It was available at most kiosks and bookshops in Switzerland.

• SUPERMARKETS: Excellent and good bread in them, but shop carefully; it can be expensive if you buy the wrong items.

• INFORMATION: Tourist offices.

• SWISS WINE: Good but like everything else, it costs. We stuck with a couple of good imported table wines.

• TRAIN AND BUS: Beware the surcharge on top of the hefty fares. Swiss people all buy annual discount cards if they use public transportation.