Europe (local)

After the last 2 years of my alpine bicycletours, in 2006 I went back to the Alps with the aim that after my tour maybe I would be the first hungarian people who bicycled up to all (74-75) of the asphalted alpine passes above 2000m. After 6 years of alone bicycling, this year I had two guys with me. In Italy and France we had nice, warm, sunny days with cycling a few hard cols, passes, like the 2612m high Passo Nivolet (I'm sure between the 3 best / most beautiful passes, where I had been), or the almost unknown Passo del Preit (2083 m), onto we bicycled in stormy weather with thunderstorms. The Fort Gondran (2347 m)was also very nice next to Briancon, I can suggest to visit it.

After Col du Lautaret, Alpe d'Huez, Col du Sabot, we arrived to Chamonix on a nice day, when at last we could see the snowfields of the Mont Blanc before sunset. Next day we got rain and cold as we cycled to Switzerland, and the bad weather remained for 3-4 days long. We had to postpone passes onto the next days, or climbed 1-2 of them partly in rain and arrived to the top in 4-8 degrees Celsius. The Sustenpass was the worst and coldest. The Passo Spluga (2117 m) was also a very beautiful pass, with a lot of hairpins, views and superb hairpin-row on a almost vertical wall, with short straight sections. Because the times went by too fast on that evening I decided to climb the famous Mortirolo (and the 2100m high Passo Val Bighera) in dark, in the night. It was wonderful: in a calm, dark forst in a warm air. I enjoyed very much the nature, air, and the views, because it was light, because I had fortune with the full Moon. I enjoyed the feeling so much, that I spent much time above. Our last pass was the Passo Goletto di Crocette (2070 m), onto we had 8-10% steep kilometers in or after raining for 2-3 hours. With a few passes postponed, we remained 4 passes to climb, that I did in September 2006.

Montenegro is beautiful. Montenegro is affordable. The personal train transport is also good in Montenegro (and you can carry bicycle). There are brilliant beaches, marvellous mountains and canyons, lovely lakes, old or cheer towns, a lot of cafes and restaruants with local specialities. So there are everything what we want. Even though we met only tree Russian bikers in this country.

In the summer of 2006 we cycled 62 days and 3700 kilometers through Europe. From Holland to Germany, the Alps, Italy, Corfu, Lefkada, Keffalonia, Greece and western Turkey to complete our journey in front of Istanbul's Blue Mosque. On our site you can find a lot of pictures, tips and travel stories (in Dutch, English will appear later).

In de zomer van 2006 fietsten we 3700 kilometer in 62 dagen door Europa. Van Nederland trokken we door Duitsland, de Alpen en Italië naar de Griekse eilanden Corfu, Lefkas en Keffalonia, over het Griekse vasteland naar Turkije om te eindigen voor de Blauwe Moskee in Istanbul. Veel plezier!

This journey I made in Sept.2005. From Bremgarten (AG) cycling in direction Graubünden,the eastern part of Switserland. I enjoyed one week cycling, climbing 7 passes.

The cycle tour in 2006 we decided to make within Norway. We had in fact never been to the coastal areas between Trondheim and Bodø before. A lot has been done to promote cycling along this coast line, and the choice was not too difficult to make. The coast of Helgeland, as this area is called, is not as well known as Lofoten, that lies farther to the north, but we had already cycled in Lofoten, so this time we went for Helgeland.

Why upstream the Elbe? Mostly, 80% to 90% there is west wind in Holland and North-Germany. Unfortunately the first few days it was the opposite. But of the 14 days only 2 were spoiled by rain, otherwise beautiful and in the beginning cloudless weather. At the same time there was a dreadful storm with flooding which caused enormous damage in the alpine area.

From Zürich (Switzerland) to Sicily (Italy). Through Lugano-Como-Bergamo-Verona-Vicenza-Padova-Ravenna-Rimini-Ancona to Pescara. After Pescara the river ``Sangro'' comes down out of the Abruzze mountains. I followed this river to get on the other side of Italy. Further through Napoli-Amalfi,down the coast of Calabry to Messina (Sicily) -Siracuse-Agrigento-Marsala-Trapani-to Palermo. (the capital of Sicily) Total kilometre 2731

Radtour von Rastatt nach Strassburg über die elsässische Weinstrasse weiter nach Colmar und schließlich nach Freiburg

I enjoyed a marvellous bike trip from Alicante (South Spain) back to Switzerland. Three high points I wanted to visit. First; the country of ``Don Quijote'' in Castilla y Mancha. Second; ``El Escorial'' west of Madrid. Third; ``the bridge over the river Tarn'' in South France, build of the English star architect Norman Forster. I avoided busy roads as much as possible and enjoyed the quiet side streets, especial along the Pyrenees.

The month August 2006 was one of the worst fore many years. Cold weather and much rain left little hope for a third bicycle tour this year. The weather forecasts of the first weekend in September promised however improvement. Sunday evening I packed my bags and Monday morning 10.15 a.m. I started cycling From Andermatt to Chur with a dertour.

Vom 20 Juli bis 08 August 2006 fuhren wir den Rhein entlang von der Quelle (Tomasee) bis zur Mündung in Katwijk aan zee. Dort trägt sie noch den Nahme ``Rijn'', im Gegensatz zu Hoek van Holland.

This is a description with lots of pictures of our August 2006 trip on tandem recumbent around Alsace with a few days in Bourgogne. We also did some traveling on the train, even with out very long bike. I also describe some of our planning work and how we built a box to take our 104-inch long bike on the airplanes from New York state to Mulhouse France. We camped part of the time and stayed in a great chambre d'hote (bed and breakfast) for several days.

Eine anspruchsvolle Radtour in 8 Tagesetappen über insgesamt 549 km durch das südliche Korsika, Tagesetappen zwischen 40 und 109 Kilometern.

A demanding bicycle tour over 8 days and 450 kilometers through southern Corsica. The daily stages were between 40 and 109 kilometers.

15 giorni per andare dal centro della selvaggia Norvegia alle isole Lofoten, lungo la mitica rv17 con le nostre mountain bike cariche all'estremo.

Un team per la prima volta formato da 6 persone, incontri e avventure tra traghetti e fiordi.

Photos and video of the more scenic and quiet backside ride up to Alpe d'Huez, Col de Sarenne, in the French Alps.

My girlfriend suggested we cycle from her brother's house to her mom's. Of course, her brother lived in Switzerland, and her mom in Austria, and there were a few mountains in between. I immediately jumped at the chance. Little did we realize that it would be the hottest summer in the Dolomites in 250 years. It was swelteringly hot, but we persevered, and had a great trip through some amazing scenery.

The canyon of the Tarn is one of the obvious highlights of the Cévennes National Park. Another landmark landscape phenomenon are the so called 'Causses'. Causses are the bleak and barren high limestone plateaus of the Cévennes National Park.

This site deals about a short but fascinating cycle trip that Willem Hoffmans and I undertook through the gorges, plateaus and volcano landscapes of the Massif Central. Cycling in the autumn means there are gew facilities but also few tourists, which gave us a whole new perspective of life in the French countryside.

After the long German winter, we are impatient to get started with the cycling season. Looking for a land of early spring sunshine and mild temperatures, we decide on Apulia, southern Italy, the heel of the boot.

Apulia is more than just sunshine. There are many small roads with little traffic, beautiful beaches and an excellent cuisine. Those interested in history and art won't be disappointed: with Palaeolithic finds, Greek vases, Romanesque churches, Norman fortresses and Baroque cities there is much to see.

We toured two weeks, 750 km and stayed in hotels or pensions.

A historical look at Alpe d'Huez plus written and photo reports from the Marmotte and Etape du Tour events. Both events finished at the top of Alpe d'Huez this past July.

In the summer of 2004 we cycled 2250 kilometer from Holland to Rome. During the trip we passed through 10 countries and cycled through the Ardennes, Vosges, Alps, Apennines and Tuscany. We enjoyed the beautiful italian villages and met a lot of other cyclists. A lot of pictures, tips and travel stories in Dutch (English translations will soon appear).

In 2004 fietsten we van Nederland naar Rome. We fietsten door 10 landen en door/over de Ardennen, Vogezen, Alpen, Appenijnen en Toscane. We genoten volop van de mooie Italiaanse stadjes en ontmoetten heel veel andere fietsers. Veel plezier!

During July and August 2005 we cycled through amazing Norway. Mountains, glaciers, fjords, forests, carribean-style beaches (with cold water :( ...), space and stillness. We cycled from the North Cape down to Oslo via the Lofoten, RV 17 Coastal Route, Trollstigen, Geiranger, RV 55 and Rallarvegen. A lot of pictures, tips and travel stories in Dutch (English translations will soon appear).

In juli en augustus 2005 fietsten we door fantastisch Noorwegen. Bergen, gletsjers, fjorden, bossen, bounty-eiland-strandje (met veel te koud water :( ...), rust en ruimte. We fietsten van de Noordkaap naar Oslo via de Lofoten, RV 17 Kustroute, Trollstigen, Geiranger, RV 55 en Rallervegen. Veel plezier!

From the beginning of the Italian Alps to Munich, and way back to Venice.

A self-organised, seven-day tour for four through the countryside of Eastern Slovenia and Western Hungary. A total of 647km travelled.

Highlights included: romantic Ljubljana, the socialist-realist new town of Velenje, traversing the Pohorje Massif via the Rogla ski resort, crossing the border at Kobilje, sampling erratic Hungarian driving techniques, having to off-road frequently, 85km of flat along Lake Balaton, the old town of Szekesfehervar (when we found it), and entering Budapest the hard way via the Buda hills.

All that and sampling every beer we could find...

In the summer of 2006 I have cycled from Stavanger in Southern Norway to the Nordkapp. It took me 3.260 kilometer along fjords, across islands and over highlands. These pages put together stories, pictures, maps and information about the cycling trip.

Siamo partiti il 16 luglio 2006 da Magdeburg. Abbiamo costeggiato l'Elbe, intersecando la Romanik Strasse, sino ad Amburgo. Lungo la riva sinistra dell'Elbe abbiamo raggiunto Cuxhaven sul Mare del Nord.

Da qui con una motonave che salpa due volte alla settimana siamo sbarcati a Brunsbuttel, sulla riva destra dell'estuario dell'Elbe e, attraverso l'alzaia del Nordsee-Ostsee Kanal, abbiamo guadagnato Kiel, sul Mar Baltico, dopo 830 km, il 26 luglio.

These pages describe a week long cycle tour through Central Tuscany in May 2006.

The route took me from Siena to Florence via Castelnuovo Berardenga, Vagliagli, Radda, Gaiole, Panzano, Montefioralle, Greve, San Polo, Strada, and Impruneta.

In questa sezione del sito personale di Paolo Adamoli vengono descritti alcuni viaggi in bicicletta dal 1998 al 2006.

Oltre a itinerari classici come il Danubio da Ulm a Bratislava, è interessante l'ultimo viaggio, nel luglio 2006, da Magdeburgo al mare del Nord e lungo il Nordsee-Ostsee-Kanal sino a Kiel, sul mar Blatico.

Solo biking trip still in progress from a 31 year old woman ex-software engineer. Started April 8th, 2006 in Lisbon, headed East towards Istanbul. Currently in Dresden, Germany, over 5000 kms pedalled so far, across most of continental Europe.

Descriptions of our one to four week tandem tours at a leisurely pace following river valleys where possible and always via the most minor roads.

In France: Provence and the Luberon; Dieppe, Normandy coast and Rouen; Saintes to Perpignan; Saintes to Strasbourg; St. Malo to Montpellier; The Loire Valley and Suisse Normande

In Ireland: Cork to Galway via the West Coast

In Scotland: August 2005: Lairg to Cape Wrath via Polbain and Altnaharra; Glasgow to John O' Groats and the Orkneys

In England: Newcastle to Berwick-upon-Tweed

Mi aventura personal. Viaje a Santiago de Compostela en Bicicleta de montaña. Mayo de 2006. Consejos, recorrido en fotos, lista de material necesario, etapas...

This bike trip in France, from Metz to Nice in July 2006, was our annual club event.

The Lafayette Riders (Cavaliers) started in the Alsace-Lorraine region of France, where a cardiologist noted the poor condition of the miners and determined to do something about it. Bicycles seemed the answer. Eventually, the mining group encountered American riders and it was decided to form a group with the Marquis de Lafayette being the symbol of enduring Franco-American friendship.

The Lafayette Riders alternate between France and the United States each year, and next year (2007) the club will get together in northern California.

Nancy and Ron take a leisurely 28 day tour through parts of Switzerland, starting and ending in Zurich. Ron took more than 3,000 high quality photos and over 200 are included in this journal.

This is my July 2006 tour in the south of Germany, from Basel to Ulm (and some days in Switzerland)

Un tour par les petites routes et par des cols ni très hauts ni très connus pour arriver sur une montagne vraiment unique.

Taking small roads and riding over passes neither very high nor well known to climb to a really unique mountain.

Kleine Strassen und wenig bekannte, nicht so hohe Pässe, die zum einem einzigartigen Berg führen.

Cycling from St Jean Pied Du Port to Santiago de Compostella. Slowly.

Cycling from Luni to Rome on the mediaeval pilgrimage road, the Via Francigena.

We turned off the road onto a very steep up and down track which took us through the forest and past a large dam. At first the path had a concrete surface and the water was running down it in a continuous stream. After we had passed the dam, the track deteriorated into soft sand and was unrideable for much of the way. Eventually, we struggled into Velesin. There was plenty of evidence that they had been hit by a heavy storm and many people were busy pumping water from their flooded basements. That night we saw on television that the area just south of here had suffered flash flooding, trees blown down and major power cuts as a result of the storm. Luckily, we seem to have been skirting the edge of the storm for most of the day and missed most of the rain and winds.

It rained every day of our tour but only for a short period at a time, so we had plenty of time to enjoy the beauty of the country and the attractive towns and cities.

The Donauradweg is one of the most popular cycle touring routes in Europe. Thousands of people ride on the bike paths along the Danube each year. Even grandparents and young school children do it. So popular is the Austrian section of the route that during the summer holiday period, Austrian railways run special bicycle trains to carry people to and from the start and end of their ride.

So why would we want to join the crowds and cycle from Donaueschingen to Vienna?

The answer is simple. This is one of the most pleasant and enjoyable cycle rides anywhere. Picturesque old towns and villages, dramatic castles dominating the skyline, spectacular gorges, delightful forests and a beautiful river. All of these combine to make this a cycle tour to remember.