Europe (all)

In May, 2007, I spent 15 days cycling in north-central Italy and covered about 1600 km (990 miles). I cannot understate how great the trip was and I suggest anyone who is eager for culture, amazing food, adventure, and a physical and mental challenge to follow in my tracks. Wine-lovers will also find this route especially pleasing.

The route begins and ends at Milan Centrale train station, providing an easy connection to the rest of Europe. Overall, the trip was flawless with only one flat tire. The route would be best suited for anyone who wants to cover lots of miles and see the main sights of north-central Italy (e.g. Venice, Tuscany, Cinque Terre, and Langhe/Roero). Although my trip was great, I would make some changes, and these are suggested below. I've briefly described the route and sights for each day. Please feel free to contact me for more specific information and advice (calebschiff@gmail.com).

This is my first bike journey. I visited many places, and saw many things. I hope it inspires you to get on two wheels, instead of doing the usual airline-backpacker thing.

Epilogue. ``Why have we come all this way to go cycling in Holland''.

Last year we wondered if we should have done the NSCR in Norway last, after doing all the other sections, seeing the spectacular range of countryside and the beauty of it all. This year's trip has sort of confirmed that we might have been right. That is not to say that there is no beauty in the Danish landscape. There is, and in our opinion the loveliest sections of the Danish NSCR were in the Northern part of the Jutland. As for the rest of the route there were gems to be found every now and again, which made it worth doing.........

.............However when you compare the Danish section of the NSCR to Norway, say the NSCR, Rallarvegen or Numedalsruta, the Danish NSCR falls short in sheer WOW! factor. The Rallarvegen in particular has fantastic scenery and it a great challenge. It is also amusing to be cycling at an altitude higher than the highest point in the UK. The Numedal, although it changes considerably from the higher reaches down to Larvik, is just gorgeous and treasures such as the stave churches complement the beautiful scenery.

Welcome to the Wish Tour!

Below you will find the photos and journal from a two-year, 20,000-mile bicycle journey around the world.

Starting in July 2005, this journal will take readers across the United States, Europe, Turkey, Uzbekistan, Kyrgystan, China, Tibet, Nepal, India, Bangladesh, Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, Cambodia, Malaysia, Borneo, Indonesia, Australia and New Zealand.

The journey began more than 20 years ago, as the seeds of a dream to circumnavigate the globe were cultivated from a deeply personal and painful experience.

[Absolutely stunning pictures.]

Info, mappa del percorso, foto dell'edizione 2006 e link intorno al famoso Sella Ronda bike day, che segue un tour dei passi dolomitici (Passo Pordoi, Passo Sella, Passo Gardena e Passo Campolongo).

Epilogue.

Indelible impressions.

The final irritation on arrival in Schiphol did not diminish the wonderful memories we have of the tour and of Norway. The amazing light and vivid colours of sky and sea, the torrential summer downpours, still stay with me to this day. Not forgetting the range of roads and routes and landscape. I still have flashbacks of places that I did not photograph and have no idea where they were on the route.

We wonder if we should have done the NSCR in Norway last, seeing the spectacular range of countryside and the beauty of it all. I suspect that everything else will be an anti-climax after this. Still we started here with the NSCR and we'd like to go back one day and do it again.

This was our first ever long cycle tour, (and my first attempt at a travelogue). The trip was a wonderful experience for the both of us, and got us hooked on cycle holidays. As well as the travelogue there are picture galleries of the trip, and some information about the bikes and gear we used, plus things we learned about cycling.

A 9 day circular tour from Ávila (train to/from Madrid) on quiet roads through great scenery.

From Ávila, a long day westwards put us to within easy reach of the natural park of Las Butecas - Sierra de Francia, with some great cycling. Interesting mountain villages such as Mogarraz and La Alberca were followed by a climb over the Peña de Francia and a long descent to the delightful historic town of Ciudad Rodrigo.

Heading south from Ciudad Rodrigo got us to our primary objectives, the Sierra de Gata and Las Hurdes areas of northern Extremadura. The journey westwards took us along the northern boundary of the Sierra de Gredos before returning to Ávila.

Our new neighbors in the European Union and musings over the history and downfall of the Habsburg Empire led us to plan a trip through the countries involved: Austria, Hungary, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegowina, Romania, Montenegro, Poland, Ukraine, Italy and Serbia. Here you can read about the trip as planned and how far we got.

Late December, we left cold Holland to cycle in the sunny south of Spain. We made a tour through the Alpujarras, around the famous Sierra Nevada and along the Costa Tropical. You can see some pictures and our comments.

Rond oud & nieuw 2006 - 2007 fietsten we een week in het zonnige zuiden van Spanje. Vanuit Granáda fietsten we naar de Alpujarras, rond de Sierra Nevada en vervolgens richting en langs de Costa Tropical naar Málaga. In bijna 500 kilometer zagen we bergen, sneeuw, sinaasappelbomen, olijfbomen, cactussen, half-woestijn, bos, zee, strand en vooral: véél zon!

This cycle route from 25.04.07 to 25.05.07 was one of the most beautiful but most strenuous I ever made. Greece and Croatia with their many islands are very hilly. The advantage of such a landscape, it offers a different panorama at every bend. The total altitude my odometer shows is over 18.000 meters. That is two times the Mount Everest, not from the foot of the mountain but sea level. The weather is also responsible whether or not a journey remains a in great memory. During the whole journey I have had 4 hours rain on the morning from Pula to Porec (Istrien). That was the only rain I have had. In Greece the sky was sometimes cloudy, but I was not at all sad about this natural sun protection.

The Kystriksveien is a beautiful and unspoilt 670 km route along the RV17 coast road from Steinkjer in Trondelag to Bodø in Nordland, Northern Norway. We cycled along 450 km of the juicy bits (using ferries and a couple of buses for the rest) between 29 July and 13 August 2006. This travelogue describes the route we followed and the accommodation we found en route, with additional notes on web links and maps/guides for the journey. The Kystriksveien is known to just a few touring cyclists who appreciate how quiet and scenic it can be; it isn't a destination that sees a lot of cyclists, even during the high season between June and the second week of August.

The clock was ticking, I was one hour off C-Day with everything packed. I had gone through my checklist time & time again fully knowing that as always with my memory I was bound to have forgotten something.

[...]

3 days in, the sun had come out and I was settling down into my monotonous click, click of turning peddles, I was just dwelling on trying to figure out how many revolutions I'll need to turn these things to get me to my final destination, when In front of me not 30m away was a police car blocking the tow-path. On closer inspection its inhabitants were, as I first thought just having a crafty fag break down on the River embankment. But what was he trying to cover up with that white blanket? Like a puzzle it all clicked in, he was covering up a dead body & as it looked (why did I look) a pretty decomposed one at that!

Retching was not a clever idea when you're in a strong head wind & speeding at 25km. But the sight of that body will stick with me for the rest of my life.

Was this the way it was supposed to be? I was planning a pleasant cycle trip along the Rhine to chill out and clear my muddled head of all my earthly problems! But this was turning into a Hollywood horror movie & I was the sucker, who you always knew, was first up to get mutilated.

Well did I survive to tell the tale, did I find the inner me that I was looking for? Read on & find out!

In June 2007 I have joined a few members (20) of my worldcyclist-club to cycle a week in Great Brittain (De Wereldfietser). On my webspace you'll find information of the route and pictures to tell the story.

Our Dutch cycling adventure started on September 3, 2006 with our arrival in Amsterdam. After a few days of sightseeing in and around Amsterdam we took the train to Apeldoorn and cycled to our first overnight stop near Brummen. Over the next 4 weeks we cycled up and down the Netherlands and to Brugge in Belgium. The trip exceeded our expectations and we enjoyed fantastic weather.

If you are planning a similar trip you will find a lot of useful information in our detailed trip Itinerary, day-by-day Trip Report, and the collection of Practical Tips.

If you would like to see the beauty of the Netherlands do not miss the Best Photos. You may also be interested in our recommendations for the best places to see, stay and eat in our Top 5. Enjoy your virtual bicycle tour with Glen and Margaret!

Tagebuch einer dreitägigen Frühlingsfahrt mit dem Rad von München über Bad Tölz und Achensee nach Innsbruck

In winter 2003 we cycled around Iceland on road n°1. It was not that cold but very stormy with heavy snow and rainfall. the 1200 km were really hard-earned....

Il s'agit de l'aventure unique d'un étudiant parti à la conquête de l'Europe. Vous pourrez suivre son parcours, ses aventures et anecdotes au quotidien...

Il est actuellement en Croatie et parcours près de 80km/J.

At moment Raoul (who has left on 12 May from Civitanova Marche, Italy) on his bicycle is along the road to Kaamanen (Finland) where he is going to stay overnight. In the next two days he will reach Nordkapp!!!!! ;-))

A three week bicycle journey through the south of Norway in the year 2004. It was a round trip from Oslo - to Geilo - Flam - and back to Oslo. An amazing journey in a great Country. A detailed travelogue waits for you.

Bike trip in September 2006 through Croatia, and a bit of Bosnia. We traveled almost through the whole coast, sometimes with a bit of island hopping. See for yourself!

Eine kurze Frühlingsreise von Nürnberg nach Rothenburg ob der Tauber, durch das Altmühltal nach Neuburg an der Donau, und weiter nach München. Gesamtstrecke: 330 km.

journal + a lot pictures

La mia bicicletta ha circa due mesi di vita: una city bike rossa, 21 rapporti, con la quale ho fatto circa 130 km, un po' sui colli bolognesi, un po' nei dintorni di Cereglio, e una quindicina su stupende, alte montagne marchigiane.

journal + a lot pictures

In spring 2007 we cycled Belgium on our new bicycles. In fact we cycled 550 km of the Benelux (Netherlands, Belgium and Luxembourg). The sun was shining we've got a week off so we got our gear and cycled away. On my webspace you'll find a description of the route and a few pictures of the trip to tell the story. Enjoy!

I made this short tour because of a name: my bicycle has ``St Gothard'' written on it. But Gods didn't make it easy for me. My very last kms down from St Gotthard pass were like this:

``The heat was evaporating rapidly from my wet hands, and every gallery on the way down meant a refuge like coming home. I brake intermittently with one hand, sucking the water out of the glove on the other one. Behind the road barrier I can't see anything, it's total whiteness, I'm riding through the cloud. Could be like heaven if I weren't soaked to the bones.''

Mal & Lee on a world recumbent cycle tour of the world.

Just completed a cross continent tour of Australia and circumnavigation of Tasmania.... Off to the UK now :-)

Agosto 2006: 1.000 km lungo la costa siciliana da Palermo a Trapani, Marsala, Mazara, Agrigento, Ragusa, Siracusa, Catania, Messina e tutti i bellissimi paesini incontrati.

Mare, sole, arte, storia, sapori e profumi dell'isola al centro del mediterraneo, dove hanno attraccato e hanno lasciato tracce della loro cultura Fenici, Greci, Romani, Arabi, Normanni, Spagnoli, da Ulisse e Archimede, a Federico II, fino a Garibaldi e ai giorni nostri

A short tour of some of Europe's flat bits...
1,029 km (639 miles) over 9 days from April 6, 2007 to April 14, 2007.

This was our third trip, I think, and this time we went to Ireland. A big warning to all travelling in the area: check the almanach for the rainy season. It may sound obvious but we didn't do our homework well and biked through a very rainy period which wasn't fun. Ireland is windy too so watch out and get in shape.

Ireland is absolutely beautiful and friendly and a lot of fun, it is also very green as everyone knows and I love green. Enjoy the pictures and stories.

This is our 6th yearly tour, taking us to Romania. It was shorter than usual but we got a few miles clocked. From Bucharest we headed north into the mountains, across, and down to the Hungarian towns of Transylvania. Then east toward Moldavia and back down to the Danube Delta.

We highly recommend this tour because the roads have gotten to be excellent in Romania, and in September the winds and weather are just perfect. We could wake up at 9 AM and still do 150km along the river. If you go - don't miss the special soup ``ciorba de perisioare'', it's delicious.

A one month cycle tour from Lund Sweden, to Switzerland via the Rhine and Moselle Rivers during the summer of 2005. Total distance 1600km together, plus 1000km solo back to Sweden. We left with a road map book of Europe, a guide book of the Rhine, but without a German phrasebook (we speak English and French). Some hiking in the Alps as a side trip.

Queste pagine raccolgono gli itinerari lungo l'Adda, il quarto fiume d'Italia, nel suo primo tratto, in Valtellina. La pista ciclabile dell'Adda, nel suo tratto in provincia di Sondrio, prende il nome di Sentiero Valtellina. Il percorso è ancora in fase di realizzazione, ma è stato commpletato quasi all'80% al mese di aprile 2007.

Pictures of my bicycle tours through the Alps.

Eine Radtour quer durch Süddeutschland über 667 Kilometer. Die Tagesetappen betragen zwischen 105 und 156 Kilometer. Die Tour beginnt und endet in München. Durch das oberbayerische Voralpenland geht es nach Füssen. Nach der Fahrt durch das Allgäu erreichen wir den Bodensee. Mit dem Rheinfall bei Schaffhausen ist der westlichste Punkt der Rundfahrt erreicht. Nur 30 Kilometer weiter nördlich fließt die Donau, der wir ostwärts bis kurz vor Ulm folgen. Ab Laupheim geht es schnurstracks nach Osten bis München.

Eine abwechslungsreiche Radtour durch das zentrale Südfrankreich über insgesamt 630 km, 7 Tagesetappen zwischen 64 und 120 Kilometer.

Eine reizvolle Radtour in 7 Etappen über insgesamt 829 km durch hügeliges Gelände, Tagesetappen zwischen 90 und 145 km. Die Etappenziele wurden nach Sehenswürdigkeiten und dem Angebot der örtlichen Gastronomie ausgewählt.

Mon voyage entre Venise et Rome, environ 900kms de bonheur en passant par Bologne, Florence, Sienne, Montepulciano... Un vrai bonheur! Avec des cartes, infos pratiques, tracks GPS...

My travel in Italy in 2005 from Venice to Rome, about 900kms of happiness and beautiful landscapes going through Bologne, Florence, Sienna, Montepulciano... A pure delight!! Maps, practical infos and GPS recordings included. In French but don't hesistate to ask for details...