Thorn Cycles Forum
Community => Muppets Threads! (And Anything Else) => Topic started by: Pedaldog on February 16, 2004, 06:46:59 pm
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I want to go somewhere nice and warm and cheap for a tour.
I would like to go to India again as it's 12 years since I was last there and I would like to go on the Nomad and take a tent for odd nights.
Assuming I can sort out the air travel and things, how much money do I need to have for a decent day with lots of eating food, drinking things and staying in cheapist possible accommodations?
Anywhere else that is as low cost or lower and safe?
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Anywhere else that is as low cost or lower and safe?
Home? ;)
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Cheap? Safe? Home?
I thought you lived in NY, I-T?
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It seems Cheaper than units on the Upper West Side...
It seems Safer than say, ahem, errrr, urgh, Baghdad...
Home- I've named the cockroaches. ;=)
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Looking at Mid June 2004 for a start point.
Any ideas, info or wossnames are welcomed....!
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Go to Germany, it is the cyclist's paradise. There are long distance cycle paths along the main rivers. I am sure that there are informative websites. The weather is approx. like what we get here. Everything is cheaper especially the food. The natives are friendly, helpful and have a sense of humour!!
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How to get to Germany....
Do I fly and take the hassle of the boxing up for air? Is there another and cheaper way than ferries and trains bearing in mind I live in North West England and my nearest Ferry ports are Hull or Newcastle.
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Have you had a look at the European Bike Express? www.bike-express.co.uk? It is a bus with a trailer onto which you just push your bike.
Or www.bicyclegermany.com?
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Hi Mario,
Was thinking of the EBE as I have had their info for a couple of years and seen them at the CTC York rally. They start in mid May and that is a very definite possibility. I would go out on one route and maybe a different pick up point onthe way back. I want to do no more than 40 or so miles a day with plenty of time for plodding about the places I see.
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Hi Pedaldog, if I remember correctly, one route goes to Basle, just inside Switzerland. There is Lake Constance you could visit. You also could 'trundle' in and out of France. The Danube is worth looking at. There are in Bavaria masses of barock Churches, and then just zig-zag your way up north (where the landscape generally gets flatter).
I am sure you will love it. Most Gs. speak English btw.
If I can be of further help, let me know.
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Sounds good Mario, thanks.
I have got this years brochure on its way in the post so I think I'll ask here and on the C+ forum for as many ideas as I can get.
The main thing is that I need it to be really as low cost as possible and be camping too.
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New idea!!!!!!
Might use a hairy plin and get to somewhere in Germany. Frankfurt has a few memories that I might like to look at but I don't know the cycling or camping round that way. Anybody here any ideas?
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How about Sweden Dude?
I really just want to go somewhere a bit different and the only real stopping point is the cost so I have to use the Tent.
Any input on that idea Peter?
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Drink very expensive!
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Talking to me? Sure Sweden is a grand place for touring! Prices are steadily dropping as the rest of Europe/World is catching up! Prices of alcohol is in fact dropping the most due to pressure of the new EU import regulation. A glass of lager in the cheaper places are far less than in UK pubs, due in large part to weak currency:
http://www.gotlandweb.com/international/practical/facts.htm#PRICE%20EXAMPLES:%20FOOD
Camping is allowed for one night(I stay longer in secluded places!) as long as you don't put up your tent in the proximity of any once house, on their crop or at nature reserve areas with special rules:
http://www.allemansratten.se/templates/firstPage.asp?id=2058
Want to see something very different and have an easy ride I suggest the island of Gotland in the Baltic Sea:
http://www.gotlandweb.com/english/default.asp
Packed with lots of historical sites, beautiful nature and events trough the summer!
Easy access from Stockholm with local train/fast ferries. Ryan Air has rock bottom prices on flights to airports in the Stockholm area.
To many great spots on the mainland to be mention here. If you are strapped for time you need to do careful planning due to the larger distances and a infrastructure that is more spread out! If you have more than a month then I would suggest you include Norway for a change of scenery.
There is a well developed system of bike path´s in the towns and interlocking trails stretching trough the country that is documented in maps and guides. Not always paved or separate from the motortrafic but the intensity is usually very low. If the roads are busy they will be wider than in the UK.
Trainsystem has over the years deconstructed official opportunities to bring the bike along. The only way now is to brake the rules and bring it in a bikebag(or send it via coach-currier service!). This has worked every time I have travelled but is annoying. Same goes for long-distance coach service. It is in fact easier to get on a internal flight with the bike.
You were asking for a warm place and I must say the temperature and weather differs greatly during all seasons!
Last summer we had periods with more sun and higher temperatures than many typical tourist spots in the Mediterranean. But you never know how it will turn out even if June and August is your safes bet!
Drop me a note if you have further questions!
More info about Sweden:
http://www.sweden.se/
http://www.stfturist.se/STF_INT/sv.asp?LanCD=EN
http://www.visit-sweden.com/gb/frontpage.asp
http://www.sverigeturism.se/smorgasbord/index.html
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Thanks for the links and information Dude, it is appealing in a few ways.
I will look at the Ferries from Newcastle as I prefer sea to air and it would mean I could cycle from York at the CTC rally in Late June and go on from there with all my gear ready to use. The free camping for a night at a time is very interesting!
How are the youth with people in tents? In England they find you alone and they would slash your tent or worse so I am a little nervous away from campgrounds!
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Hi Pedaldog!
By rule of thumb, the more remote/secluded the more ok it is!
I would not place my tent to open or close to larger residential areas (or leave any valuables in the tent). Mostly because of my own wish for privacy. There are some high-rise areas in the larger town´s with groups that are up to no good, like in most countries. But these are areas you only pass trough.
I did find it a sad when I returned from my solo trip in April, rode from Singapore to Kunming, China, and heard that a mate of mine had been robbed by a gang heading back from a MTB-ride! I was out for five month and had hardly seen a grim face! But this flaw of western culture is in my view less widespread in Scandinavia. But I do believe that if one is aware of it, and act preventive, it is very unusual that negative situations take place!
Large(population 150.000+) and medium(75.000-150.000) size town´s in Scandinavia(Denmark excluded) are setup differently than in the UK or on the continent. They don´t grow continuously from the centre and out. When a new residential area is added the Council usually leave a forest in-between for people to use for recreational purposes. This more broken up type of towns make it easy for nature-campers to find good spots only 5-10 km from the major town centres like Stockholm, Gothenburg, Helsinki, Oslo etc!
The regulations of public access in Sweden and Finland are very relaxed, as is the population about it since most are into different types of outdoor activities. Most people find it charming to see someone is making use of that patch of grass at the lake, when they are on their evening walk!
In Denmark there is a different general attitude because of the weaker public land access law. They are more densely populated and most land is cultivated or developed for industries and residential areas. They do have a good system of farm-camping that is cheep(at least they had on the lovely island of Bornholm, recomended for cycling!)
My experience of Norway is that they permit nature-camping in remote areas, but not on private land or near cities, but I might be wrong.
If you like to stay close to the town centre and can only find an open spot in sight of a town. Then cook your dinner and put up your tent later in the evening just before bedtime. Do take in account that the sun set very late in the summer, if at all in the northern half!
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Stavanger in the first week of July, from there????????????????????????????
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Nice!!! Very senic landskape to ride in! But do bring the best rain gear money can buy...!
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Next question!!!!!
Do I go on the Good Nomad for the fact that I am safe and comfortable with it and there are easily available parts for it or do I use the recumbent as a conversation starter in strange lands?
The recumbent stands out so is it likely to get me into trouble or make it easire to make contacts whilst alone?
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OR!!!!!!!
Do I stay in the UK and use the huge amount of money spent on ferries to Scandinavia to extend the touring and camping time in Scotland and Wales?
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YEESSS!! We have got a result!
(but wot about Germany?)