Tentative Schedule

There are still some details that need to be added. But here is a basic narrative of where and when:

May 01 - Arrive Copenhagen, touristing.
May 02 - Copenhagen, touristing.
May 03 - Bike Copenhagen to Store Heddinge.
May 04 - Bike Store Heddinge to Nyby. Ferry to Stubekobing.
May 05 - Bike Stubekobing to Gedser. Ferry from Gedser to Rostock, Germany. Train to Berlin.
May 06 - Berlin, touristing.
May 07 - Berlin, touristing.
May 08 - Berlin, touristing.
May 09 - Berlin, wrap up touristing. Train to Prague.
May 10 - Prague, touristing.
May 11 - Bike Prague to Vienna. Details TBD.
May 12 - Bike Prague to Vienna. Details TBD.
May 13 - Bike Prague to Vienna. Details TBD.
May 14 - Bike Prague to Vienna. Details TBD.
May 15 - Vienna, touristing.
May 16 - Bike Vienna to Bratislava.
May 17 - Bratislava, touristing.
May 18 - Bike Bratislava to Budapest. Details TBD.
May 19 - Bike Bratislava to Budapest. Details TBD.
May 20 - Bike Bratislava to Budapest. Details TBD.
May 21 - Budapest, touristing.
May 22 - Budapest, touristing. Night train to Amsterdam.
May 23 - Arrive Amsterdam. Touristing.
May 24 - Bike Amsterdam to Den Haag.
May 25 - Bike Den Haag to Bruges.
May 26 - Bruges, touristing.
May 27 - Bike Bruges to Brussels - lunch in Ghent.
May 28 - Train to Luxembourg City. Lunch in Luxembourg City. Train to Paris.
May 29 - Paris, touristing.
May 30 - Paris, touristing.
May 31 - Mitchel's Birthday!!! Paris, touristing/celebrating.
Jun 01 - Fly home.

Traveling with a Bike, part 1

In one of my original posts, I kvetched about the logistics of flying a bicycle overseas. I think I've found the solution(thanks to some cycling blogs).

Initially, I'd though that I would have to buy a bike box or bike bag and pack my bike, then repack the bike before flying home from Europe. What I was confused about was what to do with the bag or box (heavy plastic) while we were on the road - we aren't ending where we started, and we couldn't possibly carry them with us either. I had been thinking that we'd have to ship the boxes somewhere or something. You can see how that would be scary, right?

It turns out that "nearly all" cycling shops will pack your bike up into a cardboard box that can be checked for your flight. It's not free, but it sounds like it is a nominal price, and certainly cheaper than a plastic box and shipping fees.

That sounds like the way to go. I am sure I can find a place here in Seattle, but I will need to do a little research for a place in Paris. Maybe I will get to practice my french.

I'll also need to check with Icelandair's site for the box specs, so I don't get charged extra for "oversized." While I am on the topic, Icelandair is actually the cheapest I've found for flying a bike to Europe: $40 each way. And you get free stayovers in Reykjavik.

Planning, round 2

Mitchel is in Seattle this weekend for a variety of things including some trip planning. We've both been pretty busy, so I think we have some making up to do.

I'm fairly certain I have the Amsterdam to Paris route planned with days and distances. So I expect we'll review that. Then I will check out anything he has pulled together. I am still slacking on Prague to Vienna, but I am really just looking for a good map of the Czech Greenways because that route is already pretty well established.

That reminds me, I need to e-mail Audrey. She's done at least part of the Prague to Vienna trip. I think it's fair to say that her trip is the inspiration for all of this. Yay for having adventurous friends!!

Comments... oops

I thought I had allowed everyone to comment, even anonymously, but apparently not. I turned this on. But if you post and you don't have a login, please say who you are :)

So I was Thinking...

... which isn't always a good thing.

Maybe we don't bike all the way to Paris from Amsterdam? The more I look at the maps and calculate distances, it seems like we will fly..err..bike through the Netherlands (many great cities, most of which are close-ish together), but then spend a few days in the North of France where there is very little except countryside.

So I am proposing a slight route change to finish our trip:

    Amsterdam to The Hague
    The Hague to Bruges
    Bruges to Brussels
    Train from Brussels to Luxembourg
    Train from Luxembourg to Paris

We'll see what Mitchel thinks.

Planning (really) Begins

Now that our route is set from a country/big city perspective, we have to begin planning the actual bike route. For now, Mitchel and I have split up the planning by legs of the trip. Mitch is taking Copenhagen to Berlin and Vienna to Budapest. I am taking Prague to Vienna and Amsterdam to Paris.

In this first round of planning, we are pretty much just coming up with the bike route, estimated mileage and number of days. I think we're going to do some research on accommodations as well.

We've started purchasing books and maps to do the planning. There are so many online resources, both for maps and for finding books/maps. A couple I am looking at currently are CycleTourer, a great site with resources on bike touring all over the place (including maps and book info) and OmniMap, an online store with an impressive array of cycling maps.

More on books and maps later, I am sure.

The Route!

Mitchel and I did some planning today while I was in SF... our route has been determined. Yay!! I think it's a good route that appeals to both of what Mitchel and I want.

Here's what we came up with:

    Fly into Copenhagen
    Quick bike trip over to Malmo, Sweden and back
    Bike from Copenhagen to Berlin
    Train from Berlin to Prague
    Bike from Prague to Budapest
            via Vienna and Bratislava
    Overnight train (~17hrs!!) from Budapest to Amsterdam
    Bike from Amsterdam to Paris
            via The Hague, Bruges, Brussles (maybe), Lille
    Fly home from Paris

There we go. I believe that's 10 countries! For right now, Mitchel and I split up the route and are doing some preliminary research (days, distances, accommodation, stuff like that). More on that later.

What is the Purpose?

This weekend I am flying off to San Francisco; one of the main reasons being my first trip planning session with Mitchel! It should be very interesting. We haven't had much interaction since conceptualizing the trip, so this is long overdue.

In anticipation of our time together, I have been non-stop brainstorming options, questions, alternatives, etc. Probably the biggest question I've been mulling over is "What is the purpose of the trip?" I think this key to all of our planning. It's rare that you get to spend a month with a great friend abroad; you really want to get all you can out of it.

So what is the purpose? To bike as many miles as possible and see countryside? To bike a fair amount of miles and have more layover time in cities? To bike a respectable amount, but train between cities and see more of Europe? You get the idea.

I am leaning towards the last option, and I bet Mitch will too. I look forward to what we come up with this weekend.

Planning: Safety?

While looking up visa information on the U.S. Department of State website, I looked through their Safety & Security section for each country as well. Naturally I have very little concern about countries like Norway, Denmark, Germany, Austria, etc. Countries like the Slovak Republic, Hungary, and Croatia did throw up some red flags so, naturally, I researched. Here's what I found:

Slovak Republic: Of the three countries in question, this was the one with the biggest red flag. The State department site simultaneously reinforced and allayed the concern. I don't think bike tourists have much to be concerned about, especially considering that we'll only be in the country for a short distance. I don't think there is really any risk as long as we're smart about storing our stuff and don't offend anyone.

Hungary: Hungary has its stuff together. We have very little to be concerned about. There is a group that targets minorities, including gays, but they are small and mostly just vocal. I might ask Mitch to leave his pink belt at home though :)

Croatia: Despite its history, Croatia actually sounds like a very stable and safe place. There is, however, one concern that will need a wee bit more research. There are areas (Eastern Slavonia, Brodsko-Posavska County, Karlovac County, areas around Zadar and in remote areas of the Plitvice Lakes National Park) where mines are still present in the ground. According to the State Department site, we should be fine as long as we avoid "well marked" areas. But I would like to research this more. I would love to see the Croatian coast by bicycle, but it's not THAT worth it. I'm not going to dive in too deep until Mitchel and I decide on a route, then we'll go from there.

Resources:
U.S. Department of State - Country Specific Information
Croatian Mine Action Centre

Planning: Visas?

This weekend I was talking with someone about some of the countries I have considering for this trip. When I mentioned Croatia they asked if visiting Croatia required a visa. I didn't know, so I did a little research.

Croatia is not part of the Schengen agreement, which allows American citizens fairly unrestricted visa-less travel through most of Europe. In fact, every other country I've considered for this trip is part of this agreement. One less thing to worry about. :)

Croatia allows American citizens to visit for up to 90 days on tourism or business without needing a visa so, if we go there, we're good. However, it is required that we register our presence with local officials, which may be interesting if biking through the countryside.

Resources:
U.S. Department of State - Country Specific Information
U.S. Department of State - Schengen Agreement

EuroSchlep 2010

Planning is officially underway for EuroSchlep 2010. Mostly it consists of me being overly ambitious about a route and daily distance. I guess I just want to see as much of Europe as we can.

Here's what I know so far: A month in Europe, with Mitchel, on bicycle. Probably the entire month of May.

Here's what I don't know: The logistics of carrying a bike overseas, the actual route we are going to take, how the f**k to budget accordingly, how to pack properly for bike touring. And much more.

I am going to document this experience as much as resources allow. Hopefully it's not super boring.