How to Tour Europe by Bicycle

Here's a healthy, low-budget way to see Europe from the ground up.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

Things You’ll Need:

• Panniers
• Travel Clothes
• Touring Bikes
• Backpacking Tent
• Bike Rain Gear
• Backpacking Stoves
• Bike Tire Repair Kit
• Touring Bike

1. Think metric. In Europe, tools have metric rather than English measurements, and road signs show distances in kilometers rather than miles.
2. Be sure your cooking stove is compatible with different fuels (white gas, kerosene, gasoline and so on), so you can use whatever fuel is available along your route.
3. Bring one decent set of clothing, no matter how lightly you pack. The outfit will come in handy at churches, museums and the occasional nice restaurant.
4. Remember that Europe typically lacks North America's wide-open spaces. Be ready to pitch your tent on asphalt in parking-lot-style campgrounds.
5. Take rain gear. Except in southern Spain and Portugal in summer, the odds are you'll get caught out in a downpour more than once.
6. Note that restaurant and store hours vary heavily from country to country and from city to countryside. Make sure to buy your dinner fixings before 5 p.m.
7. Seek out hostels in big cities like Amsterdam and Prague. Hostels give you good value for the money and offer secure places to lock up your gear.
8. Bring extra spokes, extra bungee cords for securing gear, and a basic kit for patching tubes and repairing your chain.

Tips & Warnings

• Most Western European villages with more than 10 houses will likely have someone who can repair a bike. For major mechanical repairs, you'll find bike shops in the larger towns in the industrialized West.
• The European Union has brought about an amazing decrease in border hassles. For the most part, once you get off the plane and have your passport stamped, you won't encounter the time-consuming waits and searches that used to characterize international travel in Europe.
• You'll need to keep a sharp eye on your bike and equipment in public, particularly in the newly free Eastern European countries, where poverty and high unemployment may make your stuff a tempting target.
• Always have a plan B in the event of a theft. For example, keep a credit card and photocopy of your passport tucked into your bike shorts.
• If you have any condition that would impair or limit your ability to engage in physical activity, consult a physician before attempting this activity.