iandriver wrote: ↑7 Nov 2022, 10:17am
Eying up a gentle plod around the Moselle Valley area. Just trying to figure out how to get the bike to Luxembourg city or a good starting point. Perhaps cycle to Oostende and train from there.
That should work - I did the reverse some years ago from Luxembourg to Gent by Belgian railways ( rode to Dunkerque from there ).
If you go DFDS to Dunkerque you should be able to get a train at De Panne or maybe there is a TER to Furnes.
I had wanted to do a 60 day USA tour, coast to coast but my employer wouldn't let me carry leave forward or take unpaid leave.
Plan B is a month tour. San Francisco to LA on the coast road then a big desert loop into Arizona and back out to the coast at San Diego. I like the desert southwest.
A month I can do with standard holidays and the major factor - agreement of Mrs IRC already granted.
Traction_man wrote: ↑7 Nov 2022, 9:01pm
But I do love getting the OS maps out on the kitchen table and thinking up possibilities, the one being held over from this year is Galloway Forest, the plan being to go over on the ferry from NI to Cairnryan--I had to postpone the ferry booking 3 times this year as things transpired against me making the trip on successive occasions, and in the end just cancelled the booking and got a refund, so now fingers crossed for sometime in 2023 instead...
ooh, NOW we're talking!
I rode the D&G300 route last year, my first visit to that corner of our islands Really lovely. And quiet, even on main roads1 I probably won't go back quite as soon as 2024, but ;
I didn't know about that ferry crossing. I've long considered a trip to the Emerald Isle, and that might make part of an appealing route combining 2 (or more) Celtic nations ....
I had hoped for a longish tour in Germany, but plotting my work commitments and a promise to see some friends next year, I'll not have enough EU days to cover the holiday.
I'll take bike with me when working, but may get a day or two away.
So mainly it'll be weekend rides when stuck in the UK.
A novice learning... “the dreamers of the day are dangerous men, for they may act their dreams with open eyes, to make it possible.”
I don't have anything concrete yet. I'd like to ride around Taiwan but covid regulations are still in place and I don't fancy navigating my way around them, so will probably stick to Europe.
Looking at the map of everywhere I've toured, I'm thinking I might join some sections up (pink lines). One option would be to connect up the Portugal tour with SW France via northern Spain; another would be from the French Atlantic coast across to Luxembourg, or Luxembourg across to eastern Germany, or maybe both. A third option could be from SE France through N Italy towards Slovenia, but for some reason touring in Italy doesn't appeal that much
st599_uk wrote: ↑8 Nov 2022, 2:09pm
I had hoped for a longish tour in Germany, but plotting my work commitments and a promise to see some friends next year, I'll not have enough EU days to cover the holiday.
I'll take bike with me when working, but may get a day or two away.
So mainly it'll be weekend rides when stuck in the UK.
I’d forgotten that entry restrictions mostly won’t distinguish between work and leisure when it comes to using your allowance. Hopefully this is an area that some agreements will eventually tackle although I suspect there are lots of other things higher on the list.
st599_uk wrote: ↑8 Nov 2022, 2:09pm
I had hoped for a longish tour in Germany, but plotting my work commitments and a promise to see some friends next year, I'll not have enough EU days to cover the holiday.
I'll take bike with me when working, but may get a day or two away.
So mainly it'll be weekend rides when stuck in the UK.
Traction_man wrote: ↑7 Nov 2022, 9:01pm
But I do love getting the OS maps out on the kitchen table and thinking up possibilities, the one being held over from this year is Galloway Forest, the plan being to go over on the ferry from NI to Cairnryan--I had to postpone the ferry booking 3 times this year as things transpired against me making the trip on successive occasions, and in the end just cancelled the booking and got a refund, so now fingers crossed for sometime in 2023 instead...
ooh, NOW we're talking!
I rode the D&G300 route last year, my first visit to that corner of our islands Really lovely. And quiet, even on main roads1 I probably won't go back quite as soon as 2024, but ;
I didn't know about that ferry crossing. I've long considered a trip to the Emerald Isle, and that might make part of an appealing route combining 2 (or more) Celtic nations ....
Stena use Belfast Port, and both they and P&O now use Cairnryan rather than Stranraer--Dumfries and Galloway is indeed a lovely area, and what really appeals to me is the combination of gravel / off-road routes through the forest as well as scope for ('wild') camping.
A more ambitious plan I have been musing on is to take the **charter boat (https://aquaholics.co.uk/products/port- ... ferry-trip) across (with the bike) from Ballycastle to Port Ellen or to Campbeltown, it's summer only as far as I know, but would get me to Islay and then Kintyre and then a island-hopping route via Arran, back towards Ayrshire, then south to the Stena ferry from Cairnryan to Belfast would complete the circuit--I might need to put that one on the 'to-do' list when I have a bit more time though... we can but dream.
**UPDATE! The 'Kintyre Express' is back in service from Ballycastle to Port Ellen and Campbeltown, fantastic--https://kintyreexpress.com/
I'm tentatively starting to plan for a north-south tour of Vietnam in March or April. This was planned for 2020 but...
Details still to be worked out. I may need to get more advice from simonhill OTP who has been very helpful with past Asian tours and I think knows Vietnam fairly well.
Happy to help Toontra. COVID shadow still hangs over parts of Asia. Vietnam only allowing 1 month visas. In contrast Sri Lanka giving 6 month for the cost of 30 and Thailand extended free entry from 30 to 45 days. Japan starting to open up. Anyone thinking of going double check any new rules.
Sorry to be greedy, but current thinking for me. Sri Lanka for a month in late January, then head over to Thailand using the 45 days for some re riding of stuff in the south. Home in April.
Maybe 10 days in SW France in early June. I'd like to connect up Bordeaux with the Camino and also see the Canal du Midi (interested reading one of your plans MRSHJ, although I normally steer clear of any EV/formal routes)..
In the autumn I'm thinking of Taiwan again, partly in solidarity against Xi. I've cycled round it once and have to see if it's worth a second go. If not, then Japan followed by somewhere warmer in SE Asia. As age encroaches I'm not looking at venturing to the more remote, unknown and arduous destinations.
No, although I think there is a eurovelo route that hugs that coast. I had to check as I have done a nice route up from Lisbon to northern Spain but it was very different (mostly along the border).