That wasn't what I meant to say... Italy is superb (and I loved the Gargano too). If I were heading through Italy North to South (and time wasn't too pressing) I would sort of follow the chain of national and regional parks that run along the Appenines - eg Monte Sibillini , Gran Sasso, Majella, Gargano, Alta Murgia etc going down through Umbria, Le Marche, Le Abruzze and into Puglia (and on then to Greece via the ferries from either Bari or Brindisi). Not the most straightforward route planning wise, and definitely not the flattest but probably the most scenic.
How to start planning?......
- Thread starter pepecat
- Start date
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That wasn't what I meant to say... Italy is superb (and I loved the Gargano too). If I were heading through Italy North to South (and time wasn't too pressing) I would sort of follow the chain of national and regional parks that run along the Appenines - eg Monte Sibillini , Gran Sasso, Majella, Gargano, Alta Murgia etc going down through Umbria, Le Marche, Le Abruzze and into Puglia (and on then to Greece via the ferries from either Bari or Brindisi). Not the most straightforward route planning wise, and definitely not the flattest but probably the most scenic.
Ditto - I love cycling in Italy - the scenery, the people, the coffee - Never found any difficulty in finding roads to cycle on that are within my levels of tolerance - big towns can be a bit busy - but Italian traffic jams can be quite fun and thats part of the charm of the place - I have got to try sometime cycling in Rome - went there as a kid in the family car - madness - still have memories of my father swearing at some nuns in a baby Fiat that very aggressively cut him up
Jimmy Doug
If you know what's good for you ...
I wanted to do a route similar to that one last year, but it was so hot and I had such a hard time crossing the Apennines that I decided to stick to the flat. I do agree that such a route would be great - but it would sure be hard work. I guess I chickened out - my confidence was severly dented. I'm no stranger to mountains, having lived near the Alps for five years, but I really couldn't face the Sibillini in that heat. Leaving early in the morning, or late in the afternoon, might have been an option - but I decided to stick to the coast. As for Italian traffic, I don't agree at all. I've never been as scared to be on a bike as I was in some of the towns in the south of Italy (the north was fine). But Italy away from the busy towns, and in better climatic conditions than I had, is indeed a great destination. I've already made another appointment with the place - back to the Apennines. I need to do that crossing again in cooler weather - it was beautiful and I want to go back.
Rome is a bit tame - you want madness Napoli is the place to go. Motorcycle helmets? Chi se ne frega? (who gives a damn). Mum, Dad and small child on a scooter? Ditto (although just possibly one of them might be wearing a helmet). And there seems to be an unwritten understanding that motorists don't mind pedestrians crossing the road any time and any place and in return motorists regard stopping at pedestrian crossings as an entirely optional.
The Monti Sibillini are wonderful even in mid-July ... if you are sat under a shady tree idly posting on the interweb.
Early morning starts are the way to go (and everything really looks so much better between 7 and 9 am), and planning the route to avoid massive climbs if you can (I think it is possible: Italy has lots of mountains but they generally aren't massively high or horribly steep).
My general experience (not withstanding the remarks about Napoli) with Italian drivers - north and south has been fine. As with any country there's always a minority of idiots.
I remember Naples well as a kid - the cheap mafioso guys trying to sell my father watches (literally as per the telly sketch) as we sat on a hill overlooking the city having breakfast - Vesuvius in the fog - narrow streets full washing lines and animals tethered outside houses- traffic at that time was tame compared to Rome - maybe nobody could afford a car - it was difficult enough to find change for a 10000 lire note (not very many Deutch Marks and there were a lot of DM to the pound at that time) in the whole of a nearby village
Bodhbh
Guru
Go for it. I rushed into straight into work after mine and have never gotten the chance to do something like that again, and with personal circumstances it will be some years before I can take that sort of time out the workplace. You can spend along time regretting that, you won't regret going off on this tour. You're a long time dead !
Plenty of time to sort your gear out and have some short trips meanwhile to test the water.
Plenty of time to sort your gear out and have some short trips meanwhile to test the water.
doog
....
- Location
- The beautiful south
Life isnt a dress rehearsal...
remember that saying if you have any doubts about doing your tour!
The planning process is brilliant, not quite as good as the tour itself but I believe its all part of the process.
The planning process is brilliant, not quite as good as the tour itself but I believe its all part of the process.
Creamcrackered
Über Member
- Location
- 2,000' above Gloucestershire
Lots of good advice so far. But you don't have to agonise too much about planning. The main thing is just to go - you'll have a brillaint time. When my wife I did our first tour we had lousy bikes, indifferent kit and the only planning we did was to buy a couple of ferry tickets, and we had a great time. I also think you need at least one massive climb for a good tour.
hubbike
Senior Member
- Location
- Edinburgh, Scotland
Irony is, day after I posted in this thead I got laid off with 2 1/2 months gardening leave. Probably should take my own advice and bugger off while I have the chance as well.
any redundancy package? where're you going to go?!
Bodhbh
Guru
I'm not sure yet, i think it's about 3 grand. But i'm single, no commitments, so looking good.
I'm thinking Nordcap via Poland, the Baltics and up thru Finland, or maybe the pick up the Danube and follow it to the end. I can't do hills, I had an op the other year and can't really put down much gas since - it'll be a flat route. If I go for it, decide on a final destination, take a ferry over to Dunkirk and that'll be it. Interview with HR tommorow to see exactly what the situation is, and will make a call sharpish.
Not A silly idea
I'd jump at the chance if I had the time
Route
Get the 'Bike Line Esterbauer' books (in English) for the Rhine and Danube.
You can do the entire route by following the Rhine upstream and the Danube downstream to the Black Sea and then along the coast to Istambul, on to the Greek islands and then home via ferry and land to Brindisi, Italy and France.
I'd jump at the chance if I had the time
Route
Get the 'Bike Line Esterbauer' books (in English) for the Rhine and Danube.
You can do the entire route by following the Rhine upstream and the Danube downstream to the Black Sea and then along the coast to Istambul, on to the Greek islands and then home via ferry and land to Brindisi, Italy and France.
Bodhbh
Guru
Cheers for that, gonna take some getting thru
One of the penalties of coming back and still not having a job is that you have too much time on your hands - hence 201 pages or whatever it is
