If only one trip, where would you go?

Here's the situation: we can go on an overseas trip for extremely low air
fare because my son works for a major airlines. However, this all is going
to change October 1. What the changes will be, we don't exactly know, but we
expect the price to jump quite a bit and there may be other restrictions as
well. So, my question is, if you had a couple of weeks to go somewhere on a
cycling trip in September, where would you go?

We had planned to go to Ireland, but now we are speculating about Greece
(mainly because we've been to Ireland twice---but on car trips). And then,
maybe a trip to one of the former Yugoslavian countries would be a good
idea. I don't care about the heat, because we are both acclimated to the
summer heat here in Texas. We will be taking the Bike Friday Pocket Gnus on
the trip and possibly will take a tent and a couple of sleeping bags--but no
cooking gear.

thanks,

Pat in TX

On Mon, 25 Jul 2005 14:11:41 -0500, "Pat" wrote:

Here's the situation: we can go on an overseas trip for extremely low air
fare because my son works for a major airlines. However, this all is going
to change October 1. What the changes will be, we don't exactly know, but we
expect the price to jump quite a bit and there may be other restrictions as
well. So, my question is, if you had a couple of weeks to go somewhere on a
cycling trip in September, where would you go?

We had planned to go to Ireland, but now we are speculating about Greece
(mainly because we've been to Ireland twice---but on car trips). And then,
maybe a trip to one of the former Yugoslavian countries would be a good
idea. I don't care about the heat, because we are both acclimated to the
summer heat here in Texas. We will be taking the Bike Friday Pocket Gnus on
the trip and possibly will take a tent and a couple of sleeping bags--but no
cooking gear.

thanks,

Pat in TX

What about Tenerife? Don't know anything about the cycling there, but
Armstrong supposedly planned to train there.

jj

In article , Pat wrote:
So, my question is, if you had a couple of weeks to go somewhere on a
cycling trip in September, where would you go?

French Alps. Climb all those hills you saw in the Tour de France.

C wrote:
In article , Pat wrote:
So, my question is, if you had a couple of weeks to go somewhere on a
cycling trip in September, where would you go?

French Alps. Climb all those hills you saw in the Tour de France.

You get too late in September and the weather can be dicey. High
mountains passes are usually a June-Aug thing, and even then you might
get blocked. We had to lay low at the bottom of Passo dello Stelvio on
June 20th last year as a snow storm had the road closed; it was still
snowing lightly as we crossed on June 21st
(http://www.cycle-tours.com/images/it...op-stelvio.jpg).
The high passes in the French Alps can be just as problematic. Even
the lower, more climatically moderate Pyrenees can be an issue on the
high passes; we had to portage over snow banks on Col du Tourmalet
(http://www.cycle-tours.com/images/fr.../snow_bank.jpg)
on May 28th of this year! Port de la Bonaigua in Spain, almost as high
as Tourmalet, was barely passable a couple of days later.

If I were to do a September trip to Europe, I would think of
Umbria/Tuscany, or perhaps the Dordogne and Lot in France; the latter
could easily extend into the Pyrenees if the weather is fine.

- rick

If I were to do a September trip to Europe, I would think of
Umbria/Tuscany, or perhaps the Dordogne and Lot in France; the latter
could easily extend into the Pyrenees if the weather is fine.

Yes, Tuscany in late September is quite nice.



Chris Neary


"Science, freedom, beauty, adventu what more could
you ask of life? Bicycling combined all the elements I
loved" - Adapted from a quotation by Charles Lindbergh

Pat wrote:

Here's the situation: we can go on an overseas trip for extremely low air
fare because my son works for a major airlines. However, this all is going
to change October 1. What the changes will be, we don't exactly know, but we
expect the price to jump quite a bit and there may be other restrictions as
well. So, my question is, if you had a couple of weeks to go somewhere on a
cycling trip in September, where would you go?

We had planned to go to Ireland, but now we are speculating about Greece


I think you've hit upon an excellent idea. Crete is a fantastic place
for a bicycle tour, and September is the ideal time. The tourists have
gone and the sea is still warm. I was there in April and enjoyed empty
beaches, but the sea was too cold to enjoy.

A week or more on Crete and maybe some time on an island in the Aegean
sea (Santorini?), would be two weeks of paradise.

(mainly because we've been to Ireland twice---but on car trips). And then,
maybe a trip to one of the former Yugoslavian countries would be a good
idea. I don't care about the heat, because we are both acclimated to the
summer heat here in Texas. We will be taking the Bike Friday Pocket Gnus on
the trip and possibly will take a tent and a couple of sleeping bags--but no
cooking gear.


Perfect.

Fly to Athens, go the the port in Piraeus, and take a ferry to Crete.
You will not be disappointed.

--
*****************************
Chuck Anderson • Boulder, CO
http://www.CycleTourist.com
Integrity is obvious.
The lack of it is common.
*****************************

Go to Corsica. I've cycled in Ireland, England, Scotland, France,
Spain, Italy, Greece, Corsica, Sardinia, Germany, Portugal.

I've been to Corsica three times.

It's very good.

"Pat" wrote in message
...
Here's the situation: we can go on an overseas trip for extremely low air
fare because my son works for a major airlines. However, this all is
going
to change October 1. What the changes will be, we don't exactly know, but
we
expect the price to jump quite a bit and there may be other restrictions
as
well. So, my question is, if you had a couple of weeks to go somewhere on
a
cycling trip in September, where would you go?

We had planned to go to Ireland, but now we are speculating about Greece
(mainly because we've been to Ireland twice---but on car trips). And then,
maybe a trip to one of the former Yugoslavian countries would be a good
idea. I don't care about the heat, because we are both acclimated to the
summer heat here in Texas. We will be taking the Bike Friday Pocket Gnus
on
the trip and possibly will take a tent and a couple of sleeping bags--but
no
cooking gear.

thanks,

Pat in TX

I've done a tour of the southern islands in Croatia -- absolutely beautiful.
We stayed on a boat and cycled during the day. The group I went with is
http://www.island-hopping.de/. They are a German company, but they do
English as well, and I highly recommend both them and the tour. They only do
the tour in Spring and Fall, because high summer is too hot. If you do it,
combine it with a trip to Dubrovnik -- you can't miss it if you're that
close. Feel free to write with questions.

Sarah

:
: I've done a tour of the southern islands in Croatia -- absolutely
beautiful.
: We stayed on a boat and cycled during the day. The group I went with is
: http://www.island-hopping.de/. They are a German company, but they do
: English as well, and I highly recommend both them and the tour. They only
do
: the tour in Spring and Fall, because high summer is too hot. If you do it,
: combine it with a trip to Dubrovnik -- you can't miss it if you're that
: close. Feel free to write with questions.
:
: Sarah
:
I haven't looked into tour companies mainly because they want to integrate
the air fare in the tour.

thanks for the recommendation.

Pat in TX
: