Cycling or hitching Western Europe Hey peeps I am planning a

>>1165338
Glasgow>Edinburgh

>>1165346
I will probably go through both if I go to the Cairngorms, but what's cool about Glasgow?

>>1165361
getting stabbed for your chips at a train station

>cycling a route of +10000 kilometers
>I want to give myself a month

Is this a meme thread?

How do people manage to continue after lets say, a week of cycling? Genuinely wondering. It hardly can be enjoyable anymore.

>>1165730
>It hardly can be enjoyable anymore.

Why not?

>>1165740
Well, your body all stiff and stuff like that?

>>1165743
Not really.

OP here
>>1165730
Hitchhiking Québec I met a retired couple over 60 cycling from Ottawa to Prince Edward Island... and I'm 23 so pretty sure I can do this no problem. It's just the will to keep going.
>>1165576
Not nearly 10k km, maybe 7 or 8k tops, but I see your point. Maybe I should just rearrange the route through France a bit and make Lisbon the final destination.

>>1166040
The route in the OP is easily +10k kilometers and that cannot be feasibly done with luggage on a bicycle in a mere four weeks.
4000-5000 kilometers in a month are very much possible with decent wind conditions in Europe but that won't really leave a lot for time for anything else you might want to do. It would be a bike trip first and foremost.

If you've never done a bike trip of this size before and want to have time to do the things you mentioned in your first post (partying, sight-seeing), take it easy and shoot for 40-100km on any given day, with rest days inbetween. Also consider the climate. It gets very hot in some places in Spain, Portugal and France. You don't want to cycle across the Iberian peninsula in the middle of July. The heat can and will kill you.

>Hitchhiking Québec I met a retired couple over 60 cycling from Ottawa to Prince Edward Island... and I'm 23 so pretty sure I can do this no problem. It's just the will to keep going.
Those old fucks were probably taking it slow and that's okay. If you don't rush it long-distance biking requires little physical stamina but it's not only about the will to keep going. It's also a matter of gear. Don't do it on a bike from the garbage bin and for the love of God, don't overpack.

I hope this is not a meme thread but you seem to be somewhat naive about this. Alternatively you can hitchhike ofc, especially since you appear to have already a bit of experience regarding that particular mode of travel. The Iberian countries are said to be poor choices for hitchhiking though.

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there are quite some long distance cycling routes in Europe.
http://www.eurovelo.com/en

OP back
>>1166084
I promise, not a meme thread, sorry the scheme is still in infancy
Thanks for the advice though, I'm not trying to die. If the peninsula isn't great for hitching as you say I think I'd rather cycle. I just feel like I've done the hitchhiking thing, you know? I guess I could skip the peninsula all together if I had to and take a more relaxed pace, I don't want to be stressing out.
>>1166410
My nigga. Thank you for this.

One important question remains, is wild camping feasible in the countryside around here? In US/CA I just slept in a hammock in random woods and fields but I've not been to Europe.

You realize this route includes the Alps and the Pyrenees, right?
I've crossed the Pyrenees before. It's not easy

>>1166410
These are barely made.
Route #3 in Spain is garbage, not suitable for anything other than MBs and expect to change to paved roads often.
Luckily they're empty most of the time

>>1166428
About wild camping, depends on the country.
In France I heard it's permitted. In Belgium it's not and in Spain it should be forbidden but if you're not an asshole about it it's ok.
So yeah, depends.

>>1166428
>is wild camping feasible in the countryside around here

Absolutely. It's technically illegal in most countries you want to go to though. Just don't get caught and don't cause fuzz and you'll be good.

>>1166438
Also this.
Don't expect proper cycling tracks from Lisboa to Moscow lol. It's best to just choose paved, calm secondary roads instead of adhering to the veloroutes. Check out google streetview to make sure the roads aren't ass.
In Eastern Europe they often just put up a sign saying that you're now on a veloroute without actually improving the cycling infrastructure. The roads there can range from literal SAND where cycling is practically impossible to heavy-traffic roads.

Thanks anons very helpful, I was thinking of using a MTB anyway for fucking around in parks and stuff. I was going to cross the Alps but if I just stick next to the shore it wouldn't be hard to get around the Pyrenees I thought?
I don't think I'll be going further West than Switzerland on this trip so hopefully I don't run into shitty Soviet sand trails or whatever.

>>1166527
I've done the classic St. Jean Pied de Port - Pamplona route through the pyrenees.
I've done it in two days and most people do it in one.
It's shitty but hey, it's doable. It's not exactly at the coast, though.

Yeah dont cycle through the middle of spain. Its just nothingness and its scorching hot nothingness in the summer.

>>1165338
>wild camping outside of the city
no problem
>not speaking Spanish outside of the city
no problem, except in Spain

>>1166084
Great post. How much weight do you consider overpacking? Also backpack vs. specialized bicycle bags, is it much of a difference? I have mtb/street bicycle (however is this type called) so I plan to spend most of my would-be trip outside of motorized roads if possible - are bike bags even an option when travelling like this?

>>1167083
Don't try to do a cycling tour with a backpack on. Get panniers.

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>>1166040
That is a long journey, You will need more than a month and a fair bit of dolla! You must be trolling.. The pain of the ass Customs in every country will pull you aside every time. Like am I being crazy or is it really this mad fuck?

>>1165338
I've heard Calais is nice this time of year, why don't you go there? Just kidding, northern France was always shit even before it got infested with hajjis

>>1166527
>I don't think I'll be going further West than Switzerland on this trip so hopefully I don't run into shitty Soviet sand trails or whatever.

I would recommend a trekking bike with MTB tires. Also, I think you're quiet naïeve, because after 150km of cycling you wont like any 'fucking around in parks'. You just want to put your tent up and lie down.

I'm Dutch so ride a bike very often for commuting. Couple of weeks back I did like 600k in 4 days. It's exhausting (and that's flat terrain, although more wind than inland). Also my arse hurt alot. :)

If you're doing a month of cycling, practice/train first, get your bike well adjusted. Panniers are the way to go, seriously. Go with light equipment. Follow the eurovelo routes. I, myself, got no experience with international paths. But the ones in the Netherlands and Belgium are really good.

Is it easy to take your bike on trains in Europe?

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OP here
Thanks m8s, with y'alls advice I've updated my route a bit, sticking mostly to eurovelo routes where available. I'll be hitting up 12, 1, 5, 3, and 8. Decided to skip the peninsula because fuck that noise and I'm not about to start studying Spanish.
I have a decent hybrid bike but I've been wanting to get a nice MTB soon so I'll be training on local trails.
Does anyone have experience getting a bicycle across an ocean?

>>1167599
Yes.

>>1167083
>How much weight do you consider overpacking?
Hard to quantify but if your panniers (backpack is a retarded idea for long bike trips) weigh more than 10kg combined there's probably a lot of stuff in there you don't need. I think most people tend to overpack with clothing. Two pairs of most items is enough, maybe three pairs of socks and underwear but not more.

>I plan to spend most of my would-be trip outside of motorized roads if possible
No such thing in Europe kek. There's plenty of calm secondary roads though with little traffic.

>>1167619
That route is still about 6000 kilometers long and, if you're still limited to 1 month, essentially impossible if you intend to get more than 4 hours of sleep each day.

>>1167599
In the Netherlands, outside of rush hours, you can take your bike on the train for 6.50 euro for a whole day.
Also: if you only want to ship your bike (without yourself) I have no experience. But if you fly as well, check the different airlines. My parents brought their trekking bikes with them to Sri Lanka without any problem and additional costs. Just make sure there's a (carton) box around it. Protip: ask a local bikeshop whether they have any left.

I've wild camped and hitchhiked in all these countries except Ireland.
>Scotland
Hitching: Super easy
Wild camping: you can camp legally anywhere. Vagabond's paradise.

>Wales
Hitching: easy
Camping: technically illegal but nobody gives a fuck; camp wherever you like

>England
Hitching: easy in rural areas, but the country is so thick with cities they're hard to avoid getting stuck in.
Wild camping: Easy, but illegal. Ask at a pub if they know of anywhere you can camp. If not, just find a nice thick wood.

>Belgium
Hitching: Very easy
Camping: No comment, only spent one night here

>Luxembourg
Hitching: Extremely easy since they have the cheapest gas in Europe so people come from miles around to fuel up.
Camping: Lots of nice forests to hide in

>Switzerland
Hitching: Medium
Camping: Easy, again, lots of forests and chill people

>France
Hitching: Slightly worse than England
Wild camping: Ditto for England.

>Spain
Hitching: Terrible. Expect to wait for hours. Sometimes people just don't understand what you're doing and try to offer you food or money or a bus ticket
Wild camping: Spain is the most forested country in western Europe which makes stealth camping very easy. Dunno what the general attitude toward it is.

>Portugal
Hitching: I didn't hitch much here but it was slightly easier than Spain
Camping: Not bad, though there is generally less cover

Awesome route, btw.

>>1167619
Aw shit, at least explore Catalonia.

>>1167599
I know that in Spain you usually have to reserve a spot on the train for it, you cant just take it on.