Niggling big tour thought

gert_lush

Hello, and thank you for reading my thread

Does anyone else have that niggling thought in the back of their mind that they want/need to do something big, something different, but not quite sure what that thing is?

I dunno I just keep coming back to it thinking about maybe trying to save some cash for the next few years and then doing something life changing. i.e. cycle the length of the america's or even around the world!
Having done quite a bit of travelling and then got more into my biking, i find it hard to think about doing anymore travelling without instantly thinking how cool it would be to do by pedal power. I've done a bit of uk touring and it was great, I guess whats stopping me, is
A) it takes quite a bit of orgainising i.e. visa and stuff and i'm really bad at that kind of stuff, would it actually be as cool as I think or am I caught up in the whole romance of the idea and would liek to be able to say i've done that trip,
C) it takes quite a lot of balls to actually get out there and do it!

I also have the other problem of once i've decided to do something I get stupidly excited and want to do it there and then, not wait around a few years whilst trying to save money to then do.

i guess this thread is just musings really but I hope you get my drift and wondered if anyone was the same

have fun in the sun

nicktheluddite

A/ Going to Europe (assuming you are EU national) means needs to get visa, just passport, EHIC & travel insurance. Not really much organising.
C/ For a seasoned traveller that you sound like, cycling around Europe would be no big deal - certainly doesn't need lots of balls. Why not go on one of the long distance rides (North Sea Cycle etc)? Or visit every capital in the EU?

When my girlfriend finishes her art degree next year, we're probably off cycling for 6 months in Europe - play join the dots between all the people we know and all the places we want to visit. Rough plan - Spain to Norway - but that could all change once we're rolling. If I get made redundant then I have even longer to ride for........

Once we've done big european tour maybe we'll have appetite for more exotic shores.

amaferanga

I spent over a year cycling in Africa. Can't imagine any cycling experience being more life changing. The obvious benefit of Africa/Asia/South America over Europe is that your money goes a lot further. For example, you could live comfortably and eat/drink well in much of Africa for about a tenner a day. So only about £5000 for whole year of touring. Plus, visas aren't a big hassle in most countries. Certainly in southern Africa you can usually get your visa at the border or in the capital of one of the bordering countries.

If its a real adventure you want then I'd forget about Europe and the US - you need to go somewhere very different from home.

Theresa

Hi Gert,
You should check out www.tourdafrique.com/dreamtours
You can design the tour of your dreams on their site, then the cycling community gets to comment on the tour, make suggestions etc... vote on it.. and if enough people decide to join you on it... the organizers plan all the logistics.. and you, as the creator of the tour get to go for free. Give it a shot! Who knows?!

samyarwood

gert_lush wrote:

A) it takes quite a bit of orgainising i.e. visa and stuff and i'm really bad at that kind of stuff, would it actually be as cool as I think or am I caught up in the whole romance of the idea and would liek to be able to say i've done that trip,
C) it takes quite a lot of balls to actually get out there and do it!

A: Organising and planning is part of the fun. For some places you don't even need to sort all your visas before you go. When I've travelled in the past, sometimes when I get to a country I'll pop into the consulate or embassy for the next place I want to go, sort out a visa, travel in the country I'm in until the paper work's done, and then move on.

B: Of course it'd be cool!! And it's not the saying "I've done that trip", it's the cycling through crazy places, your bike breaking in spectacular ways, you fixing it in odd circumstances and reaching your destination later that night, covered in mud and dust, sitting down and having a beer, knackered and content, reflecting on it all, knowing you've got more of the same tomorrow. That's what it's all about! This is what I'm planning: http://www.bikeradar.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=12634953

C: If you want to do it, then it's a no-brainer. I watched Revolutionary Road (Winset & DiCaprio's latest) yesterday. Watch it - you'll see what I mean!

daviddd

Trouble is with Europe all the nicest places are heaving with tourists; that would drive me crazy. There aren't many remote places left in the world but I chose Oz for my big trip just for that reason. The planning was great fun; took 10 months to do it, but getting started was actually quite nerve-wracking. Once I got into it though after a week or so I just wanted to go on forever - especially in the Outback where I could camp almost at will, well off the road where no-one could see me, in some beautiful places. An abiding memory is eating supper with a glass (well, tin mug) of wine watching the blazing orange sun go down over the bush - unforgettable. I may go back in a couple of years and do Oz again just up in the wild north. Visa's are easy for Oz - 12 months 676 Visa about £40 I think. They sometimes check you have enough funds to last the trip, but they didn't bother with me at all.

gert_lush

Thanks for all the thoughts and suggestions guys, thinking cap is still firmly on!

The more books I read the more I get excited and want to do something, maybe I should start reading about cross stitch instead and get the touring out of my mind