Just getting a reservation on a local train was cumbersome.
When we planned our bike vacation along France’s Loire River, part of Eurovelo 6, I hadn’t expected that the train would be the hardest part.
Continue reading “Biking the Loire: The hardest part was the train”Saumur, Villandry, Chinon, Chenonceau and more.
It took us more than an hour to get out of Saumur, a town of 26,000 along the Loire River in France.
Continue reading “Biking the Loire: 5 day trips from Tours”A different way to tackle Eurovelo 6.
On this bike trip to Europe, we decided to try something different: Rather than biking from point to point along a castle-laden section of Eurovelo 6 in France, we would base ourselves in one town and do day trips.
Continue reading “Biking the Loire: Why staying in one town was the perfect choice for us”It’s no longer just downhill along the Adige bike path. Plus tips for your own DIY trip.
Remember the tunnel the train went through as we headed up to Bolzano and beyond? Now we find out how we will will get across that mountain — and it’s not with a bike tunnel.
Continue reading “Day 4 on the Adige bike path: One giant climb before we end the ride in Verona”Another 60 miles of bike path in Italy as we go from Bolzano to Rovereto.
This is the day we leave the Italian province of South Tyrol and the German speakers.
We’re still going downhill, but at an ever-slower rate. On this 60ish-mile day from Bolzano to Rovereto, we will lose about 60 meters in elevation, as much as we did over the 24ish miles between Merano and Bolzano.
Continue reading “Day 3 on the Adige bike path in Italy: Hey, we’re on the Eurovelo 7 route”I told you we were biking downhill!
I’m in love with this bike path along the Adige river in northern Italy. And with the area.
Even before I had finished our first full day of biking, I was already contemplating a return visit.
Continue reading “Day 2 on the Adige bike path: 60 miles downhill from Malles to Bolzano via Merano”We told everyone we are biking downhill for the better part of 180 miles along the Adige river in Italy.
We’ve been telling everyone that this bike trip in Italy is all about going downhill, from the mountains to the valley and Verona about 180 miles away.
After just 12 miles between Resia/Reschen and Malles/Mals (every town here has an Italian and a German name), we can say we weren’t kidding.
Continue reading “Day 1 on Italy’s Adige bike path: We get flagged for speeding while biking downhill”Is it the Alto Adige? The Etschradweg? So many names for the bike path from Malles (or Mals) to Verona in Italy.
We’re planning a biking trip to the Dolomite mountains in northeastern Italy. The idea is to bike downhill on a bike path from as high up as we can get all the way to Verona.
We hope.
Continue reading “We’re going to bike from the Italian/Austrian/Swiss border to Verona”On Day 3 of our short DIY bike ride along Eurovelo 8, we pedaled from Beziers to Narbonne.
The first question of the day: how do we get back to the Canal du Midi?
Continue reading “Day 3 on Eurovelo 8 in France: We reach Narbonne”We reach the Canal du Midi halfway through this 3-day DIY bike ride in France.
The goal on this day of my Montpellier-to-Narbonne bike ride is to meet friends for dinner in Beziers. Along the way, though, my goal is to reflexively say Bonjour Madame/Monsieur every time I enter a shop or otherwise approach someone. After all, one of these friends has explained, not doing this is considered the height of rudeness (and why perhaps Americans in France are seen as rude, not the other way around.) I know I was a bit remiss on Day 1.
Continue reading “Day 2 on Eurovelo 8 in France: Sete to Beziers”
Exploring by bicycle 