Hi everyone!
My name is Tom, I found your forum by recommendation and I have to say it is quickly turning out to be an amazing recourse for all kinds of useful info.
I am planning an extensive trip from Berlin, Germany (where I will arrive by bus) going West, through France and Spain, to Portugal. I have literally tried to find all the available info online, and have found some very useful sources, but still feel overwhelmed and need to figure out thousands of details before I can actually go.
Here are the headlines of my goals (and problems with them):
1. I have a unique window of opportunity to leave on the 18th of June and have potentially the entire summer for traveling across Europe. The problem is that this leaves me with incredibly little time to prepare, and I also don't want to waste precious summer time, so it would be great if I could meet this deadline.
2. Since it's my first trip of this sort, I don't have a suitable bike to ride with, but I do have some experienced friends that will at least help me find an affordable frame and build a sturdy, functional bicycle around it. The problem is, my budget is quite limited, so this of course limits my choices, but any input on what to keep an eye for would be greatly appreciated.
3. I plan on driving for months, both on paved roads and off-road, so I guess the bicycle has to be sturdy enough to survive on varying terrains, but fast enough to allow me to go at least 50-80 kilometers (I'm not sure, but that's probably like 30-ish-50ish miles per day) per day. I've read a lot about converted mountain bikes, but I've also read that they might not work very well for carrying loads.
4. NEED MOST HELP WITH: Althoguh I've scoured the web for as much info as I could find, I'm still very hesitant on starting to plan the specific routes I'll be taking. All I know I need to go through Germany, France and Spain (duh) to reach the Atlantic, and want to see as much beautiful sights as possible along the way. So if anyone has experience in the areas, any suggestions would be more than appreciated. I would also obviously prefer to ride mostly, if not exclusively without the company of cars, meaning bicycle tracks or at least reclusive roads. Also, since it's a very long trip, it would be great to go without too many detours and maintain a more or less (barring nearby sightseeing opportunities) steady direction West.
5. What to pack. I've read the countless kit packing suggestions, but once again, any input is very valuable to me at this time.
6. Clothing. This is another aspect I found contradicting information on.
7. Wild camping. I plan on sleeping almost exclusively in nature, with exceptions of the occasional Couchsurfing or hostel experience for showers etc. Any advice on this would be greatly valued as well, especially in terms of what to bring, how to find the spots, how to stay safe, what to look for etc.
8. Budget. I will be on a pretty limited budget, but, excluding museums, dining out and other attractions, I would like to spend around $5-10 per day on food/water etc. I read a lot that this is very doable, but would just appreciate if you could confirm.
11. Keeping your belongings safe. This is another thing that is unclear to me - do you leave the panniers on the bicycle when you go sightseeing around a city, taking only the essential belongings? Or do you leave the bicycle in a remote area and walk/use public transport to go into the city center?
This is all I could think of for now, but if there's anything else you'd like to add, it's even better.
I would like to thank in advance anyone who will share any experiences or advice, no matter how big or small. Right now, anything, even a reassurance is really valuable, as I am having a bit of a difficult time wrapping my head around everything.
