Any experience of not booking hotels in advance

[llotse]

I have travelled quite extensively on the bike in Europe but always two or more couples. Next year, 2026, it looks like it will just be my wife and I , our friends unfortunately are now of an age where he is finding the loaded RT too much and they have decided to give up . With being two bikes or more we have always booked up in advance with the associated requirement of needing to be at a hotel on a certain date and time. What experiences have you had of winging it and booking on the day? We will be going south from Europoort and all the way to Croatia then back, probably taking 18 days in Europe.

 

[squid]

I have travelled quite extensively on the bike in Europe but always two or more couples. Next year, 2026, it looks like it will just be my wife and I , our friends unfortunately are now of an age where he is finding the loaded RT too much and they have decided to give up . With being two bikes or more we have always booked up in advance with the associated requirement of needing to be at a hotel on a certain date and time. What experiences have you had of winging it and booking on the day? We will be going south from Europoort and all the way to Croatia then back, probably taking 18 days in Europe.

Done it for the last 20 years or more. I will sometimes pre book the first or last night (to get a ferry discount) but that is it.
Never had an issue finding anywhere to stay and the unknown is part of the adventure.

Will either search booking. Com the night before or just pull up at a cafe an hour before ready to call it a day and search what is about

 

[chrisjk]

I sometimes book the first night and then wing it. Never had to sleep on the street. Use Booking.com and find something about an hour before needed.

 

[Davey B]

Will either search booking. Com the night before or just pull up at a cafe an hour before ready to call it a day and search what is about

This is key to it...don't leave it until you arrive in a town at 6pm or later, tired and in need of a beer/shower...do it an hour or three before

 

[djgsa]

The plethora of adventure bike YouTubers do exactly the same thing, and most don't seem to have a problem. Occasionally is might be 2nd or 3rd choice but they always seem to land ok.

 

[leedude03]

we travel exactly like that, we only have the very first stop booked and from then on we wing it, choosing to use booking. com or hotels.com or just rock up somewhere and have a look around.
We have never been short of somewhere to stay, if using one of the online booking companies we tend to stop for a lunch somewhere and have a look to see if anything is available in the area where we are heading. there is of course the chance you may end up at a place not to your taste, but as said we have never been left without somewhere.

 

[rossman999]

It really depends on what time and where?
we did 3 weeks in spain last september/ October with a diffrent hotel each night. At lunch time look where we are and where we could reach and book that nights accomidation. But would I risk it in peak season in a tourist area?
PS towards the middle to end of October it was noticable how many places was not open which included cafe's.

 

[siddo]

Just did a month tour of Spain and that's what I did. Arrived in town, get a coffee and look at options on booking.com and Google maps then ride over to the favourite and check in. Was a quiet time of year so all had rooms available.

 

[squid]

This is key to it...don't leave it until you arrive in a town at 6pm or later, tired and in need of a beer/shower...do it an hour or three before

Yes, don't wait until hot and tired. We tend to stop earlier than used to now. Leave time to freshen up and get a beer while checking out where the restaurants are.

We try to find a place in a town so can have a wander and take the location and vibe in.

 

[RedRick Esq.]

When i wing it i use booking.com at lunchtime as that gives an idea of how much further you need to go that day

 

[Skid06]

last year 3 of us did TET, france - spain, rode till 4ish, pulled up for a beer, booking.com air bnb, never failed, stayed in some amazing places and super cheap, did it solo a few months ago in spain and loved it

 

[JohnnyBoxer]

Used to do it a lot before the internet, in the 1990’s and early 2000’s

Just rock up somewhere and find some rooms

Never been stuck ever (had a few dodgy experiences over the years, but still alive and make you look back and smile)

Wouldn’t bother me nowadays to do it on the fly

Make sure you start looking between between 4-5pm at latest

Some of the best hotels I have consistently used have been found by chance, on spec

Don’t dawdle in the morning - up, breakfast and on the road by 8.30am (9am at latest)

If you are riding with faffers, tell them which town to meet in, for rooms that night …they’ll soon get the message and get their act together the next mornings

An hour in the morning….. is worth 2 in the afternoon…!

 

[jonnie comet]

The No1 issue when winging it is, who are you winging it with? Winging it on my own is a doddle but factor in 'people' - 2025 type 'people' - and the whole thing becomes a strain.

NO CHANCE with my wife.

It's never been easier - Enjoy your trip -

 

[er-minio]

What experiences have you had of winging it and booking on the day? We will be going south from Europoort and all the way to Croatia then back, probably taking 18 days in Europe.

I've always been doing this, both traveling by car and bike.
I would normally book in advance specific places I want to be in, of course, but generally everything else is booked on the day. Especially if wandering around.

I do travel every year with a friend (two bikes, two rooms) and we generally start looking at places to stop around 3/4pm, as you have an idea of how much more you want to ride.
Do not wait until you start being tired.
Easy.

Caveat: know your regional holidays.

I told the story already, but I had a couple of "incidents" in France over the years.
First one: was traveling south, couldn't find any hotels around the route (I generally always use Ibis in France for one night stops). Found one at the end, a few hours and a lot of miles over what I wanted to ride that day. Speaking at the reception I was told that I was traveling on the day where half of France transmigrate to the south by car. Noted.

Second time – this was silly of me as I should have known – we didn't book in advance a night for the 15th of August as we were moving from inland Provence towards the coast, me and girlfriend of the bike.
We wasted a day looking for a place, at some point coming back to our origin point. It wasn't an issue of cost, literally everything within 300km was booked. We ended up sleeping in the spare room of an hotel concierge home. She offered us that option as we were a bit desperate (past midnight) and I think she could do with an easy 80 euros.: D
Lesson learnt.

Apart from that, generally peachy. Especially using Booking. Sometimes you discover some interesting places as well. When traveling like this, I tend to stay in smaller and/or semi-isolated places.

 

[Robbieben]

We, my wife & I will sit having breakfast and decide where we are heading & how far, I'll then go via booking . com and see what hotels in the general area suit our needs. Have always found something & on many occasions we've liked the hotel/area enough to extend the one night to two or three.
I'd suggest booking first night after your crossing & last night before your return crossing at a convenient place but other than that its usually quite straightforward.

 

[Captain jack]

All good advice. I have only once had a problem, in utah where we got the last hotel room in the town as a mountain bike festival was on. In the states it can be more of a problem only because of the potential distances to the next town. But that was a one in a hundred experience

 

[Engineer]

I always book well in advance before I set out on a European trip, I like to know that I will have a comfortable civilized place to stay at the end of a days riding. If plans change you can always cancel with most bookings.

 

[Guru Gora]

I’ll ride until say 1500 then see how tired I am etc.

Decide how much further I want to go, look for a town, (preferably with a river), at about that range in vaguely the direction I wasn’t to go in.

Booking .com,, ride there and in for tea and medals.

Ultimate flexibility, if it’s a great town and hotel, maybe stay another night and have a day out on , or off bike.

If the weather is crap maybe have a short day, if it’s all going well maybe a longer one.

It’s a great way to travel.

I’ve found some amazing small towns this way.

You will never be stuck for accommodation if you are prepared to be a bit flexible, if there’s a festival on in town A, pivot and go to Town B




Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Micky]

I have travelled quite extensively on the bike in Europe but always two or more couples. Next year, 2026, it looks like it will just be my wife and I , our friends unfortunately are now of an age where he is finding the loaded RT too much and they have decided to give up . With being two bikes or more we have always booked up in advance with the associated requirement of needing to be at a hotel on a certain date and time. What experiences have you had of winging it and booking on the day? We will be going south from Europoort and all the way to Croatia then back, probably taking 18 days in Europe.

Just the two of you on the one bike .... no problems, just wing it. Never had to sleep in a bus stop, and as JB says above, some of the best hotels and places have been found this way. What yo can do, the night before, over a bier or two discuss with the missis, get the maps out, see where the weather is, the mountains are, use Booking.com and book somewhere. That way you're not fixing your itinerary too rigidly. Enjoy

 

[Hatcho]

I spent two weeks this summer touring through Switzerland, France, Italy and Germany. Was travelling on my tod for the first time. Booked the first and last nights in advance, otherwise I just booked something mid-afternoon each day. One thing to note - do your research on Booking.com, then contact the hotel directly to book. Almost every time you'll get a nicer room, and virtually every hotel will price match or even beat Booking.com. Plus, you'll delight them by booking direct - saves them the Booking.com fees, and they get paid straight away (Booking.com are notorious for holding back payments for months). Means you're in the good books before you even arrive!