Will I end up sleeping on a bench ?

[Hann]

will I end up sleeping in a bus stop ?

Will I end up sleeping on a bench ?​

You may jest but i did exactly that years ago when travelling down through Germany.
I got to the Black Forest region and had intentions of slinging a tarp up in a quiet forested area.
It was late and getting dark and i ventured deep into the woods on a deserted track.
After turning the bikes` engine off the stillness surrounded me and i felt very alone - except for the odd snap of a twig and odd rustling sounds not too far away....
Feck this i thought, i`ve seen too many horror films so i high tailed it out of there to Freudenstadt and found a park bench in a quiet residential area for the night.
Proper adventurist, me!

 

[Barnoe]

except for the odd snap of a twig and odd rustling sounds not too far away....
Feck this i thought, i`ve seen too many horror films so i high tailed it out of there to Freudenstadt.

That was me, i wondered where you ran off too, i was just coming over to ask you wanted a nice hot brew from my flask?

 

[TIJ650]

Will I end up sleeping on a bench ?​

You may jest but i did exactly that years ago when travelling down through Germany.
I got to the Black Forest region and had intentions of slinging a tarp up in a quiet forested area.
It was late and getting dark and i ventured deep into the woods on a deserted track.
After turning the bikes` engine off the stillness surrounded me and i felt very alone - except for the odd snap of a twig and odd rustling sounds not too far away....
Feck this i thought, i`ve seen too many horror films so i high tailed it out of there to Freudenstadt and found a park bench in a quiet residential area for the night.
Proper adventurist, me!

I’m assuming you’ve got a smartphone??
You can find places last minute on Booking.com
Works for me anyway

 

[TIJ650]

I think camping adds a totally unnecessary and complicated element to the adventure on two wheels. Hotels are relatively cheap and much easier than the faff of carrying/ unloading and erecting camping stuff. Complete different story with 4 wheels cause easy to carry loads and shelter in adverse conditions.
Camping on a bike is a young or stubborn guys game.

 

[boatman]

Thanks for the reply’s. You’ve given me the confidence to just wing it and see what happens. Just need to find a couple of nice options for routes depending which way I end up going

Buy Michelin map ,, and try to plot your routes where the map has green shading along the road as this denotes a scenic route

 

[Barnoe]

wheels. Hotels are relatively cheap

Define cheap?

Multiply that by 14 nights away and camping suddenly looks very attractive.
camping for 14 nights works out the same as a single night in a hotel usually.

 

[boatman]

Thanks for the reply’s. You’ve given me the confidence to just wing it and see what happens. Just need to find a couple of nice options for routes depending which way I end up going

Tip - start early ,,, and Finish early ,,, just shift the day a bit and it also makes it easier

 

[Barnoe]

Buy Michelin map ,, and try to plot your routes where the map has green shading along the road as this denotes a scenic route

if your planning with MRA then it has a Michelin map choice too

 

[boatman]

I think camping adds a totally unnecessary and complicated element to the adventure on two wheels. Hotels are relatively cheap and much easier than the faff of carrying/ unloading and erecting camping stuff. Complete different story with 4 wheels cause easy to carry loads and shelter in adverse conditions.
Camping on a bike is a young or stubborn guys game.

That would be me then 66 years young ,,, i have camped off bikes since I was 17 - and fully intend to keep doing it as long as I enjoy it and am able
Taken last week Northern Scotland @ Scourie

 

[boatman]

if your planning with MRA then it has a Michelin map choice too

Does it show it in colour ?

 

[zerax9]

Last time i went there a sexy French women said we could have a huge pitch for the 2 of us for 10 Euros a night
the pitch was huge, we parked our bikes and pitched our tents and still had shit loads of room.

Wow.... you started that off so well... then such an anti-climax...

 

[zerax9]

When I'm looking for a campsite... I like to find one within a reasonable walk to a bar/food... saves a bit of faffing and the beer helps you sleep...

 

[Barnoe]

Does it show it in colour ?

 

[TIJ650]

Define cheap?

Multiply that by 14 nights away and camping suddenly looks very attractive.
camping for 14 nights works out the same as a single night in a hotel usually.

Dunno, campsites are around 25€ and you can get an Airbnb for not much more. If you’re talking about roughing next to a river, then you win this discussion. Each to their own

 

[Hann]

I think camping adds a totally unnecessary and complicated element to the adventure on two wheels

I think camping adds an essential element to travelling on two wheels.
When you`re in a swanky hotel all freshened-up and tucking into a fancy meal you`re not on a motorcycle adventure any more - you`re just like any other tourist but just happened to arrive by motorcycle!
Apart from when it rains, then it sucks...

Camping on a bike is a young or stubborn guys game

I`m only 61, i ain`t ready for hotels yet!

A couple of weeks ago we were in Dartmoor, we had intentions of wild camping.
I found what i thought was a nice spot but Mrs Hann got spooked by the local wildlife - she had an encounter with a herd of cows on a ramble recently who corned her between a hedge and a stream so was a bit reluctant to share space with this beast!



So we found a small, basic,cheap but decent campsite instead.



She may look a bit moody in the pic - she wasn`t, i think she was just in a thinking pose. I think...
I allowed her to pack an umbrella for some semblance of luxury - i`m not a complete b`stard!
Anyway, she wants to go away again soon for more nights under canvass - Lake District is planned.

 

[zerax9]

I think camping adds a totally unnecessary and complicated element to the adventure on two wheels. Hotels are relatively cheap and much easier than the faff of carrying/ unloading and erecting camping stuff. Complete different story with 4 wheels cause easy to carry loads and shelter in adverse conditions.
Camping on a bike is a young or stubborn guys game.

Yeah... I know what you mean... but it's not all bad...

1. Far cheaper
2. The bike is right next to you all night
3. No hassle of trying to find a hotel with some sort of secure bike parking
4. Setting up and tearing down gets to become a routine... so super easy after a few nights
5. It's all part of the adventure... you tend to chat to others when you're camping... less so in a hotel
6. If you do have to park the bike on the street... panniers all off ?
7. Closer to nature (which may or may not be a plus)

I tend to do a mix of hotels/camping...

 

[Barnoe]

Dunno, campsites are around 25€ and you can get an Airbnb for not much more. If you’re talking about roughing next to a river, then you win this discussion. Each to their own

Well you also need to like camping and be good at it.
if your a casual camper then putting a tent up and pulling down every day for 2 weeks will be to much to take specially if the weather is shit.
However if you have an easy to put up tent, are experienced and good equipment then lifes good.

If you have plenty of money, then a cosy hotel room wins every time, the only negative i can see with this is your leaving your bike unattended.

 

[boatman]

One of the issues with camping - is a catch 22 scenario .
If you don’t have the correct gear ,,,, camping can be a miserable experience ,, people try it often without the correct kit ,,,,, then they are “ Put Off “ didn’t enjoy it so don’t invest in proper kit .

 

[zerax9]

Apart from when it rains, then it sucks...

I was camping in France last year... and in my broken schoolboy French, asked the girl on reception what the weather forecast was for the night...

Ah ! L'orage ! she exclaimed.
Oh... L'orage... I repeated back... desperately trying to remember what that meant...
Qu'est-ce que l'orage ?
Thunderstorm !!

I had to get up 3 times that night, in torential rain, to re-set guy lines on the tent and the tarp... all in nothing but my undercrackers (it was a warm night !).

 

[Hann]

That was me, i wondered where you ran off too, i was just coming over to ask you wanted a nice hot brew from my flask?

Oh, that was you, was it?
Why didn`t you have any clothes on?