|
 Iceland  |
Iceland is a fantastic destination for experienced walkers and cycletourists during the summer months. Forget the commercialised, touristy areas in the south-west that most peple visit - the rest of the country is empty and unspoilt. | |
| Getting there: Dick Phillips is the acknowledged expert and runs a specialist travel agency in the UK (telephone +44 (0)1434 381 440). He can arrange everything you need including flights, insurance, maps and basic accomodation, and he can also give you a lot of very sound advice if you ask him. | ||
| Photographs: | Click here for the NW Fiords cycle tour of July 2000.  Click here for the Torfajökull walking tour of June 2007. | |
 Russia |
The Russian Cycle Touring Club organises a fantastic annual tour for foreigners and local cyclists. This offers the opportunity to experience the 'real' Russia, instead of the 'official' Russia which visitors are usually shown. | |
| Visas: These can be difficult to arrange by yourself. It's more reliable and often cheaper to use a visa agent specializing in the former Soviet Union. Look for a reputable one in your own country, like Brit Education + Travel in London. | ||
| Getting there: Don't use Transaero, an independant airline which appears to offer bargain fares, because they'll surcharge you a small fortune to bring your bike back home. Be warned - don't believe what they tell you when you buy your ticket! | ||
| Photographs: Click here for the Golden Ring cycle tour of 2004. | ||
 France |
France has an extensive yet surprisingly little-known network of canals and rivers with towpaths that are perfect for long-distance touring. You can avoid roads and motorised traffic but still enjoy the cafés and culture in the towns and villages you pass through. | |
| Maps: IGN publishes a fascinating map of 'French Inland Waterways' at a scale of 1:1,000,000, showing 8,500 km of interconnected waterways, roads, towns, waterway museums and other places of interest. The IGN general 1:250,000 and 1:100,000 series are also excellent although the canals themselves are sometimes difficult to identify on them. | ||
| Photographs: Click here for a solo cycle tour of Brittany made in 2003. | ||
 Bulgaria |
The scenery in Bulgaria is varied, the people are friendly and the roads have very little traffic. Cycle along the river Danube plain and across rough tracks in the Balkan mountains, but avoid the touristy Black Sea resorts! | |
| Getting there: Bulgaria Air offer a good service and need your custom far more than the bigger airlines do. | ||
| Language: You won't mange in Bulgaria without learning the Cyrillic alphabet and a few basic words of Bulgarian. Fortunately the spelling is phonetic, but Bulgarians shake their heads for 'yes' and nod their heads for 'no'! | ||
| Photographs: Click here for tour made by 2 cyclists in 2002. | ||
© Chris Bell, 2007
Highpath Engineering, Cornant, Cribyn, Lampeter,
Ceredigion, SA48 7QW, Wales, UK
email: chris@highpath.net