EuroVelo 6 goes through several European countries with different entry and exit requirements. For European countries within the Schengen area (France, Austria and Germany), all that is needed is a valid passport. European Union citizens can enter Switzerland with an up-to-date passport. Some Swiss border crossings are not open 24 hours a day; therefore, it is best to check opening hours in advance (www.admin.ch).
For stays of less than 30 days in the “new” European Union countries (such as Hungary, Slovakia, Bulgaria and Romania) and in Croatia, European Union citizens only need an identity card. For stays longer than 30 days, a valid passport is needed. European Union citizens wishing to visit Serbia (for up to 90 days) require a valid passport but a visa is not needed. However, passports must be stamped every time you enter the country. Border crossings are shown on road maps.
For French citizens, the Foreign Affairs Ministry website provides information about the administrative requirements for entry into all countries:
http://www.diplomatie.gouv.fr/fr/conseils-aux-voyageurs_909/index.html
Visitors from outside the European Union must check the entry requirements for the former Eastern European countries and for Switzerland. For entry into the European Union, a Schengen visa issued by one European country is valid for all the other member states for a period of three months.
The partners of EuroVelo 6 have set themselves two main objectives with respect to transport: be able to arrive at and leave one’s starting point with one’s bicycle, and have access to transport (train, boat or coach) along the route so certain sections can be skipped by using public transport. The situation varies greatly from one country to another, and even from one part of a country to another.
The map of international railway lines can be used to identify the most practical direct services for getting to EuroVelo 6 (link the pdf map and the individual country maps).
Once again, the countries with the best intermodality systems (train, boat and bicycle) are Germany, Switzerland and Austria, as they have the most experience in this field and have adapted their public transport offers to meet the needs of cycle tourists. Nevertheless, the situation is deteriorating for Germany’s high-speed trains. In France, great improvements have been made with respect to the transport of bicycles on long-distance trains. Many Corail, TGV and TER trains now accept bicycles as hand luggage and the whole TGV network will accept bicycles within the next few years. Bicycle space must be booked and paid for on TGV, Téoz-Corail and Lunéa night trains. On other trains, it is still necessary to pack bicycles in bike bags or boxes. Thalys and Eurostar trains do not always accept bicycles, making it difficult to access the route by train from the Netherlands and Great Britain.
For more information on intermodalities go to the train+bicycle page (“Passengers with bicycles”) of the European rail networks website: http://railpassenger.uic.asso.fr/. This site has links to the bicycle pages of the individual rail operators.
In Hungary and Slovakia, bicycles can be transported on certain regional rail services but very few international services in the east accept bicycles.
Bikeline guidebooks also provide full information about transporting bicycles by boat and by train.
Whichever country you are travelling in, the best website for planning train journeys is the German railways site, www.bahn.de. It is available in German, English, French, Spanish and Italian.
One of the objectives of EuroVelo 6 is to raise awareness amongst accommodation providers along the route of the need for high quality “bicycle services” and to encourage the opening of accommodation in areas where there is none. Some regions are exemplary in terms of the quality and variety of their accommodation offer, for example, Switzerland, Germany and Austria. Croatia and Serbia have also set up a network of welcoming accommodation for cyclists (site to be added). However, a lot of work remains to be done in countries such as France, Hungary, Bulgaria and Romania.
Generally, accommodation can be found to suit every pocket.
Camping is the most commonly used and least costly type of accommodation, and there is a wide choice, ranging from 5-star sites with swimming pools and entertainment to small municipal campsites. Campsites with the “Accueil Vélo” label offer a covered area for storing bicycles, a laundry area and a workshop for minor repairs.
Hotels that provide these cycling services can also obtain the “Accueil Vélo” label.
Accommodation in private homes varies from one country to another. In France, cycle tourists prefer bed and breakfasts and “gîtes d’étapes”. In Switzerland, farmers belonging to the “Aventure sur la paille” network provide accommodation in converted barns (separate bedrooms are also available but they are more expensive). Germany and Austria’s Gasthöfe provide very welcoming bed and breakfast accommodation. In Serbia and Croatia, owners of private bed and breakfast establishments are always extremely friendly.
Prices vary from one country to another, with Switzerland being the most expensive and Romania the cheapest.
The “La Suisse à vélo” foundation, a partner of EuroVelo 6, has designed a graphic charter for European cycle routes that has now become a reference throughout Europe.
For EuroVelo 6, the figure six will be shown on signs in European colours (blue with yellow stars), as well as at the beginning and end of the Atlantic-Black Sea route.
For pre-existing itineraries, such as La Loire à Vélo, Rhine Route n° 2 and the Danube route, the EuroVelo 6 sign will be added to existing signposts. Switzerland began inaugurating the new charter in the autumn of 2006, on Rhine Route n° 2, a large section of which is followed by EuroVelo 6.
In countries with a long tradition of cycle touring, such as Switzerland, Germany and Austria, cycle routes are already perfectly signposted. In France, the signposting is in place or being installed on the sections that have been completed (Orleans-Angers, and in Franche-Comté and Alsace). In Slovakia, Croatia and Serbia, the route is signposted and the new European signs should soon be added. In Romania and Bulgaria, signposting is unlikely to be completed for several years.
However, the most difficult task for cycle tourists is to follow the small signs indicating the routes into and out of towns and cities. Cyclists continue to comment on the fact that the signs in urban areas are far from obvious!
For EuroVelo 6, the figure six will be shown on signs in European colours (blue with yellow stars), as well as at the beginning and end of the Atlantic-Black Sea route.
For pre-existing itineraries, such as La Loire à Vélo, Rhine Route n° 2 and the Danube route, the EuroVelo 6 sign will be added to existing signposts. Switzerland began inaugurating the new charter in the autumn of 2006, on Rhine Route n° 2, a large section of which is followed by EuroVelo 6.
In countries with a long tradition of cycle touring, such as Switzerland, Germany and Austria, cycle routes are already perfectly signposted. In France, the signposting is in place or being installed on the sections that have been completed (Orleans-Angers, and in Franche-Comté and Alsace). In Slovakia, Croatia and Serbia, the route is signposted and the new European signs should soon be added. In Romania and Bulgaria, signposting is unlikely to be completed for several years.
However, the most difficult task for cycle tourists is to follow the small signs indicating the routes into and out of towns and cities. Cyclists continue to comment on the fact that the signs in urban areas are far from obvious!
The popularity of cycle touring is growing extremely rapidly. It is a non-polluting
means of transport that more and more tourists are choosing to use for their holidays.
Travel companies have taken note of this trend and offer cycling packages to suit all
tastes.
For those who are put off by the weight of saddlebags and panniers, hotel-to-hotel
trips with pre-arranged accommodation and luggage transfers are available. Some trips
provide guides to escort the groups of cyclists. More adventurous travellers may prefer
packages that only include luggage transfers and nights spent at campsites. During the
day, the cyclists are free to follow the route of their choice.
Tour operators also offer themed cycle trips, for example, to the châteaux of the
Loire, the great vineyards of Burgundy, or the Upper Danube nature reserve. Cycling &
culture, cycling & nature or cycling & gastronomy, the choice is growing constantly.
These organised trips allow novices to enjoy the cycling, the countryside and the local
culture without having to worry about the rather complex logistics of a bicycle
journey!
To give just one example, Loire Valley Travel has offered tours along sections of the
EuroVelo 6 route for a number of years. Loire Valley Travel was also the company that
organised the inaugural cycle tour from Tüttlingen to Saumur, from 8th to 15th October
2006.
means of transport that more and more tourists are choosing to use for their holidays.
Travel companies have taken note of this trend and offer cycling packages to suit all
tastes.
For those who are put off by the weight of saddlebags and panniers, hotel-to-hotel
trips with pre-arranged accommodation and luggage transfers are available. Some trips
provide guides to escort the groups of cyclists. More adventurous travellers may prefer
packages that only include luggage transfers and nights spent at campsites. During the
day, the cyclists are free to follow the route of their choice.
Tour operators also offer themed cycle trips, for example, to the châteaux of the
Loire, the great vineyards of Burgundy, or the Upper Danube nature reserve. Cycling &
culture, cycling & nature or cycling & gastronomy, the choice is growing constantly.
These organised trips allow novices to enjoy the cycling, the countryside and the local
culture without having to worry about the rather complex logistics of a bicycle
journey!
To give just one example, Loire Valley Travel has offered tours along sections of the
EuroVelo 6 route for a number of years. Loire Valley Travel was also the company that
organised the inaugural cycle tour from Tüttlingen to Saumur, from 8th to 15th October
2006.
Practical advice
A bicycle tour must be prepared in advance, and that preparation includes choosing suitable equipment, planning the stages of the journey, and deciding how long to go for. All of these decisions depend on the time available, the budget and individual preferences.
A touring bicycle must be strong, easy to repair and the right size for the rider.
Hybrid bicycles are probably the most suitable machines for touring. Generally, they have a triple chain ring, seven cogs, 700-mm wheels and mixed tyres that are slick in the middle and have tread on the sides. The saddle must also be carefully chosen: it should be neither too hard, nor too soft. It is important to choose panniers that are waterproof and that do not unbalance the bicycle. 700-mm wheels cannot be found everywhere in Europe. Smaller, more robust 26-inch wheels are more widely used; therefore, it is easier to find tyres, spokes and inner tubes for them.
Your luggage should include a repair kit that will allow you to deal with minor emergencies, such as a puncture, broken chain or snapped brake cable.
In terms of clothing, cycling shorts (long or short) with a padded seat are not a luxury when you are spending several hours a day in the saddle. And don’t forget warm clothes and waterproofs!
On average, cycle tourists cycle for between 10 and 15 days, and cover around 50 kilometres a day. Of course, there are hardy souls who set off for five or more weeks at a time, and long distance buffs who do 130km at a stretch without putting a foot on the ground. For a first tour, and when travelling with young children, 30 to 35km per day is an ideal distance, allowing you to go at your own pace and still have time to stop off anywhere that takes your fancy. Any reason for taking a break is a good reason!
One final piece of advice: before setting off for a week, ten days or several weeks, test your bicycle, luggage and logistics on a shorter, two- or three-day trip. Try not to be too ambitious. When starting this type of adventure, focus on enjoying the journey – take it easy, do not try to push yourself to the limit! There is no need to follow an intensive training programme before setting off. Just cycling to work will keep you in shape all year round and ensure you are ready for your holiday.
A number of websites provide good advice about preparing your cycle tour.
In France:
- Cyclo-camping International: a small, but very active organisation. Their annual festival, which is held in the third week of January in Paris, is a mine of information and contacts:
http://www.cci.asso.fr/
- “Aventuriers du Bout du Monde” (ABM) is an association of travellers. The bicycle page on their website gives a large amount of practical information:
http://www.abm.fr/pratique/velo.html
- A major discussion forum on travelling by bicycle (in French) can be found at:
http://voyageforum.com/voyage/F28/
- The International Bicycle Fund is a major English-language website and contains information on new developments in bicycle travel
- Adventure Cycling is the American equivalent of Cyclo-camping international. It provides a lot of practical information, discussion groups and route suggestions:
http://www.adv-cycling.org/