Originally Posted by
pennpaul
I'm currently planning a 6 day GAP and C&O tour starting in Pittsburgh. It's going to be at least 2, maybe 4 of us, and we've all agreed to stay in hotels each night. This will be our first time doing an overnighter on bikes.
I'm undecided whether we should pre-book rooms (we'll probably book the first night). Pre-booking at least guarantees a room for the night but has the added pressure of meeting those mileage goals each day (and also takes away the opportunity to put on more mileage to get further down the road). But there are daily goals and meeting them keeps us on track.
However, the not-knowing if there's going to be room at the inn (or in the spot we all need to rest) seems like the worse alternative, but then there's fewer liabilities if you have to DNF the trip for any reason. I personally don't like surprises.
What has been your experience when credit card touring?
If you are credit card touring and you have things planned out and you know where you are going to be each night, I say Yes. Book the room. I think there is something to be said for being spontaneous and winging it, but there are few things more disappointing than getting to a motel without a reservation and finding out that they have no rooms. I have learned the hard way. Usually during the week, Sunday thru Thursday, depending on where you are, rooms aren't too hard to find and most of the time you don't need a reservation. The weekends can be a different story. On a Friday or Saturday, if you don't make your reservation early, you may be out of luck. I try to call ahead by noon or 1 pm. By 4 or 5 pm some hotels are already booked up. If there is some kind of event going on in the town that weekend (quilt convention) you might need to call days in advance. Winging it is fun, but some people (my wife) hate doing that.