mev

My longest tour was 18-months. I've crossed six continents on bicycle. However, I do it with a fair amount of planning.

Not the same planning as for a short trip where I might have a good guess of overnight stops. On these longer trips, most often I won't know *exactly* where I stay until I arrive, but sometimes work out rough destination locations a week or so ahead and general routes longer than that. However, the planning I do in advance is of four general categories:

1. I will read many journals and books I can find from other cyclists who have traveled through the area. This is mostly so I expand my knowledge of both possibilities and dangers.
2. I will research general things that could be show-stoppers, e.g. consult with travel clinic on immunizations or with knowing required visas. I'll understand climate ranges so I have reasonable gear.
3. I will take some language classes so I have at least basic communications in dominant language in areas I go through.
4. I have taken advance trips in same area, e.g. (a) week and a half in Tasmania prior to eight months in Australia (b) six weeks across Ukraine/Southern Russia before crossing all of Russia (c) trip on Dalton/Alaska Highway before trip across all the Americas.

Some of this advance planning is years in advance and also generally a different way of anticipating or planning the trip. Once I am on the road, I can and do modify things, but have a general base to make those changes.

So the completely fly wherever the wind takes me approach isn't for me, but I do like the sense of freedom from an extended trip where one can take things slower and as they come.