gauvins

Thanks for correcting me. I didn't know about this part of the world. Even after reading about it in Wikipedia, I am under the impression that it is now part of Poland rather than Lithuania.

1. Good example of serendipity.
2. My mistake (not noticing the reverse ordering of the colored bands on the flag) may explain why I tend to plan and use a GPS...

Ty0604

You're welcome.

I believe most of it is part of Russia with small sections in Lithuania and Poland. I haven't looked in a few years.

staehpj1

I often start with either someone else's route or an Adventure Cycling route, but often deviate from the route a good bit. As far as overnight stopping points, I almost never plan those ahead of time. I might have one point in a trip where I want to stay with a friend or family and that is typically the only pre-planned stop.

My pre-planning is mostly grabbing a route or roughly planning one and then just taking it a day at a time.

jefnvk

Dare I ask what this Adventure Cycling route thing is, or is that going to lead me past the point of no return

dashely

I believe that staehpj1 is talking about this https://www.adventurecycling.org/rou...route-network/

I also follow other peoples route and look for already set up maps

staehpj1

Check out:
https://www.adventurecycling.org/rou...route-network/

jefnvk

Oh, OK, good! Doesn't have ideas for Europe for me to run down the rabbit hole with!

Machka 

Our thought process is along the lines of ...

In mid February ... we've got 5 days off over Easter. We should go somewhere.

In early March ... OK we've booked the flight.

On March 22 ... we're off!


Our big RTW trip took a little bit more planning. We went away for a long weekend to cycle and "plan" in early February ... and were on our way (after having packed all our belongings into storage, quit our jobs, purchased new bicycles and equipment, cycled an overnight shake-down tour, etc. etc.) mid-June.

But most of our trips away are "planned" about a month before the departure date.

And as I mentioned earlier "planning" usually involves deciding on the flights we need and first night's accommodation. Everything in between just happens.

Doug64

The flag in the picture is actually a state flag for the upper Rhine . The picture was taken in Neuss,Germany at a Schützenfest parade.

Take a look: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_Rhine-Westphalia

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flag_o...dtweinhaus.jpg

Ty0604

Good catch. They look almost identical. Very slight color differences depending on quality of the flag. Ignore the shape, just the size of the photo. 1 = Rhine - 2 = Lithuania Minor

chasm54

I don't do planning unless I have a date to meet someone somewhere, or a destination at which I know it's going to be problematic to find somewhere to stay. For the rest, I wing it.

For example, in three weeks or so I'm going on a five or six-week tour in France. I've booked me and the bike a place on Eurostar to Paris. I haven't (and won't) book any accommodation, campsites, whatever, I'll find places to stay on a day-to-day basis. If there's nowhere available at point A I'll ride on to point B. I haven't planned a route beyond getting out at the Gare du Nord and riding south - probably south-west - and going as far as the Pyrenees before turning for home. I haven't even decided how long I'll stay, I'll come back when I've had enough after five or six weeks and get a place on a train or ferry when I get there. I appreciate that this last is a luxury people who still work for a living don't have.

Planning a route in detail spoils the trip for me, a lot of the pleasure is in the spontaneity of making it up as I go along and meandering off in unexpected but interesting directions. The last thing I want is to be constrained by a schedule.

Squeezebox

I assumed they were Morris dancers!!