A Defining Moment In My Life

[ChrisFS]

I have had a love of bike touring for the last 10 years but I haven't ventured further than Europe so far. Whether that changes or not remains to be seen.
At the age of 48 I find myself newly single after the break up of an up and down 3 year relationship. The reasons are irrelevant for the purposes of this topic and I am not looking for or asking for counselling!! My situation is what it is and it's time for me to move on.
My immediate priority is finding somewhere new to live. I haven't a clue what's happening with that just now but it will resolve itself. After that I need to blow the cobwebs out of my mind and I can think of no better way to do it that jump on a bike and go for a loonnnnggggg ride.
Timewise I'm now looking at May or June of this year. I'll need until then to get other aspects of my life back on track. The question is....where to go? Do I re-trace my steps along the routes in Europe that I have done before and loved or do I try something completely new? Do I venture further afield or do I stay closer to home?

A few gentle ideas would be most welcome.

[trackdayrider]

Down through Italy, cross into Greece and back up through Croatia ?

[juanvaldez650]

Try something new. The U.S. has about 20,000,000 illegal immigrant. One more couldn't hurt.

[miles4smiles]

how much time and money you have might be a determining factor

you are starting a new phase in your life try something new

[mollydog]

That's a tough time Chris, hope you can transition and come out the other side with a smile as you cover miles and miles on your bike!

I think EU would be a great way to start off ... but a lot depends on your funds.
Eu more money, maybe Eastern EU would be a bit less? Dunno?

I loved France, Spain, Portugal ... and Morocco! Morocco is a GREAT jumping off place and gets you immediately into serious "Adventure" territory. Cheap and easy to get to.

The USA option is a good one too ... if you chose to keep going. Bikes are cheap to buy here. So you could do some USA ... then cross into Mexico and continue South ... or whatever!

Once again, your funds will determine where you can go and for how long.

All the best!

[James Rothwell]

You have an enormous amount of choice, the only real governing factor would be time and money.

If it was me even if I had a lot of time/money I probably wouldn't want to start in the States, I'd start from wherever you are now and just start riding, get to France and then I'd blast through Europe and relax in Croatia for a few days deciding what to do next and probably start arranging visas for the Central Asian countries and head that way.

[ChrisFS]

Yes I should have mentioned some other info in my original post....

I'm thinking I'll have about £4000 to spend in total. That is to cover absolutely everything. I have the bike and equipment but living in Northern Ireland that'll have to include boats to and from France (approx. £400 return).
Time.....well I'm not going to challenge anyone for an endurance record but I think I'll have about 4 weeks to play with.
I don't mind a bit of camping but I don't want to do it all the time. Maybe camp 4 nights and hotel 3 nights each week.
I'll be bringing my own trangia stove that has served me so well over the years so I won't need to budget for Michelin star cooking.

[canyon]

You could try an organised adventure tour, India or Nepal are possible on your budget, meeting with like minded bikers in a completely different culture can be therapeutic.
Canyon

[John933]

Chris you may be in luck. Or I may be. I'm off to Spain and Portugal. Leavening the UK on the 12 of May from Dover. Coming back when the money run's out. Have a flat booked from the 15 May just out side Faro. Two night to get there and the same to come back. Cheap hotel's all the way. No extra stuff in the way of camping gear. Looking for some one to share the cost's.


What's the chance's of you crossing in to the UK, then catching the ferry at Dover. I can give you a place to stay in Dover as an over night. I'll be staying there as well. To catch the early morning crossing in to France.


Any question just ask.
John933

[backofbeyond]

I did that after the break up of, well, let's just call it a significant relationship. It wasn't the best decision I ever made and there were a couple of times I was lucky to survive. I felt worse after I came back because you've got nothing else to think about as you ride along, nobody to talk to, you're thousands of miles from home so you can't do anything and generally you're not at your most sociable.

I'm not saying you shouldn't go because everybody's circumstances are different but that's how it was for me.

Good job you're not looking for counselling as in my experience it's absolutely, totally, fecking useless. The only thing it's good at is emptying your bank account.

[Slippy]

Hi Chris,

Getting off this wee island can be expensive. Try Nutt Travel for all ferries. I like Cork-Roscoff and Newcastle-Amsterdam. After that, its up to you. Only you know what you like and only you can decide which way to point the front wheel.

I am doing the Taffy Dakar and hopefully Paddy Dakar also. Prior to them, or maybe after, I am doing all points Ireland N S E & W including highest and lowest point, camping all the way. HU are also doing there annual weekend in Enniskillen. I was a day visitor last year, but going of the full weekend this year.

Its exciting to get on this site and read the tails of adventure and wish for your own. Any adventure is what you make it, not where. What ever you do have a great time.

Happy trails.

Steven

[92 Driver]

If you're ferrying over and want a room near Nottingham for the night please give me a shout,