Organised bike tours

[MotorcycleTourer]

2 hours ago, jedibiker said:

Although when I did think sod it and went for dinner, I ended up sat on a table next to a couple and got chatting. He was a biker and used to teach bike safe with the Police., so it wasnt too bad. But that was a good day..

Like most things, it’s never as bad in real life as the nightmare you conjure up in your head!

 

Apart from in Venice.

 

I popped into a local restaurant for a pizza before it got busy. I noticed the smarmy waiters talking about me and then all of sudden ‘All By Myself’ by Celine Dion came over the speakers followed by a roar of laughing from behind the bar.

 

I don’t think I even finished the pizza!!

[jedibiker]

4 minutes ago, MotorcycleTourer said:

Like most things, it’s never as bad in real life as the nightmare you conjure up in your head!

 

Apart from in Venice.

 

I popped into a local restaurant for a pizza before it got busy. I noticed the smarmy waiters talking about me and then all of sudden ‘All By Myself’ by Celine Dion came over the speakers followed by a roar of laughing from behind the bar.

 

I don’t think I even finished the pizza!!

I think that would trigger hulk smash mode.. When in Krakow on my own, I noticed a waiter was asking others if they wanted more drinks etc, mine was empty and he didnt even look my way.. So off I went with empty glass and had a word.. I think he was put off by a guy on his own..

[Steve_M]

37 minutes ago, MotorcycleTourer said:

I love the idea of chasing the sun! I’ve done a fair bit of touring in my time, but I’ve always followed my own schedule and had all my accommodation pre-booked. But I totally see the merit in ditching the rainy Dolomites plan for some time in Sunny France 

Booking.com is your friend... 

 

We book ferries for the start and end of our tour, decide roughly where we’d like to go and that’s overall planning done. We stop for coffee around 4pm each day and estimate where we’ll be after another hour’s riding. My good lady uses booking.com to find suitable accommodation in the vicinity of our expected location. 
 

We then check weather forecasts etc. on the evening and then plot a route covering around 7hrs riding for the next day. Not that we expect to ride for that long, but we’ve found it better to not run out of route before you need accommodation. 
 

The only constraint, then, is making sure that you get to your return ferry in time. 
 

It works for us.

 

 

Edited January 24, 2021 by Steve_M

[MotorcycleTourer]

9 minutes ago, Steve_M said:

Booking.com is your friend... 

 

We book ferries for the start and end of our tour, decide roughly where we’d like to go and that’s overall planning done. We stop for coffee around 4pm each day and estimate where we’ll be after another hour’s riding. My good lady uses booking.com to find suitable accommodation in the vicinity of our expected location. 
 

We then check weather forecasts etc. on the evening and then plot a route covering around 7hrs riding for the next day. Not that we expect to ride for that long, but we’ve found it better to not run out of route before you need accommodation. 
 

The only constraint, then, is making sure that you get to your return ferry in time. 
 

It works for us.

 

 

I’m a big fan of booking.com and use it pretty much exclusively.

 

If the restrictions ease off in the summer and we’re allowed to play out, I might just give this style a try 

[Gerontious]

53 minutes ago, MotorcycleTourer said:

I love the idea of chasing the sun! I’ve done a fair bit of touring in my time, but I’ve always followed my own schedule and had all my accommodation pre-booked. But I totally see the merit in ditching the rainy Dolomites plan for some time in Sunny France 

It's just so obvious to me, who actively enjoys riding in the rain? or worse.. camping in the rain. putting up tents and then taking them down, while it's raining, on what is supposed to be a holiday. Not me!! And Im not going to put anyone through that if it can be avoided. That year the rain was due to start on day two, the Sunday and continue till the Wednesday morning. err... no.  In the last few days before the off it became increasingly clear that we would have to change plan. And so we did. with a lot of regret. There was no way to make it work.

The guys already knew about our Plan B. and what was happening with the weather, so it didn't come as a last minute surprise and it turned out alright. But, it has to be said that it wasn't as great as Austria. We didn't get our full day on the Grossglockner or the Nockalm. Or get to ride over the Stelvio, Umbrail and Timmelsjoch pass or "terrifying" Giau, or have the opportunity for a 'Taster' day in the Dolomites. which was a great personal disappointment. As I knew.. once the guys experience that region, they would want to go back. And go that extra mile to spend more time there another time.

but what can you do. Sometimes a decision has to be made.

[S-Westerly]

9 hours ago, MotorcycleTourer said:

Yea I’ve been on a few tours with mates and riding clubs and they’ve always worked out fine.

 

I think the personality clashes is a great point. Imagine having to share a room with someone on an organised tour and you end up not getting on with them!!

 

And everyone wants to do/see something different. But inevitably, you can’t do/see at all of them or else you’d never get anywhere.

 

All that money for a restrictive tour that you end up hating

It'll be a cold day in hell before I'd share a room with anyone other than my wife!

[fastbob]

10 hours ago, MotorcycleTourer said:

Agreed. I prefer to tour alone (in the main) but dinner can be a little awkward!

I do know what you mean . Speaking as someone with mild ASD I tend to peer intently at my phone and blot out the rest of the room if I have no choice other than to eat in a restaurant . 

[Slowlycatchymonkey]

I don’t mind eating on my own in a restaurant one bit. In my old life when I didn’t seem to get a moments peace I’d deliberately book a nice restaurant on my  own and enjoy the quiet, the food and good staff. I wouldn’t tell anyone what I was doing and I’d leave my mobile behind. Two hours of bliss. 
 

Sometimes you get someone trying to join you but if you’re not interested in conversation just take a book and say “very nice to have met you, do you mind if I get back to this.”

 

Last time I was on my tod was in Milan. I had a fantastic time, the hotel had recommended a restaurant down the road and they were very generous, a free glass of champagne which was endlessly topped up. Mind you attitudes to eating on your own are a bit different abroad than here. 
 

@fastbob just curious about the asd (whatever suits n all that) but if you were on your own in a restaurant and somebody came over and started talking to you would that be too much? 

[fastbob]

2 hours ago, Slowlycatchymonkey said:

I don’t mind eating on my own in a restaurant one bit. In my old life when I didn’t seem to get a moments peace I’d deliberately book a nice restaurant on my  own and enjoy the quiet, the food and good staff. I wouldn’t tell anyone what I was doing and I’d leave my mobile behind. Two hours of bliss. 
 

Sometimes you get someone trying to join you but if you’re not interested in conversation just take a book and say “very nice to have met you, do you mind if I get back to this.”

 

Last time I was on my tod was in Milan. I had a fantastic time, the hotel had recommended a restaurant down the road and they were very generous, a free glass of champagne which was endlessly topped up. Mind you attitudes to eating on your own are a bit different abroad than here. 
 

@fastbob just curious about the asd (whatever suits n all that) but if you were on your own in a restaurant and somebody came over and started talking to you would that be too much? 

That would depend entirely upon what they had to say . 

[MotorcycleTourer]

2 hours ago, fastbob said:

I do know what you mean . Speaking as someone with mild ASD I tend to peer intently at my phone and blot out the rest of the room if I have no choice other than to eat in a restaurant . 

As a photographer, I almost always take either my phone, tablet or laptop and do a bit of editing whilst I wait for my food to arrive. People seem less interested in people who are busy, plus I’m not just sat there looking around at nothing

[onesea]

When alone in hotel the first thing I did was leave it if could,  ask reception or just walk round the corner find another place.  Its a part of travel I loved, I have met some interesting people heard crazy things, eaten some interesting food.  Hotel bars are the worst, particularly chain hotels and the like.

In a normal bar a solo stranger particularly a foreigner is often spoken to where as a group or couple you are not.   A solo local takeout on the beach or in the park alone, is far nicer than food in what normally is a mediocre hotel restaurant.

[MotorcycleTourer]

5 hours ago, onesea said:

When alone in hotel the first thing I did was leave it if could,  ask reception or just walk round the corner find another place.  Its a part of travel I loved, I have met some interesting people heard crazy things, eaten some interesting food.  Hotel bars are the worst, particularly chain hotels and the like.

In a normal bar a solo stranger particularly a foreigner is often spoken to where as a group or couple you are not.   A solo local takeout on the beach or in the park alone, is far nicer than food in what normally is a mediocre hotel restaurant.

Agreed