Bicycle tourism?
 

Has anybody done this?

I guess there are two main schools, one is the load up your bike with paniers and lug a tent and everything, the other is to hop from hotel to hotel and just ride during the day. I'm more inclined to the latter but would like to hear anything about the former as well. I'd much rather speed around on my racing bike than plod along in a sturdy cruiser.

My dream is to go to the south of France or to Tuscany and bike around there, which would require transporting my bike and a ton of gear.

Is there anywhere in the US that's worth making a trek for? (I live in CA which has some really great biking destinations)

Any advice/trip reports would be awesome.

Re: Bicycle tourism?
 

My dad has done this every year for the past 7 years, after being an avid rider for a long long time. He will go overseas with a group of his friends of organised tours and everything is included in thet package i think.

From Australia, he's been to;
Spain twice
Italy
New Zealand
France
Canada
and a few others i forget

[ QUOTE ]
My dream is to go to the south of France or to Tuscany and bike around there, which would require transporting my bike and a ton of gear.

[/ QUOTE ]

You'd be able to join onto a group im sure, which has a riding leader along with a safety bus which allows you to get in if you're tired etc...

I guess i can't really be more helpful, other than to say he loves it and plans to keep going every year until he is physically unable to

Re: Bicycle tourism?
 

i did this briefly in the united states and new zealand. went from boston to baltimore, things ren{t really set up for doing a biking trip like that and i wouldnt recommend it, the roads used to bike were bad, in fact the first day i got lost was biking when it was cold all the way to 11 at niht i didnt have a light couldnt see and had to bike on a bike highway to reach a hotel. other days included going down busy roads in connecticut which were surprisingly steep and long in the rain which was super dangerous and getting caught in a strong thunderstorm where i saw lighening hit pretty closet o me which scared the [censored] out of me. on the other hand new zealand seemed like a good place to do it, it{s possible to bike from hostel to hostel or from bread and breakfast to bead adn breakfast frequently as opposed to the US which was hotels, but the roads are still not what you might think, also be prepared its hard i wasnt mentall prepared so gave up arly on the new zealand trip