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Path: utzoo!linus!decvax!decwrl!amd!fortune!foros1!rhino!marcum
From: marcum@rhino.UUCP (Alan M. Marcum)
Newsgroups: net.bicycle
Subject: Re: Europe by bike
Message-ID: <216@rhino.UUCP>
Date: Wed, 17-Oct-84 21:07:38 EDT
Article-I.D.: rhino.216
Posted: Wed Oct 17 21:07:38 1984
Date-Received: Fri, 19-Oct-84 04:47:35 EDT
References: <14702@lanl-a.UUCP>
Organization: The Fortune Jungle
Lines: 30

Posting rather than replying because of probable general interest...

I took my bike to Holland when I presented a paper at a
conference there a few years ago.  I've also camped (backpacking
and via train from place to place) a few times, in France,
England, Italy, Germany, and Switzerland.  I recommend a Hostel
card highly (American Youth Hostels [AYH] advertises in many of
the bike magazines) -- also rather useful for ID at times.
Campgrounds were readily available, as were Hostels, both when
backpacking and biking.

The water was no problem at all, nor was eating fruit (even
unwashed) purchased at open-air markets or stands.  Cheese,
sausage, and bread made large contributions to my diet (ahh, such
wonderful cheese and bread!).

Holland is a wonderful bicycling place -- the folks there bicycle
quite a bit as a matter of course, and the country is quite flat.
There are many bicycle paths that even extend between cities.  I
found both drivers and cyclists courteous on the road.

A "must see" in Switzerland: a city called Saas Fee, one valley
east of the Mattertal (the valley -- "tal" -- of the Matterhorn)
and Zermatt.  Beautiful.

One caveat: there are many different "standards" for tube valve
size and configuration.  Adapters are often unavailable....
-- 
Alan M. Marcum		Fortune Systems, Redwood City, California
...!{ihnp4, ucbvax!amd, hpda, sri-unix, harpo}!fortune!rhino!marcum