Posted 27 November 2024
With more than seven weeks now having passed since reaching The Hague at the end of my trip, I'm able to reflect a little here.
I eventually visited 46 countries over six continents. I'm not including Indonesia or Malaysia, where I only stopped over during my flights from Australia to Georgia! The only country I didn't spend the night in was Liechtenstein. I've sketched out a few highlights (and lowlights) below, and then some very brief thoughts on each country...
Favourite country
Mexico primarily for the food. Colombia due to the low prices and being a generally easy country to travel in; plentiful cheap accommodation and many cyclists. Norway for the great scenery.
Least favourite country
New Zealand is the one country which managed to undershoot my expectations. Too many tourists (especially other Brits!), small busy roads with steady traffic, variable weather and annoying insects. My advice is - go to Norway instead! Croatia was also a disappointment, partly due to visiting in Summer when the place was packed with tourists and the roads were busy. I felt rather unwelcome in Nicaragua, starting with the longest and most intense immigration grilling at the border to just enter the country! Morocco, I didn't particularly enjoy at the time as my head wasn't quite in the right place for whatever reason, but in hindsight it wasn't bad, especially the mountains with their quiet roads and great scenery.
Best food
Mexico for sure. They have such a variety of food and it's all good, tasty, and pretty cheap. Just don't try and find breakfast before 0800 as you'll be disappointed! Lunchtime more or less through the whole of Latin America was generally something to look forward to, as you could be pretty sure of finding some kind of roadside eatery which would serve up a "menu" of some sort; soup then a plate of food including rice, salad, beans, meat/fish, drink included. For sure some were better than others, but they were pretty much always cheap, filling, and even fairly healthy.
Greek food was excellent, marked by its freshness, and generally not expensive. I also had some great food in Copenhagen - but you have to be prepared to spend a bit for that!
El Salvador's pupusas were the main "find" of the trip, and something which I am desperate to sample again at some point...
Worst food
On a cycling trip, my standards here are pretty low, but a couple of thoughts spring to mind. I found Peruvian chifas (Chinese restaurants) especially underwhelming, invariably being served a heaped tasteless plate of stuff. It was filling and cheap, but not exactly tasty. Finnish food was also not something I'd include in the world's top cuisines!
Best cycling
Probably joint favourite for me would be Baja California or the vast empty spaces of Chile. Baja offered nice riding through great desert scenery, but with some tourist facilities around. A good introduction to Latin America. I have a soft spot for pedalling across vast empty deserts, and the Chilean Atacama delivered on that front. Cycling big, quiet roads across the desert and completely stocked-up on food and water for two or three days is really my happy place. An honourable mention should probably go to the Netherlands, thanks to the absolute ubiquity of cycle paths here.
Worst cycling
I would not be in a rush to recommend Latvia or Lithuania for a cycling trip. Both countries seemed to offer a binary choice of either terrible gravel roads or unsuitable busy, narrow highways. Peru's Ruta 3 was also a big challenge; I naively chose this route running North/South through the Peruvian Andes expecting a half-decent paved road, which was absolutely not the case. In places it was a very minor, very bad dirt road. But I enjoyed the challenge...mostly.
Best traffic
Not very exciting but probably goes to France or Spain where the drivers are very used to seeing cyclists on the road and will, generally, respect you.
Worst traffic
New Zealand, thanks to the small busy roads with fast traffic and unforgiving drivers. Really ground me down. Croatian roads along the coast, at least in Summer, were something to be avoided. Istanbul was also pretty bad; a surprising amount of cycle paths around but also rubbish bits on busy highways between them.
Best accommodation
Pasaj Cap at Lake Atitlan in Guatemala, without a doubt. I found it such a peaceful place to spend a few days, really idyllic. Keen to go back at some point. Camping at the Mirador la Armonia in Costa Rica was also great fun; pitched up at the top of a wooden platform under a roof, with a great view over Lake Arenal. Even more so as I had the place to myself! Desert wild camps among the giant cacti of Baja California were also great.
Worst accommodation
I was expecting a few horror shows among the cheap hotels of Latin America, but I was generally pleasantly surprised. Expectations should be low when spending ÂŁ10 or so on a room, but in the end the worst place was in Peru where I only spent ÂŁ3 for the night and received accommodations of a correspondingly poor standard! I also had one night in a rather rubbish mosquito-infested room in El Salavdor, one of the very few times I actually used my mosquito net.
Cheapest country
The whole of Latin America scores well here, excepting the more touristy places such as Costa Rica. Panama was a little more costly, Mexico sometimes too. Chile and Argentina had higher costs to go with them being more developed, although stuff was of a correspondingly higher quality too. Peru was probably consistently the cheapest country. A mention should go to Poland, sticking with the Zloty and often surprisingly low prices for Europe. I had a private hotel room one night for around ÂŁ15.
Most expensive country
Switzerland for sure. Everything was expensive, including campsites and the supermarkets. I attempted to stop for pizza one lunchtime but gave up after looking at the prices on the menu! Norway was really not as bad as I had expected; if you largely wild camp, which is freely permitted, and cook for yourself (there is some cheaper stuff available in the supermarkets), it was perfectly manageable. Accommodation and restaurants were expensive. Croatia's high prices stood out like a sore thumb after the low prices of the rest of the Balkans.
Best supermarkets
OK, maybe an odd categorisation but for me an important one - being able to consistently pick up a nice variety of food is important for me when riding, if only for my motivation levels! Walking into my first supermarket in Chile; the Walmart-owned Lider in Arica, I recall walking around in awe at the variety of tasty stuff available including lots of foreign foods. Which brings me on to...
Worst supermarkets
The Peruvian retail scene seemed to be rather peculiar, either revolving around small and patchily-stocked tiendas in town or, in the bigger places, large modern supermarkets on the edge of town. For some reason, though, the supermarkets had a rubbish range. For example, half an aisle would typically be dedicated solely to various packages of rubbish and overly sweet strawberry jam. I have been desperate to avoid strawberry jam ever since!
Tastiest water
I only include this category after having enjoyed the free-flowing drinkable tap water in Costa Rica. Firstly, a novelty compared to the rest of Central America in that it is safe to drink. Second, it often flowed very cold and absolutely delicious right to the tap.
Worst water
Where it wasn't safe to drink, I was filtering water, but even then Turkey's tap water often tasted pretty rubbish. A sharp contrast to the many roadside water fountains in the mountainous areas of the country, which offered free-flowing, cold, tasty spring water!
Now for a few thoughts on each country I visited, listed here in alphabetical order...
Albania
Enjoyable. A developing tourist destination making it a bit of a country of contrasts - between the mountainous rural areas along the Greek border, with quiet mountain roads and challenging riding, and tourist-packed Shkoder and the coast. Low prices, although some risk as a tourist to being ripped-off now and then.
Andorra
For a little country, I found Andorra surprisingly good - helped no doubt by its enviable location in the mountains. Andorra La Vella was a curious place; kind of a mix of town and duty-free shopping mall. The main issue was the few roads in and out of the country; the climb in from France was up a pretty busy road.
Argentina
I didn't spend all that much time in Argentina; staying more on the Chilean side of the border. Things weren't quite as cheap as I was expecting, although I was mainly in the tourist areas of Patagonia. Quite a lot of American tourists around which invariably drives prices up! The Patagonian winds were fierce, but by planning ahead a few days and assiduously studying the "Windy" app you can hope to catch these to your advantage - an early start off El Calafate meant a wind-assisted 175km day for me! Food was generally good, with a strong Italian influence to thank for that I think.
Australia
For such a big country, I only covered a relatively small amount of Australia. I started in Tasmania, which I guess is probably the best cycling destination in the country. I'd recommend Tasmania for a 2-4 week tour. Across the Bass Strait, the state of Victoria had a good network of rail trails which, in late May, were all extremely quiet. We enjoyed many crystal clear days, but cold nights. The King Valley, where we stayed in Whitfield, was a brilliant place to spend a day or two - wine tasting, good food, and even a great craft brewery right on your doorstep. Food in Australia was pretty good; excellent Asian cuisine in the cities, pies everywhere else!
Austria
The country had a decent network of cycling infrastructure, and great scenery around the mountains - especially some lovely alpine villages. My first time riding in Austria and I was pleasantly surprised.
Belgium
Pretty varied for such a small country, and over the course of the trip I seemed to spend an inordinate amount of time on several occasions crossing the German-speaking bit of Belgium, which I hadn't even really realised existed before! Sometimes interminable riding along canals in the West of the country, but some sharp hills with good riding around the Ardennes in the South.
Bosnia and Herzegovina
The Ciro Trail, taking me from Dubrovnik to Mostar, was a pleasant surprise. I enjoyed the rest of Bosnia; surprisingly developed, good prices, varied scenery.
Chile
Really a step change from all of Latin America further North. A much more developed country, and it really feels like it. Come riding here for a few weeks as you might do in Europe or the US! Nevertheless, prices were generally good value, food was consistently decent, and there were frequently bike paths or trails. Much of the North of Chile is occupied by the vast emptiness of the Atacama Desert, punctuated by the large coastal cities of Arica and Iquique. From approximately South of Vallenar, some green returns to the landscape. The Carretera Austral, down in Chilean Patagonia, is justifiably popular among cyclists, but I would suggest not confining your Chilean travels to here alone!
Colombia
Great cycling destination. While many people will often have safety fears at the first mention of Colombia, I had no issues at all, although I did change my route once (avoiding the "trampoline of death" road) based on safety concerns at the time. As you might guess from the number of professional Colombian cyclists, the country has a big cycling culture and you're sure to meet other riders and pass many decent bike shops - in fact, Rebecca and I popped into some kind of special Shimano bike shop in Bucaramanga which basically stocked the entire Shimano range; one of the best bike shops I've been into! Plentiful cheap accommodation, often in pleasantly run-down colonial accommodations arranged around rambling courtyards. The lowlands from Cartagena towards the Andes were hot - relief is available in the mountains!
Costa Rica
A nice place to visit but not a great cycling destination. A fairly developed country, lots of tourists, moderately high prices. When I visited, the highway heading towards Limon and the Caribbean coast was being widened to a dual-carriageway, with the roadworks not conducive to fun riding! Nice views to be had around Lake Arenal. Have a break from the bike and take a rainforest tour or similar.
Croatia
Very popular with tourists in Summer, and all the traffic along the coast means this area is probably best avoided if you're cycling here over the peak season! Prices were high, a real shock from the rest of the Balkan states. Virtually no cycling infrastructure, which was a bit of a surprise.
Denmark
The best thing about Denmark was their network of shelters and "primitive campsites." Wild camping isn't permitted, but by using these places you can overnight for (virtually) free regardless - consult the listing on https://udinaturen.dk/map-page
Copenhagen is renowned for being extremely bike-friendly, although I didn't find it quite reached Dutch levels of cycling infrastructure.
Ecuador
The country seems to have gone through a bit of a run of bad luck since I visited, starting with the assassination of presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio - which took place while I was in Ecuador. Nevertheless, things seemed calm when I was there (I think issues are generally confined to Quito or, especially, Guayaquil - neither of which I visited). I took a break from the Andes and took a more Easterly route through the country, through Tena and Zamora. I was happy with this, brushing up against the edge of the Amazon rainforest and away from the busier roads.
El Salvador
My first recollection of El Salvador is the surprising calmness of La Hachadura, the border town crossing from Guatemala. This is perhaps largely explained by the Salvadoran government locking up a fair proportion of its younger citizenry in the name of its battle against the gangs, but nevertheless it was a big change from boisterous Guatemala! Pupusas, however, were by far the best bit of El Salvador. These filled patties of flour were invariably fresh and delicious, and I had as many of them as I could! Normally dirt cheap too.
Estonia
I enjoyed Estonia. The capital, Tallinn, is a pleasant city to visit. The rest of the country had clearly seen a lot of development money which seemed to have been spent well. There were some good cycle paths. Good free primitive camping spots - check "RMK."
Finland
After the beauty of Norway, Finland was probably always going to be a bit of a disappointment. My main recollection is heading South through endless forests, and battling mosquitoes wherever I camped. There was a decent network of free shelters, some fully-enclosed, although the more open type normally had me pitching the tent next to them anyway, on account of the mosquitoes!
France
Always a good country for cycling. A fair amount of cycle paths, especially beside canals or along old railway lines. Good food, which is not normally too expensive. French pizzas are always to be recommended.
Georgia
Tbilisi was an interesting place to visit, and the widely-available khachapuri filled bread was excellent cycling fuel! I only spent a few days in Georgia, from Tbilisi to the Turkish border, but would be happy to return. Fingers crossed that the country keeps pointing towards Europe, rather than turning towards Russia...
Germany
Decent country for cycling. Lots of discount supermarkets. Cycle routes could be variable, often along the pavement through towns, as in the UK.
Greece
I had a brilliant cycling trip around Greece in October 2020, and I continue to believe that it's a great country for touring. So many little quiet roads through the deserted mountains. Great food. Prices pretty low and wild camping generally easy, away from the coast at least.
Guatemala
After Mexico, Guatemala felt like one step further into Latin America. More noisy and chaotic. Definitely visit Lake Atitlan, perhaps my favourite place of the whole trip.
Honduras
I'd heard a few horror stories about Honduras from other travellers, but other than the border crossing from El Salvador being crowded with dodgy-looking characters, everything was fine! I only spent one night in the country, and my main memory of Choluteca (the town where I stayed) is the prevalence of American fast food chains. I enjoyed a surprisingly tasty dinner of grilled meat (not from one of the chains!).
Italy
I've never spent much time in Italy, and I still feel as though I've yet to "crack" the country. Regardless, there is for sure a big cycling culture.
Kosovo
Possibly the only entry where some may quarrel at its inclusion as a country in its own right... Away from the busier roads, Kosovo offered good cycling, with the friendly locals happy to welcome visitors. Food was decent, and prices were low if you managed to avoid the tourist places.
Latvia
I was taken aback by how "Russian" Latvia could seem, with lots of Russian products in the shops and a fair amount of Cyrillic writing around. Perhaps the least developed of the three Baltic states, like Lithuania there was often a binary choice between a terrible dirt road or a busy narrow highway - not great for cycling. Some free primitive camp spots, see "LVM."
Liechtenstein
The only country I didn't spend the night in, and may as well be Switzerland right down to the fact that they use the Swiss Franc! A novelty.
Lithuania
Like Latvia, cycling here often meant a choice between a terrible dirt road or a busy narrow highway. Otherwise, all straightforward.
Luxembourg
I was surprised by the good network of cycle paths in Luxembourg. Some hills too, so not a bad little country for cycling. Luxembourg City struck me as an interesting place which I look forward to visiting for a couple of days at some point.
Mexico
My first country in Latin America, and riding down Baja California proved a gentle introduction before crossing over to the mainland. Much of what we hear about Mexico from Europe is all safety concerns and gang violence. Needless to say, I didn't experience any issues at all although moving quickly away from the US border area is probably for the best. Food was consistently excellent, and varied too. I loved the refreshing sweet fruit drinks. Once on the mainland, I found that riding was generally best along the cuotas (toll roads), as these were more spacious and often quieter than the more minor roads, and mostly with a good shoulder. A great rail trail provided a surprisingly easy entry and exit for Mexico City. Visit Oaxaca for the best of the food.
Montenegro
Full of tourists, at least near to the coast where we were riding, but justifiably so as it is a beautiful country. Some great small roads through the mountains.
Morocco
I didn't really enjoy Morocco too much at the time, but looking back it was in fact alright. The main annoyance was the occasional challenge getting hold of food and water, although I did come to realise that a tagine from even the dodgiest-looking roadside place could generally be relied upon, and cost little. Communication easy if you speak French. The various mountain ranges offered up quiet roads and some great scenery.
Netherlands
What can I say; far from the most exciting cycling around but very easy with bike paths basically everywhere - there is never a need to ride along even a remotely major road. If you are able to navigate via the knooppunten (numbered nodes along the cycle paths), then you just need to jot down a series of numbers which will lead you along your route.
New Zealand
As mentioned above, the most disappointing country for me in many ways. Loads of tourists, many of them British, and many of them in rented campervans - so campsites could get pretty busy. Some nice cycling trails, but between them it was often cycling along busy little roads, and the traffic would generally not give an inch. Good scenery, but just go to Norway!
Nicaragua
My experience of Nicaragua started right at the border, as I crossed from Honduras. It took ages for immigration to let me in; for some reason they seemed highly suspicious of me and many questions were asked. A sign of the rather paranoid officialdom. I never felt entirely welcome; for historic reasons, there's a strong anti-US sentiment, and who's to know I'm not American! Not my favourite country of Central America.
North Macedonia
Not a country I'd thought a lot about, and not a country we hear much about, but I was pleasantly surprised! Food was good, generally cheap, and most people seemed to speak good English. Roads could be a bit busy in places.
Norway
A great country for cycling, which justifiably sees large numbers of cyclists (and motorhomers) heading up and down to/from Nordkapp. The coast is very scenic, but you always need to be mindful of tunnels when route planning - some are pretty long and do not allow bikes. Always check the tunnel map first - https://www.cycletourer.co.uk/maps/tunnelmap.shtml
Wild camping is freely permitted, and doing this and cooking your own food keeps costs down. Some annoying midges in places. I had great weather for much of my time in Norway, although I suspect I may have been lucky! The Lofoten Islands were a particular highlight - incredibly scenic.
Panama
A bit of a country of contrasts, with some rather undeveloped rural areas and then the huge shining metropolis of Panama City, featuring high-end bike shops and the huge Albrook Mall. I was even able to potter around a few outdoor shops in the mall and pick up a few bits of kit! Reaching Panama City will probably mean a fair bit of riding along the Pan-American Highway; normally fine with a good shoulder, but not super inspiring.
Peru
I found Peru a challenge, but while it took a lot out of me it also gave a lot too! Consistently cheap, with frequent restaurants and often places to stay. I headed through the mountains, planning to reach Cusco, but eventually the altitude got the better of me. Anything above 3'500m or so became a big challenge, and while in Huancayo I decided to change the plan and escape down to the coast - although this involved crossing passes up to 4'900m, and a night in the tent when the stove just wouldn't light - this reinforced my decision!
The coast was a lot busier, a bit more expensive, and involved a consistent annoying Southerly headwind.
Through the mountains, I generally followed Ruta 3, which was massively variable from decent pavement to terrible dirt. But it was often fun. After a fashion.
Poland
Turned out to be a decent cycling destination. The "Green Velo" route was rather good, and prices were especially low here. People invariably insisted that they did not speak English before then managing just enough to conclude whatever business was required!
Slovenia
I'd visited Slovenia a few times previously, but not for a few years, and now I found that it was very much on the tourist trail - but they're here for a reason. It's a beautiful country, with some great cycling infrastructure. A lot to offer for a pretty small country.
Spain
I enjoyed Spain on this trip. Managed to find a lot of vias verdes (greenways), typically along old railways, and often dead quiet once away from town. Accommodation was fairly cheap, although there's the perennial issue of Spaniards' horrendously late dinner time - I ended up having dinner a lot at fast food places as a result! Wild camping in the huge expanses of olive groves was easy if you're happy to arrive late/leave early!
Sweden
At least on the route I took, pretty unexceptional. There were a couple of nice cycle routes, but for me it was just a bridge on the way up to Norway...
Switzerland
Expensive, but beautiful. The cycle routes were quite enjoyable, often varying between semi-singletrack, forest track, paved trail, and on-road - so a good mix of riding. Worth spending a few days if your wallet will allow!
Turkey
I was a little disappointed by Turkey. I'm a big fan of Turkish food, but in the end my first restaurant meal (in Ardahan) probably turned out to be the best of my whole time in the country! It really struck me as a country in a bit of a decline at the moment. Hotels were often shiny but poorly-maintained. While they invariably included breakfast, which was typically a buffet, I became a bit fed-up at everywhere offering exactly the same selection of food. My assessment is probably coloured a bit by my decision to blast across Turkey quite fast - I had a good time in the more rural areas in the East, but then joined the main highway heading towards Istanbul which became more of a chore.
The absolutely ubiquitous discount small supermarket chains were a blessing for the hungry cyclist.
UK
Only really spent a few days riding in the UK right at the start of the trip but I can say that (as a Brit) it is really a fantastic country for cycling! Come to Cornwall, Wales, Scotland, the North of England, Northern Ireland - we have a lot of great places!
USA
Just on this trip, I only had a few days of riding in the US before crossing into Mexico, but I've spent a lot of time riding in the States before. A great country to cycle, on their wide open roads, with any National Park sure to be a highlight. A bit expensive at the moment for us Europeans, though...
What will the future bring?
Since arriving in Den Haag, I have been reunited with Rory - my trusty steed from my 2016 tour of the US. We have been on several day rides around the Netherlands together! I have been supporting Rebecca as she is busy working, and have my application being processed for Dutch residence. In the meantime, I have just received interim permission to work and hope to manage a few shifts in a cycle courier-type job through December. Beyond that, let's see...