Messages

1

General Discussion / Re: newbie planning Belgium tour

« on: March 27, 2014, 03:55:48 pm »

Thanks so much Mathieu!  That was really helpful.  I'll check out all the resources you suggested, especially the road signs. Yeah, I'm pretty convinced that we'll fly our bikes over at this point.  As for the languages, I took some French in college and travelled around France for a bit, so hopefully I can get by with the basics and the Walloon accent doesn't throw me too much. Thanks again for your advice!

2

General Discussion / Re: newbie planning Belgium tour

« on: March 26, 2014, 01:33:44 pm »

Maybe, but it has been my experience that a well-stocked bike shop may be more likely to have maps of bike paths for that area than an ill-stocked bookstore. I guess it depends on where you're looking and what you're looking for. Thanks.

3

General Discussion / Re: newbie planning Belgium tour

« on: March 26, 2014, 12:22:48 pm »

Thanks for the replies. I did some more searching, and found that unless we fly delta (thanks for the heads up), some airlines are pretty reasonable about their fees for bikes as luggage.  I do love my bike and itd be nice to have an adventure with it. 

I will check out the brand of map you suggested. I know that Flanders in northern Belgium has a lot of bike paths, and the Michelin map I bought doesn't have quite that amount of detail.  I was thinking I may have to wait til I'm there and stop by a bike store.

I tend to be more of a Lonely Planet person, mostly out of comfort because I've done most of my traveling with them, but I'll check out the Rough Guide and see if it has any additional info.

4

International / Planning a bike tour thru Belgium

« on: March 25, 2014, 05:26:08 pm »

I'm a fair-weather bicycle commuter from Seattle, and I'm planning a three week plus self-guided bike tour through Belgium this September.  I'm an experienced traveler, but have never done a bike tour.  Belgium seems like a fairly easy place to start.  The main question I have is about the bikes.  My husband and I have solid bikes--I have a Masi Speciale Randonner, he has a Jamis Aurora--and they are already fitted with racks on the back.  Both would be good bikes for the tour, but I've heard that it is more expensive to ship than to find used bikes, especially when traveling to Europe.  The two couples that I've known to do a European bike tour both got bikes in their destination country.  One couple rented in Portugal, the other bought used in Italy.  I've been doing some research, but no clear answer has emerged.  Any thoughts?  If buying used, is it a good idea to get them off of the Belgian craigslist, or does anyone know a decent used bike shop in either Brussels or Ghent?  I've found a couple online, but I would love have more options. 

Also, what resources would anyone familiar with Belgium recommend for planning the route?  I've seen some good ones, but as above, I would love more tips for planning.

5

General Discussion / newbie planning Belgium tour

« on: March 25, 2014, 05:24:40 pm »

I'm a fair-weather bicycle commuter from Seattle, and I'm planning a three week plus self-guided bike tour through Belgium this September.  I'm an experienced traveler, but have never done a bike tour.  Belgium seems like a fairly easy place to start.  The main question I have is about the bikes.  My husband and I have solid bikes--I have a Masi Speciale Randonner, he has a Jamis Aurora--and they are already fitted with racks on the back.  Both would be good bikes for the tour, but I've heard that it is more expensive to ship than to find used bikes, especially when traveling to Europe.  The two couples that I've known to do a European bike tour both got bikes in their destination country.  One couple rented in Portugal, the other bought used in Italy.  I've been doing some research, but no clear answer has emerged.  Any thoughts?  If buying used, is it a good idea to get them off of the Belgian craigslist, or does anyone know a decent used bike shop in either Brussels or Ghent?  I've found a couple online, but I would love have more options. 

Also, what resources would anyone familiar with Belgium recommend for planning the route?  I've found some on my own, but as above, I would love more tips for planning. 

I know this may be more suited for the International forum, but it seems like this one gets more traffic.  Thanks!