All the valuable experience we have gathered from our previous adventures would suggest that ultimately any route planning we do in advance pretty much counts for toffee when you start pedalling (the phrase “its all fine and dandy until you get punched in the face” comes to mind!). I really cannot recall a single day where, for one reason or another, we have actually managed to stick to the plan but hey….that is why its an adventure right?

All that being said and done it is nonetheless (again, in our experience) always a good idea to have at least some semblance of a “plan” in mind before you start even if you know you will be pretty much wiping your nose on it, screwing it up and throwing it in the bin within the first few hundred yards.

Whilst there are no Alps this year (which we are a strange combination of a little bit sad and a little bit delighted about!) there are still plenty of challenges on the way not least nearly 1200 miles, many different languages and the fact that we will be averaging over 85 miles a day, more over the whole trip than we have ever managed before.

Anyway, without further ado, this is what we almost certainly wont actually do but it is nonetheless a kind of “plan” - click links to view.

Day One - London to Harwich

Day Two - Hook of Holland to Arnhem (Netherlands)

Day Three - Arnhem to Dusseldorf (Germany)

Day Four - Dusseldorf to Koblenz

Day Five - Koblenz to Hanau

Day Six - Hanau to Sand am Main

Day Seven - Rest Day

Day Eight - Sand am Main to Neubau

Day Nine - Neubau to Pilsen (Czech Republic)

Day Ten - Pilsen to Prague

Day Eleven - Prague to Zvule

Day Twelve - Zvule to Vienna (Austria)

Day Thirteen - Vienna to Gyor (Austria to Slovakia to Hungary)

Day Fourteen - Gyor to Budapest

Quite the adventure dont you think? I am not yet really in the head space where it feels real or where I can say that I am in anyway looking forward to all the pain, discomfort and angst that comes with it but with four weeks to go now I probably need to hurry up and get onboard!

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