Hey!
We are fortunate to have the possibility of going on a bike trip of about 3 months this spring/summer. Our daughter is 19 months now and turns 2 in june. We are looking for destinations that are neither wet end windy (Norway, Iceland) or very hot (Spain, Italy). We want to start and end the trip at home, Uppsala in Sweden. So one of our ideas was Finland, Russia, Ucraine, Romania...
Does anyone have experience with longer bike trips with toddlers? And/or suggestions about a route about 6000 km? We probably wont´t make more with a child eager to run and play :-)
We will probably go with a tandem and a child trailer.
Happy about any ideas!
Cheers, Rebecca
Hi Rebecca!
Good for you! So glad to hear you're taking your little one and having a great adventure.
I don't have routes for you, but I can point you to some stuff about travel with kids. A few years ago my family took off and traveled Europe by bicycle for a year. We have 4 kids (aged 5 - 11 when we started). We've actually transitioned to a life of travel since. Our archives on our website may be helpful to you. http://www.edventureproject.com
Even more helpful might be my wife's book about travel with kids. It's an ebook that is packed with relevant, practical information.
http://www.uncommonchildhood.com/bottles-to-backpacks-the-gypsy-mamas-guide-to-real-travel-with-kids/
Feel free to contact us directly. Jenn has helped a lot of people with the planning part in the past.
Enjoy your trip!!!
Tony
Hi!
Thanks a lot for your comment! I had a quick look on the website, will take the time to read more thoroughly soon! Great information!
Hi Rebecca
We are planning a similar route going in the opposite direction from Istanbul to Lulea in Norbotten. We start our trip in April. We started cycling touring with our children when the youngest was 9 and he travelled on a tandem. Have met cyclists with young children and they seem to find a rhythm that works for the whole family.
Good luck
Claire
Hi,
We also cycle tour with a tandem and a burley solo trailer. This year either my daughter (6) will join me on the tandem, or we will attach a trailer bike.
Have you thought of rideing to Finland than taking the ferry to Tallinn and then riding through the Baltic’s? I would then ride through eastern Poland, maybe as far south as Zamosz and then head west to the German border and take the Oder-Neisse bicycle route back to the Baltic and then ferry home. This route is great with plenty of places to see and play on both sides of the border. Much of the time you are off the road on smooth bike paths. I’ve ridden it twice, generally the winds are from the south… I would not recommend Russia, Ukraine or Romania for traveling with a child of two. Well, riding throught Kaliningrad could be interesting! Poland is good because you can find accommodations fairly easy and the back roads are safe. Also it is very easy to take a train with a big bike in case of the weather, or if you need to make up some quick kilometers.
If you are interested in Poland, I’d be glad to give some more information.
All the best
Robert Mink
Jary Poland, via Spokane USA
Hej!
Thanks for your answer! We are thinking about Poland (lot of warmshower-members there as well :-)), but I´d still like to know what you think the problems are with Russia, Ukraine and Romania! Unsecure? Since we mostly will camp the possibility of accomodation is not that important, but security is...
You say it is possible to go on a train with tandem and a trailer in Poland? Would be great to know that!
Hi again,
I’ve ridden through most of these countries and if I was going solo, they are a real adventure. However with a child in a trailer, the bad roads in these countries leave a lot to be desired. A good resource is www.crazyguyonabike.com Many of the journals complain of the traffic, bad drivers and lack of back roads. Visa issues with Russia is also a real pain. I would also be a bit concerned about security with the child and healthcare issues.
Poland is not perfect, but there are a lot of good back roads for travel. 20 years ago I took my three year old on a trailer trip from Gdansk to Krakow. The only problem was the heat! It was really hot that year, up to 35 everyday. I put a wet towel on the mesh window of his trailer, so he had air conditioning….It is rarely that hot! The train is good for those rainy days, or if you need to get some fast kilometers in. It is also good to get into, and out of, large cities. Most of the villages have play grounds now, thanks to EU funding.
June would be a good time to ride the Baltic coast, before the real summer season takes off. I would love to ride the Curonian Spit from Lithuania to Poland, via Kaliningrad. See: http://www.euroroute-r1.de/EN/Introduction/Russia/Kaliningrad_area_/Details/Route_Kaliningrad_area_/K500.htm
From the Kaliningrad enclave, I'd go to the real scenic Goldap, here is some information about the border:
The Goldap-Gusev border checkpoint (GoogleEarth: 54020’31.00’’N
22017’54.00’’E) is opened for cyclists and you may pass there freely, but it’s too
far to east from the main road which goes alongside of the Baltic Sea. Form the
other hand it’s famous Rominta! http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rominten For
centuries it was a hunting wood of rulers of East Preussen. It is really tiny place
with low traffic but only problem is that area is closed for visitors so you have
rights for transit only. Below please find more information on closed areas in
Kaliningrad region.
I'd save Russia and Ukraine for when your child is a bit older.
The oder neisse bike path is great for family traveling. It has the best of both worlds, German path with Polish prices!
looking forward to hearing about your trip!
Robert
Hey Rebecca,
We're actually planning a month-long cycle and camping tour of Provence in May/June.
I found this site and we're going to start with the Luberon tour. http://www.provence-cycling.co.uk/
I'm expecting we'll only be able to do 15-30 km/day.
Not sure if that link is helpful or not. I'm just about to post a question about trip planning myself!
Regards,
Barbara