August 7, 2019
Red eyes and wet feet
I touched down on my red eye in Zurich this morning. I was happy to see that there was a direct Swiss Rail train to Konstanz, Germany from the airport terminal. The train was fast, efficient, and on time. In about an hour, I found myself at the rail station in Constance.
It was also nice to see a Duetche Bank across the street from the rail station. I like to use an ATM inside a bank lobby. You can be pretty certain that you will get the best exchange rate and no hidden fees that are typical at ATMs in tourist areas.
I decided to take the mile or so walk to the hotel despite the fact that it was raining. I got to discover the charm of Konstanz and get my first lay of the land.
Konstanz, Germany is the start of my tour in Switzerland. I know it's not Switzerland. Over the coming week, I will pass through Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. I chose this tour on a recommendation of another cycling friend.
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5 years ago
This tour will be something new for me. It is a self guided tour. I have seen numerous self-guided tours offered on popular European cycling routes. I owe it to myself to give one of these a try and see if it fits my cycling and touring style. I plan on giving a full report at the end of the tour with my critique of the pluses and minuses of touring self-guided.
A self-guided tour, for those unfamiliar with the style the touring, is where a tour operator provides the bike, maps and touring documents, hotel reservations for the trip, and luggage shuttle between the overnights. It seems like a good compromise on traditional self supported touring and credit card touring. The price is somewhat economical. Above all, it offers some freedom to the cyclist on how to spend their day and what attractions they want to see.
At check in today, I received my package from the tour operator. It was professionally done. It had a good bit of details especially concentrating on the cycle routes through the towns along the lake. This tour includes some admissions to museums and attractions. My first impression of this operator is that it seems to do a pretty decent job.
Tomorrow is a free day to sightsee in Konstanz. It was also the day when I pick up my bike from a tour operator. I will be curious to see how they handle this and how well the bike is equipped for touring. Look for that on tomorrow's report.
Goodnight from Constance.
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5 years ago