As part of your preparation to join us on one of our bike tours in Europe, we send out various bits of pre-trip information. Part of this includes: what to pack on your bike tour. Here are the details:
When packing, keep in mind that you may experience weather ranging from hot and sunny to cold and rainy. You will want layers for biking, comfortable clothes for the afternoons and casual attire for dinners at restaurants. For casual dinner attire, a guideline would be: khakis/nice jeans with polo shirts, or similar for men and summer skirts/nice jeans with casual tops for women. Nice T-shirts are ok as well. Europeans, as a general rule, still tend to “dress up” for dinner, so shorts at dinner are typically not the norm.
Following is a suggested packing list:
Luggage
- Only 1 suitcase (in addition to your bike) and 1 carry- on per person. The bike is large, so you don’t want to weigh yourself down with unnecessary bags.
Absolutely Necessary!
- Passport (with visa, if required)
- Airline Ticket Information
- In Situ Trip Itinerary
Biking Clothes and Gear
- Bike Shorts
- Short and Long-sleeved Jerseys (or short jerseys with arm warmers)
- Arm Warmers and Knee Warmers
- Cycling Vest or Light Jacket
- Bike Shoes and Pedals
- Bike Gloves
- Warm Full-finger Gloves
- Helmet
- Wind/Rain Jacket and Pants
- Warm Jacket (such as fleece)
- Sunglasses
- Any specific brand name cycling nutrition that you absolutely must have (In Situ will provide a variety of local brand sports bars, drinks, water and other snacks on a daily basis)
Afternoon and Evening Clothes
- Bathing suit
- Sweater/Jacket For Cool Evenings
- Casual Clothes for Dinners and Activities in Town
- Comfortable Walking Shoes/Sandals
Other Travel Items
- Sunscreen and Lip Balm with SPF
- Personal Items and Toiletries
- Required medications and their prescriptions (packed in your carry-on luggage)
Optional Items
- Hat (for sun or rain)
- Camera
- Books About the Area
- Travel Alarm Clock
- Power Plug Adapter (converts North American plug to fit into European outlet)
- Power Voltage Adapter (Converts European 220-volt, to 120-volt North American power. Check before you buy/bring this, many modern electronics will run on both 220V & 120V, so all you might need is a plug adapter. This includes mobile phones, laptops, ipods, etc.)
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