OH! Magazine - Australian Version June 2014 (Australian Version) | Page 33

country is a cyclist’s paradise (www.
veloland.ch) with jaw-dropping views,
varied terrain, historic towns and the
fabulous rail system that works like
clockwork. Trains go just about anywhere
including up 3,000m high mountains –
ideal if you need a break from the saddle.
As on any active holiday, travel
insurance is a must. Travel Insurance
Direct (TID) says that of all the bicyclerelated claims they received in the past
year, 65 per cent were the result of an
injury. Often people ran in to something
stationary or just fell off, and only one
claim was for a collision with a car! Phil
Sylvester, TID’s Travel Safety Specialist
says ‘It might sound silly, but it’s probably
worth practicing how to stop and balance
if you haven’t been on a bike for a while.’
Interestingly, 20 per cent of claims were
made up of theft of personal belongings
such as bags and valuables from bikes.
Places like Amsterdam have major
bicycle theft problems, so if you don’t
lock your bike up properly, you might
come back to your ride to find not much
more than a wheel!

Try these cycling destinations:
The Gourmet Tour – Bordeaux to San
Sebastian (easy/moderate): From France
to Spain, traverse 250km of rolling hills
and coastal vistas of three separate wine
regions.
The Hero Tour – Giro D’Italia
(moderate/hard): Cycle the 168km from
Cervere to Bardonecchia, which is Stage

tonikrasicki.com.au

TONI
KRASICKI

14 of the Giro D’Italia.
The Family Tour – Blackforest, Germany
(easy): The 240km circuit beginning in
Freiburg is a peaceful ride with the added
distraction of castles and palaces.
The Natural Wonder Tour – Norwegian
Aurora
Borealis
(moderate/hard):
Spectacular fjordic scenery awaits on this
1,200km remote tour to northern Norway.
Best tackled in late spring/early summer
- note that the northern lights are best
seen in late autumn, winter and early
spring.
The Thrill Seeker Tour- Switchbacks
over Kotor (moderate): From Podgorica in
Montenegro to Dubrovnik in Croatia, this
200km ride is full of hair-raising
switchback descents between Lovcen
National park and the Bay of Kotor.

Need to know
Rail Europe is the best way to get from
A to B and allows bikes to be transported
for a small additional cost. Price varies
depending on the country. www.
raileurope.com.au
If you are doing a multi-day ride and/or
hiring a bike, make sure to take your own
helmet and possibly your own bike seat
and padded bike pants. A bike computer
will come in handy for travel distances if
you have to find your own way.
Some information was provided by
Travel Insurance Direct (TDI): www.
travelinsurancedirect.com.au
( OH! MAGAZINE ) JUNE 2014

33