Planning should be a pleasure, so make it a key feature of your trip. Remember, you are in control so you decide where, when and why.
This may involve visiting different places in a region you’ve always wanted to see, where you combine a mixture of activities in one trip. The Sulovsky Skaly trip was sandwiched by coffeehouse tours of Vienna and Budapest and developed from the opportunity to walk in Slovakia, plus my lifelong fascination with the Belle Epoque era in the Hapsburg Empire.
- Browse and organise at leisure, perhaps with a relaxing glass of wine
- Jot down places that interest you from books, TV, internet and keep a record of what you’d like to see
- Invest in/borrow some good maps and guidebooks
- Be comfortable and familiar with the mapping system you choose
- Look at the info on long distance footpaths and Sustrans routes DIRECTORY: Long Distance Footpath and Cycle Route Information because even if you don’t intend to walk/cycle a long distance route, these sites and their links cover large areas of the country and have invaluable details of the localities
- Log details of bike repairers and outdoor gear shops en route before your trip