Hi folkses, been a while! Like a mechanical bull sporadically animating and thrashing about for a spell, old Hank is still traveling Europe and elsewhere regularly for you sinners out there.
On relatively short notice I'm coming out of unelectrified slumber beginning of October for 13 sleeps on the Continent, flights in Lyon out Pisa As per usual for me this trip will feature much bicycle riding, It's going to be fab no question, but still knocking some kinks out of the flow and seeking feedback.
I'll bike tour the Rhone valley, in Tuscany I think I'll do home-based gravel bike loops and/or train shuttle rides. But bike touring point to point isn't off the table. I'm still feeling quite open in this part of the trip.
draft itinerary by nights, bolded locations are where I will sleep that night
1) land Lyon, Lyon
2) Lyon
3) pick up rental bike, start riding south on Via Rhona cycle route. 70k to Tournon
4) 90k to Montélimar
5) 85k to Châteauneuf-du-Pape
6) 70k to Arles
7) ?
8) Siena
9) Siena
10) Siena
11) Siena
12) Lucca
13) Lucca
morning train to fly out of Pisa
Still thinking about transit from France to Italy. Likely train, but it's kind of a slog, and I likely would leave Arles on a Sunday which makes it longer. If I could get out of France on day 6 above, there's a direct flight from Marseilles to Bologna. But not sure I want to rush. I definitely could cut out one sleep on the Via Rhona and ride longer days - it's flat and the Mistral will push me along.
I'll note once more I travel a bit differently than most. I understand that one full day isn't enough time to "do" Lyon in the normal guidebook sense. But rambling on two wheels for me takes precedence - the journey is my destination.
Anyway, should be fun however it turns out, thanks for feedback!