How do I plan my cycling trip? - 3. Accommodation

A good night's sleep helps me start the day right. For that, I need a good place to sleep, whether outdoors or in accommodation. But how do I find one?

On my tour to Zurich, I set off early in the morning, unsure how far I would get, and only booked my accommodation at lunchtime. As a result, on the second day of this tour, I had to change my route after Landsberg and cycle through the hilly Kempten area because everything in Immenstadt was fully booked. That's how I ended up in Isny.

Since I plan to travel more with my tent and less electricity, I don't intend to change this method. I take enough breaks during the day to check at midday how far I can still travel and roughly find a spot for wild camping on Google Maps or accommodation.

This worked perfectly on my trip towards Rome . There were plenty of bushes along the Adige River to camp behind. I avoided being near towns and only started setting up my tent when it got dark and the usual hikers were no longer out.

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Near Trento, I was camping right under the bike path. When I rustled in my sleeping bag during the night, my tent was suddenly illuminated by a mobile phone flashlight. It was pure curiosity about what was rustling in the dark.

When wild camping, you often have a beautiful view in the morning.

To find accommodation, I found the following platforms:

warmshowers.org - probably the best-known worldwide for a one-time $30 donation
couchsurfing.com - as the name suggests, more for indoors
Homestay - Study Abroad Students Main Group, short- and long-term
1nient.com - private campsites (mainly Germany)
shelterapp.dk - shelters in Denmark by udinaturen.dk

Alternatively, there's always Booking.com to find a hostel/youth hostel.

Feel free to leave your recommendations in the comments on how you find accommodation during your cycling trip. Free registration is required, but you'll also receive my blog updates 😄.