Charlie Farley’s Bike Tours

11/09/2024

Simone Tracy - “I had a fantastic time away with you ,I highly recommend it ,we all did some miles over that 18days tour, you did brilliantly leading us finding the hotels ( that can I say was a job & a half ,poor judy 😀) but she did it 👌👏,some very early morning walks to see the sun rising which was lovely too ,some very long rides in a couple of the days which we had to do to get to where we were heading ( it is what it is you just get on with it )thank god for padded knickers 🤪,I'm now NOT frightened of doing HAIRPINS, as we did SO SO many 🤣🤣,some very hot days along the way 🥵🥵,but all part of the adventure, I met some lovely people on the tour, will definitely do another one judy with you so let me know 👍👍👍and again thank you you did fab ###”

Thanks Tracy - it was a pleasure and a privilege sharing the adventures with you 😎🏍️👍🏻

10/09/2024

Big shout out to my newest top fans! 💎

Nigel Burley, Keith Bleakley, Mark Foster, Adele Banks, Evaghoras Stylianou, Rod Smith, Peter Hayfield, Antony Weaver, Dominic Bannister, Jennifer Gorringe, Peter Morgan, John Hughes, Kord-ian Kord-ian

10/09/2024

On 22nd August a bunch of crazy people set off on an adventure across Europe to visit Dracula’s Castle in Bran, Romania
Our route took us -
3897 miles
(To compare - the greatest east–west distance in the 48 contiguous United States is : 2,800 miles)
We visited 10 countries -
England, France, Belgium, Germany, Lichtenstein, Luxembourg, Austria, Slovenia, Hungary, Romania
Traversed mountain ranges -
Wallonia Mountains
Austrian Alps
Tyrolean Alps
Bavarian Alps
Karawanks
Julian Mountains
Parang Mountains
Transylvanian Alps
Carpathian Mountains to name a few

Conquered passes:

Gerlos Pass (4921ft)
Grossglockner
(8215ft)
Fern Pass
(3976ft)
Urdele Pass
(7037ft)
Valcan Pass
(5312ft)
Transalpina Rd
Transfargarasan Rd
(with bears 🐻!!)

We have ridden alongside and passed over some of the longest and most important rivers in the World -
Danube
Rhine
Moselle
Seine

Stayed in historic sites :
UNESCO WORLD HERITAGE SITE -
Sighisoara Citadel
where Vlad the Impaler was born

We stayed in the Country Villa of Nicolea Ceacescu the former Romanian Dictator

We stayed in a former convent now turned beer house overlooking the Citadel at Dinant

We visited :
Hunedoara Citadel
Buda Castle
Castle Bran (Dracula’s Lair)
Nurnberg N**i Rally sites
Thiepval Memorial

We stayed in 4* and 3* hotels - of which some were amazing - notably Bled Rose Hotel on the shores of Lake Bled, Slovenia

All with bike parking and breakfast included.

We stayed in Herviz Spa Town, Hungary which has the largest natural outside warm spa that you can swim in - in the World.
Where we had two days to indulge in spa treatments and get those riding ‘knots’ addressed with a massage.

We visited the Spanish Riding School in Vienna and ate Sachertorte and drank Viennese coffee!

We tried food from all the different cultures ….

We had some bike problems but nothing we couldn’t sort between us -

and we made friends and THAT is what adventures are about 🥰

I know that each time I come away from a tour, I have gained experience in my riding and hopefully acquired skills I didn’t have previously and the World shrinks just that little bit more.
Hopefully the riders that come with me are encouraged to go sort out their own adventures- or join me for more 😎👍🏻
Thanks to the crazy team of riders who joined me - it’s been a blast 😎🏍️👍🏻

10/09/2024

Early start yesterday as we left Somme and headed for the Eurotunnel and home 😎🏍️👍🏻
Always mixed emotions on the last day of a tour - great to get back to base, wash clothes, sit on your own toilet and raid your fridge … but that travel bug will be wriggling again soon. 😆

08/09/2024

Long ride from Metz via the champagne region and finally into the Valley of the Somme where the graves and memorials hit you …..
Visited the Thiepval Memorial which remembers over 72,000 who perished in the War but whom no remains were discovered.
If there was a God - then why ? 😔
It started raining - we must be near Blighty 😄

08/09/2024

We set off from Nurnberg to have coffee at Schwabish Hall - a beautiful old town - then went to play in the Black Forest - Bad Wildbad being one of our targets - where coffee and hand made chocolates kept our energy up for the rest if the 550kms ride !
Arrived in Metz just in time for beers 🍺

07/09/2024

07/09/2024

A long riding day today eating up Austria and into Germany - following the forest lines and with the mountains we rode through two weeks ago far off in the distance.
A lot cooler today so more comfortable for riding. Traffic less erratic too.
We landed in Nurnberg and took time to wander around, looking at what was left of the walled City and its architecture after much of it being bombed to smithereens in the 2nd WW, it being the place where the N**i HQ was stationed.
Bavarian Beer flowed and we said goodbye with a last supper to our ‘tail end charlie’ as he decided to stay on here and do some further exploring 😎🏍️👍🏻
Another long day tomorrow through the Black Forest towards Metz….

05/09/2024

From Budapest we crossed the flat plains of Hungary, over the border into Austria and met the Danube again at the City of Vienna. Beautiful Vienna 🥰
Lunch and a meander around the Palaces and historic architecture…
Visited and toured the Spanish Riding School and met some of the horses (a childhood dream for 60yrs come true) and dinner al fresco…
Early night as another long ride to Nuremberg tomorrow 😎🏍️👍🏻

04/09/2024

Sunrise walk in Buda this morning…we are SO lucky 🤩😎🥰

04/09/2024

Good Morning from Budapest 🥰

03/09/2024

River cruise on the Danube in Budapest this evening….well deserved after a 600kms ride 😎🏍️👍🏻

02/09/2024

Bran Castle for the group whilst myself and a very helpful guy went to sort out my bike in Brasov (and a BIG THANK YOU to the WIMA members of Romania who kicked in to offer help and advice 🥰)
Bike sorted and we rode to Sighisoara (UNESCO heritage site) where we are staying tonight.
Vlad Tepus (the Impaler) was born here !!
A beautiful and romantic place for all to enjoy 🥰

02/09/2024

Left Baille Govora and rode through Curtea des Arges and dropped onto 7C Transfargarasan.. I have never seen it so busy 🥺 but as it’s ‘last of the summer’ holiday weekend, I guess everyone was out enjoying the beauty and crazy of the Worlds No 1 Road, in the sun 😎
Quite a few bears hanging around on the road 🐻
Great day playing in the Carpathians 🤩🏍️👍🏻

02/09/2024

All part of the ‘adventure’ 😎🏍️👍🏻

02/09/2024

Some say a screw loose - my bike had a loose wire 🥺
RAC cover had me rescued and back on the road within an hour 🤩👍🏻

02/09/2024

Looking ‘tired’ but it cos we been having FUN 🤩
Transfargarasan yesterday and Castle Bran today !!
My ‘office’ 😎🏍️👍🏻

01/09/2024

After playing in the Panang Mountains yesterday we dropped down to our accommodation that was owned by and was the holiday home of Nicolae Ceaușescu
- the abominable Romanian Dictator - and his family.
Some of my riders are staying in the actual rooms occupied by the family - and how to feel about this is strange.
He was a monster and his people suffered poverty beyond description whilst he languished in luxury here in Baile Govora.
The owners now are lovely people and have looked after us very well.
Romanian style breakfast and we are ready for Transfargarasen Ride - “the World’s No 1 Road” 😎🏍️👍🏻

31/08/2024

Left Sebes early to enjoy the Transalpina .. 😎🏍️👍🏻
Lucky with the weather so far too !!

30/08/2024

Set off from Timisoara and dropped in to see Castelul Corvinilor , one of the largest castles in Europe and one of the Seven Wonders of Romania-and a fantastically gruesome torture museum 😝
Lovely lunch in sunny sunshine and on to Sebes and our 400yrs old 4* Hotel - nicely positioned for Transalpina tomorrow 😎🏍️👍🏻

30/08/2024

Set off from the spa town of Heviz and followed Lake Balaton to Siofok then ventured out into Hungary towards the Romanian border - where we were stopped and all documents requested.
Heat not too bad until we hit Timisoara and we got to our hotel just before another big t storm !
Had a swim and walked out to the famous square where the Romanian Revolution against Nicolae Ceaușescu started 1989.
Great atmosphere here and the town has definitely improved since last time I was here. 😎🏍️👍🏻