I want to book a tour but am nervous

[Intelligenthamster]

Since Mr Hamster will be making an honest hamster out of me in the next 18 months I am thinking about taking the plunge and going on a group cycling tour in Germany tour for my last single holiday. We had a 3-day cycling break over there two years ago and I have been thinking about doing one of the 250-km group tours ever since.

When we went and amused ourselves we were doing 40kms a day unguided with no problems, and this is 6 days with min 30km and max 60km per day. I am not worried about the distances, as per above the 40kms were easy and I would look at autumn so have plenty of training time.

But I would be going alone, and although I speak rudimentary German I always think I must sound rather like Officer Crabtree in 'Allo 'Allo. It's a bit of a daunting prospect going off and doing it all on one's own without being above GCSE level in the lingo, but on the other hand it is said to be the best way to learn/practise a foreign language.

Should I just say what the hell and go for it?

 

[Muddyfox]

Should I just say what the hell and go for it?

Yes you flippin well should

Go for it and enjoy

Muddyfox

 

[HLaB]

Your in a group go for it.

Its along time since Ive been to Germany (at a guess 18 years) and everbody under 25 could speak fluent English anyway and those a bit older knew something; it was only the very old that didn't.

 

[JNR]

It sounds like you have already made your mind up. What a lovely holiday to take, I hope you have a great time. Distances aren't severe, lovely countryside, a good oppertunity to make friends and practice language sounds perfect. Be sure to take spares...I'm ok on my German but I don't know what 700x23 spare inner tube is!

 

[Alan Whicker]

Go for it. You'll have the time of your life.

I used to live in Germany. Couldn't speak a word of the language when I first went there, but I survived! Germans are a friendly lot, especially when there's food and beer involved.

 

[Amanda P]

It's natural to be worried about language problems, but in reality one gets by even when you have no language in common with the locals. Everyone in Germany speaks English enough for your purposes: just do it!

 

[snorri]

Should I just say what the hell and go for it?

Give it some more thought, it's that cautious nature of yours that's got you safely to where you are today.


Definitely go, stop faffing about and get your booking in NOW!


Your rudimentary knowledge of the language is a bonus, not a handicap.

 

[BrumJim]

There will come a time in your married life when there is a lull in the conversation. You've said everything that needs to be said, and there is nothing new to tell. At these times you will be glad that you have the wealth of experiences from your last big cycle tour as a single lass. So to fill that awkward pause you will say:

"Did I tell you about that time we were cycling through a German village?"

And he will say:









"No, not that story again....."!!!!

Seriously, get a history. Go for it.

 

[Paulus]

Yes yes yes. You will have a blast.

 

[AuraTodd]

Do it and tell us what it was like. There's a travel website called www.virtualtourist.com which is written accounts of places visited by tourists, it's also a good reference site for people checking out area's before they go.

 

[ColinJ]

Everyone in Germany speaks English enough for your purposes

Everyone in West Germany perhaps, but I watched Julia Bradbury's German Wanderlust last week from Saxon Switzerland in the east and she said it was the first time that she'd needed an interpreter on her German trip. Apparently in the west, English is the second language but in the east, it is Russian.

 

[BrumJim]

Yes, very much the experience I had in Leipzig and Halle. However anyone reasonably well educated below the age of 30 will have good English skills.

Russian wasn't really a second language for East Germans. The soviets didn't trust the Eastern Europeans, so no one was able to travel there unless they had a specific invitation and purpose. Hence no one learnt basic getting-by Russian, such as how to book a hotel room or ask for directions. Instead they learnt meaningless propaganda phrases, such as "Germans and Russians stand together, arm-in-arm, as brothers." Not friends, of course, as you can choose your friends....

 

[Dayvo]

Cycling-wise, Germany is the best country I have cycled in! And that was only down from the Dano/German border near Tønder down to the Aachen/Belgian border.

The cycling (when not on the roads themselves) were on paths running parallel to the main/busy roads. The road surfaces were in excellent condition, it was well-signposted, the people were friendly and helpful (most spoke good English), plenty of campsites/youth hostels, and it was cheap, even compared to France and Spain.

GO FOR IT!

 

[Intelligenthamster]

Thanks for the encouragement people

Colin J and BrumJim- you're both right, my other hobby is military history which is how I discovered the area in the first place- over 35s don't speak English in those parts, and were taught Russian but not very useful Russian. We used one of the cyclists' hotels while on a Cold War-themed trip looking at bunkers. Then I went back with Mr Hamster for the cycling. And didn't get enough of it.

Anyway, I have asked a fluent German-speaking friend to help with a couple of e-mails with a view to booking up... if it happens I will let you all know how I do.

Thanks guys