Yeah, when I was shopping around it was either super easy (25 miles) or way too hard like 75-100 miles per day. I think 50 is just right so you have time to enjoy the scenery & culture rather than just pedalling like mad. I hope one can tell by the photos of the riders & their bikes what kind of tour to expect. The easy tours showed people in street clothes & shoes w/ hybrid bikes, and more out of shape. Then once you go over the 40 mile mark the riders are in their kits, lean bodies, and road bikes.

Right now I'm averaging about 100 miles a week and I have to work on riding 50 miles/day for 9 consecutive days. At least I have 7 months to work up to this.

Someone told me they are able to take their bike on the plane for free internationally. I find this hard to believe when they charge you for every suitcase. Plus it would suck if the bike got lost or was delayed. I suppose I could insure it for the value of a new titanium fully loaded bike LOL. At this point I am unsure whether I am taking my bike or not. I'd hate to feel uncomfortable on a strange bike that didn't quite fit. When the tour was only 30 miles/day I didn't care if I rode a hybrid or crappy bike. But this tour will be more challenging and I think I need as much performance and familiarity as I can get.

Any advice on shipping a bike to Europe?