Credit card touring?

[pooks]

I was just checking out the Waterford site and saw references to bikes being suitable for credit card touring.

What is that?

[Pedal Wench]

Touring without a tent/sleeping bag/food, etc., just clothing. Use your credit card to buy meals and pay for hotel/motels. Sounds kinda nice to me!

[pooks]

Cool. I like that idea, if I'm touring through some place nice.

[jobob]

Yeah, every night in a real bed, rooms with real bathrooms & showers, don't have to worry about cooking your food - that's the way to go !

My husband & I did a credit card tour a couple of summers ago, starting from Port Townsend WA and did a clockwise loop to Port Angeles, took a ferry to Victoria BC, stayed a few days in a B&B in Victoria and toodled around the Saanich Peninsula (excellent riding there), took another ferry over to the San Juan Islands and stayed a couple of days in a B&B there, and then a ferry to Anacortes and headed down Fidalgo & Whidbey Islands back to Pt. Townsend. We managed to lug around about twice as much junk as we really needed (yeah nothing new for us) but it was a wonderful trip.

[Eden]

My husband and I did a credit card tour in Spain a few years ago - great way to travel. We took very, very little. 2 sets of cycling clothes, 2 sets of street clothes, windbreaker, rainpaints, ls jersey, tights, a pair of sandals, toiletries, a paper back book and a small digital camera. We would buy a little food to carry most mornings (usually almonds, raisins, chocolate, bread and serrano ham - makes a yummy lunch on the road)

[mimitabby]

hey, it's the only way to go when you're over 50 and don't like camping.
credit cards are usable in most european countries and everywhere in the US!

[susiej]

It's the only way to go if you're under 35 and can't find any campgrounds too!

My husband did this on his 200 mi ride from Philly through the Jersey & Delaware shore, down to Pax River, Maryland. He learned early to make reservations, after having to beg to use a store room with two fold-a-beds at a completley booked motel. (Why was that place and every other place booked? Who knows?)

Also, we've had problems using Visa in Germany in restaurants not affiliated with hotels. There's nothing like asking your cousin to pay for dinner, until you can cash more traveller's checks at the local bank! I think it's getting better, but it's still not as ubiquitous as America.