Nomadic Tales My perception of small countries is that the chances of finding a secluded spot to pitch a tent without being seen are very low. The land tends to be expensive and fully utilized, and I imagined that landowners wouldn’t appreciate tents on property they’ve paid dearly for. I resisted the temptation to try even a single night of wild camping in Switzerland, fearing a hefty fine. However, I did camp in Luxembourg, not one, but two nights. In Kehl, Germany, just across the river from Strasbourg, I managed one night of wild camping, but it was far from comfortable. Two men walking in the distance kept watching me for about half an hour. Despite my green tent blending into the grassy ground with a forested backdrop, and being 400 meters from the road, they appeared suspicious, stepping left and right, perhaps trying to get a better view. Since wild camping is generally frowned upon in Germany, I usually avoid it, but I wanted to try anyway. I had spent a full week near ...
Nomadic Tales
The more I travel, the less I'm willing to spend on accommodation, to the point where I'll happily ride 5 kilometers out of a city and return the next day. It started off almost normal, with a day-on, day-off rhythm during my travels in Morocco, but gradually evolved to skipping a few nights in Portugal and Spain, longer gaps in France, and eventually a firm "no way I'm paying that" attitude by the time I reached Switzerland.
By the way, the empty stretches in France are part of the “empty diagonal”, a band of low-density population covering Benelux (yes, surprisingly, the overcrowded Belgium and Netherlands have sparsely populated regions in the east) and running across France in a northeast-southwest direction.
Usually I’d set up camp near whatever city I was aiming for, then riding in the next day to explore. If the city was worth staying, I’d head to a hostel. Checking the prices online while being camped on a hill in France overlooking Geneva, I was appalled. Campsites in Switzerland charged 25 francs, hostels started at 50, and if nothing was available, I could easily end up paying over 100 francs a night. That’s when I decided to cut down spending on accommodation as much as possible, considering that some hostels, and in particular campsites, are a total disaster anyway.
For a whole week, I explored Switzerland without actually sleeping there. Each evening I crossed back into France to camp. When I rolled into Basel on a Friday, I found out that the weekend would offer free entry to the museums.
Swimming in the Rhine is somewhat sketchy due to strong currents. Locals leave their towels and clothes by the riverbank stairs, walk upstream on the quay, jump in, and let the river carry them back. Likely this is a popular activity because there are outdoor showers on the quay, close to the city center.
I set my plan for the weekend: leave camp early, shower on the quay, then hit the museums. That’s exactly what I did, except my plans hadn’t accounted for the weather. After Saturday’s pleasant August weather, Sunday brought a noticeable drop in temperature, and this time I was the only one on the quay, showering under gloomy dark clouds and biting winds
Having my curiosity satisfied and ready to move on, I crossed the border thinking to myself, "Goodbye, Switzerland!", but Switzerland wasn’t quite ready to say goodbye.
About 5 kilometers later, I realized I'd accidentally taken the road to the Basel-Mulhouse-Freiburg Airport, which, although located in France, serves three countries and has a fenced-off access corridor for the Swiss. I ended up at a locked, deserted gate with no choice but to turn around and ride the 5 kilometers back into Switzerland to find another way out.
Switzerland, Aug 2023
Unforgettable Sights & Hidden Gems
Basel’s Hidden Treasure: 17-Meter-Tall Ceremonial House from Papua New Guinea
Roadside Hacks
The reason is simple: carrying single-use items on a bike just isn’t efficient. I prefer designing gear that makes use of materials I already have with me. The tent poles are an obvious choice, and the waterproof nylon fabric doubles as a tarp when needed. My goal is to create a versatile travel kit where each component serves multiple functions.
The shower cabin itself provides privacy and shelter from the wind. That said, it does have its challenges: in strong winds, the walls flap quite a bit, and sometimes the bike it is anchored to can even topple over, so there’s definitely room to improve stability. Still, when it comes to privacy, it’s invaluable, especially in densely populated places like Western Europe, where even in seemingly remote spots, you’re likely to encounter joggers, horseback riders, or dog walkers.
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