After finishing my Technician degree in February 2025 and before my Computer Science studies at DHBW Mosbach were set to begin in September, I had a rare window of freedom — time without obligation, without a schedule, without a plan. Most people would have used it to rest.
I decided to cycle from Konstanz to Cannes.
There was no grand backstory. No years of preparation. I had done the Hawaii language trip just before this, come back to Germany, and found myself with energy to burn and no reason to sit still. A friend was in Cannes. The weather was getting warm. I looked at a map, saw the route, and thought: why not?
I bought a second-hand touring bike, packed a lightweight tent, grabbed some basic camping gear, and booked a one-way train ticket to Konstanz — the southernmost point of Germany on Lake Constance. The plan: ride south. Cross the Alps. Get to France. Figure out the rest on the road.
No cycling experience. No GPS device. No support vehicle. Just the bike, the road, and whatever came next.
- Total Distance ~900 km
- Countries Germany · Switzerland · Italy · France
- Alpine Crossings 2 × (incl. 2,700 m)
- Budget Self-funded, minimal
- Cycling experience None
- Duration ~10 days
