Castlebar woman cycles to Italy the Smarter Travel way

MARATHON JOURNEY?Laura Heneghan cycled from Westport all the way to Italy.

Castlebar woman cycles to Italy the Smarter Travel way


Ciara Galvin

ON June 26 last, Castlebar native Laura Heneghan set out on her mammoth journey from Westport to Italy by bike. Laura undertook the journey in conjunction with Westport’s Smarter Travel initiative. At approximately 1,500 kilometers, Laura took just over a month to complete the impressive cross-continental trip arriving in Italy in late July last.  
Throughout her journey, Laura cycled various types of routes across Europe, from the most accessible to downright confusing, as she detailed on her blog stating: “I went around in a few little circles leaving Cambridge trying to find National Cycle Route 11 but that was okay, I’m used to getting a little lost.” the blog ‘Westport to Italy, the Smarter Travel way’, documents.
From navigating cycle routes in Cambridge to the busy, bustling streets of London, Laura experienced a myriad of diverse situations and landscapes on her journey and also got to meet  up with old friends and stay with families in different areas, including the Sproll family who used to live in Ballinrobe. Through joining the Warm Showers Community, a free worldwide hospitality exchange for touring cyclists Laura availed of free accommodation during the course of her trip and picked up some invaluable advice from her cycling enthusiast hosts.
One such couple Laura stayed with in Austria were Christoph and Elizabeth who live up a very steep hill with a beautiful view of the Alps. The couple have been car free for 21 years.
Laura piloted via England, France, Belgium, Luxembourg, Germany, Austria and Switzerland before pedalling into her final destination of Trentino, Italy where a well deserved rest was needed no doubt after agonising climbs of the Alps and Black Forest regions.
The Westport resident is now enjoying the second part of her trip to recover from the first leg.
As part of Westport’s involvement as a Smarter Travel Demonstration Area, the town is currently developing its cycleways and road layout and management to facilitate initiatives that would encourage people out of their cars and into using walking, cycling and coordinated public transport.