In the Saxon villages, late May and June are when the hay comes in and the trails between Biertan and Mălâncrav are at their greenest. From July the midday heat makes riding hard work, so we keep the Saxon Heritage Trail to early summer. The Transfăgărășan is only open from July until the first snow, so the high passes tour goes in mid-August, when the views from the top are mostly clear.

Then come the hosts. Spots in some of the small villages are limited, so we work around weddings, public holidays and the like, and I talk to every host before a single date goes online. Some dates move three times before they settle.

The new Lake Balaton Road Tour follows the same rules. It runs in July, when the lake is warm enough to swim every day, and the days are arranged so the busier roads along the shore mostly fall midweek, away from the weekend crowds.

So by the time a date goes on the website, I've checked it against the weather and every host on the route. That way, whichever week you pick, you get the tour at its best.