Some time after their eventful trip on the river, chronicled in Three Men in a Boat, George, Harris and J. suffer a renewed attack of itchy feet and decide to take off on a 'bummel'. However they find that they get into more than a few scrapes on their cycling jaunt in Germany. Learning to cope with perilous tasks such as purchasing a cushion, taking a bicycle off a train, map-reading into the mountains — not to mention crossing the road — they learn that perhaps a change isn't always as good as a rest.