Hello guys n gals.
I’m 40 in 2 weeks (booooo) and the wife has agreed for me to indulge my wanderlust a little and has agreed I can take some time off for a little cycling trip. I plan to drive to Calais and take the bike on the ferry as a foot passenger, then spend 3/4/5 days cycling to Germany through france, belgium, netherlands and finishing in germany around the dussledorf area, or some other major town or city so that I can easily get the train back to calais with my bike. I won’t be pushing myself so maybe doing 60-80 miles a day and I will be travelling light by myself with a small backpack and intend to stay at hostel type places. I would prefer offroad cycle paths and the like with as little road as poss.

I intend to attempt it in March time so if you know of any good websites with resources as regards routes, cycle paths, european rail travel with a bike and accomodation please link them up or if you have any advice to offer feel free to add below. Would be interested in experiences people have of similar trips or cycling holidays in those countries.

Thanks.

What do you mean with offroad cycle paths? Away from road or untarred?

For untarred linking up you will struggle in Belgium. If you just wan’t to be away from roads have a look at the canal’s and bigger river most have tarred canal towpaths some shorter bits untarred and no cars except service vehicle.

I can piece you together a route depending on your intended entry and exit points of belgium. There are some disfunct railway roads turned into cycle paths, interesting when you get to the southern part or Germany to avoid the steeper inclines.

yes away from the road. so any cycle paths, old railways and canals would be perfect. Can you suggest any websites that might be of help?
I don’t mind some steep inclines as they’re always fun to cycle down the other side.

The CTC forum may be a good place to ask

http://bearbonesbikepacking.co.uk/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=10&t=3105

Some links in here that may be useful, more for MTB routes but a few places that list easy traffic-free routes, cycle routes and Euro route-finder sites that come with recommendations. If you find anything new + useful pls post it up here or on there.

I’ve done a few similar road trips with anything from a small rucsac for B+B tours to a bikepacking set up for wild camping. If you’re taking a rucsac it may be worth considering a small frame or seat pack to take some of the weight, or pack really light (<10lbs or so).
I’ve never needed to book accommodation in Europe, occasionally had to try 2 or 3 places to get a room but that was the Alps when the TDF was passing. B+B touring can be kept pretty open-schedule, just aim to be in a town between 4 and 6pm.

And make it 5 days if you can .. or 6-7 : ) takes me 2-3 to really get free of the daily stuff and settle in and time pressure can kill the experience.

You want to do the LF1 North Sea Cycle Route – runs along the coast from Calais, past Ostend, Bruges and takes you up into Holland. Easy to get a ferry back from Hook of Holland or Amsterdam and would make for a nice 4/5 day trip.

Seems a bit high risk weather wise at that time of year. Why not buy a bike box and book a flight to Southern Europe – do a similar trip from the airport to a distant town/train station and then return.

ace, thanks Jameso, loads to go at on that thread, this is just what I was looking for. http://cycling.waymarkedtrails.org/en/
I did and would consider something like that jam but would rather keep costs to a minimum, foot passenger to calais is <20 quid. date isn’t fixed so could consider april and may but it’s likely that temps will be back in double figures by march.

No website that I use i used to live there so ride on personal knowledge

if you start with steezysix route you can hop on the canal from ostend to Bruges, visit lovely Bruges. From Bruges there are two Canal towpaths into Ghent. From there on follow the schelde either to Antwerp if not keen to visit Antwerp leave it just after Temse to join up with the Rupel riverboom rumst duffel Lier emblem. You join the main canal in Massenhoven whih takes you all the way to Hasselt and links and then to Maastricht in the netherlands. The dutch Belgian border area between Maastricht an Aachen is lovely so maybe you want to do some local loop there.I have done most of those, as next to a canal its flat but most is car free and tranquile. I like the rivers more then the canal’s. On a sunny saturday or sunday some get quite busy so you might hve to adopt your speed to the sunday grandies or mum and dad with the kids speed.

TBH, rather you than me. I’m a bit further south and the weather is crap. 3-5 degrees and rain or drizzle most days and if we’re lucky I’ll get a proper ride this weekend before it gets cold and starts to snow. The wind coming off the north sea is also going to be a bugger. Maybe consider catching the TGV a bit further down from Calais to get out of the howling gales?

Don’t get me wrong, I’m sure if you get a break it’ll be a good few days.

http://www.eurovelo.org/ for the big transeurope routes