As traffic free and as cheap as possible, but not UK.

Budget?

See how far you could get travelling south, aiming for wherever takes your fancy, Rome? Berlin? Barcelona etc etc, then get the train or fly back. The Danube trail through austria and germany is supposed to be nice but a bit flat.

Budget – cheap as possible.

Not more than say £300-400.

Christ that is a bit limiting. Foot passenger on a ferry return is likely to be at least 50 quid. If you’ll be tenting it and living on biscuits then your options are greater. I’d plan a route out for a week and a week back, dover to calais then cycle to Amsterdam perhaps? Lots of Holland is flat which is better if your bike is loaded down with junk and they have a better cycle policy network. Holland is also great for hostels where you can stay for not very much more than a campsite costs. If it was me that’s the way I’d go, then you can just take a backpack with clothes in. You can also buy weed legally in Holland which would be a factor for me 🙂 let the good times rollllllll.

Planning on bivvying and I don’t have a problem with kipping in a quiet corner of a remote field. Probably looking at 100-150 miles/day.

you’ve got so many options I wouldn’t know where to start, if you don’t mind roughing just get a ferry to Europe and then see where you end up, turn back after a week.

Iceland?

I’d ride around France – start from one port and end at another. I’ve done this twice now though once I started from Hook in Holland – far prefer cycling on the roads in France than in Holland and Belgium.

Ireland?

Ireland is nice but eating out, beer and food in shops is expensive, I would go Portsmouth ferry to Normandy and take it from there

far prefer cycling on the roads in France than in Holland and Belgium.

what is the reason for this? Considering a euro trip myself.

Well whilst the car free routes in Holland and Belgium are a nice idea the roads in France are generally quiet and far better sign posted with good surfaces so progress was far easier – we had to keep stopping in Belgium to work out where to go which gets to be a bit of a pain. The ride down from Hook to France along the coast and over the islands was a great experience though.

I’d ride around France – start from one port and end at another.

I think you’re on to something there, I reckon you could extend it to maybe 3 weeks in July and even make it into a race.

Go to skyscanner. Choose a non London airport near you (if possible harder if you are in London) and beflexible on dates and destination and see what options are within your budget. Central Europe will be cheaper once you are there if you can get a good flight.

Austria’s nice. Around sell am see.

Went to Sweden in June a few years ago. Did about 75 miles a day starting Gothenburg and went around the two big lakes north of there in two weeks.
Lovely scenery, friendly people, great weather, good (and quiet) roads.
Campsites are very cheap, and you can wild camp anywhere (well almost) legally.
Supermarket food is not expensive, and I got a cheap flight from Stansted to Gothenburg for about £165.
The whole trip cost about £350 in total.

I’m doing this! Just moved to Colchester.

My plan is;
– Colchester to Harwich
– Harwich to Hook of Holland (Overnight Ferry)
– Hook of Holland to Kleve
– Kleve to Bonn
– Bonn to Frankfurt. Stay at my dads for a while.
– Cycle back to Hook of Holland taking a different route

I’ll just take a bivi bag and sleeping bag. Hopefully just buy random food along the route. Planning on doing it student cheap too. Just take a map and some euros. Done.

You can also buy weed legally in Holland which would be a factor for me let the good times rollllllll.

not any more you can’t…. need to be a resident of Holland to buy weed.

* Zell am See.

@ Ska… try the Rhein from Frankfurt to the Hook. rode it on my fixie a few years ago.

i’m doing this too! Spend 10-14 days cycling from Vilnius-Kaunas-Klaupeida-Riga-Parnu-Tallinn. Quite flat. Very cheap.

Estonians are very nice.

Germany and Denmark

I was doing 75miles a day back in 2008 on my trip in France/Benelux

in hind sight that was way too much to actually enjoy my trip properly, now I’d prefer to do 30-40 a day and spend more time enjoying the culture.

I agree about prefering french roads over Belgium though and I found bivvy camping and eating french take out food was most pleasant

Wales.

Its not really the uk , ask the locals

I’d go to France, I’d fly to toulouse and then head towards the pyrenees and wouldnt set a daily target, just aim for say 50 miles and see how it goes, the adventure is the adventure.