i remember starting a touring thread ages ago... but cant seem to find it.
so, where are you headed this year ??
looking for some inspiraton for me and mrs t.
Last year we (family of 4 - E(40), me(41), N(8) and H(5)) rode Devon C2C over three days. Easy riding and easy enough to do the extra miles to shuttle the van and fetch by train at the end. There was a lot of rail trail (poor for views but good for the riding) which was great for getting the kids off the tow-whee and follow-me for decent stretches.
This year we're just doing a wee circular from Melrose or Kelso, sleeping in Berwick upon Tweed. Details TBC but the kids will spend more time riding under their own steam with the terrain being pretty mild!
Solo tour of the great glen. Way continuing to Oban then the Hebridean way then back to inverness
Heading off in a couple weeks hopefully pre midge /post worst of the cold.
Via del Sale, Piemonte..... It's an old trade route from the med, over the Maritime Alps into the Po Valley.
Although we'll do it the other way round and head to the coast and take the train back (Ventimiglia to Limone, supposedly one of euros most picturesque train rides). It's just over 100km so will be a short 2-3 day trip on the MTB.
Also toying with the idea of riding the Via Rhôna from Geneva all the way to the coast. Rode a couple of short sections last month when travelling through France. Quite like the idea of following it from source to sea. 850km so a good week or more.
I’m looking to do two this year: one a repeat of one I did last year from where I grew up (Skipton) to where I live now (Durham) through the Dales and north Pennines , but hopefully with better weather; and another either from the west coast of Cumbria to home but plotting my route through places of importance to me, or the Sandstone Way (I’m trying to persuade a work colleague to join me on that one).
Some local SE 2 -3 day trips planned on the gravel bike and my XC bike: the Ridgeway, the Canti Way and the South Downs Way.
Time is limited this year so we're repeating the Northumberland Loop, which I absolutely loved the first time and have cut about through there on other tours. Decent roads / terrain, great pubs.
2 years ago did Cherbourg to Caen over 3 days with wife, brother and 11 at the time nephew.
Last year we did St Malo to Caen with the vast majority on old railway lines via Flers.
This year looking to do St Malo to Caen again, but a different mainly old railway route via Vire.
We also ride to Portsmouth and back from home, but only 20 miles each way.
So much nicer than U.K. riding on great, well signposted tracks and quiet roads.
I'm cycling the Ireland E2E, with an old uni mate. Fly to Cork, ride to Mizen head, up the west coast to Malin head. Ride to Derry, train to Belfast, ferry back to Liverpool.
I just want to get my Coll & Tiree trip done. I've been close to it for a couple of years but something else just keeps coming up - usually some event I've entered that takes up (too much) training time.
A wee solo offroad trip at the end of May. Starting from home in Inverness I'm going to head down to the west coast to Oban via Fort William then from there ride back inland and home via spean bridge.
I guess if I time it right I might bump into @trail_rat!
Trains booked for after-work may 8th.
Ferry at Oban for the 10th and Stornoway to ullapool on the 15th
Return to abz on the 16th
Normally I have something on a back burner, done route or other that is basically ready to ride but just waiting for the right time, not got much planned at the moment though. 🤔
Last year I did a 160 mile coast to coast, I've done a couple of "cross county" rides as well which were interesting - did a Cross Lancs a few years ago and a Cross Cumbria last year riding the full length of the Lake District from Walney Island / Barrow in Furness up to the Scottish border.
I'd quite like to do a Cross Devon which would also be a coast to coast or something sort of "around a county". Something that feels like it has a point beyond just a long ride or long weekend of riding.
I'm trying out a new route at the end of the month that I'm tempted to call 'The Python Divide', a 600km loop starting in Perthshire and heading west through Glencoe, down to Oban, round the tip of Loch Awe and over to Inveraray, back to Crieff via Helensburgh, Balloch, Callander and Doune.
Takes in multiple Holy Grail film locations but has expanded into a sort of 'alternative history' tour of Scotland.
Need to get some miles in on the MTB first, looking out the window at a dreich cold morning right now ☹️
Edit: Yes I know a 'loop' isn't a 'Divide' but the name has lodged in my head now and it seems suitably Pythonesque to call it a Divide when it isn't a Divide.
Edit: Yes I know a 'loop' isn't a 'Divide' but the name has lodged in my head now and it seems suitably Pythonesque to call it a Divide when it isn't a Divide.
[img]
I want you all to call it a Divide.
Inexplicably I have a green light to do the British Coast. I did *most* of the Oirish last year and that idea seems to have stuck. We're also doing another variant Manche to Med on the tandem; Caen to Nice via Ventoux, the Ardeche and the Verdon (not necessarily in that order). We did our own Caen to Montpellier - Manche to Med a few years ago and it's the LAW that you can't cycle too much in France...
Better get planning...
Can't decide. Can't commit more than four nights this year, so maybe Lon Las Cymru or John Muir extended to Berwick or maybe a made up thing from home in West Yorkshire to south west Scotland....
a 160 mile coast to coast
I ended up watching the Julia Bradbury coast to coast walk and hadn't realised how so much of the Wainwright route uses bridleways, got me looking at the maps and Tim Woodcock's route for MTBs, I must say I'm seriously tempted if I can get my fitness up to scratch, perhaps for early autumn...
Going to get the ferry from Hull to Rotterdam again - and head south through the Ardennes to Trier and back via Verdun - hitting as many historical sites as possible. I think it will be about 600 miles. Still messing with routes on Komoot.
Takes in multiple Holy Grail film locations but has expanded into a sort of 'alternative history' tour of Scotland.
I have a similar, though simpler, movie themed ride in mind. The Local Hero - Morar to Pennan. It's around 320km and the midway point is, conveniently, Aviemore. Not so much a tour, more a couple of back-to-back centuries.
Trains booked for after-work may 8th.
Ferry at Oban for the 10th and Stornoway to ullapool on the 15th
Return to abz on the 16th
I’m a bit later in the month.
Give me a shout if you’d like an alternative route to the GGW to fort Augustus. Strathnairn is a lot more varied scenery-wise although there’s no cafe stops.
May half term plan is Cairngorm outer loop with east wildcat loop (5ish days of gravelling)
Summer holidays is Plymouth - Roscoff ferry then riding down to Santander bodysurfing as we go. 5 and a bit weeks.
Both adventures on the tandem - the only tool for touring as a two
Give me a shout if you’d like an alternative route to the GGW to fort Augustus. Strathnairn is a lot more varied scenery-wise although there’s no cafe stops.
Local knowledge -its the abraachan cafe really open as late as their website says or is that referring to the campsite aspect ?
I'll be setting off from Inverness at 18.30ish so aiming for fort Augustus before doss down
We have a 7 day tour planned for June. Starting in Dobbiaco, Italy and finishing in Zagreb, Croatia following the river Drava cycle route for most of the tour.
Can't decide. Loads of plans though:
Ferry to Rotterdam and ride to Amsterdam and around the Netherlands
Ride to Liverpool, ferry to Belfast, explore Norn Iron
Lon Las Cymru
Revive old plans for Inner Hebrides loop
Proper trip to Outer Hebrides (illness meant we were vehicle support for the cyclists first time round)
Revive plans for the trip to Orkney and / or Shetland, using the Aberdeen ferry and maybe riding up there via Inverness
Settle-Carlisle with a return on the train
All of course complicated by us using a tandem so we can't get that on a train so loops works way better than one way trips
And on top of that, considering a few days in Paris by train, but not taking bikes
Settle-Carlisle with a return on the train
Keep an eye on the Northern Rail website, they're supposed to be doing a ticket sale very soon on that route to celebrate 175 years(??) since it opened.
However, it's a busy route at the best of times. I know Northern are pretty good with bikes generally, not sure how rammed it'll be if there's special discount tickets available!
This thread has been quite inspiring to me, we're planning summer holidays and considering a cycle tour. Can anyone recommend a sunny route in Europe that's "my first cycle tour" style? Ideally with lots of swimming opportunities, about 7 days / 50km a day average? The Drava and Rhôna routes already mentioned look good
This thread has been quite inspiring to me, we're planning summer holidays and considering a cycle tour. Can anyone recommend a sunny route in Europe that's "my first cycle tour" style? Ideally with lots of swimming opportunities, about 7 days / 50km a day average? The Drava and Rhôna routes already mentioned look good
EV1 from Hendaye to Roscoff FTW. Touring light but a nice introduction without the gnarrr...
we're planning summer holidays and considering a cycle tour. Can anyone recommend a sunny route in Europe that's "my first cycle tour" style?
we wanted a steadier easy route last year, in the same mould you are looking for.
we took the ferry to Roscoff and followed to south coast of Brittany round to Brest.
swam in the sea every morning, picnics for evening meal. lovely chilled first week.
we then headed in land to Huelgoat for a few days walking and exploring around the hills.
ended the trip with a few days back at the coast around Morlaix.
very quiet pretty much traffic free route. in a gorgeous area.
The Northumberland 250 has lovely roads. I did it last Easter in my Subaru. It would be a great motorbike route. If you're a roadie, it could be fun.
I've got three weeks free in May, but my bike fitness is pretty bad and I've not done a long tour in a few years so fancy something easy with a mix of on and off-road. Planning to take the ferry down to Denmark, spend a week riding around with a friend and "wild" camp using the free shelter system there. Then he'll head back home and I'll carry on into Germany and see where I end up. Looking forward to it, just hoping the weather is good 🙏
me and the mrs are toying with idea's of where to go. got 3 week window end of may to june.
only criteria is, we dont want to fly and hopefully we can find a car free route.
obviously Holland fits the bill. been before twice, but did a bit of homework on the web. found the 10 most beautiful villages/towns in Holland. 8 of them we have not been to yet, so a route taking them in is in planning.
I'm flying into Munich in July with my £80 Dawes for 2 weeks where ever the sunshine is, hopefully Slovenia
Mull and Ardnarmuchan in a few weeks for quick blast. Few weeks after riding round Arran Islay and Jura. Few small trips in Wales then Peru Great Divide next year hopefully if all goes to plan.
we're planning summer holidays and considering a cycle tour. Can anyone recommend a sunny route in Europe that's "my first cycle tour" style?
We loved our few days in Nederland and Belgium last year. There is a reason they are such a popular bike touring place....I would love to extend a tour into Germany soon as well, maybe north edge of the alps area.
Maybe not long enough to count as a "tour" but planning to ride Traws Eryri at the end of May with a view to it being a first mini-adventure of the year.
I'd like to do a big loop or crossing of Dartmoor/that area also, but haven't started researching properly yet. Does anyone have a recommendation for a 3-4 day route in Devon/Dartmoor?
I forgot to add- my current cycle touring is vicarious through WhatsApp and Instagram as my son heads up the west coast of NZ from Queenstown to Auckland for 6 weeks. He is on his big enduro bike with dry bags and panniers on, plans to stop at some trails such as Nelson, but also to take on things like the Ghost Road and Rainbow Road.
I am so jealous.
Our current group grew out of the Prost8 ride that I organised over a decade ago.
We have been doing an annual 4-6 day away trip every year since, ranging from Hebridean Way, Cairngorms, Arran & Islay, Galloway.
a few of us have big birthdays this year so 2 weeks today we head to Puerto Pollensa for 6 days on road bikes 👌👍☀️
just been doing a bit of planning.
ferry prices to escape this shithole of a country,
Hull - Rotterdam £660 for 2 people with bikes and budget cabin.
Harwich - Hook of Holland. £330 for 2 people with bikes. no cabin needed.
Newcastle - Ijburg. £600 for 2 people with bikes and budget cabin.
Dover - Dunkirk. £100 for 2 people with bikes.
prices are return.
Harwich - Hook of Holland. £330 for 2 people with bikes. no cabin needed.
prices are return.
have you checked out Stena? they're doing reduced fares for foot passengers and bikes--
STENALINE.CO.UK
Newcastle - Ijburg. £600 for 2 people with bikes and budget cabin.
Oh I thought this was a freight on route, do they allow non-commercial traffic now? That's another possibility
Add these to your list
Eurostar - but ONLY to Brussels in practical terms
EUROSTAR.COM (£70pp return flash sale on till midnight, times may be limited)
(oh, plus £45 per bike each way, so not that practical a choice - but you CAN get to Brussels if that's where you want to go)
Eurotunnel Folkestone - Calais £50 pp each way. Two trips each way per day
LESHUTTLE.COM
Dover ↔ Boulogne-sur-Mer by sailing ferry, £85 pp each way (10% discount for a retun trip, so £153 pp). Sailing times vary as you're sailing with the tides and the wind.
Lidls (who else?) are partnering up with DFDS ferries to offer £30 off return travel up to five days.
DFDS also offer 50% off return short trips if booked before April 20th, for excursions up to the end of June.
normally this is for ‘day’ trips from Newcastle to Amsterdam, but it can be combined with an overnight stay in Amsterdam.
