Holidays are all booked for this year, so I am thinking about plans for next year :o)
Fancy doing some cycle touring on the continent... probably on road bikes with panniers and carrying everything with us to camp and cook. Probably looking at about a week, or maybe 2 and would like to do a meaningful journey, like source-to-sea of a river or between 2 major(ish) towns etc.
Not sure where to go though? Not going to fly (given up unnecessary flights) but the Eurostar/TGV looks like it should be minimal hassle.
Where should I go?
Dave
North Sea Cycle Route?
We've done most of the Danish section.
[url= http://www.ebygomm.ourownlittleworld.org/trips/north-sea-cycle-route/ ]Trip Report[/url]
You can get the ferry Harwich to Esbjerg and then get a train back to the start.
Or you could do the Dutch, German and part of the Danish section, and get a ferry from Harwich to Hook of Holland and then from Esbjerg back to Harwich.
your pics look good, but you are wearing far too many waterproofs for it to match up to the vision I have in my head 😉
Picture a scene of smiling people, riding in bright sunshine along pretty winding roads with spectacular views, stopping occasionally to gorge themselves with local food and swim in crystal clear rivers (or the sea). At the end of the day they eat even more and sleep under the stars in bivy bags or lightweight tents.
Are you with me?
Right.... where can I do that?
Dave
Camino de Santiago
EDIT: Sorry, just saw your last post - definitely Camino de Santiago!
Ah, you want something more like this?
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Same place, sorry not very helpful, but weather is changeable 🙂
Loop of corsica - the most spectacular roads I have seen in europe...
ebygomm: you are wearing trousers in that picture 😉 can't be all that warm!
freeridenick: Is there an easy way to get to corsica without flying? I was hoping for a fairly easy journey to the start and back from the finish.
eckinspain: camino de santiago looks nice, is it more of a mountain bike journey? (that doesn't rule it out, I want to do mountain bike touring as well at some point)
Keep them coming, does anyone know of routes closer to home, maybe northern france/belgium/holland?
Dave
Euro velo has a series of European routes and guides:
[url= http://www.ecf.com/3188_1 ]Eurovelo[/url]
For further south, the Kompass mapping company has a series of maps with suggested routes on (the book guides also show campsite, restuarants etc.). I think the Danube (Donau) goes through Munich which can be reached in a direct train from Paris.
[url= http://www.kompass.at/produkte/radwanderkarten/radkarten_sortiment/ ]Kompass maps[/url]
I had shorts on, it's not a pic of me 🙂
I think you're journey requirements limit the choice with regards to guaranteed hot weather. Holland, Belgium, Denmark are all pretty similar weather wise. You've got a longer journey to consider if you want better weather odds
The Ardennes looked nice on Le Tour yesterday, always quite fancied a trip there. Easilly riden to out of Brussels, so ticks your Eurostar box.
Does tend to get rained on rather a lot, as it did yestereday...
There are various different routes for the Camino - you can do it on-road or off-road. The route also depends on where you start:
French border along the coast
French border but heading more inland
Madrid
Seville
Italy
Canterbury!
There are lots of hostels along the way to stop at which are cheap (or free in some cases) or you can camp.
I would avoid doing it this year though as it's Xacobeo (a Holy year in Galicia) which means it is really busy.
Parts of the Camino from the French border along the coast are lovely. We use a few parts of it on normal rides and also on our coastal tour week we're putting together. Singletrack-y parts obviously but parts of it are dirt roads and parts are tar roads too. To do it is definitely a mountain bike journey though. You can do it on the TGV, leave London in the AM and be in Hendaye in the PM.
Some of it is fantastic mountain biking (I'll dig out some photos later if I get a chance), some of it would be nice on a touring bike, and some of it must be absolute living hell on any sort of bike, especially with a load! For instance, we ride down these steps, it's 350ft descent of super technical switchbacks on rickety steps but regularly I see people on touring bikes standing at the bottom looking confused with maps of the Camino on their handlebars. Yes, it does go all the way up there!!!
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If you're looking for guaranteed blue skies then maybe it isn't going to be perfect. It is without doubt more beautiful than the inland bits that I have checked out though so you'd have to make a decision there. Give me a shout if I can be of any help if you're planning this, I'd be happy to help.
Other long distance suggestions... I've always wanted to cycle the Danube. It's about 230miles and is flat or downhill most of the way (I've been told). Every night (and lunchtime too) there's a pub to stop in with beer. It's the complete opposite to my normal biking and I reckon it'd be a great busman's holiday!
The other one I have half an eye on but haven't done is the coastal path along Northern France. Starting in San Malo or thereabouts. I've not done much research yet but have cycled some of it. Techy singletrack in places and not really meant for bikes but would be a great multi-day bike tour.
I'll try and post some photos of the Camino d S on the coast later...