Cycle Touring..

Me and the Mrs are looking at a week(ish) long cycle tour.

Not sure where yet, thinking possibly France,but she’s a beginner, so don’t want anything too mad, with huge daily distances.

What you done, and where you been??

Any campsite reccomendations etc?

Netherlands. Lots of cycleways as you expect

50 miles a day is a good number to base around IMO

this was around 9 days cycling IIRC

I’ll have a look at that Jeremy, cheers… I lived there for long enough, so should remember it.. 🙂

Denmark as well.

West coast of Denmark.
Look at the North Sea Cycle route, will give you some ideas for both Netherlands and Denmark

Lonely Planet’s ‘Cycling France’ book is a good place to start researching french trips. Every cyclist we met on our travels there had a copy and enthused about it. We tended towards the longer, hillier routes but you can plan gentler rides. Their campsite recommendations were pretty trustworthy, in two fortnight long holidays we only arrived at sites we didn’t like twice, but that was compounded by us riding at the very end of the camping season so they were sites that had all but shut down for the winter

Germany has some good river routes, giving the scenery of mountains around you, while cutting a relatively flat path through the scenery.

We did Brittany and Normandy a few times. Not completely flat, with some short sharp hills, but if you choose your routes carefully there’s nothing too horrendous – no big long climbs. Very pleasant places to go touring, and easy to get to with a bike.

Are you set on camping? We always used cheap hotels and B&Bs – really not all that expensive in France, and it cuts down a huge amount on the amount of luggage you have to carry, making it a far more pleasurable experience whilst riding.

Click the picture for a trip report from the North Sea Cycle Route, stretching it out over a week would make a nice gentle introduction I think.

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We found the Belgian, Dutch and German bits of the North Sea route interesting but Denmark rather dull; it is after all a holiday and lively holiday towns are preferable to drab protestant villages.

I like Holland and Germany a lot because you rarely have to share space with cars.

French cycle routes often include a fair bit of road but the roads are chosen to be quiet. The river routes are OK but the railway routes terminally boring. I suggest the Chateaux de La Loire for a week as it’s not too far to get too, has campsites at regular intervals, pleasant riding and interesting places to visit.

http://www.cycling-loire.com/

I did some riding in the Massif Central in France a couple of years ago. Only had a rough idea where I was headed, just set out with a sleeping bag/bivvy bag and explored. Lovely area with plenty of hills if you want them … it was over 100 degrees most days too. 😀

There’s a route (Grand Traverse of the Massif Central – Cicerone guide) that runs from Clermont-Ferand to Montpellier Sete on the Med. Just over 700km, could be ideal for a weeks trip.

I’m liking the look of that Stoner.

Just trying to fathom out the logistics of getting down there..

Cheers..

The Loire is ace as it’s not too far to get to (can be done in a day from southern England) but it’s further south than Bretagne & Normandie.

Weve not cycled the whole route but drop on to stretches of it when out with the kids when we’re in the area buying wine. There’s an ace section near the AOC of Saumur Champigny that takes you through some troglodyte caves. The riding is gentle enough with only the odd climb to get you up on to the coteaux from the valley which is well worth doing now and then to go explore the vineyards. Some fantastic chateaux to see and a great way to study the wine of the are too.

Id probably not bother with Nantes but start near Angers (but dont forget to check out the AOC of Savennières if you’re there – my personal favourite) and then ride with the prevailing wind to your back, upstream.

if you take a train though, unfortunately I think they all have to go via Paris to get out to Angers.

Would hapily drive down… Any (rough) ideas how long from Calais to Angers Stoner?

Are you based in SE? Its a long way from Calais to Angers – much easier from Cherbourg…

Via Michelin is the best route planner on the continent.
http://www.viamichelin.co.uk/web/Itineraires?strStartLocid=31NDJxdzgxMGNOVEF1T1RVNE1ETT1jTVM0NE5USTBNUT09&strDestLocid=31NDJsMmsxMGNORGN1TkRZNU5EVT1jTFRBdU5UUTVNRE09&intItineraryType=1&caravaneHidden=false&vh=CAR&strVehicle=0&itineraryCarType=0&itineraryFuelType=0&isFavoriseAutoroute=false&isAvoidPeage=false&isAvoidVignette=false&isAvoidLNR=false&isAvoidFrontiers=false&dtmDeparture=13%2F02%2F2012&distance=mi&devise=0.6756757|GBP&indemnite=&carbCost=1.5&autoConso=6.8&villeConso=6&routeConso=5.6

I’m in Cheshire Stoner… But don’t mind driving.. (Have a fuel card.. )

We usually go portsmouth/poole > cherbourg, or occasionally Plymouth > Santander if we want to start in Spain.

Cheshire? Easy, M5, then bear left.

3-4hr crossin, about £200 in July. Just about to book mine for this year.
Heading straight down to Aude to usual patch as this year the TdF is going past the door and I want to watch it for once! Then back across country to Alsace this year. Wont get a chance to get any Loire wine this year unless I nip over in autumn…

when we’re in the area buying wine

Well lah dee dah 🙂

Having spent the summer cycling in many countries on the continent, I will just add that it’s generally a dream. Nearly every tourist info office has cycle maps, loads of well maintained cycle paths, not to mention lovely cafes and bars for refreshments 🙂

Danube valley has a huge cyclepath down it and goes to some cool places. And it’s flat as you’d expect.

It’s surprising how far you can ride if you take all day over it, even at a slow pace.

There is a canal in the south of France that is ideal for bikes. I cannot remember its name but I will look it up later.

Le Canal du Midi is a tree-rooted horror for the last part that is far from suitable for bikes after rain.

Well done Edukator, that’s the fella.
see here http://www.bikely.com/maps/bike-path/Canal-du-Midi30472

You need to be selective where you ride the Canal du Midi

I agree with Edukator about the Denmark bit of the North Sea route, it get’s very dull and the headwind is a killer. But a route that goes from Esjberg, up to Hvide Sande then inland across to Alborg, Arhus (awesome place, time it for their festuge festival) then back over to the little islands is nice.

Brittany has some great canal paths and Voie verts (green routes).

Not sure where yet, thinking possibly France,but she’s a beginner, so don’t want anything too mad, with huge daily distances.

wouldnt worry about that.

some friends and I rode over the alps last year (which was rad, so any excuse to bonk on about it) but due to “team selection issues” we did a MAX of 25 miles per day. *(and on one day only 7!)
you can do any ride, just take it at a stead pace. there were campsites in every town, so it was no problem, hop from town to town via back roads.

was my first tour, certainly wont be my last 🙂

http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.573170916827.74307.309600433&type=3&l=13d2248252

Outer Hebrides in April? 😀

+1 for Germany. Have a look at http://www.germany.travel/en/leisure-and-recreation/cycling/cycling.html for inspiration. The Elbe Radweg is well worth doing. Germany is very bike friendly, especially the trains and the B&Bs see http://www.bettundbike.de/68_1 .

I do fancy the danube route – don’t drive out – public transport it so you can do a one way

canal du midi is alright to Carcasonne, but ropey onward from there.

Couple of friends and I went from Bastogne up to The Hague via Liege, Maastricht, Arnhem, Apeldoorn and Amersfort. Really nice cycle. Got the Eurostar over to Brussels then the train on to Libramont and started from there.

Weather was great (end of May) and the cycle routes, esp in the Netherlands, were incredible.

Accomodation wasn’t overly cheap but there now appears to be a dedicated group called vrienden op de fiets (friends on the bike) that offers cheaper rates so if you’re over that way it may be worth checking out.

Years ago mrscarlos and myself toured a few times in northern France , some of the best holidays we’ve ever had !

We’ve done the Cherbourg peninsula (would make a great first time tour),Normandy (landing beaches,suisse Normande) and a 2 week tour round Brittany. The scenery and beaches are to die for and the people extremely friendly , local cidre is lovely beyond words too. All our tours were camping.

We found that our bikes were carried free on the Brittany ferries so we only had to pay as foot passengers (Portsmouth to Caen/Cherbourg/St Malo).

Both myself and mrscarlos were complete novices and found the steepest climbs were do-able and all the French motorist gave us plenty of room and would even follow us at 5mph up steep hills if there was nowhere to pass with a toot and wave when they could.

We’re looking forward to going back in a few years when the kids are a bit older.

I do fancy the danube route

I’ll do it with you TJ. Just you and me. Two men, one helmet.. brotherly love, the sparkling blue waters of the Danube.. a thousand miles of arguments.

I agree with TJ – Netherlands is good. Need a bl***y good lock and preferably secure overnight cycle storage.

Catch ferry from Harwich to the Hoek van Holland and get cycling straight off the boat. Used to do this when I was a kid and dad helped build the spiral ramps so always seems quite cool to go on them. Yes i am that sad.

I’m looking at cycling over to France this summer via st malo, then riding on down to the Vendee. This threads been bookmarked for me to keep an eye on 😉

I got this when Mrs S and I were planning our Euro adventure. In the end we went the other side of the continent.
http://www.cicerone.co.uk/product/detail.cfm/book/345/title/the-danube-cycleway

But there’s a certain topographical inevitability to riding up a river valley, so we went here instead:

http://pompinos.blogspot.com/

I’m looking at cycling over to France this summer via st malo, then riding on down to the Vendee.

I did that a couple of years ago:

http://conant-triptofrance2009.blogspot.com/

rode from london to munich via switzerland and austria when i was 20. mostly back roads through france and then proper cycle paths through the fatherland. no specific route as such – i didn’t even have a map on me.

rode my fixie from the middle of germany follwoing the Mains and Rhein river up through holland the year before last. quite a cool idea at first, but regretted it after the third or fourth day. my legs were bollx’d. i couldn’t walk properly….

would like to ride from Munich to Vienna with the GF at some point – maybe this summer if time allows.

Get a copy of “Downhill all the way” by Edward Enfield (Harry’s dad).

A gentle north-south bike journey through France. Just finished re-reading it tonight.

His “Dawdling by the Danube” is excellent too. Will put you right in the mood for a wee tour.