I’m planning this autumn to do a three day/two night Scottish tour with mrs_oab.

Assuming that goes well I’m planning a couple of week tour, with a couple of two night stops thrown in to slow things down.

I’d rather not fly. We prefer hills to look at. Reliably warm and dry. Hotel/BnB accomodation.

It seems that Northern Spain or Portugal with some of EV1 could work well. Perhaps Southern Germany into Czechia on EV13.

The curve ball being I do fancy Ireland, but that’s maybe another time…

Suggestions?
Route planning resources?

I concur with your thoughts on flying. However I was looking at a potential Spanish trip and the rail/ferry costs made it frankly unaffordable.

Very few cycle tracks in Ireland.

If you do go, head for the West Coast.

Interesting @scotroutes. I did wonder that heading south, via London, from up here would add to costs and time.

To go to Hull-Zebrugge may reduce costs? Southern Germany may then be more affordable?

Coast and Castles route, Newcastle to Edinburgh as your warm up.

Then St Malo to Nice. Get a lift to the ferry at this end and then when you get to Nice find a bike shop and procure a couple of cardboard bike boxes to fly back with your bikes.

Newcastle ferry to the low countries? couple of days to ride to and from the ferry Its a shame the the Rosyth ferry no longer runs that was great for bike tours. Used it a couple of times

+1 on the Rosyth ferry would have been useful.

Maybe I’m wrong, but we aren’t so bothered by the low, flat countries…

October trip we’re sorted on – train, ferries and bikes from home to Bute, Jura, Arran and home. I think.

Train to London, then Eurostar to Brussels/Rotterdam/Amsterdam is probably quicker and cheaper than the ferry.
There is a new sleeper from Brussels to Vienna or Innsbruck. Could be interesting if you want to get to hilly countries. Not sure if they take bikes.

Check the Man in Seat 61, probably the best resource for trains to Europe. https://www.seat61.com/

Maybe I’m wrong, but we aren’t so bothered by the low, flat countries…

Remember you said this when you are spending 6 hrs climbing an alp in 30 degree heat 🙂

The thing about the low countries is they are close and easy! Not exactly spectacular tho for sure

My Lochs and Glens Tour 🙂

Stirling – Crieff- Pitlochry – Aberfeldy – Glen Lyon to Aberfeldy – Callander – Loch Katrine to Callander – Stirling.

Back roads all the way. Stunning scenery and some years we did not get a drop of rain 🙂

Remember you said this when you are spending 6 hrs climbing an alp in 30 degree heat

🙈

My Lochs and Glens Tour

I agree, but we’ve done them all as day rides and we’re keen for some Argyll and island hopping.

West-Coast of Ireland is impressive. If you stay to higher ground, there is very little traffic on the roads. I cycled from Sligo to Kerry, wildcamping along the way. The last few days were wet as, but there you go. I would like to try and mountain bike the Kerry Way, but there would be a fair amount of legwork and definitely some hikeabike. Problem with off-road stuff in Ireland is that the ground gets very boggy/wet. Also, limited access rights unlike Scotland make for a series of unconnected trails and access issues.

If heading to northern Spain, you could cycle the Camino de Santiago – virtually zero traffic if I remember but a lot of hikers (in peak season, doubt there would be many in April/May). I booked flights to Barcelona returning from Malaga, so will cycle the GR7 via Granada. Already done part of it, Bikepacking in interior Spain is fabulous – good food, affordable accommodation, stunning scenery, easy wildcamping, many thousands of miles of untrafficed graded alpine gravel roads.

Hi Matt,

I’ve done 2 week tours in Europe for the last 7 years, staying in cheap hotels. I’ve enjoyed all the trips. It’s not clear to me if you are going in the autumn? If so then reliable sun probably means southern Europe. Conversely if you want to go in summer then southern europe can be too hot. We normally go in June, generally nice weather wherever we go and before everything gets too busy.

We use booking.com/local tourist info/just turning up and asking for overnight stays

I know what you mean about flying but from Scotland it really makes sense. We pick a destination we can fly to direct from Edinburgh and work out which other airport is two weeks cycle away. One day I will fly somewhere and cycle back to the ferry at Amsterdam but I haven’t done it yet.

Easy first time routes are the big european rivers, Elbe, Rhine, Loire, Danube. All of these are popular and the Danube especially is rammed with cyclists in high season. I’ve done 2 good routes across the alps (Romantic Road+Via Claudia Augusta : Alpe Adria Radweg) and 2 more off piste routes in eastern Europe. PM me if you want details. This year is Cadiz to Santander in May, largely on the ruta de la plata (Spain would be good in autumn)

Southern Bohemia involves a fair bit of climbing!

Europe:
https://www.cyclingeurope.nl/
https://en.eurovelo.com/ *1
https://www.biroto.eu/en/

France:
https://en.francevelotourisme.com/cycle-route
https://www.freewheelingfrance.com/bike-routes-in-france/

The Ultimate Cycle Journey from the Channel to the Med

Italy
https://italy-cycling-guide.info/ *2

Germany
http://www.radnetz-deutschland.de/en/radnetz-deutschland.html

Blogs
crazyguyonabike – you can learn a lot about what is good/bad by reading journals for the area of interest

Route planners:
https://www.bikemap.net
https://cycle.travel/

*1 some of these don’t really exist
*2 excellent resource

I’ve enjoyed all the trips. It’s not clear to me if you are going in the autumn?

Summer.

We plan some shorter Scottish trips at other times.

In that case I’d rule out southern Europe.

It sounds like you’re happy with hills so I wouldn’t recommend the big river routes I’ve done.

I think you’d really like the Alpe Adria radweg from Salzburg to Grado (fly home from Venice, train from Cervignano del Friuli). It’s got 1km of “get off and push” but otherwise all fine. If you want to extend it to a two week trip you could start in Vienna and cycle up the Danube to Passau (this section will be busy) then turn south on the Inn/Salzach. There’s also a route from Linz to Salzburg but I haven’t done that.
I followed the official Alpe Adria route but that dutch site I linked reckon they’ve got a better variant south of Salzburg. The descent from Tarvis to the Italian plain is just fantastic.

Am looking into something similar with my GF this summer. Travelling from Edinburgh am thinking train down to Newcastle, ferry to Amsterdam then train down to join the Danube and cycle downstream for a week or so to end up in Vienna. Then just train / ferry / train back to Edinburgh. Though am conscious this is a popular route so am looking at other options.

I’ve done a few trips with a couple of mates. Favourite so far was Eurostar / TGV to Strasbourg then cycle down the French side of the Rhine via a few of the villages to Basel then back up the German side. Lovely scenery, great food and wine and v pleasant cycling.

The Danube Donnauradweg is probably a good one – flat, lots of culture on the way, but in a beautiful valley with routes up hills off to the sides for day trips. I’ve done it twice and enjoyed it the second time (the first time there were the worst floods for 20 years and we woke up in Krems with no option to leave other than by boat…).

You’d probably have to fly, or drive to the start in Germany. We found the German bits the least interesting but Austria was good (apart from Vienna, which was full of rude people) and Slovakia was great.

Cheers all. Sounds like Germany may work well.

I’ve booked a hotel in Tarbert for two nights at October term to do a big 5-ferries route –
Train to Ardrossan, cycle Arran and over to Tarbert.
Next day ferry to Islay, explore by bike, back to Tarbert.
Last day cycle back via Bute and train home.
Two+ ferries a day, 30-35 miles a day, nice accommodation.
I’m hoping mrs_oab enjoys…

What TJ says, Newcastle to Ijmuiden ferry, if you really don’t wanna ride low countries, you’re really not far from Germany/Belgium/Northern France.

I heard recently that the Rosyth ferry was starting up again, can’t recall where I heard this!

https://www.dunfermlinepress.com/news/17870354.rosyth-ferry-plans-39-advanced-stage-39/

Ideal SR!. Will come too late for me going to Netherlands this summer, but maybe next year.

Ireland’s Greenways and Trails

I’ll post another recommendation for Ireland as a first longer tour; quiet roads, not much of a language barrier and a lot of variety along the way. We used the now defunct Ardrossan to Larne fast-cat service before heading south right down the middle, via Cavan, Athlone lake country and on down to Dungarvan on the south coast in Co Waterford. From there, swung west to Cork, Kerry, across the Shannon to an amazing Saturday night out in Doolin (folk music hub). North again to a surprisingly cosmopolitan Galway City, then the wilds of Connemara followed by pretty Westport and some classy seafood. Last stop was Sligo, before heading back to Larne & the ferry home. Awesome trip, partly fuelled by a strange, dark brew… We charged south in three days and took more than twice that to get back up the west side.
The whole place is a bit of a step back in time but that’s no bad thing; incredibly friendly and the hen party in the music bar in Doolin was unforgettable. Keep the mileage down to something sensible and enjoy the pace of the place. We took the tandem, a cargo trailer and saltire, all of which seemed to cause some amusement.