Cycling UK Forum

I too am one of a group of two 70+- year-olds that enjoy cycling on the Continent.

We go by train to various ferry ports then ride our own bikes onto the ferry. We have crossed Dover-Dunkirk, Harwich-Hook of H, Newhaven -Dieppe(solo), Portsmouth-St Malo, Portsmouth-Ouistreham.

On one occasion we returned by Eurostar using the procedure of checking the bikes in at Gare du Nord and collecting them at St P.

In France/Holland we have sometimes cycled from the port and sometimes continued by train.

It must be said that our tours have been in a limited area from the coast....as far as the Loire, but it's up to you how far you go.
I regard train and ferry travel very much more amenable than flying with or without a bike.

TimP,
The "ramp" in the discussion in not part of a ferry, it is the sloping road taken by cyclists and cars after leaving the ferry.

My post on 7 Oct 2014 explained why some people experience the "significant drop" reported by the OP and some don't.

Possibly it has now been fixed.

Switzerland has a network of cycle routes. I have used a few of them and found the signing very reliable.
Look at
http://www.veloland.ch/en/cycling-in-switzerland.html

Travel from Lpool St to Harwich in nowhere near as difficult as you imagine.

Their policy says 4 bikes per train but it simply means that in certain carriages there are tip-up seats where bikes can be placed. It's quite possible you will find people sitting there. It is entirely normal to get on the train and park bikes in the "foyer" on the opposite side to where you got on. You have to keep an eye on them because the platform at the next station might be on that side. There are no bike reservations. Last year when dozens of cyclists were travelling into London there were lots of bikes but no problems

The only restriction on bikes is that you can't take them into or out of London in the rush hour.

The trains involving a a change at Manningtree are inter-city. They are less convenient because you have to change platforms via stairs and because you have to leap out of the train at Manningtree and rush to recover your bike before the train continues its journey.

I hope this helps.

From where are you proposing to cycle to Lpool St?

The tour you have described looks ok to me.

It's often recommended to do a short trial tour before setting out on a first tour. It can be quite near home....say a couple of nights with the kit you intend to take later. It gives the opportunity to refine your ideas about luggage etc.

There is a ferry from Portsmouth to St Malo.
My copy of European Rail (and ferry) Timetable (formerly produced by Thomas Cook) doesn't show any ferries from Weymouth now.

There is a small airport at Dinard which is very near to St Malo. You would need to research how to fly there from UK. There might not be flights from Heathrow. Your suggestion of going via Paris seems more likely.

In this thread gaz said "Eurostar does not take full size solo bikes."
You can't wheel a bike onto the train with you but there is a bike service.

Here is a short extract from "the man in seat 61".

Taking bikes to Paris, Brussels or Lille by Eurostar...
Option 1: Take it with you for £30 using one of the special bike spaces on board Eurostar: You can pre-book one of the bike spaces on the same Eurostar as you for £30 each way ..... First buy your own Eurostar tickets in the normal way, then call Eurostar's baggage line on 0844 822 5822 to book a bike space on the same train as you ......

What's the date?

Hello looserlama,
I have cycled on assorted parts of your proposed route but not all of it.

First of all your general questions about the nature of the region.
There are no wild animals or fearsome meteorological problems. You certainly won't experience heat like in Spain. In the vicinity of the North Sea coast the wind can be very strong. My experiences of it suggest that it tends to blow from the south/west so it could be to your advantage in travelling northwards. Hopefully other cyclists will add their comments.

As to your proposed route:
Germany is a cycle friendly country and you will find good cycle paths, sometimes beside main roads.
There is a smooth, level cycle path beside the river Mosel from Trier to Koblenz. The river follows a winding course.

I haven't cycled Koblenz to Kassel but I have cycled Osnabruck, Bremen, Bremerhaven, Cuxhaven. It's all relatively flat countryside with good cycling paths or minor roads.

You are right in saying that Denmark is cycle friendly. I have crossed your probable route but have no particular recommendations. I have no experience of camping. When I was last in Denmark, 15 years ago, Bed and Breakfast accommodation wasn't as common as in the UK. Many people, but not all, speak English

A short article about a tour on this route appeared in the latest issue of Cycle mag.(Dec 2014/Jan 2015).

Thanks for all responses.
I emailed my question to CTC HQ and learned the procedure.
JJF

I've been trying to get the code to buy from Cotswold Outdoor.
When I enter my username to log in it tells me that the username is reserved.
Hopefully it is ....to me.
I thought maybe the problem was that I was already logged in to the forum so I would be logged in twice which might not work. So I logged out of the forum and tried again. Still won't work. Tried logging in using email address. No!

There is something about logging in to the "old site" and the "new site". Is there a new site? How would I know? How would I recognise it?
Can anyone explain?

The river Avon from Avonmouth thro' Bristol, Bath, Kennet and Avon canal and river Thames to just to the west of London provide a continuous cycle route. Mostly towpaths but with occasional bits of road. If you camp somewhere in the middle then you can have two days of very attractive out-and-back rides. Several attractions such as Hampton Court Palace.

If you choose France, Laval in Pays de la Loire has 4 Voies Vertes radiating from it. 2 rivers and 2 former railways. The rivers are attractive but I haven't tried the rail routes. www.af3v.org/-Fiche-VVV-.html?voie=53

I cycled a small part of the Portugese coast about 15 years ago.
I crossed the Tagus from Lisbon and headed south. I stayed in a B&B in Sesimbra then went to Setubal and took the ferry across the Rio Sado. From there I cycled down the coast to Villa Nova de Milfontes. As borisface says, it is an interesting and attractive area. The road surfaces were rather variable, generally ok.
I seem to recall that the traffic was light (in contrast to Lisbon which was intense).
For a few days I cycled with a Japanese man. He was camping wild and didn't seem to have any difficulty but I stayed in small hotels or B&Bs.
After Villa Nova I went away from the coast and made a loop eventually back to Lisbon.

I have a slide rule. In getting it out to remind myself what it looked like I discovered that in its box there is an instruction booklet that cost 9d.
I also have book of Log tables with my military number stamped on it.