Inspiration for a family tour please

[CaptainSlow]

Hi. We are looking for inspiration for a 2 week family cycling holiday next summer please.

We've done a few self-sufficient cycle-camping trips to the Netherlands due to the brilliant cycling infrastructure and plentiful touring campsites, but now the kids are a bit older (13 & 15) and stronger we are thinking of going somewhere a bit more adventurous.

We would prefer to stick with ferries, leaving the car in the UK and possibly include a train journey if absolutely necessary.

So far France and Spain are looking favourite, but suggestions for good routes and/or alternatives would be very welcome.

We tend to do 2 weeks and 25-35 miles a day between campsites as we tend to stop frequently at interesting places.

Thanks in advance for any help!

[al_yrpal]

Brittany would be my choice. Plenty of lovely beaches with campsites, not too many gruelling hills. Leave your vehicle at Portsmouth's ferry terminal car park. I have noticed large families on bikes with kids as young as 10 boarding the ferry. Places like Binic, Locquirec and Benodet to enjoy. Probably more chance of rain than Spain but less hot. That said I remember camping in Sitges and 6 inches of rain on the campsite!

Al

[mjr]

Maybe Belgium as the next step? In Flanders, the infrastructure is near-Dutch, but the further south you go, the routes (where they even exist!) change to more back-roads, towpaths and ex-rail trails with infrastructure mainly in the towns, plus the landscape gets hillier. There seem to be lots of places of interest about 30 miles apart and the trains are bike-friendly.

France as suggested is pretty good in parts.

Denmark is good if you'd rather keep some infrastructure, but make the landscape and weather a bit more challenging, but it's more awkward to reach from the UK.

[MrsHJ]

EV1 from Roscoff.
EV6 from Nantes.
Via Augusta?

EV1 would be my choice- aim for Bordeaux or La Rochelle? Or a round route via EV1 and voies vertes back to roscoff.

[whoof]

How about setting off from home and riding around Wales?

[ossie]

What would your family find Interesting ?

If you did Poole / Cherbourg and followed EV4 to Ouistreham you will encounter all of the DDAY beaches / museums memorials and historic sites as well as glorious quiet coastal towns and plenty of camping. You could then cut down to Caen and to Domfront on the V43 (mostly old rail lines and off road) then head west to Mont St Michel on the EV4 (worth a visit) onto St Malo back to Poole via the channel Islands with Condor ferries.

This would fit nicely with your projected time frame and daily mileage.

[CaptainSlow]

Many thanks to you all for taking the time to respond, we are very appreciative.

Plenty to go on above, that’s for sure. Northern France seems very popular with my Kids. I also like the idea of just heading out over the Severn Bridge into Wales, I hadn’t even considered that tbh. Would make a great shakedown tour before heading abroad too.

Thanks all!