1 week tour in europe recommendations?

[boink]

Germ of a trip started last weekend over a beer with some old friends. We're based in West Midlands and are looking at a 60 miles a day camping tour in august. We're looking for something that's not too hilly, with campsites aplenty and interesting towns and villages along the way. I'm not a keen flyer but fine with overnight ferry or eurostar. Just wondering is anyone's either done or read about anything that might fit the bill or act as a good starting point for further planning.

Thanks in advance for any advice, blog links etc.

[Cyril Haearn]

Ferry Harwich-Hoek van Holland, cycle up the Rhein, train back to Hook
Lots to see including cycle museum Velorama in Nijmegen NL

[mjr]

I've done three just-under-a-week which I'd recommend, but hostels and hotels not camping. I've still not copied the diaries online but the routes are:

2016: Ipswich-Harwich, overnight boat, Hook-Keukenhof (open April/May)-Noordwijkerhout, Noordwijkerhout-Soest, Soest-Dordrecht, Dordrecht-Hook, overnight boat, Harwich-Bury St Eds (but I wouldn't recommend that last day - better routes available).

2017: Dover-Dunkirk-Oostduinkerke, Oostduinkerke-Bruges, Bruges-Vlissingen, Vlissingen-Renesse, Renesse-Hook, overnight boat, Harwich-Ipswich (not on map - it's 2016's IPS-Harwich Short route reversed)

2018: Dover-Dunkirk-Adinkerke, Adinkerke-De Panne-train-Tienen-Leuven-Mechelen, Mechelen-Aalst-Gent, Gent-Bruges, Bruges-Ypres-Poperinge, Poperinge-Dunkirk-Dover

[boink]

Thanks both for the recommendations. Never cycled in Holland and one of the team would like to see one or more of the major cemeteries so that Dunkirk round trip sounds good. I also like the sound of the Rhein and museums.

[Wag67]

Thanks both for the recommendations. Never cycled in Holland and one of the team would like to see one or more of the major cemeteries so that Dunkirk round trip sounds good. I also like the sound of the Rhein and museums.

Eps off to Cherbourg is worth a thought, loads of campsites and the French are pretty cycle friendly

[Jacqueslemac]

You could also cross to Le Havre and work your way along the Normandy coast to either Caen/Ouistreham or Cherbourg or into Brittany and return via St Malo. Lots of history of all kinds (from William the Conqueror and Mt St Michel to all the D-Day sights).

I spend most of my time in Calvados in Normandy and there's a lot to see/cycle to.

[Wag67]

Thanks both for the recommendations. Never cycled in Holland and one of the team would like to see one or more of the major cemeteries so that Dunkirk round trip sounds good. I also like the sound of the Rhein and museums.

Eps off to Cherbourg is worth a thought, loads of campsites and the French are pretty cycle friendly

That was Roscoff, damn and blast that auto spell

[JakobW]

I'm a big fan of the overnight Harwich-Hook ferry, and NL is a pleasant place with brilliant cycling. For my next tour, I'm hoping to get the ferry to Dunkirk, and then go through Belgium up to the Netherlands (roughly Ypres-Bruges-Ghent-Antwerp-Den Haag), and then get the Hook-Harwich ferry back. I'm also based in the West Midlands, and the only niggle is the timings of getting to the ferries on public transport. The overnight ferry to Hook is fine - it leaves late enough that you can get a train down to London and on to Harwich in the late afternoon - but getting to the Dover Ferries or the Eurotunnel bike shuttle means either staying overnight near Dover, or getting to France early evening. This means you then have to decide whether you want to press on to get some miles under your belt and have a late finish, or just find lodgings at the port.

[mjr]

Twice we've done Dover Dunkirk and pressed on. Each time it's felt tenuous, like we only just made it. If we ever use that again, my vote is to stay overnight in Dunkirk or the Synthes.

We've come back through Dover once. It was worse. Southeastern are rubbish for bikes IMO. Huge ferries, lots of cyclists, not enough space on the fast trains.

[MrsHJ]

Brittany via Roscof. Get the cross country train or drive down to Plymouth for the ferry to Brittany. Fabulous coast line and interesting inland. Great food, coref beer, interesting inland, lots of character and history, southern Brittany is also warme than the alternatives you’ve been looking at, lots of quiet d roads but also voie vertes and the Nantes Brest canal.

[hamster]

St Malo to Ouistreham / Caen. Lots to see, beautiful countryside and coast, gorgeous food.
Mont St.Michel, lots of D-Day stuff, Bayeux Tapestry (which is brilliantly exhibited).
You can go out and back via Portsmouth and trains are not too dreadful (Birmingham to Southampton, then change)

[durhambiker]

Germ of a trip started last weekend over a beer with some old friends. We're based in West Midlands and are looking at a 60 miles a day camping tour in august. We're looking for something that's not too hilly, with campsites aplenty and interesting towns and villages along the way. I'm not a keen flyer but fine with overnight ferry or eurostar. Just wondering is anyone's either done or read about anything that might fit the bill or act as a good starting point for further planning.

Thanks in advance for any advice, blog links etc.

So many choices..Harwich/ hook of holland ferry,,then cycle near Amsterdam etc,,or train into Germany..Look into what beer festivals,,events are on,,to narrow your choices and entertain you on an evening!

[marco.groenewegen]

I'm a big fan of the overnight Harwich-Hook ferry, and NL is a pleasant place with brilliant cycling. For my next tour, I'm hoping to get the ferry to Dunkirk, and then go through Belgium up to the Netherlands (roughly Ypres-Bruges-Ghent-Antwerp-Den Haag), and then get the Hook-Harwich ferry back. I'm also based in the West Midlands, and the only niggle is the timings of getting to the ferries on public transport. The overnight ferry to Hook is fine - it leaves late enough that you can get a train down to London and on to Harwich in the late afternoon - but getting to the Dover Ferries or the Eurotunnel bike shuttle means either staying overnight near Dover, or getting to France early evening. This means you then have to decide whether you want to press on to get some miles under your belt and have a late finish, or just find lodgings at the port.

Jakob why don't you have a look at the Breskens - Vlissingen footpassengers ferry. This way you will avoid the busy city of Antwerp. And you will cycle along the coast of Zeeland (our most seaside county) up north to Hoek van Holland to catch your ferry back to the UK.

[JakobW]

Jakob why don't you have a look at the Breskens - Vlissingen footpassengers ferry. This way you will avoid the busy city of Antwerp. And you will cycle along the coast of Zeeland (our most seaside county) up north to Hoek van Holland to catch your ferry back to the UK.

Thanks for the suggestion - on this occasion I'm hoping to spend a day in Antwerp doing the museums, but that's helpful for future reference.

[bretonbikes]

Germ of a trip started last weekend over a beer with some old friends. We're based in West Midlands and are looking at a 60 miles a day camping tour in august. We're looking for something that's not too hilly, with campsites aplenty and interesting towns and villages along the way. I'm not a keen flyer but fine with overnight ferry or eurostar. Just wondering is anyone's either done or read about anything that might fit the bill or act as a good starting point for further planning.

Thanks in advance for any advice, blog links etc.

This might be a decent starting point - though with 60 miles a day you may want to cut further inland. Give me a U2U if you want help as I've a few old routes that might help. Nice thing is that you can just get off the ferry at Roscoff and just ride;-)

http://www.bretonbikes.com/homepage/cyc ... at-roscoff