Kids-friendly UK route replacement for a French tour
Kids-friendly UK route replacement for a French tour
So, I'm resigned that my solo tour to the Med is not going to happen this year, and now I'm starting to think that our family Toulouse->Bordeaux week at the end of August is looking pretty unlikely.
All of our family tours have been in France - Eurovelo style routes along nice wide canal paths and really quiet roads - and I've never spotted anything similar in the UK that I'd be prepared to trust all four of us on.
What do you all think? Any good suggestions for UK family-friendly tours?
We're probably looking at up to 30km/day, all on road bikes, so hard surfaces on canal paths are OK, but not the narrow, muddy ones we often have around here! And we stay in hotels/B&Bs so no need to find campsites.
All of this assumes that anywhere will be open in the UK of course - but we have to have some hope!
All of our family tours have been in France - Eurovelo style routes along nice wide canal paths and really quiet roads - and I've never spotted anything similar in the UK that I'd be prepared to trust all four of us on.
What do you all think? Any good suggestions for UK family-friendly tours?
We're probably looking at up to 30km/day, all on road bikes, so hard surfaces on canal paths are OK, but not the narrow, muddy ones we often have around here! And we stay in hotels/B&Bs so no need to find campsites.
All of this assumes that anywhere will be open in the UK of course - but we have to have some hope!
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Re: Kids-friendly UK route replacement for a French tour
Whereabouts? East Yorkshire?
Re: Kids-friendly UK route replacement for a French tour
We're based in the Midlands, but, assuming we're allowed, happy to tour anywhere in the UK!
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Re: Kids-friendly UK route replacement for a French tour
I would have thought France would open up before the UK.
However they may open up to internal travel but not tourists from other countries.
However they may open up to internal travel but not tourists from other countries.
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Re: Kids-friendly UK route replacement for a French tour
We got the ferry from Oban to Mull and ride a couple of days there, cut short because of broken chain. Two adults and a child in a seat but I suppose it's quiet enough outside of the ferry rush hour times.
We then decamped to Nevis campsite and went for fast rides from there. Then decamped to Skye. Now that's a nice cycling place I think, certainly popular. I doubt my other half would be happy with traffic but she never is with our 7 year old.
Perhaps Dumfries and Galloway area? Quiet part of Scotland and if the midges and rain don't kill you it'll be a reasonable touring location. I'm not sure of route or distances though.
I like Northumberland and heard positives of coast and castles route. There's plenty of trains from Leeds and other places in Yorkshire and North of there towards the coast and Newcastle for the best bits or the start.
I also like the white peaks or dales area of the peak District national park. North of Ashbourne IIRC. There's the Tissington trail on old rail lines so very good for road bikes. Then you can link to IIRC the high falls dales route back towards the South East. Then there's a minor road route forming the bottom leg of a triangle. There's little village with places to stay and campsites with glamping options near the routes too.
We then decamped to Nevis campsite and went for fast rides from there. Then decamped to Skye. Now that's a nice cycling place I think, certainly popular. I doubt my other half would be happy with traffic but she never is with our 7 year old.
Perhaps Dumfries and Galloway area? Quiet part of Scotland and if the midges and rain don't kill you it'll be a reasonable touring location. I'm not sure of route or distances though.
I like Northumberland and heard positives of coast and castles route. There's plenty of trains from Leeds and other places in Yorkshire and North of there towards the coast and Newcastle for the best bits or the start.
I also like the white peaks or dales area of the peak District national park. North of Ashbourne IIRC. There's the Tissington trail on old rail lines so very good for road bikes. Then you can link to IIRC the high falls dales route back towards the South East. Then there's a minor road route forming the bottom leg of a triangle. There's little village with places to stay and campsites with glamping options near the routes too.
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Re: Kids-friendly UK route replacement for a French tour
LittleGreyCat wrote:I would have thought France would open up before the UK.
However they may open up to internal travel but not tourists from other countries.
There's been press releases by the tourist authority for the Balearic Islands a week or so ago saying they're opening up for tourists end of summer beginning of autumn. But not for Britons. Apparently because we didn't lockdown soon enough or hard enough so they see us as many weeks behind lots of Europe. They're opening up to different European countries at different times.
I assume France will adopt a similar approach in a planned opening up across the EU. We're out so they'll probably delay our access to EU countries for whatever excuse they work up. Sorry I'm cynical!!
Either way we're expecting a UK holiday this year as the only place we're going to be allowed to visit.
Re: Kids-friendly UK route replacement for a French tour
I think this would be ok: https://cycle.travel/map/journey/9943
Taunton to Bridgwater is mostly canal, then small roads to Glastonbury, on cycleway and small roads to Wells, small roads to Wedmore and Cheddar, well-packed gravel and small roads to Clevedon, small roads and cycleways through Bristol and Bath to Frome. About 200 km, so 7 days of about 30km.
In the future, once there's a Weston-Clevedon link, various loops will become more possible.
I'd love to suggest something in East Anglia but I think Somerset is probably quieter roads yet with accommodation options closer together.
Taunton to Bridgwater is mostly canal, then small roads to Glastonbury, on cycleway and small roads to Wells, small roads to Wedmore and Cheddar, well-packed gravel and small roads to Clevedon, small roads and cycleways through Bristol and Bath to Frome. About 200 km, so 7 days of about 30km.
In the future, once there's a Weston-Clevedon link, various loops will become more possible.
I'd love to suggest something in East Anglia but I think Somerset is probably quieter roads yet with accommodation options closer together.
MJR, mostly pedalling 3-speed roadsters. KL+West Norfolk BUG incl social easy rides http://www.klwnbug.co.uk
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Re: Kids-friendly UK route replacement for a French tour
Thanks guys - some great suggestions there.
I shall start to get the (digital) maps out and see what I can assemble.
I shall start to get the (digital) maps out and see what I can assemble.
Re: Kids-friendly UK route replacement for a French tour
Have you thought about the John Muir Way? Lots of interest along the route
https://johnmuirway.org/route/
I’ve only done some bits of it which were all family cycle friendly. I can’t speak for it all but maybe some e can.
https://johnmuirway.org/route/
I’ve only done some bits of it which were all family cycle friendly. I can’t speak for it all but maybe some e can.
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Re: Kids-friendly UK route replacement for a French tour
Time to explore at home, what about a coast to coast or Harian's wall, Way of the Roses? Isle of Wight? Isle of Man?
Look up the British Cycle Quest Questions in the area you choose to visit, it gives a great basis for developing routes and gives a different dimension to a ride, often taking you to some point of interest that you might not have visited previously. Since embarking on it I have learnt and visited so many interesting places.
Look up the British Cycle Quest Questions in the area you choose to visit, it gives a great basis for developing routes and gives a different dimension to a ride, often taking you to some point of interest that you might not have visited previously. Since embarking on it I have learnt and visited so many interesting places.
I stand and rejoice everytime I see a woman ride by on a wheel the picture of free, untrammeled womanhood. HG Wells
Re: Kids-friendly UK route replacement for a French tour
The best I could think of here would probably be https://cycle.travel/map/journey/149880 based on the Norfolk Coast Cycleway but it's almost all quiet lanes and very few cycleways, with a couple of sometimes-busy-often-not main road stretches into each town on the route.
MJR, mostly pedalling 3-speed roadsters. KL+West Norfolk BUG incl social easy rides http://www.klwnbug.co.uk
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Re: Kids-friendly UK route replacement for a French tour
The North Wales Coast might fit the bill. It's 70 miles from Chester to Bangor and pretty much all paved. You can continue to Caernarfon and the Llyn, or across to Anglesey, if you want to stretch it out further. There's a missing section of route after Bagillt where the official NCN 5 sends you on some implausible hills, but you can stay on the coast if you can cope with 4.5 miles of main road riding.
Otherwise, the Kennet & Avon Canal (NCN 4) and various Peak District trails are worth considering, but by and large they're not paved.
Otherwise, the Kennet & Avon Canal (NCN 4) and various Peak District trails are worth considering, but by and large they're not paved.
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Re: Kids-friendly UK route replacement for a French tour
Here's some highlights of Cambridgshire and Suffolk, including the best-in-England St Ives-Cambridge section of National 51: https://cycle.travel/map/journey/149904
There are various train stations along it, taking at least 6 bikes each, turn-up-and-go, so it might be an easy one to shorten or skip dull bits. Again, a couple of the small towns have iffy bits on the way in or out, especially the end in Essex.
There are various train stations along it, taking at least 6 bikes each, turn-up-and-go, so it might be an easy one to shorten or skip dull bits. Again, a couple of the small towns have iffy bits on the way in or out, especially the end in Essex.
MJR, mostly pedalling 3-speed roadsters. KL+West Norfolk BUG incl social easy rides http://www.klwnbug.co.uk
All the above is CC-By-SA and no other implied copyright license to Cycle magazine.
All the above is CC-By-SA and no other implied copyright license to Cycle magazine.
Re: Kids-friendly UK route replacement for a French tour
I think a good place to start is with "The Ultimate UK Cycle Route Planner". I use this all the time to plan my trips, one of it's best features is that it clearly identifies routes as traffic free or otherwise.
I tend to favour "star burst" touring, selecting a base and then having 2 or 3 days touring from there. The benefits are that I get to explore an area more thoroughly than when I just pass through and that I'm not having to up sticks and move every day. The downside is that a lot of the rides are out and back rather than circular. If you want to try something like this, York, Lincoln and Llandudno are some of my favourites with plenty of traffic free routes and generally well surfaced.
I tend to favour "star burst" touring, selecting a base and then having 2 or 3 days touring from there. The benefits are that I get to explore an area more thoroughly than when I just pass through and that I'm not having to up sticks and move every day. The downside is that a lot of the rides are out and back rather than circular. If you want to try something like this, York, Lincoln and Llandudno are some of my favourites with plenty of traffic free routes and generally well surfaced.
Re: Kids-friendly UK route replacement for a French tour
Thanks Galloper - I'll go and order that map.
Thanks all for interesting suggestions. I think we're probably looking at the Coast and Castles all the way to Edinburgh.
Interestingly, it's got me thinking about reinvigorating my two two week tour. Possibly (without the family) doing C2C, then Coast and castle to Edinburgh, the John Muir to Glasgow, and then back down the coast to Whitehaven.
Looks like a nice little loop!
Thanks all for interesting suggestions. I think we're probably looking at the Coast and Castles all the way to Edinburgh.
Interestingly, it's got me thinking about reinvigorating my two two week tour. Possibly (without the family) doing C2C, then Coast and castle to Edinburgh, the John Muir to Glasgow, and then back down the coast to Whitehaven.
Looks like a nice little loop!