If Europe's out where in the UK??

[Tangled Metal]

Just heard on the news a clip with a government minister saying it's unlikely we'll be going on holiday in mainland Europe this year with the third wave of the pandemic and lockdowns starting in many European countries. Possibly trying to get a staycation boom but it's still possible to have restrictions in where we can go across Europe.

So it's got me thinking, is there anywhere close in safety terms to Belgium and the Netherlands for family touring that feels safe? We did hope to go back to Belgium for a family for a two week family for, two adults and a now 8 year old, but this isn't likely now. We tried touring Mull and other places nearby but changed to base rides for a few reasons not least nutters in cars racing away or to the ferries.

If you had a young child riding free but still can't quite be trusted on busy roads, where in the UK would you tour? We like the numbered junction, cycle routes that started in Belgium and extended into Netherlands. That's not what we have but we do have good maps and if there's safe routes to ride then we could still have a fun and safe holiday Inn the UK. So any recommendations?

[Jdsk]

We had a holiday with children near Burry Port west of Llanelli last year. There's a traffic free cycle route and a coastal path so that you can vary the trips a bit.
https://cycle.travel/city/burry_port/map?journey=506

In the Forest of Dean for the next one.

Jonathan

PS: But the other answer is a tandem.

PPS: "... is there anywhere close to Belgium and the Netherlands in terms of safe cycling?" is ambiguous... it took me two goes to get it.

[Oggi]

The Peak District. The trails are great and pretty level and the roads are quiet, but hilly. With a bit of careful map work you can work out good circular routes. And there are plenty of accommodation options.

[simonhill]

Easy Anglia may be worth a look. It is close to NL and B (tee hee), but the cycling is not as safe or well signposted. You can find plenty of quiet roads to cycle, but you are always at risk of ending up on a B road that has fast and fairly heavy traffic.

Careful route planning can avoid, but some of the roads may then be a bit substandard. I speak as someone who has ridden some awful roads on the National Cycle routes in Suffolk. Nonetheless well worth a look for you. No major hills and some great scenery - coastal and rural, not to mention plenty of old historic towns.

As soon as we get some set weather after lockdown lifts, I'm off for a mini Travelodge tour of Norfolk and Suffolk.

A somewhat biased Essex Boy.

[TrevA]

The rail trails of the Derbyshire Peak District, especially if you are able to visit mid-week. They can be joined together by reasonably quiet country lanes to make a continuous route, or if you have access to a car, you can drive to the start point of each trail and do an out and back ride each day, from a central base. We ride on them quite a bit with our dog in a trailer. Last year we stayed at a campsite in Great Longstone, which is near the Monsal Trail. We were able to easily ride to the trail from the campsite and rode the complete length of the trail in both directions. On another day we drove to Middleton Top to ride on the High Peak Trail to Parsley Hay. The Tissington and Manfold trails are also reasonably close and there’s an off-road trail around Carsington Water.

[Traction_man]

Peak District certainly is terrific, but if 'close' to Netherlands means somewhere flattish some of those linking roads between the rail trails are, well, I guess it's called the Peak District for a reason!

Somewhere south of York or out towards Holderness might fit the bill, with cyclable rail trails and all pretty flat and a bit quieter in parts of the countryside, I really love that landscape but I guess it's not as scenic as the Peaks.

Might be worth sizing up different options using Google maps with cycling routes shown as well as Open Cycle Maps, the north east has good off road route options and very interesting historic sites to visit, gorgeous landscapes too around Barnard Castle.

Here's a snapshot...

Cheers,

Keith

[Tangled Metal]

Cycled Tissington trail from almost the southern end to where it joins high peak. Once did a route up the Tissington then down high peak and cross country. Young lad of 18 months bounce along on a MTB trail linking the two trails. Not a good route in the end.

[Paulatic]

When my kids were small ( 5 + 7) I recall one holiday we cycled to Glasson dock most days with a visit to the Lantern. That’s a bit close to home for you.
It’s around 30 years ago now so memory a bit hazy but the next year we were camping in Thetford forest and I recall some rides along quiet narrow lanes with pub lunch stops but I can’t remember if they were rides from campsite or we had motored to a quiet start area.

[Tangled Metal]

There's a great ex rail route from bull beck just east of caton to glasson dock. A bit of crossing busy roads via underpass with awkward staggered barriers and crossings. You can link to Morecambe and Heysham off that route too. There's a few very good away from traffic out and back routes around Lancaster area. Not a good cycle tour though.

I think there's a few areas you could do a few short routes but not many places you can tour for two weeks like we did in Belgium, Netherlands and Brittany.

[nirakaro]

You could look at the Transpennine trail –
https://www.transpenninetrail.org.uk/cyclists/
I only know a short stretch so can't vouch for it, but it claims to be mostly off-road, and reasonably flat.

[mjr]

https://amenagements-cyclables.fr/fr/fa ... ,-2.050851 and www.cyclosm.org make me think the best chance is the area around Newcastle. It does not have the density of roadside and unmotorised cycle routes of the Netherlands or Flanders, but those that exist seem to cover a decent area. 2 weeks may still be a stretch. It will definitely be some doubling back and criss-crossing.

The few places that get anything close to Dutch density of cycleways are not connected by cycleways or quiet lanes to places far enough away to be useful for touring.

[Sid Aluminium]

Westray, Unst...Sark?

[honesty]

You can definitely link a few days by staying around Hartington and doing the Tissington, Manifold, Monsal trail, but I dont think there's great linking routes between them. I did this last year with my then 9 year old and she loved it. The Manifold is a really nice route and has things to do like Thors cave along the route. Surface is a little dodgy now and again.

Devon coast to coast is a good route for kids. Mostly off road paths (think its around 70% off road paths) and the road sections are, in the main, very quiet back lanes.

I guess it depends on how long you are looking to do though as these realistically are only 4 days or so.

[mjr]

You could look at the Transpennine trail –
https://www.transpenninetrail.org.uk/cyclists/
I only know a short stretch so can't vouch for it, but it claims to be mostly off-road, and reasonably flat.

https://cycle.travel/route/summary/456 and clicking through to the map suggests the core route is about a third on quiet roads and the signposted route includes both A roads and some steps. A bit of editing can get the central 150ish mile Doncaster-Southport down to 25% on road with only a few 100ish metre walks by A roads, and there might be a canalside link from Sale Water Park into Manchester Deansgate area but it is still far from the obvious no-map-needed touring routes of Benelux.

[st599_uk]

Westray, Unst...Sark?

The Channel Islands have an enforced 2 week quarantine, even for arrivals from the UK.

May change, but may not too.