Cycling UK Forum

Hi folks,

wondering whether anyone has any tips on this - heading out on the ferry on Friday! Were planning on camping, but not sure whether it would be easier to find b+b's along the way? Anyone have any experience of this? We like the freedom of camping, but are tempted by not having to carry camping stuff. Will this only work if we book ahead?

Anyone have any route advice on this one as we've not got any tohughts on where to go yet? 7 days, averaging 70miles per day probably!

One place that you could stay en route is the Monasterio de Leyre. http://www.monasteriodeleyre.com/ We stayed there and it was reasonably priced and makes a change from a regular pension. For an idea of the countryside around, have a look at http://www.jeremytaylor.eu/cycling_over_pyrenees_4.htm A little further West you can find the Ordesa National Park near the village of Torla. http://www.jeremytaylor.eu/ordesa_1.htm Well worth a slight detour.

Thanks - look good.

Does anyone know of a good hostel or campsite in Bilbao - we are arriving on the ferry on sat 6pm, so would like to make life easy for ourselves that night then head off properly the next morning.

thanks

Mike

You could try this new youth hostel right in the old quarter- very cheap - opening 1st July - you may have to share. Or this is a campsite I have used and found very good. Cross over at the Portugalete transporter bridge and follow the cycleway round to Sopelana.

I have cycled in Spain twice. The first trip I flew to Bilbao, stopped the night, caught a train (that later tranferred us to a bus) and started a tour of the fabulous Picos de Europas. It was this trip that persuaded me to tour on a mountain bike in future. The second visit I flew to Barcelona and explored Catalonia, essentially the foothills of the Pyrenees. On both trips we relied upon B+B accommodation - we travelled very light indeed. What amazed me was firstly how cheap the places we stayed were, and secondly how good quality they were. One place in the Picos looked particularly grotty on the outside but it was getting late. The ground floor was a bar and the floor was swimming in mud. The farmers were wearing sort of wooden clogs with 2 inch high studs on the bottom so they could walk around above the dirt. Anyway, we were desperate (rain all day) but the room upstairs we were shown to was absolutely immaculate and very modern. Prices may have risen in recent years (or rather the pound has fallen) but we never had any problems. Never did get used to having to wait until 9:30pm to find a place to serve us food though!