Best cycling touring anywhere is on the Continent.

[blackrat]

That's not that easy to do any more and I'm very annoyed with those who stripped me of my EU citizenship against my will, but discussion of more is condemned to the site linked in the top bar.

Maybe one day after we are all long gone, there will be a World Citizenship enjoyed by all to live and travel to wherever we please.

 

[blackrat]

My opinion is that the best cycling touring location is very subjective topic.

What criteria you use to decide the best will not necessarily be the same as for other people.

Some for example may prioritise being in a country where they speak the language. Even them some may speak several languages whereas others may speak different languages
You start be asking us to all agree on something

I was really asking everyone or anyone what they prefer. Not subjective at all. Are you a C of E vicar? I ask this simply because they seem to waffle a lot.

 

[spen666]

That's not that easy to do any more and I'm very annoyed with those who stripped me of my EU citizenship against my will, but discussion of more is condemned to the site linked in the top bar.

You never had European Citizenship - no one did and no one does.

 

[mjr]

You never had European Citizenship - no one did and no one does.

But we did have EU citizenship, allowing us to tour freely around the Union without time limits like the current 90 days per 180.

 

[Debade]

We lived in Glastonbury for a couple of years and I worked in South Windsor. Lovely country, as is all of New England, but those winters were long and so cold, we had to escape! 🐧🥶⛄
Do you take your bike with you when you fly, or rent when you get there?

We have taken our bikes.

During my working years, with limited time, we would UPS them to a bike shop and have the shop put them together for us. Returning home, depending on the tour, we took them to a shop and the shop packed/shipped or we rented a small SUV.
For our upcoming trip, they will travel with us on the plane to Europe. We will have a shipping company ship them back to our house.

 

[nogoodnamesleft]

Re: UK Touring
I've not done much in the UK largely because I camp and camping in the UK has been much more challenging. Soo many campsites requiring some membership or "no tents". One I used had no showers working, another (better) I didn;t have "the membership" but they were pretty empty so ignored it but you never know.

Whereas in Europe attitude everywhere seems if you cycling (or walking) they'll always find space.

 

[yello]

Soo many campsites requiring some membership or "no tents".

Really? I was kinda starting to form that impression, having looked at availability of UK campsites for my rare return visits, but I wasn't aware it was an actual thing. That's sad and a real shame if so.

A lot of campsites here in France understandably close over winter months but even so there still remains a large number of puka municipales etc open to all-comers even if the prices are creeping up.

 

[nogoodnamesleft]

A lot of campsites here in France understandably close over winter months but even so there still remains a large number of puka municipales etc open to all-comers even if the prices are creeping up.

Maybe a bit off-topic but my experience is a fair number of municipal campsites (in France) have moved to private ownershipo by large chains). Or maybe just contracted operation, uncertain of details.

There seem to be some municipals still operating through Mairie but many seemed to be commercial chains. But prices were not massively different and facilities unchanged, everything pretty much the same except for the private company.

Internal operation I did notice at several was where operated by local authority different people would serve different functions at different times eg Acceuil still closed 12:00-14:00 (or later) but under private company at 12:00 the reception staff take the cleaning gear out and spend a few hours cleaning the toilet/shower block or get mowers out and cut unoccupied emplacements..,.

(I have a strong preference for municipal sites, generally much better (when all you want is a shower, toilet and somewhere to pitch your tent for the night).

 

[yello]

(I have a strong preference for municipal sites, generally much better (when all you want is a shower, toilet and somewhere to pitch your tent for the night).

Indeed. The chains etc you mention are providing accommodation for holidaying families - so have swimming pools, bouncy castles, restaurants, etc. Such places are becoming more popular due to the rise in price of hotel (even gite) accommodation and are taking over smaller places, where they are in popular locations. Yes, they'll happily take a single cyclotourist with a tent (I stand to be corrected!) - and in some places you might well be forced into it since there is no other choice, free camping aside - but staying at such places clearly isn't budget friendly and can even be worse than your standard municipal in that the tent pitches can be dreadful and/or seemingly after thought or token. I recall 2 such places; one on the Ile de Re and another near Saint-Michel-Chef-Chef.

Outside of such popular places though you should find more suitable choice, though it certainly wouldn't surprise me if the numbers are reducing. Not just because of the take overs mentioned but also costs of running and fewer visitors. My local one btw is an absolute paradise; very basic but in a stunning location. It's riverside, shaded and quiet beyond belief - you could stay a week doing nothing but soaking it up and recharging.

 

[Moodyman]

Really? I was kinda starting to form that impression, having looked at availability of UK campsites for my rare return visits, but I wasn't aware it was an actual thing. That's sad and a real shame if so.

Yes, many campsites have moved up the value chain post Covid staycations. Glamping pods have replaced tent pitches. These help attract visitors all year round too.

I was turned away from a couple last year and a third reluctantly accepted me, but advised they no longer do tents.

 

[chriswoody]

Re: UK Touring
I've not done much in the UK largely because I camp and camping in the UK has been much more challenging. Soo many campsites requiring some membership or "no tents". One I used had no showers working, another (better) I didn;t have "the membership" but they were pretty empty so ignored it but you never know.

Whereas in Europe attitude everywhere seems if you cycling (or walking) they'll always find space.

Reading that brought to mind my trip to Scotland 2 years ago. Like you said, I'd got so used to just rocking up to a nice little campsite here on the continent and finding a simple pitch, that I bought that same attitude and approach to my Scottish trip. I was pretty shocked to find the general lack of space for tents in some sites and an overall negative attitude from others.

One site in particular advertised on their website that you needed to book in advance, well I wasn't sure which day I would be there so I left it till the morning of the day I thought I would arrive. Try as I might, I couldn't seem to make the booking work on my phone, so I gave in and thought it would be fine. I rocked up late afternoon to find a massive steel gate barring the entrance to the site and no way in, after finally attracting the attention of someone inside they grumbled about my lack of reservation and they'd have to see if there was room for my tiny tent. I then followed them down a small drive and into a large mostly empty field! Find space for my tent? there's bloomin acres of it! I don't know what peoples issues are I really don't. If I hadn't needed to hang around for the shop in town to open the next day, I would have rode on and wild camped, the general unwelcoming attitude was really not nice.

 

[nogoodnamesleft]

One site in particular advertised on their website that you needed to book in advance, well I wasn't sure which day I would be there so I left it till the morning of the day I thought I would arrive.

When I cycle tour I have no real plan, no schedule and I typically go for several months. Even when following a cycle route that might just form part of a much longer trip. Add that I dislike cycling in the rain so a single rain day and I'll sit it out provided the campsite isn't a disaster (very few are disasters). But most of the time I'll decide each evening where I'm heading to tomorrow so booking ahead really isn't going to happen.

An increasing number of French sites seem to be using online booking. Trouble is their systems are not "immediate" and booking confirmation can take ages eg one day I called the municipal at Amboise "OK if I just arrive tomorrow?" and they really pushed me to book online as they claimed to be really busy. So I did, no confirmation, arrived there, checked-in then after tent setup, etc. got the e-mail confirmation of the booking I made yesterday!