Cycle touring routes/idea with little ones.

[chriswoody]

I'm currently turning my thoughts to the summer and embarking on a cycle tour with my kids and some British friends and their kids. Now my little one will be 3 and my eldest 5 by the summer. My littlest has been riding a balance bike for a year and a half now and may even be on a peddle bike by then. Both kids can comfortably manage 7km a day at the moment, may even be more by Summer. Their road craft is still a distinct work in progress though, so were looking for a traffic free route that we can tackle over a few days with some camps in between. Probably be wild camping as well. We may also be taking a bike trailer for when they get knackered and need a break.

Originally we looked at the North Sea route in Holland, but it may be beyond my friends budget to make it there, so where looking at U.K. routes as well. I'm thinking the Tarka Trail in North Devon, where I originally come from, or at the other end of the country there is the Caledonian Canal route.

Has any one on here any ideas or thoughts on suitable routes?

 

[marknotgeorge]

There's a number of family-friendly cycle tracks in the Peak District, which are based upon former railway lines, so are relatively flat.

http://www.peakdistrict.gov.uk/visiting/cycle/cycle-routes/easygoingslider

 

[Dirk]

Tarka Trail in North Devon. 30 mile traffic free route from Braunton to Meeth. Tarmac from Braunton to Watergate, then gravel to Meeth. Beautiful estuary views up to Bideford them wooded with river views. There's camping at Braunton and Yarde Orchard. Don't know about
wild pitching, but you'd probably get away with it from Bideford to Meeth. I have seen wild pitchers on some of the picnic areas along the trail from Braunton to Barnstaple.

 

[fimm]

There's some information about the Caledonian Canal route here:
http://www.sustrans.org.uk/ncn/map/route/fort-william-to-inverness
My O/H did this years ago on a mountain bike - apparently the northern section is pretty hilly!

 

[ufkacbln]

Sustrans as an entity are a mixed blessing with those who love or hate them

However most of their routes (including the ones above) have sculptures or features to interest kids

From my experience ..

Short hops between interest points with loops are the way forward

That way those who want more miles can manage whilst someone looks after the kids at a suitable point