Ideas for a 10-day touring trip

[Alberto]

Hi All,

I happened to have some free time in the next two weeks and was wondering if any of you could suggest some touring ideas that:

1) Did not involve catching a plane
2) Easy to reach from London using train/ferry
3) Scenic!
4) Hilly or rolling if possible!

I've recently been to Scotland, but am not opposed to going back and do a bit of the Highlands and perhaps Orkney Isles. Equally, France is easy to get to and have done bits of the North and from Bordeaux to Spain, so that's another good option.

Was thinking of Calais then round to coast to Brest and back to the UK via one of the ferry links further south, but am opened to any other suggestions.

Could also do with a bit of mtb-ing thrown in!

Many thanks in advance

 

[Ticktockmy]

2 summers ago, I hopped on the Night sleeper London/Inverness, then caught the Bike bus to Durness, arriving there about 14:00 ish, then over the next 11 days made my way south to Carlisle using a mix of A and minor roads and Land-rover tracks. Route was roughly:
1. A838 around Loch Eroiboll to Eroiboll then took the LR Track across the hill to Cashel Dhu, Had to wade through the River there.Then followed the minor road south to the Track junction at Allnabad, camped by the ruined house.
2. Next day took the LR track passed Gobernuisgach Lodge through to the A838 at West Merkland. Stayed on A838 to Lairg camped the night there.
3. Then to Bonar bridge (A836), crossed the bridge to Ardgay then to Tain NCN 1 to the Nigg ferry, to find it was not running then had a long ride around the Firth to Alness B& B there.
4. Followed the B817 then NCN 1 till I could drop down onto the A9 so as to cross the Firth on the A9 Bridge, at the first Junction after the bridge I headed up to Culbokie then using the minor roads to Munlochy then more minor roads to Inverness, then late afternoon I went to Culloden then Camped at the CC campsite just along the road from the Battle field site.
5. Next Day I followed the NCN 7 to Aviemore, Camped at Coylumbridge site.
6. Next Day I followed the NCN 7 to Kingussie, I had planned to ride the Gaick Pass route but I was told by a local that the river was in spate. From Kingussie because of the change of plan I followed the NCN 7 cycle path alongside the A9 to Blair Atholl and B&B there, (it was the worst day I had on the whole trip as it was raining hard all day with head winds the whole ride south to the nights stop).
7. Next day followed the NCN7 along minor roads to Pictlochry then NCN 77 to Dunkeld, then NCN 77 to Perth, camped at the CCC site at Scone.
8 From Perth I headed south to Edinburgh using as many minor roads as possible, across the Bridge I headed out along the NCN 76/75 to Livingstone B&B in Blackburn.
9. Headed South using minor roads to Biggar then A72/73 to Abington Camped at site there.
10. Not such a good route today as I used the B7076 which follows the line of the M74 south to Gretna Green, however I did in places divert onto minor roads which were heading my way. Camped the night at Longtown.
11. Cycled the short distance into Carlisle using the NCN 7, then caught the train back down to London.
Hope that helps

 

[Brandane]

Loire valley? 800km from Nevers in the east, to Nantes in the west. Should be easy for you to get to either end (and back) by train/ferry. Loire a velo website.

 

[Brains]

Harwich to hook of holland ferry, and a loop via Amsterdam, Ghent, Antwerp, Brugges and back via Calais

 

[robjh]

The Ardennes in southern Belgium is an often-overlooked area of steep hills and thick forests, and you could head through Luxemburg (more of the same, at least in the north), and through more gently lumpy country along the German border, or south into France. Not sure if your 10 days would get you down to the Black Forest, and the Vosges across the Rhine in France, but there's another idea. Plenty of hills and scenery there and pretty bike-friendly.

 

[Biscuit]

Harwich to Hoek, up to Haarlem, across first 3 Frisian Islands back to Leeuwarden, Groningen, Zwolle, Utrecht, Delft, Hoek, Harwich.

Happy Days!

 

[G3CWI]

Hi All,

I happened to have some free time in the next two weeks and was wondering if any of you could suggest some touring ideas

Ireland.

 

[bof]

Harwich - Hoek then along the Rhine as far as you feel like going, train back. Diversions off into the hills either side in Germany,

 

[Alberto]

The Harwich option into Holland and Germany sounds like a plan. It will have to wait though, as other plans are now in place (not involving cycling, unfortunately!). Many thanks for all your advice, hope it is useful for other forum members with similar requirements!