Norfolk or Suffolk?

[lozfuller]

Planning a 4-day round trip in mid July on hybrids and about 40 miles per day. Had a bad experience around Peterborough/Ely a few years ago as was just too flat, scenery was decidedly boring and always seemed to be wind-against!

Would like to hug the coast at times and with a bit of undulation and would like reasonably sized towns to stay over-night so there is a good choice of boozers and restaurants. Has anyone done a decent such route in either Norfolk or Suffolk or across both counties that they'd recommend?

Many thanks,

Loz

 

[Oldhippy]

Both lovely Counties .Why not start midway in one and see a bit of both. Are you looking for scenery, history, bustle or solitude?

 

[Blue Hills]

Question : where are you planning to sleep? Camping or BB/hotel?

 

[markemark]

How important is the climbing? There are plenty of hills about but there’s some great villages/scenery/coast that’s flat.

 

[MichaelW2]

You can do 4 days meandering from Colchester up to Cromer and get the train back. Lots of market towns to stay in and this route can include Lavenham, the Five Ferries coastal route, Framlingham Castle. Terrain is gently undulating not dead flat. No need to follow a "cycle route" when there are so many small lanes.

 

[mjr]

I rode and wrote https://cycle.travel/route/norfolk

As you are wanting about 160 miles and that's 230, I'd recommend starting in King's Lynn and finishing in Diss near Eye. Both have stations and while you'll miss Thetford Forest, that's a pretty sparse couple of hours cycling and you'll also miss the fens which you say you dislike. Stopovers could be Wells, Mundesley or Bacton (bit small but it's a bit of coast with no big town), and Lowestoft or Beccles.

 

[Roseland triker]

Having been around diss for work I would recommend it. Looked ok for pedals

 

[All uphill]

Waveney Valley?

Lowestoft to Diss, following the tiny roads through Beccles and Bungay.

 

[lozfuller]

Many thanks for all your replies and sorry for my tardy response. I'll have a good look at those - we will be staying in B&Bs and there are five of us in total, so thinking bigger towns/cities would be better for finding enough cheapish accommodation! Hills not a big issue as long as not too horrendous and looking for scenery and then some life in the evening for pubs and restaurants!

Thanks again, Loz

 

[mjr]

Plenty of accommodation even in some smaller places around the coast, but whether it's cheap depends on the date, very much!

Good luck!

 

[yello]

Suffolk.

 

[MontyVeda]

Spend a couple of weeks near Loddon and Hales when i was teenager. It's lovely round there, straddling the border.

 

[SkipdiverJohn]

What's wrong with Essex?

 

[MontyVeda]

What's wrong with Essex?

shall we start another thread for that?

 

[SkipdiverJohn]

shall we start another thread for that?

If you steer clear of the dump towns, you'll discover the more rural bits are actually very pleasant.