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My partner and I are look for some ideas for some gentle cycle touring destinaions in Europe for one week in the summer. Requirments are.
1. Warm.
2. 30 miles a day on average. 60 miles a day is fine but we want to take it easy so a 50 mile day would be followed by a very eay day or no miles day.
3. Quite road and tracks. Not real off road.
4. Good camping.
5. Easy to travel to.
Idea so far are.
1. A seciont of the danube
2. Some sort of loop in Auvergne
3. Poland.
Anyone with any other good ideas for areaor routes or routes?
From the plethora of cycle touring books I've read I'd say the Danube too.
German/Austrian Tyrol
[url= http://www.bike.tirol.at/xxl/en/biketrailtirol/ ]http://www.bike.tirol.at/xxl/en/biketrailtirol/[/url]
1000km of waymarked traffic free routes, tarmac or gravel. Tons of tour companies will sort an itinery for you if you don't want DIY
Last summer a couple of friends and I cycled from Strasbourg down the French side of the Rhine to Mulhouse, then over to Basel before heading back up the German side of the Rhine back to Strasbourg.
Absolutely excellent, great food, weather, wine and good routes for cycling on.
German/Austrian Tyrol
Look like an excellent resourse thanks.
We would be DIY. Forgot to mention that.
The Netherlands would tick most of your boxes; depends how warm you want it?
It is a great destination if you want a network of quiet routes and easy terrain. Interesting coast line and holiday islands, cultural stuff in Amsterdam. Lots of camping, and excellent train services if you want to extend your touring range easily.
We've considered NL but it the weather that puts us off, feel like it would be too simlar to the uk. We don't want / need scorching but want better than the uk, mainly rain.Agreed the Amsterdam is very intersting cultural center though, been on a short break about 5 -6 years ago and we were impressed.
We've done another short tour in mid France and that was a nice temprature range, and when it rained it was still warm and dried up quickish.
I've been on a short cycle tour of the northern part of Poland - really stunning, pretty flat, good temperature, good food/beers, lakes to swim in, camp anywhere you please etc etc. My other half is Polish which helped but I would highly recommend it - it's relatively unspoilt up there in terms of biodiversity and the environment, agriculture still mostly extensive but intensifying fast. Beautiful wild flower hay meadows and swarms of dragonflies and butterflies out in front of you as you go. Makes me feel the need to go back!
mulacs could you give me someidea of area / towns to aim for. What road types are good e.t.c. Having problems find info on Poland other than organised tours, which is not our thing tbh.
Isalnd hopping across the southern islands of Denmark.
Quite simply amazing.
We did 3 weeks this summer with our children camping. Sometimes used the nature campsites: basic, sometimes water, sometimes toilet on beaches, at farms etc. Sometimes in posher full holiday style campsites.
Weather was warmer than UK and had 3 days of rain in 3 weeks.
Some small bike round in a day islands, some bigger. Hop on the train when you want. Have some days cycling around Copenhagen etc.
Fantastic micro breweries too. I had the best ale I ever tried there from Aero.
Going back this summer to go up North.
Prior to the big SS trip across Spain and Europe Mrs S and I considered the Danube, but a big fat flat river didnt look like it would really provide much variation.
Having ridden on sections of these Id highly recommend them though:
http://www.cycling-loire.com/
http://www.burgundy-by-bike.com/
there's also holiday companies that organise supported cycle tours if you wanted to be even lazier 🙂
Belgium. Combine with a few beer tastings.
there are endless possibilities - my wife and i cycled in tuscany. flew to pisa, drove 1 hour south, took our own bikes. really quiet rural roads. beautiful little villages very unspoilt. it was self guided but booked through hookedoncycling who were excellent
Oh, and this is another fantastic place to do some touring
http://www.visitaland.com/en/do/bicycle_mc/tour_suggestions
http://www.visitaland.com/en/facts/articles?articleid=1423
Having ridden on sections of these Id highly recommend them though:http://www.cycling-loire.com/
http://www.burgundy-by-bike.com/
Looks good. I do like France, I just fancy trying somewhere new. Done some touring around the Loire and it is nice.
there's also holiday companies that organise supported cycle tours if you wanted to be even lazier
Cheeky git! We're not lazy just efficient!
No supported tours for us, not really our style, were too disorganised a plane ticket and a rough route is all the forward planning we need.
How about the Baltic Sea cycle route? Basically a sign posted route that takes you through Germany, Poland, Denmark, Latvia and as far as St Petersburg and Helsinki if you are up for it. You are never far from the sea and there are an abundance of camping sites along the way. I have done parts of it in Germany and for touring it's a nice trip as it's pretty flat the whole way.
Edward Enfields (Harrys dad) books are quite inspiring for a gentle european tour.
Dawdling by the Danube (Including Bavaria and Poland).
Downhill all the way (La Manche to the Med).
Greece on my wheels (Needs no explanation).
He tended to average about 30 miles a day with plenty of sightseeing.
Some day i will do one of them, or two.
Baltic Sea cycle route
Now that's an idea,allows us to try Poland and a have rough route to vaguely aim for.
[i]Now that's an idea,allows us to try Poland and a have rough route to vaguely aim for.[/i]
Plus it ticks all the boxes in your OP. You will undoubtedly be not alone in your journey as it is quite a popular route for cyclists.