Taking kids on the road, who's done it?

Gotte

I'm thinking about doing a tour in Denmark next year with the wife and kinds. One child will be nine, the other nearly five.
My oldest daughter can certainly ride fifteen miles in a day, now. Twenty at a push., but my youngest daughter would need to be in a trailer or on a tagalong (my preferred option).
We were thinking of going to Copenhagen, then maybe catching the train back, though I'm not sure as I like the sound of the islands on the western coast. I'm not sure how long we were planning on, maybe two weeks with three or four days' break to relax.
Anyone here taken young kinds on tour? How successful was it, what was your set up, and where did you go?

cycladelic

I took my children on tour when they were young. My wife and I started off with kiddie seats, which is hard work! Then I got a tandem with kiddie-cranks. As my son got older, he rode a small three-speed bike and my daughter sat on the back of the tandem. This latter set-up was what we did when I took them to France. We also went around Norfolk and Wales. I guess the most miles my son did on his little bike was about 40 miles a day.

I think the key to a happy time is not to do too many miles and have plenty of stops so that the can enjoy the day - not just ride ride ride.

I have ridden in Denmark and there are safe cycle paths everywhere, so that would be a good destination, as would Germany and Holland.

Gotte

Thanks for that. Much appreciated. Did you catch the ferry to Denmark from UK, by any chance?

cycladelic

Yes - but that was a long time ago.... in the 1980s. I think it went from Harwich.

Gotte

They've recently reinstated it. Did yours go to Esjburg?

cycladelic

I am sure it must have been.

I cycled south and then east from the port to some islands and then rode up to Copenhaen, then went north and got a ferry across to Sweden. After a loop of southern Norway, I cycled back south through Denmark for the return ferry. I recall most of the country seemed flat and it reminded me of Lincolnshire a bit - where I used to live - except there were more bike routes.

sheffsimon

Had a holiday on the west coast of Denmark a few years ago, seemed to be a bike path all the way up the coast, and the bit where we were (Rinkobing Fjord) was a good surface and quiet and perfectly flat.

Great for kids, and I guess if it is a long distance bike path it will be geared up with accomodation and camping, holiday area also. Easy to start from Esbjerg also I should think.

Great country, friendly people, been three times on hols

Gotte

Thanks for that. My wife and I have been to Copenhagen once (non-cycling), and really enjoyed it. I loved the landscape - all those red painted farms and big skies. The only potential downside might be the wind. I seem to remember it blasting off the Baltic (and that was August). I know Esjberg is North Sea, but I seem to remember reading it could blast in from there, as well.
I love the idea of of the big duney beaches and the islands like Silt, but maybe, if it is windy, a better tack might be to ride to Copenhagen, and then train it back to Esjberg.

sheffsimon

We went to East coast of Funen one holiday, really nice, quiet. Egeskov Slot (castle) on Funen is good visit, especially with kids, ours loved it. Might be worth a detour if you are riding across Funen.

Also been to Falster, island south of Copenhagen, more of a holiday area, but again plenty of diversions for kids.

Gotte

Thanks for that. I'll check them out.

El Gordo

When we were touring in Switzerland five years ago we met a German family at a campsite touring with their three kids. They must have been about 8, 6 and 4 I guess. The four year old had a tagalong on his Mum's bike but his Dad also towed a trailer for when he got tired. They were making it look easy and a lot of fun (Switzerland has got a surprising number of quite gentle bike paths through the mountains).

It was pretty much on that basis that we decided that maybe having kids wouldn't be such a hinderance after all. We've got two of them now (aged 1 and 2) and am about to embark on a one night mini tour next week.