Bike friendly hotels in Leominster and Andover

Wirral_paul
Wirral_paul Posts: 2,476
edited October 2013 in Tour & expedition
Hi all

First post on this part of the forum i believe but hopefully the best place for advice on the above.

I am doing a Paris to Nice ride with Polocini next year (did the same ride with them last month too) but next year i'm going to make it a proper epic by riding to Paris from Wirral over 4 days. I want to look to raise funds for a company i work with - and their head office is in Cirencester, so planning on calling in there on the way past.

Plan is therefore Liverpool to Newhaven via Cirencester (300 miles) and then Dieppe to Paris (100 miles). Overnight stops at the 100 mile mark would mean stops near Leominster and Andover.

So any ideas for cyclist friendly hotels in these areas?? I think Leomister is on may LEJOG routes (which i am doing in May with my club inc the record holder). Highgate House has popped up a couple of time in searches.

I'll then have a rest day in Paris followed by 750 miles over 7.5 days to Nice (inc Col du Chansert, Gorge d'Ardeche, Mt Ventoux and Gorge du Verdon).

Cheers
Paul

Comments

  • andymiller
    andymiller Posts: 2,856
    Hi Paul

    Sorry I can't help with a specific recommendation but I always find booking.com incredibly useful - both because you can sort hotels by location and price etc but also because the user reviews are generally helpful in judging whether it's a decent place to stay.

    You could always ring or email the hotel before making a booking. In some cases you can cancel a booking without charge so you could book a room and ask the hotel to confirm that they have a place for your bike and if not, cancel the booking and go somewhere else. Coverage in the UK seems to be pretty good - they list 3 hotels in Leominster and more in the area around.

    They have a smartphone app if you want to make bookings on the road.
    Italy Cycling Guide
  • pdstsp
    pdstsp Posts: 1,264
    To be honest I've never had a problem in a hotel with the bike - generally there's a meeting room or baggage room for storage and my experience has been that staff are generally keen to help - particularly when they know you've cycled a long way. I also agree with andymiller re booking.com - though I'm not sure the hotels read any extra request you put on the booking so probably best to ring/email direct if you really want to be sure they'll be ok.
  • marcusjb
    marcusjb Posts: 2,412
    I have never had a problem with bikes and hotels either - even with tandems (though some close calls there!). Smile nicely, be apologetic and make suggestions like meeting rooms at the weekend etc.

    Travelodges are superb for letting you take a bike into the room - however, some of their hotels are a little rundown nowadays.
    Stuff about riding a bike a long way
  • pdstsp
    pdstsp Posts: 1,264
    Oh and good luck with the ride - looks a cracker. I rode Dunkirk - Perpignan earlier this year and had a great time.
  • Wirral_paul
    Wirral_paul Posts: 2,476
    Thanks for the info guys. I'll take a good look on booking.com this evening if i get a chance.

    I've actually been chatting to one of my clients this morning and he's suggested opening the ride up to others within the organisation I work with - St James's Place Wealth Management, as everyone is very keen to support the company foundation (raises around £3million pa through various events for a large number of charities). I'm going to explore this option over the next few weeks now and try and get an idea of numbers for the Liverpool to Paris leg. The info provided therefore could prove even more valuable given the numbers could build quite easily.

    Thanks again...... and here's a pic from this year. Not the greatest as it was taken on my phone

    137.jpg
  • Mikey23
    Mikey23 Posts: 5,306
    Plus 1 for booking.com ... Have always had good experiences uk and abroad. I always put in the special requirements box ' secure bike storage required please' and that's always confirmed on the booking

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