C ar camping and cycling, Northern Europe - advice please!

clanton
clanton Posts: 1,289
edited February 2016 in Family & kids cycling forum
Hoping for some advice/suggestions as to a few good places to go to on a trip this June.

I will be in Roubaix, France having hopefully completed the Paris Roubaix ride and am then taking the family for a holiday in Europe. Youngest will be 18 months so we don't want to drive too far in one go - say 2 or 3 six hour drives in the two weeks would be good.

Vague plan is to base ourselves in 2 or three decent campsites and explore the local area on bikes. So places with decent camping, child friendly cycling for a nearly 4 year old and not too many hills for dad towing the other.....

We have "done" France, Belgium and the Netherlands and I am thinking Germany may be the best bet.....

Would love to head to Austria and ride along the Danube but too far to drive for this trip!

Suggestions very welcome!

Comments

  • Steve-XcT
    Steve-XcT Posts: 267
    What do you want to ride?
    Big difference between alpine lift assisted downhills at one end and paved at the other (Paris Roubaix paving not withstanding)

    I know you said you'd done France but it is the place at the other end of the tunnel and ferries.... It's also very varied...

    Depending how you plan to return Brittany/Normandy can be OK and has the advantage of being near ferries.

    We came back from the SW of France and stopped on a farm in Beauchamps. It's close to a beach/sea, some forests with bike trails and river with bike trails... there is also a watersports place real close. We stopped in a "gypsy caravan" thing... and this was just our two nights BEFORE the ferry then we had an easy <1hr drive to Dieppe. I'd go again and take the bikes for 1-2 days. We hired a 2 man canoe 1 day ...

    https://www.google.co.uk/maps/place/Nor ... 561148e202 (This is actually on the Picardy/Normandy border - it runs down the river)

    Brittany is completely different to France :D (seriously its more like Cornwall/Wales both in Geography and language)
    Lots of good camping with some lakeside type rides..... close to all Brittany Ferry routes so perhaps a good 1-2 days.... unfortunately weather can also be like Cornwall/Wales.

    For a mix of roads/hardpack I'd recommend the Loire Valley. Very flat, river(s), I spent 2 weeks on a bike there a decade ago and we spent 2 days last summer on the way to the SW. Castles, castles and more castles ... and huge amount of paths that are hardly or not used by cars along the river. Again lots of good campsites. When we cycled there a decade ago we camped in Saumur and drove a few places or cycled direct from Saumur.... it's quieter than Tours but has everything as a base. For Mums and Dad's there are lots of god places to eat and vinyards..

    http://www.opencyclemap.org/ is your friend :D

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