What type of holiday to take?
With rising prices these days, particularly airfares, forget foreign climes and take advantage of our glorious countryside on a cycling holiday. It’s environmentally friendly, good exercise and an ideal way to see the sights the UK has to offer. Depending on your preference, here are five suggestions of different ways to explore this magnificent country of ours.
Coastal
If you fancy cycling near the coast, maybe making time for a spot of sandcastle creation or a quick dip in the sea, Norfolk may be your answer. It lends itself to cycling in that it is a largely unspoilt county, reasonably flat and has many small country roads and lanes to make travelling around very relaxing and peaceful. There are lots of beautiful beaches along the 100 miles of coastline, including Holkham with 4 miles of white-gold sand and Cromer for incredible cliff-top views, a pier and of course the all important seaside fish and chips. Have a look at this cycle routes website for all sorts of suggestions of where to go in this marvellous county.
Family friendly
If you’re thinking of cycling with children in tow how about taking in Cornwall? There are 180 miles of track known as The Cornish Way which was opened in 2000 by Sustrans. Enjoy the family friendly rides, many of which are on the flat along old railway tracks or rivers, for instance the Camel Trail which follows the bank of the River Camel. This particular trail ends up in Padstow famous as Rick Stein’s base for all his seafood restaurants and cafes. What could be better than freshly cooked fish eaten in the open air overlooking the harbour in this cute little town? Sustrans has a very informative and thorough website about all of the trails so have a look here for ideas and to plan your routes.
Hard-core!
As the Tour de France will become partly a Tour de UK next year, it might be time to try out those punishing peaks in Yorkshire. The Pennines are a wonderful base for sightseeing and will test even the hardiest of cyclists. Have a look at Yorkshire’s Tour website for information on what peaks are included in Le Tour and suggestions of which ones to try if you’re feeling brave enough. There are also spectacular trails through the North Yorkshire Moors National Park as well, taking in heather-strewn moorland and parts of the Heritage Coast.
Countryside
If the idyllic English countryside is more your thing, Suffolk has a wealth of history just begging to be explored. There are museums, castles, nature reserves, almost anything keep the cyclist interested including a rather large number of village pubs to treat yourself after a hard day in the saddle. Whether you enjoy passing through pretty woodland and valleys or quaint villages and the rich architectural beauty of the medieval town of Eye, there are many beautiful areas to cycle through in this eastern county.
Guided holidays
If you’re not used to cycling or feel you’d like a little more support, you could try a guided holiday. There are many companies, for example UK Cycling Holdays, that will take all the problems and worry away. They can transfer your luggage from hotel to hotel, will be on hand in case you have any breakdowns and supply a qualified cycle guide to make it easy to get from breakfast to dinner with no stress in between.
The choice is yours
Whichever of these options you decide to go with, you are guaranteed to have a fascinating and healthy holiday. Just think, no queues at the airport, no missing baggage and everyone speaks your language. I’m sure you’ll have a fabulous time exploring all those as yet undiscovered parts of the UK.