Where is your most Ideal place to go touring?

Cycle-touring, Expeditions, Adventures, Major cycle routes NOT LeJoG (see other special board)
axel_knutt
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Re: Where is your most Ideal place to go touring?

Post by axel_knutt »

I generally make a beeline for the same places I used to go in my fellwalking days Peak, Lakes, Dales etc. Having said that, Surrey/Sussex is a nice area I would never have dreamt of visiting as a walker. Trying to tick off all the hostels in the YHA handbook has sent me to allsorts of areas I wouldn't otherwise have considered.
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Tigerbiten
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Re: Where is your most Ideal place to go touring?

Post by Tigerbiten »

If you get good weather then Iceland is fantastic.
I went around it last year.
The steepest hills are only around 17%, most are in the 7-10% range.
Once out of the southwest corner, most roads are quite.
serbring
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Re: Where is your most Ideal place to go touring?

Post by serbring »

what about Italy? Very uneven landscape in few hundreds of km, good food, nice weather, strong culture...:)
patpalloon
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Re: Where is your most Ideal place to go touring?

Post by patpalloon »

Catalonia. Just come back from Spanish tour and this was my favourite region. It's own language and identity, lots of fabulous cycling both on the coast and inland, and of course the Pyrenees and one of the best cities in the world - Barcelona.
I feel sure that the genius that did this, didn't even feel a thud as he drove by.
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Tigger
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Re: Where is your most Ideal place to go touring?

Post by Tigger »

+1 for the Outer Hebrides in May. I'm going in July, for the first time, so it will be interesting to compare (with Jan/ May/ Sep). It's not a touring hol but I'm hiring a bike for the week. Can't wait!

patpalloon: the OH needs as much time as you can give it!
gloomyandy
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Re: Where is your most Ideal place to go touring?

Post by gloomyandy »

Tigger when/where are you going to in the Hebrides? Will be up there in a rented cottage on North Uist during July, with our bikes. Would be happy to provide a pot of tea if you are passing!

Andy
Vorpal
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Re: Where is your most Ideal place to go touring?

Post by Vorpal »

bikehog164 wrote:Hey guys,

I've wanted to go touring for a while and want to know where peoples most ideal place for them to go and why?


Someplace I've never been before is always good. :D

That said, if you are planning a first tour, it might be easier to go someplace that is a little familiar, such as a usual holiday destination, if you have one, or starting from home.

Alternatively, the Netherlands is very cycle friendly, and makes a good first tour.

There are also a number of predefined touring routes in Europe and North America using Eurovelo or ACA routes. It might be easier to use something like that which has plenty of information available.
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eileithyia
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Re: Where is your most Ideal place to go touring?

Post by eileithyia »

How long have you:- and I don't mean for the trip.... for reading....
Most parts of Britain when the weather is fine.
Spain; Catalonia or Andalucía (and make sure you visit Barcelona and Granada)
France; Pyrennes, the gorges around the Ardeche
Germany; Rhine valley, Black Forest
Poland/Slovakia; and the Tatras.
Iceland.
Ireland.
New England in the fall...
Greece; Peloponese
Italy; Dolomites
Still to do; Alps, Swizerland, Austria, Japan, Rockies, Andes, Belgium, Luxembourg..... come to think of it do not have time to go work.. where's that lottery ticket...
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mrjemm
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Re: Where is your most Ideal place to go touring?

Post by mrjemm »

Still learning where my/our ideal place may be. Been to a few, some great, some terrible, some so-so. But those are likely all down to the preferences and priorities of me'n Madame as much as the places we went.

Right now planning a short UK jaunt that is exciting us. Longer term thoughts involve Scandinavia (been looking at Norway's coastal areas recently, drooling and dreaming), Northern Spain (travelled there plenty, but not with cycle yet), Brittany (barely touched due to illness last attempt), Slovenia and maybe another go at the US (so far one good trip, one bad one).

Just gotta build fitness and bank balance...

Vorpal wrote:Alternatively, the Netherlands is very cycle friendly, and makes a good first tour.


Just remember to take a bloomin' good lock! At least in Amsterdam anyway... :(

+1 for the anywhere new suggestion.
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Tigger
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Re: Where is your most Ideal place to go touring?

Post by Tigger »

gloomyandy wrote:Tigger when/where are you going to in the Hebrides? Will be up there in a rented cottage on North Uist during July, with our bikes. Would be happy to provide a pot of tea if you are passing!

Andy

Hey Andy, great to hear from you. I'd love to share that pot of tea :D ...

...but I'll be in Uig, Lewis - first week of July - reccying properties for my hostel-to-be!!! (Did you see my thread? viewtopic.php?f=15&t=86110&start=15#p776461)
simonhill
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Re: Where is your most Ideal place to go touring?

Post by simonhill »

I forgot to add Southern China, especially Yunnan, to my list.

If you like hills and wonderful scenery its the place to go. The Chinese have built motorways parallel but not close to most of the main roads, leaving them empty for cyclists. Lots of places for food, etc and towns every 50kms or so with good cheap hotels.

The people are friendly and sometimes a bit shocked to see foreigners, but very safe. Weather is good in our winter as it is on the tropic, not too hot.

Lots of culture and old towns to break up the pedalling. Not to mention a 40km hill to break up the culture!
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shane
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Re: Where is your most Ideal place to go touring?

Post by shane »

Zambia-Zimbabwe or Mozambique for the friendly people.
Namibia, South Africa/Lesotho for the scenery
Botswana for endless miles of the same scenery and easy wild camping.
USA for the national parks

Lakes or West Scotland for most of the above but with crappy weather :lol:

You may want to be a little more specific about your wishes and aims :D
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Neil Wheadon
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Re: Where is your most Ideal place to go touring?

Post by Neil Wheadon »

Lots of lovely places mentioned
The USA is just fabulous and full of variety
Down the West Coast from Vancover to San Francisco is brilliantly set up with hiker biker sites all the way
The Rockies from Salt Lake City north into Canada taking in the iconic Yellowstone and Glacier National Parks
New England in the fall
Virginia and Maryland on the eastern seaboard, full of Civil War and settler history
etc etc

The joy of the place is the wide roads with shoulders, friendly people (95% of Americans never leave the country) good clean accommodation and beautiful scenery

For many LEJOG is on their wish list, for me a Trans Am is the next really long trip.

Neil
Former CTC Tour Leader, now with Bikexplore
Norsman
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Re: Where is your most Ideal place to go touring?

Post by Norsman »

The West Coast of the USA. It is beautiful, has great camp sites for cyclists and perhaps most importantly, if you go north to south, you have a virtually guaranteed tail wind.
acciaio
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Re: Where is your most Ideal place to go touring?

Post by acciaio »

For something involving limited time off and without breaking the bank, Brittany for me.

Wonderful countryside, quiet roads with very cycle-friendly drivers, generally good weather, some hills to keep up interest (but nothing serious).

Great food. Shellfish is super fresh and not at stupid UK prices. Croissant plus pain au chocolat and coffee for breakfast, baguette or crepe for lunch, kouign aman or some other pastry for afternoon snack and fruit de mers with a glass or two of wine in the evening and I'm very happy indeed.

Loads of nice camp sites around the coast and no need to ever book when cycling. Fewer inland, although there are some not on any maps/guides I've seen, eg the lovely one in Sizun, and informal arrangements with farmers easy to make.

Can't wait until 13 August ....
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